I am really living the good life right now. The older four kids got on the bus and then I took Henry to preschool, where I got into the teachers’ good graces by signing up to drive for a field trip BECAUSE I HAVE ENOUGH TIME NOW THAT I DON’T MIND DOING IT. Then I went to the library, BY MYSELF, but it wasn’t open yet, so I drove to McDonald’s and got a LARGE coffee and a sausage McMuffin, which I ate (without sharing) in the library parking lot listening to the radio and not having to entertain anyone. By the time I was done, the library was open, and I browsed in a leisurely, meandering way, not feeling like I needed to grab WHATEVER and get out of there before children started running/yelling. On the way home I stopped at Subway and got a foot-long turkey sub to share with Henry when he’s out of preschool, because of the five children he’s the only one who’ll eat pretty much anything I eat. Then I came inside and a nice cat jumped on my lap, and I’m sitting here listening to her purring and the clock ticking, thinking, “OMG DOES THIS MEAN I’M GOING TO HAVE TO GET A JOB NOW??”
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Speaking of the cat, look at this silly girl:
I’ve never had a cat do that before. She curled her tail around her body, then leaned down until her forehead was resting on the puff of her tail, and then went to sleep.
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Every morning I make a full pot of coffee in my 4-cup coffee pot. I drink one mug in the morning, and in the afternoon I pour the rest over ice and have iced coffee. For MONTHS now I’ve been struggling with the problem of how to get flavored creamer into the iced coffee, because powdered creamer only dissolves in hot liquid.
The simplest and best solution is to use liquid creamer, but I don’t use it fast enough so I always waste most of the bottle—and also, I like to have several choices of flavors. So I’ve been microwaving a small (1/4th cup?) amount of the coffee in that morning’s old mug, and then adding powdered creamer to THAT, and then pouring that over the ice with the rest of it. That works really well, but it’s a bit of a fuss.
Hershey’s syrup and Nestle Quik both stir in nicely to cold liquids, but that’s only chocolate flavor, no creaminess. This was okay when I could add a slosh of whole milk, but nobody at our house drinks whole milk anymore. (It does still work well if, for example, I get a coffee at a drive-through and don’t finish it and put it in the fridge for later, because that already has some creamer in it and then I just add the chocolate.)
It was only today that I realized I could stir powdered creamer into the entire pot of hot coffee.
I use a lidded cup for my iced coffee and if I swirl/shake it somewhat vigorously, the powdered creamer seems to dissolve. Although, now that I think about, I’m probably not defying the laws of chemistry, so much as I’m just majorly dispersing the creamer so it appears dissolved.
The cat is SO cute! I have never seen a cat do that, ever. Nor have I ever had a cat who remained still for photographing!
That kitty looks a little like she is demonstrating the Most Awkward Posture Possible for Sleep. I get a little crick in my back just looking at the picture.
I am having mornings like that, too! I LOVE IT.
That cat sleeping pose is adorable and I would have a hard time not waking her up to rub my nose against hers every time I saw her doing it.
My youngest is in full-day kindergarten now (a level of kid-free time that’s still a couple years off for you as I think I remember kindergarten is half-day where you are) and the quiet in the house is amazing.
I do have a job (part-time, at-home) but as of three weeks into this new routine, I am liking it.
This is your first time at having regular childless times, isn’t it? The freedom is glorious at first, and then you realize you’re actually kind of bored. It’s ridiculous.
Have you decided on a name for that gorgeous lady cat?
You must be using good, real creamer. The expiration dates on my creamers are always so scarily in the future, that it makes me realize there must not be anything real in it. Like my current container of Nestle French Vanilla Coffeemate…I bought it at the end of August, and the expiration date stamped on it is December 2011. Yikes ;) But I have plenty of time to finish it before it goes bad. Maybe try a bottle of that?
1. This blog is your job. Never leave it because the Internet people need you. This is a direct order from…God. (pls ignore name on comment. God was too busy to get his own account)
2. You have the David Sedaris coffee problem: you need coffee to make coffee, but you need to make coffee to have coffee. The infinite loop. (You don’t know how many times I’ve “made” coffee without putting in any grinds into my coffeemaker.) (And by “I” I mean God.)
hahaha! I was going to suggest just that!
Erica- Still in discussions! Current contenders: Violet, Primrose, Buttercup, Midge.
Giselle- I use the weird fake stuff too, but they say to “use within two weeks of opening,” and so then I get jumpy. I use it for like, 4 weeks, and then I start imagining it TURNING ON ME.
God- You made me cough with laughter.
Midge! I love that. Perfect cat name.
the creamer problem is easy. Pout it into ice cube trays so they melt into your cold coffee or cool your hot coffee!!!
I want that cat. She is like a charicature of a cat. Like cat clip-art.
After I have my hot coffee in the morning, I then pour the rest of the leftover coffee into a pitcher. I go ahead and sweeten it and add the creamer and then I stick it in the fridge. Then in the afternoon, when I need a pick me up, my coffee is already ready to go. Sometimes at the end of the evening, if I still have the coffee in the fridge, I pour it into ice cube trays. Then one day later in the week I’ll throw the coffee ice cubes into the blender and make myself a frappuccino. It’s so lovely to always have coffee available in some form or fashion!
I posted on my blog about making simple syrup to sweeten iced coffee and a friend pointed out the same thing–add the sugar while the coffee is hot and THEN chill. Duh. But I never thought of it on my own ;)
I am just so relieved that I am not the only person who is completely capable of thinking of the perfect solution, but not until my subconscious has been noodling it around for QUITE SOME TIME. As I get older, I become more amused by this tendency rather than embarrassed by it. Today, after a particularly heinous, crabby morning with my 3-yr old (and my 45-yr old husband), I asked myself, “Self, why in the HELL are you not picking out the boy’s clothes the night before, LIKE YOU DO FOR YOURSELF, and sparing everyone this clothing drama?” And not like that’s even a remotely original solution…*meh* I am 8.5 months pregnant and it’s a miracle I have any coherent thoughts at all. Anyway, thanks for the laugh, and I hope your iced coffee is especially delicious today! :)
Such a fuzzy kitty! I wish I could pet her, she looks divine!
A) I’m in love with lady Forehead McFlufftail.
B) I wanted to high five you for your coffee problem because that is EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING I (WOULD) DO.
C) So glad you’re getting such luxurious time on your own. It’s been hard-won, that’s for sure!
Freeze liquid creamer in an ice cube tray, add a cube to your iced coffee as needed. I fill mine half way, freeze, then pop out & keep in a bag in the freezer. I also freeze leftover coffee in cubes, then when I want a frappee or whatever they are called I toss frozen creamer & frozen coffee in a blender with cold coffee & some milk. Delicous!
i am SO PLEASED for you with all your newfound free time! how exciting! and luxorious! yay!
all of these coffee/creamer solutions are BLOWING MY DARN MIND, because i would not have thought of ANY of them.
that cat is so awesome i can’t stand it. must.. come.. pet.. dopey.. cat..
For iced coffee I like to use canned condensed milk. It’s not very expensive, easily flavored, it keeps forever (um, a few weeks?) in the fridge, even the low/nonfat stuff is still creamy. Even if you don’t finish it it’s not a big monetary waste.
And now I want iced coffee. Good thing I have some coffee in that fridge that needs cleaning out anyway!
I love your mini “posts within posts”.
I think you should totally name that cat Midge.
Also– that iced coffee idea is genious.
I laughed out loud at the last line, I was totally with you up to that point, all, what will she do? How will she get that creamer in the coffee?
How much do I love that picture! I’ve never seen a cat do that, and it’s great! Thanks for the pick-me-up. And I’ll second the vote for blogging as your job. Please don’t stop.
Both my cats sleep like this, and even after almost 3 years of living with them, it still cracks me up.
One of them will even put both her front paws around her forehead when she does this. I call it Cat TV, because I can sit on my couch and watch it for hours.
Also, enjoy your newfound free time!
I had a cat that did this, and it is the cutest most endearing cat pose ever. Your new cat is adorable.
Yes, well, using the powdered creamer in the coffee while it was hot was my thought… I’m glad you thought of it first.
Your wonderful cat reminded me of my niece. When she was just learning to walk, she would become exhausted by all that effort. She would simply tip forward, with her forehead on the floor and her little butt in the air, just like that kitty. We called it “Doin’ the Claire.” Your cat does the Claire. I had to send her the picture, I hope you don’t mind. I told her where it came from.
I am a one-cup a day person, I buy the flavored liquid creamer, and I use it until the expiration date on the bottle. Sometimes even longer if it doesn’t smell funny. Never read that part about using within 2 weeks, and am pretending it doesn’t exist now. I also tend to have three or four bottles going at once, because I like VARIETY in my creamer. Finally…they have liquid creamer in little no-refrigerate cups next to the powdered stuff, but they are a touch pricey.
I am new to this coffee thing. I can only drink it when it’s super cold out and laced with sugar oh the sugar! (I think this makes it not really coffee but whatevs)
So do you just drink iced coffee. Like gulp it? Small sips? I don’t get it. Does taste just the same only a bit sweeter and cold?
Nik-Nak- I take sips, similar to hot-coffee-sized sips. I like iced coffee especially in summer, when I want coffee but don’t want a hot drink. It probably does taste the same, but I notice the flavor a lot more so maybe not, and the melting ice must water it down some.
DAYS after reading this I was showering and thinking about those Torani syrups and I thought, “MUST TELL SWISTLE TO USE THAT IN HER COFFEE!” (I don’t know why it was in the SHOWER that I was contemplating your coffee problems and how yummy those flavor syrups are, but that’s when the brainstorm hit me!) I was VERY bummed to see that you need the creamy factor in addition to the taste, because BOY did I feel like I’d just solved a major world crisis for you! Maybe you could just use a dash of whatever milk you do have in the fridge? :) (Though I have to say, I think the person who suggested freezing the creamer into cubes was on to something – would you be up for blending the coffee with that, instead of just pouring the coffee over ice?)