Keeping cosy with a cuppa!

January 18th and possibly the coldest night of the winter so far. The snow arrived over the weekend and with it - for us - a power cut! At Christmas I said what a sucker I was for candlelight but only in addition to electricity for heat and light. So, by the glow of the gas fire, candles and torches, I put the kettle on the gas hob and made us all a warm drink. The comfort of hot coffee slipping down my throat and the glow of heat reaching my fingertips as I wrapped my hands around the mug was just what was needed.

However, we vegetarians have to be careful when drinking coffee and tea as they contain chemicals known as polyphenols. Whereas carnivores get their iron from meat, vegetarians rely on plant based foods and polyphenols can lessen the absorption of iron in plant foods by up to 70%. Therefore, those beverages should be avoided within 1-2 hours of eating iron rich foods to allow for this.

I love the seasonal drinks offered in coffee shops with gingerbread being my favourite. Whatever coffee I have I do like it extra hot - a lava latte in fact!

Whilst working at an interior design company myself and another colleague would question why a third person always brought his own flask to work, despite drinks being readily provided by the company. What was in that flask? we mused. One day when everyone was out we crept across to his desk and gingerly unscrewed the lid and inhaled. We were like Spy kids crossed with Bisto kids; ahh, coffee! What were we expecting?

Upon flying into San Francisco one day we went out in the evening to a restaurant on Fishermans Wharf.  Finishing our meal the cheerful waitress inquired "coffee?" "Yes I'm very happy" replied my husband, not yet used to the American accent. We fell about laughing at him as he protested he was just jet-lagged. Maybe he was; the rest of the family thought there was a huge ship in the bay - it turned out to be Alcatraz!

PS after last week's post a friend informed me that fossilized monkey puzzle trees are the source of Whitby jet, a semi-precious stone known as black gold - another reason not to be put in Room 101!