Thursday, May 24, 2012

Stupid Computer!

While we are de-fragging and de-cluttering the silly ole computer.. (grumble grumble grumble - Mr. Doodle swears that he doesn't know how my computer works half as well as it does with all my multi-tasking.. having 2 different internet browsers open with .. oh 6 tabs open in each... and 4 notepad pages.. and... 2 image softwares running... and Adobe.. and Word... and the online local scanner... ... ... okay.. okay - so maybe he's got a point..)

Well, while we are cleaning up the ole' puter - I thought I would post an amusing little post.. that may be helpful?!  
Well, basically because I can do this from my phone.. 

I've had 3 people now, comment on Ice Coffee..
and the most interesting of the comments was asked of me "doesn't the ice-cubes water the coffee down?"
Now this was said with all genuine sincerity.  

Most likely, when one tends to think of coffee - they think "hot".  After years of television commercials for Folgers and Maxwell House with steam rising from a mug and some wintry scene for a backdrop - it's natural.  (it's called subliminal advertising... and it sticks)



But it reminded me of a trip back home to Maryland a few years ago - in fact, Mr. Doodle's first trip to Maryland... and we stopped into a local DD and he asked for an "Iced, light, 2 sugars"...
For me, the counter girl's face gave her away; she had no clue what an "Iced" was, let alone how to go about making one.  

But Mr. Doodle, being oblivious to dumbfounded looks (oh, he's used to the "are you serious?!" and "you wanna rethink that?!" looks, I give them to him all the time - but dumbfounded.. not so much); just nodded when she repeated his order back to him. 

She was hoping that he had made a mistake when ordering and would correct it when hearing it echoed back to him. When he didn't, she moved down the counter and began to whisper to her co-worker.  

I KNEW what was going on.. but this was just a bit too funny with Mr. Doodle thinking that "MD was the 'Boondocks' anyhow".  

The co-worker peered over the tops of the coffee pots and asked Mr. Doodle... 
"Sir, Coffee right?"
to which he replied "Yup. Light, 2 Sugars. Thanks."

..

yeppers.. she brings him a HOT COFFEE.

Now me, I am sitting there with that "I told you so" grin on my face..  and he politely tells the girl ..

"I asked for Iced Coffee, you know, with ice in it?" 

NOW he was catching on... but not quickly enough!

Marylanders.. don't drink Iced Coffee (yet!! this was either 2000 or 2001.. can't recall)



She turned around and proceeded to pour the piping hot coffee she had just made for him, into a large plastic cup filled with ice...

You're not in New England anymore honey.

Yeah.. sadly, it doesn't quite work that way.. 
As I mentioned, this was years ago though - Iced Coffee is about as familiar now as Coke.. er um. . . tonic.. ... pop... oh whatever!



Iced Coffee is so 'big' here, we've got BK & Mickey D's fighting for that beverage dollar with their own blends of Iced Coffee (which I heard totally sucks!); in addition to MaryLou's, Honeydew and Starbucks versions.  And DD hosts an "Iced Coffee Day" each May.  (at least for the past few years)...

We've had celebrities on commercials - like Rachel Ray with her Iced Coffee.. and the Bruins, Celtics, Pats and Soxs have all "Run on Dunkin (Iced Coffee)" and even New England states themselves :)

 

It is often hard to remember that not everyone does things the way you do them locally.  You just take for granted that what you are familiar with in your 'home range' is readily available no matter where you go.  



I drink so much Iced Coffee, I would be broke trying to purchase it, each and every time I have a craving for some... so I make it at home (seems like by the bucket most days!!).
It is really easy.  
Brew your coffee as you normally would  (for the serious, serious coffee drinker, you might want to add an extra teaspoon or so - it will dilute eventually just as any other beverage that you add ice to).
I usually brew a fresh pot of coffee at night before I go to bed - for the next day's coffee needs, (okay, who am I kidding? - I brew 1 at night, 1 around 3pm and THAT fulfils my 'daily needs' - most days)  - point being, now it's sat long enough to cool and is at about room temperature.   :)


It might take you a little bit of trial and error to get all the measurements hammered out - but basically, you fix your coffee the same way you would if you were going to drink it hot.  If you like your coffee with 2 sugars, add 2 sugars.. if you are a monster like me... you add MORE :)  
You are dispersing the liquid over ice and in a glass - so some fine-tuning may be needed - this is a personal thing, so I really can't help ya on that!  

But seriously, in the Wintertime, I will often take the hot coffee I was drinking (after it's sat for a while and gotten luke warm anyways), and throw it in a cup with ice.  

Yes!  I drink Iced Coffee all year round!

Now here comes the difficult part.. at least where some of my family and friends from home were concerned... 
Home, it was 'Non-Dairy Creamer' (powdered stuff in a plastic container - yeah, I know - to my New England friends turning their noses up at this very moment!)... many others use 'milk", skim - soy or otherwise (save that for your tea)... the best Iced Coffee uses Light Cream.


oh okay.. you don't HAVE to use light cream, BUT cream gives it a richer, creamier flavor (more of that 'sin factor' - like how you feel sneaking in that bon bon while you are on your diet!)
Of course, you can use whatever you normally use - it is, after all, just chilled coffee.


Then there's the ICE!  I happen to like only a little ice in my coffee..  Mr Doodle likes it about half ice and half coffee.. again this is a personal taste preference. 

Remember it will melt, it will water down your coffee - so select the proper setting for your ice usage - hot hot hot days, load it up with ice - your Iced Coffee is gonna be gone before the first cube melts *wink*
warm days on the hot side, where you are not drinking your beverage so quickly, you might want to use less - you'll figure it out :)


That's basically it...
So, the next time you have a chance - stop in a Dunkin Donuts and get a small Iced Coffee to try it out - if you like it... well, now you know how to make it at home!



.. huh?
Oh the flavors?

hee hee - that's why man invented such wonderful treats as Coco Real (which is meant for Pina Coladas) and Hershey's Chocolate Syrup .. 


                ___+________________________________________________
                                
                                       MOUNDS FLAVOR'D ICED COFFEE


hee hee :)

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