I'd like to introduce you all to a dear friend and constant companion: Le cafe 'nouss nouss'. Isn't she a beauty? We were taught 'coffee sign language' which comes in handy in a crowded cafe with the waiter far away. Instead of waiting for him to make his way to you and then do the back and forth with your order, you can wave, get his attention and use a number of hand signals to order. The one for the nouss nouss is basically a karate chop three times in the air as if making a Z.
I enjoy these when we are out, but for home use I must say we are limited to the Dubois instant and when feeling the need to celebrate: the VIA packets from Starbucks that I threw in my suitcase on a whim (thanks cousin Meg!)... Only now in our current situation am I reminded of my coffee snobbery and cringe. Last autumn I was asked by a barista if I was willing to try 'Via' vs. regularly brewed coffee. Her training made her promise me I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I shut down her bubbly enthusiasm when I guaranteed I could tell the difference and agreed to her blind taste test. I passed with flying colors. You can't pass off instant on me! I was met with protocol follow-up: 'But it is a lot like the brewed isn't it?' Then my coffee snobbery got the best of me and in retrospect my foolishness is writ large. She offered me free Vias and I DENIED them! What I wouldn't do to go back and accept those free Vias! They have become so precious that I actually save about 1 gram of coffee from each pack because we have 6 oz cups and they are designed for 8 ounces! If I budget correctly, I can get a whole extra cup of coffee out of those! There you have it.
This is my life right now. And this post is not sponsored by Starbucks.
