Cold Brew and Conquer

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You may be thinking something along the lines of, “Raine, do you really have an entire shelf in your fridge dedicated to coffee?”

Yes, dear Reader. The answer is yes.

That’s why it’s perfect that I’m able to keep some full-strength caffeinated goodness and some decaf on hand. I like to relax with a cup of coffee at night when I’m winding down, but caffeine and ‘winding down’ aren’t necessarily great together, so decaf has been a huge help!

CoffeeSock to the Rescue

I’ve got this exact cold brew kit from CoffeeSock! “Cold brew kit” here means a 64-oz glass canning jar and a reusable cotton filter. I was lucky enough to get two of these beauties for Christmas, and I’ve been a cold brew devotee ever since.

It’s incredibly straightforward to use, I’ve found. When I first got it, I was very careful to be precise about the amount of ground coffee I used in the filter. Now, I just kind of eyeball it and go for around 25-30 tablespoons. I still get coffee that’s concentrated enough that I need to add water or milk when I’m making a cup to dilute it! It’s less acidic, too, which means it’s much easier on my stomach.

Where I was spending around $2 a day 3-4 times a week for a coffee last year, I’m now getting big value containers of ground coffee that honestly look like they’ll probably last me for months; around two months ago, I decided to try buying cheaper, bigger tubs of ground coffee for day-to-day use. I can hardly tell that I’ve made a dent in either of them. They were only around $8 each!

And, there’s the added benefit of it being right there when I need it, no matter what time it is. (Because who wants to go out looking for coffee at midnight? Not this girl).

Say Hello to Reusable Straws

While we’re on the subject of things that make you feel like you’ve cracked the code at life, let me introduce you to my trusty glass straws. These were also on my Christmas wish list, and so far, I’m really loving them! They come with little brushes to clean them, and they’ve proven to be pretty sturdy in the 4-ish months I’ve had them. I really like having straws to drink with; it’s better for your teeth if you use straws with drinks that tend to stain, like coffee and tea.

Plus, I’ve been trying to really reduce my waste output lately. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, folks! April is a good time to commit to that, too, because Earth Day is right around the corner – make every day Earth Day!