A cup of Canadian comfort: Coffee
One of my favourite moments and joys in life are when there's a chill outside, but the sun is beaming and you just know that if it wasn't for the cold front, it would otherwise be a hot day. The sun is warming your face when the gusts of wind subside, yet your nose and fingertips stay cold. A day like that, whether it's winter or early spring, is a day when I love to be outside. Dressed warmly, walking alone, or with my boyfriend, or my dog (or both) and I'm in no hurry to get anywhere fast. All I do is walk, appreciate the moment and enjoy the now rare sight of a perfectly blue sky and the feeling of the bright sun's heat while sipping on some home brewed coffee that I made just for the outing. My senses are heightened on days like that. Suddenly, the sound of crushing snow underfoot is amplified, colours seem brighter and sharper and my taste buds are just loving the hot coffee as it goes down my throat. It's like it's the bestest cup of coffee I ever had in my life. Every time.
I don’t drink a lot of coffee. Typically one cup a day, yet as I get ready to go out on days like the one I just described, having my travel mug filled with my own hot brew sweetened with Quebec maple syrup, that warms me with every sip, brings comfort to me. It fits with my mood and my plan of the perfect afternoon I’m about to embark on.
I was once one of those suckers people who spent almost $5 on a medium latté every week day. I truly did love the taste, which made the price tolerable in my mind but eventually, common sense kicked-in and I stopped that terrible daily habit cold. Instead, I invested in a French press (like a Bodum) and a coffee bean grinder (got both for about $30, but sadly neither are made here. Never found either made in Canada).
Even if you buy premium organic and free trade coffee beans, which I think in this day and age everyone should, it still only ends up costing about $1 per coffee. You can’t argue with that, right? My all-time favourite brand of coffee is Kicking Horse Coffee (isn’t that a cool name?). They’re a Canadian company that imports only organic fair trade beans and roast them to perfection, at their plant in Invermere, BC. They have been a around since 1998 but only recently have they gotten a broader distribution. You can now buy Kicking Horse Coffee in the organic section of your supermarket, in most Shoppers Drug Marts’ - Pharmaprix in Quebec, or you can stock-up from their website here. My blend of choice these days is their Three Sisters, which is a medium roast, but they have other blends that are just as delicious with equally cool names like: 454 Horse Power, Cliff Hanger Espresso, Kick Ass and Hoodoo Jo, to name a few.
If you come across Kicking Horse products at the supermarket, give them a try. If you don’t have a grinder, remember that you could always use the grinder right there in the coffee isle and reseal your bag. There is nothing like the taste of coffee when the beans are freshly ground!
Image sources: Flickr Creative Commons, KickingHorse.com
Author: Melissa Thibodeau
