Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
One thing that never changes for me, despite my lifestyle, is my desire for coffee. Strong and black, I take advantage of any special offers when it's time to collect my rations for the week.
My latest purchase was at an amazing 50% off and I got a chance to try an 11 euro a kilo, Italian blend.
Coffee is my lifeblood. I start the morning with whatever is left over in my thermos flask (generally cold and, in winter, usually frozen - that's why I sleep with my thermos flask!).
Once I am suitably caffeinated, the goats are off for a forage and I've had a wander around with the dogs, then I'll fire up the Kelly kettle (an amazing piece of kit, basically a rocket stove with a water jacket), it boils water as quick as any electric kettle that I have known, and my thermos is refilled for the morning.
I overdose on caffeine. There is no denying that! Generally I will refill the thermos at least twice a day, that equates to 3.6 litres of coffee!
Now, in my defence, I never throw away the old coffee grounds, they get piled up in a pan and cooked over the campfire, 'cowboy coffee style' doing it this way means that I can use the old coffee grounds for three refills.
Plus, you need to understand that when you overdose on caffeine the usual effects are negated, in fact I can drink a double espresso then go to bed and fall asleep.
There are also the medicinal benefits to caffeine, reversing the effects of Alzheimer's, repairing liver damage and the important one, that it's just a damned good drink.
Funnily enough though, even though I am addicted to coffee, I abhor coffee flavoured things. Maybe because they use chemical flavourings? I don't know, in fact the only coffee flavoured thing I have enjoyed was a self made Tiramasu (back in the days when I lived in civilization.)
So this is why now, after my shift at the local library (for my free internet access, a chance to warm up and some triple ply, luxury toilet paper), I am heading back to the camp to boil up some water and make myself a pot of the gorgeous liquid to enjoy while making a bunch of flatbreads and doughnuts.
Yup, coffee rules!