This is how I drink coffee now

I have been emailing a girl from St.Paul/Minneapolis who is living in a town just outside of Glasgow. She had been talking about missing a good cup of coffee which led me to tell her that instant coffee isn't all that bad. I actually quite addicted to it. I mean come on it's so quick to make a cup, you just get that kettle going and there you have it.

The only thing that's missing from this photo is my Sainsburys home brand chocolate biscuits and milk. My dear flatmate Wayland apparently ate all my biscuits and polished off the milk. At least he didn't put the empty carton back in the fridge. A side note, I don't always eat biscuits when I have a coffee, since I drink about four a day. It's a special afternoon treat to dunk a biscuit into the coffee.

I remember about a year ago running to the Tesco Express with Matthew to pick up some bread and milk and he asked me if I wanted to get some coffee to keep in the flat. He took me over to where the instant coffee was and began suggesting a good brand. I, of course was in stages of shock and horror. Instant coffee? You've got to be kidding! I said no way was I going to drink instant coffee. That's what the elderly drink, it's like brown water not coffee.

I kicked up quite a bit of fuss and Matthew insisted that I at least give it a try. So very reluctantly I tried it and found that it isn't bad at all. It's very strong, not at all what I imagined instant coffee to be like. To be honest I had never even tasted instant coffee back in Minnesota, but then again why would I? It's not an electric kettle culture.

So I am instant coffee convert. I do drink it American style, or says Wayland. He uses a teaspoon of coffee where I use three heaping tablespoons. I don't even measure it out anymore, I just dump it in. He can't believe it, but I like my coffee to taste like coffee...or like instant coffee.

I do recommend adding a bit of cinnamon to the coffee for a bit of bite. My friend Molly Roark turned me on to Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon and it is really something special. Apparently it's the strongest cinnamon you get in America. I highly suggest it if you can get your hands on it.

There you have it. For all those back in Minneapolis at the Spyhouse having a coffee, enjoy your filter coffee!