Sans hot water

Our hot water heater went on strike this weekend. Can a family of three live without a hot water heater? Let’s see.

Do you need hot water to wash dishes? No, I think my dishwasher heats water to wash dishes.

Do you need hot water to wash clothes? No, I wash clothes in cold water.

Do you need a hot water heater to shower? Ideally yes, but in a pinch there are showers at gyms, swimming pools, or the workplace. There are also cold showers which have many health benefits, such as increased circulation and a nice boost of energy (better than caffeine). And finally there’s the sponge bath.  

Wikepedia sayz: Sponge baths may be practiced for hygiene or as a recreational activity. Recreational activity?

Sure, it’s novel to fill a tiny tub with water. It’s like camping, but in the comfort of your own home. Tonight we filled our largest pot with water and heated it on the stove. Then my daughter took a sponge bath, followed by an exhilarating cold shower rinse.

The process was quick (no need to linger), during which time I heard my daughter say “it’s not that bad.” 

Afterwards, I heard an enthusiastic “I did it!”

Followed shortly by ”can I change my Facebook status”?

There you have it. Hot water is optional. At least for a few days.

What do you think? Can you live without hot water?

Cold brewed iced coffee

This year summer started in Seattle before July 5, leaving Seattleites joyful and a little befuddled. Coffee is a staple of Seattle, along with rain, moss, and socks with sandals. When the temperature creeps above 78, my coffee sports ice.

I’ve been making iced coffee for years and just tried something new. I made cold-brewed coffee. Yes, apparently hot water is not needed to brew a good cup of joe. I brewed up some coffee in my fridge. Overnight. In cold water.

I got the idea from Lifehacker, but a post by Rachel Meeks at Small Notebook inspired me to take action. (Thanks Rachel!) 

Rachel’s cold-brewed coffee recipe

1. The night before, add 1/4 cup coarse ground coffee and 1 cup cold water to your container. I made mine in a French press, but you could use a glass jar.
2. The next morning add 1 more cup of water.
3. Strain and pour the coffee over ice.

I add a generous amount of milk and a touch of sugar. That’s it.

With a little night-before planning you can be drinking iced coffee in minutes, without any fuss or a trip to a coffee shop. That is, if you like iced-coffee.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy coffee? Please leave a comment.

Possibly related link: Frappuccino alternatives

Frappuccino alternatives

When it’s hot, I love cold coffee drinks: iced lattes and sugary Frappuccino-style coffee drinks. While I enjoy an occasional Starbucks Frappuccino®, I don’t make it a regular thing. Instead, I make Frappuccino-style drinks at home using a mix from Mocafé.

I’ve tried a couple different mixes and so far Mocafé is my favorite – with it’s Trinidad cocoa, Brazillian Arabica coffee, and a dash of cinnamon. I buy Original Mocafe Frappe mix at a restaurant supply store called Cash & Carry.

A 3 lb container makes 35 servings if you use the 2 scoop serving size, but I use 1 1/2 scoops so I get 46 servings. Using 1 1/2 scoops started as a calorie saving measure, and I found 1 1/2 scoops was sweet enough. So let’s see… $14 for 46 servings, or 31 cents per drink + the cost of milk (19 cents). 50 cents per Mocafe vs $4 per Frappuccino. 

Making a Mocafé Frappé

1. Add 1 1/2 scoops of Mocafé Frappé to your blender.
2. Fill a 12 oz glass with ice cubes and then fill the glass with milk.
3. Pour the milk and ice into your blender and blend ’til smooth.

If you can’t find Mocafe locally, Amazon sells it. Another frapp mix I’ve seen locally is Big Train.

OR - bag the mix and make your own Frappuccino-style beverages. Try a variation of this recipe:

 Do-It-Yourself Frapp

• A 12 ounce glass filled with ice (about 2 cups)
• ½ cup espresso or strong coffee
• 3/4 cup milk or use a mix of milk and half-n-half 
• 2 teaspoons sugar or whatever your sweet tooth desires
• 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup or 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• a couple shakes of cinnamon
• a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional)

Add everything to your blender and blend ’til smooth. 

If you like Frappuccino-style drinks, it’s worth tinkering with the DIY Frapp recipe. When you make your own Frapps, you can control the sweetness and the quality of the ingredients. You can also make sure that nasty things like corn syrup solids and partially hydrogenated oil don’t slip into the blender.

Homemade coffee blended drinks are simple, refreshing and inexpensive. Why not blend some up?

Do you have a favorite cold coffee drink? Please share anything remotely coffee related in a Comment.