How to Decaf in Style

Today I am assembling ethics committee submission documents for what I hope will sound like a ground-breaking research project. So far it's oh-so-many more pieces of paper than I anticipated, and  they require 12 individual copies of everything. I hope they recycle.

It's the sort of day that would usually drive me to powerchug espresso coffees until I actually levitate on a cloud of caffeine fumes. But, on account of shooting for a more consistent state of mind, I'm bravely limiting myself.  I tried decaf, but couldn't take it seriously (nope).  My preferred option is dandelion espresso, which should (but doesn't always) contain only dried dandelion root.  Dandelion is good for my liver and, most importantly, the new beast can turn it into a dandelion latte.

Any milk will do - cows, goats, hemp, almond. Don't use soy milk, it will pickle your hormones.

Please imagine this noise: 'BRRRZZZZZZRRRZZZZZRRRZZZ' That Saecoish for 'I'm warming up'.

The little icon indicates I'm using the 'preground' receptacle, just so you know I'm not telling porkies about the dandelion grounds.

The machine injects a lot of drama into the process, stopping now and then to blow steam all over the place. I'm not sure why, but it's fun to watch.

'PSSSSHHHHHHHHHH'

I wish to complain to Saeco that this machine does not make a heart, a leaf or even a swirl on the top of my latte. Instead it favours the 'vampire fangs' decoration.

Waaait.  I see what it's trying to do. Just needs a bit of GIMPing.

The coffee machine then considerately self-cleans the carafe and hoses.  This is an improvement on the old benchtop beast, which required considerable apres-latte attention.

And now.. your lives are complete, right?

:D You're welcome.

Significant!

First a little update on the decaf mission. You'll be so proud, I'm now over 2 weeks without coffee and not pining, apart from that mean little moment when I pass a cafe that is wafting delicious aromas.  This is, for sure, a record breaking attempt at giving up the buzz bean.

I did notice today that my green tea consumption is ascending though..

Caffeine wean FAIL

I got sick of the caffeine wean. At about 2 cups a day (down from say, 6 or 7), I was feeling half-dead all the time with no end in sight.

So I quit. Coffee, I mean. I quit coffee. Yes.

My Facebook status a few days later:

Once upon a time everyone woke up and all the coffee in the world had vanished. In the next week all companies went bankrupt except panadol and ibuprofen. Everybody got divorced or killed someone. Nobody blogged or did any study. Children took over the world and the remaining parents didn't care about that or anything else. The end.

Questions, pleading and greetings...

..from the slightly cranky zone. Haha, sorry for starting the post on a downer. I'm ok, really, but have done something to my dodgy hip, and am a bit gimpy. Very gimpy actually. 

I can't pinpoint exactly what I've done, but over the last week, a small niggle has expanded into an ankle to hip situation. Experimental jumping around confirms that this makes it worse, but yoga makes it better, so I'll be doing some of that later today. 

What else helps? Raw Fudge:

Buckwheat Porridge, Chia and Educated Cats

My kitchen bench is usually an extravaganza of foods that are sprouting or fermenting. 

It is actually a zoo of healthy bacteria in there (except when I leave the buckwheat too long and it turns into.. something else, definitely not healthy).

The Great Caffeine Wean #1

Anyone who has been reading this blog for more than a few months will know that I have an addiction: