Written by For our prompt of “Spoon” today, I decided to pair one with some coffee and biscuits. I adore both of these, but take my coffee as well as my espresso black, with nothing extra added. I don’t like the addition of sugar or cream, something I get from my mother who adores coffee as well. For her, it’s actually the only thing she drinks outside of water. For me, I have wine and the very occasional beer to add a little variety. So indeed, I never require a spoon when coffee is served, yet even when you order it black, a spoon tends to arrive along with it. It struck me that I rather love everything that comes delivered with a spoon from ice cream shakes to autumn soups. True, it also represents some of lives easiest foods to eat, often requiring no chewing at all. Like mashed potatoes and gravy, which is something I’m craving as we head into cooler temperatures. Philippe, of course, has devised clever ways of upping the nutritional content by splitting the potatoes with cauliflower. He’s doing the same tonight, since I begged for mac & cheese, by adding tiny bits of broccoli. As much as I talk about following one’s inner child, I often tend to do so in excess, causing Philippe to have to play the adult and balance everything out. But, everything balances out quite nicely!
Perhaps that’s why I wear my love of coffee like a badge of honor. It’s a very adult thing to enjoy, so there’s certainly something to be said for that. I tasted a bit out of my mom’s cup when I was a kid and thought it was horrible. Weirdly, I also tasted it out of my dad’s cup which was full of cream and sugar and thought it was totally disgusting. So, I guess it’s no wonder that I chose the least unappealing version as an adult. Today, I love coffee, and sometimes have to monitor my intake, or at the very least pay attention to how many trips I make to the coffee pot during a work day. Like my mother, though, it has no adverse side effects on my sleep, or indeed health. I can have an espresso shortly before going to bed and drift right off to sleep while reading a book. Indeed, it’s not a quest for caffeine so much as actually liking the flavor. This makes me feel a bit in the minority hear in the States when a coffee rarely comes without lots of things to disguise the taste. This drives Philippe, who’s also a coffee lover, perfectly crazy causing him to shout, “You don’t even like coffee! Why are you still drinking it?” each time we pass a Starbucks. I think we should enjoy things in whatever form we like them, but yes, those types of coffees do require much more moderation.
It’s true, though, all treats in life require a bit of moderation. It’s the very reason they reach the status of “treat” in the first place. But, life really wouldn’t be the same without them. This extends beyond food, of course, to literally anything that brings us a bit of extra joy. It’s why I always make a bit of time for sketching each day. It makes me incredibly happy and so I make certain to carve a bit out of my day to have my little treat. That’s why I always encourage others who love sketching to do the same. For my part, I just prove it’s entirely possible to DO so, no matter how busy you are. I often have to remind people that this is simply a side hobby for me. I have a full-time job with the usual demands that such a thing asks and have to sneak time in between. Perhaps, that’s a bit of the secret. I’m not spending hours trying to perfect my craft, but just taking a few precious moments to celebrate my passion. I know I’ll get a bit better and learn more each time I show up. And that’s what really matters. I realize now that my absolute favorite things in life are the things I can freely enjoy without any worry or stress at all, like coffee and biscuits.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Gold Ochre, Quinacridone Red, Terra Cotta, Cobalt Turquoise and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with black ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Great snack Charlie! I too learned to drink my coffee and tea black. My dad learned to drink it that way in the navy and told me if I was going to drink either I had to drink them like a sailor. Makes my giggle now remember him. Good memories.
Thanks so much, Karen! 😃💕aww.. that’s wonderful this brought back memories of your dad! I totally agree with his advice!
The doodle’s awesome, Charlie!
Thanks so much, Zertab! 😃💕
I have to admit I’m a bit of a coffee snob – if it’s good coffee I take it black, otherwise, I want it with a bit of milk. Most of the time people don’t make the coffee strong enough. You’d think it would be the other way around, but for me, the weaker the coffee, the more it needs milk (or cream).
Yay to a coffee snob! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, if coffee is week, for me, there’s no saving it! If it needs cream, I’m out! lol
Charlie says, ” all treats in life require a bit of moderation.”
Quel dommage but it is all too true!
Quel dommage, indeed! 😃💕 But alas… it’s true. In many ways though, it’s just a signal that you’ve actually found a treat in the first place, so for that I adore it!
Yes!
My dad took a thermos of coffee with milk in it to work every day. My mom made it for him, and since she didn’t like coffee she made him instant stuff. Talk about horrible! It wasn’t until college that I discovered real coffee. And I drank it black for years. Then a few years ago I started making my morning cup with classic hazelnut syrup and whipped cream. Yum! But just one large cup a day. If I have a second cup, it’s back to black. Joe started drinking coffee again after 30 years off. He has cream in his. If his cholesterol goes up, he’ll probably blame it on me having heavy cream in the house for him to get hooked on! Lol😂😂
haha! I always think one should keep heavy cream in the house! 😃💕 I make sure we always have some. You never know! Some pleasures in life are just not to be fiddled with! 😉
I’m a coffee addict . Lovely painting by the way
Thanks so much, Stephie! 😃💕 Yay to coffee! Love it!
Ahhh coffee! Look at all those reflections in that sketch! I wish I could drink coffee into the night. My cutoff time is 3:30, otherwise I would be up all night. It gets farther out as I get older. So does that mean when you need a jolt of caffiene, you can’t look to coffee? I have a friend that can drink it all night. Jealous!!
Thanks, Lori! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, I’m one of those who can drink coffee all day long. Doesn’t have that much of an effect other than the joy of drinking it!
Looks delish, and fabulous. I used to be a coffee addict and took mine black with sugar. Now it’s a rare ocassion when I indulge in a cup of joe as I usually have to pay heavily healthwise, and so is seldom worth it. I drink tea, mostly herbal, now.
Thanks so much, Susan! 😃💕Herbal tea is awesome! I adore it as well! It’s the subject of today’s post!
Looks fabulous and like a most wonderful snack 🙂
Thanks so much, Lisa! 😃💕 Glad you enjoyed this one!
Super doodle, and another fan of coffee without pollutants! My wife and I switched to black coffee about 20 years ago and never looked back. It’s the only way to get the true flavor. And you hit the point of moderation squarely on the head, whether it’s a sleep issue or even heartburn! All things in moderation, even fun stuff.
Thanks, Bob! 😃💕Yay to unpolluted coffee! lol And yes, moderation is always the best thing ever as well!
It’s beautiful and familiar!!! I’m addicted to coffee, If I have an espresso, I will have a set of coffee like your painting 🥰.
Thanks so much, Loan! 😃💕 Yay! Another coffee addict! I love the stuff… so good!
Hi Charlie and happy Monday! I love it when you paint glass or metal, so I was very excited to see your painting today. It’s GORG! Great job!
Fanna
Aww thanks so much, Fanna! 😃💕 Thrilled you enjoyed this! I adore painting glass and metal indeed!
I am also a lover of coffee and I prefer it black (being vegan) I loved your watercolour painting too
Thanks so much Kelly Ann! 😃💕 Yeah, only black coffee please. It’s the best!!