12:09 pm

The Takoma Park Jazz Fest was in full swing today, but my usual iced coffee source was shut down. No explanation in the hand-written note, but I suspected the closing of the Drifting Nomad for the day was connected, if not to the Fest, then to one of a trillion other things more fun than serving coffee and sandwiches inside on a blazingly clear, sunny day.

As readers may recall, I like my coffee. Just one cup a day, but I do love that one cup. I also like finding little tricks to pull it off in different ways. So I ventured into the nearby 7-Eleven, pleased with the change of pace from my usual weekend routine. But I soon found myself standing before an iced coffee utterly at a loss. The choices: artificial mocha, or artificial vanilla.  All jazzed up, you might say. The theme of my day! Processed with who knows what kinds of chemicals and with the use of who knows how much energy.

No worries — I was going to  come  up with a little method for getting regular iced coffee out of a convenience store determined to make you eat something super tasty but not super good for you.

Here’s the “recipe”:

Healthy(er) and Sustainable(r) Sweet & Creamy Iced Coffee

8 oz. hot coffee, regular blend, separated

2 packets 7-Eleven brand turbinado sugar

Ice from the soda machine — the one next to the Slurpees

2-3 little tubs half and half

1 reusable mug (of course!)

Pour a few tablespoons hot coffee into mug and add suger. Stir to dissolve. Fill mug about 1/3 of the way with ice from the soda machine (this should eliminate splashing). Slowly fill mug with more coffee. Add your 2-3 tubs half and half, to taste. Stir again and enjoy–for the price of a refill.

12:30… a little over!