Going to the Dark Side

This story goes all the way back to 1992 when our family took a trip to visit relatives in California. We stayed with my Great Aunt Beryl who lived on an avocado grove. It was a beautiful place to visit. We made so many memories but I also started a habit while visiting. Each morning my Aunt would wait on us hand and foot. She had a breakfast buffet each morning that was better than a restaurant. She offered juices, milk, teas and coffee. It was in her dining room I tasted coffee for the very first time. My parents both avid coffee drinkers always said “don’t drink coffee it will stunt your growth.” Aunt Burl offered me coffee in a fancy little tea cup with a saucer. I looked at my parents then looked at my aunt and she said “it won’t stunt your growth honey don’t worry.” She gave me cream and 1 lump of sugar. I loved the taste! I was a lot of cream and 1 lump of sugar kind of girl. My dad took cream in his coffee and my mom took her coffee black. At the time it was an easy decision, that black sludge needed some flavor.

For over two decades I took cream and sugar in my coffee.  About two years ago I stopped the sugar and indulged in those flavored creamers which was a heavenly taste. I think I was drinking more flavored cream than coffee. A little over a month ago I started the weaning off of my cream coffee habit. For no particular reason other than I realized I was developing an artificially flavored creamed habit and could avoid some unnecessary sugar in my diet. Slowly I went from full on flavored creamers to 4 creamers down to you guessed it no creamer. In one months’ time I became a Black coffee drinker much like my mother. I still get my morning caffeinated charge but without the sugar. Not saying I will never indulge in a little flavored cream in my coffee but I feel a little healthier about eating my morning doughnut since I skipped all that sugar from the creamer!