I started drinking at a very early age, coffee that is…Our next door neighbor, Margaret made coffee for me every weekday morning for almost two years! My older sister was in school, and I was four years old. Margaret made lunch for her elderly mother everyday- sometimes I would even get to go to her mother’s house.  I loved it when Margaret made cake batter- whisking it by hand, and sometimes if I was lucky she would sit and drink coffee with me while things were cooking in Margaret’s sunny kitchen. Some of my earliest memories are of coffee perking away on a gas stovetop at my grandmother’s house- she let me drink coffee too. These ladies made it thick with sugar and cream for me, so I loved it. However I now prefer my coffee-Columbian and black- unless- I can get a Cappuccino made like it is supposed to be made, or a real Cubano Espresso, which is half sugar and half espresso or lovely bitter chicory coffee at Café Du Monde in New Orleans! 

Beautifully Made Cappuccino in NYC.

It may seem odd that a confirmed Southerner loves coffee- but wait not so fast! With coffee plantations in the Caribbean since the eighteenth century, how could we not love coffee? It’s been said that Americans began their love affair with coffee after the Boston Tea Party, when it was considered unpatriotic to drink coffee…but of course we couldn’t lay off the Tea for very long! I’m a huge fan of Luzianne Tea, which is the taste of tea from my youth. However, Alabama is home to Royal Cup Coffee and Red Diamond Tea and Coffee! So, I love those brands too! I once toured the Red Diamond plant and it smelled so divine- I asked them for a job! They turned me down, I think because they knew it wouldn’t be profitable.

I am considered odd because I drink coffee even when it is boiling hot outside– I hold to this tradition because I personally believe that when the inside of the body is a higher temperature than the outside – well you get the picture- it seems to cool me off! It is one of those superstitions I hang on to!

For years I’ve been collecting ‘facts’ about coffee! Sorry I didn’t save the sources but here goes:

• Most Americans drink coffee in the morning- except me, I can drink it all day long!
• Coffee is full of antioxidants and may lower risk of several types of cancer including skin cancer- but don’t stop using your sunscreen!
• Your morning workout may be less painful if you drink coffee beforehand!
• Your mind will be stimulated, alert and your memory sharper, not to mention your energy levels will increase after drinking that morning cup of coffee.
• Now, don’t get too excited but coffee does tend to suppress the appetite– if you’re drinking it with heavy cream and sugar don’t expect the pounds to drop off!
• Of course, too much coffee can cause insomnia and a slight rise in blood pressure.
• Some folks like me- who drink lots of coffee can experience an increase in heart rate- to avoid this I drink decaffeinated coffee.
• Columbian coffee is naturally decaffeinated.
• Too much caffeine makes me jittery and nervous- but a moderate amount of coffee seems to have some heart benefits, probably those antioxidants.

If you start drinking early like me…Drink in moderation! It’s so satisfying to sip a cup of coffee and collect my thoughts first thing in the morning. But please don’t always drink your coffee alone…Call and friend and go have coffee! Having coffee with friends increases stamina, lifts the spirits and some have suggested there may be a higher tolerance for aches and pains; now that’s good news! So, to all you fellow coffee lovers- be like nice southern ladies…Don’t drink…Sip.

Love y’all, Camellia

For those who would like even more tips about Coffee- go to Royal Cup Coffee Company’s site- http://www.royalcupcoffee.com/blog, you’ll be glad you did!

Images are from AOL and may be subject to copyright.