Are you a Mormon who loves coffee? The first and only time I have ever drunk coffee was when I was 5. I was at the realtors with my parents (a common activity) and I sneaked into the dark kitchenette (a closet with a coffee maker) and spied the pot on the burner.
Now as practicing Mormons, drinking coffee is strongly discouraged. It is common knowledge that too much of anything is not good for us, but coffee tends to be slightly addictive and a natural stimulant and therefore shunned by Mormons doctrinally.
I knew this at 5. But I LOVED the way it smelled when we went to the realtors or to friends’ houses… So I took my chance… The kitchenette was dark and I slid in and closed the door behind me. I made sure the pot wasn’t hot, I picked it up and took a couple of swigs of COLD, bitter, black coffee. It didn’t matter, I was hooked.
See, I have an addictive personality. I think I was born into a family and religion that shuns addictive behaviors because God knew I would have no chance out there in the “real world.” I needed a little protection.
I never drank coffee again, but I LOVE coffee flavor to this day: coffee candy, coffee smells (I just bought a coffee candle), and holy cow coffee ice cream (Starbucks makes a Mocha Chocolate Chip that they sell at Costco…sold in bulk and SO yummy…). I also like rum flavor, but that is for another time.
My mom (Mo) always had Postum in the house. She liked it and therefore I liked it. It is a “coffee substitute” developed for the “hot drink drinkers” who don’t want the negative side effects of caffeine and stuff. If you are a regular coffee drinker, it’s not much of a substitute, but if you are a closet coffee lover (no pun intended), then this might do the trick.
My mother-in-law taught me a nifty trick. She adds one spoonful of Postum, one spoonful of plain cocoa, and a couple of packets of Splenda to hot water and tops if off with a splash of milk, hence Mormon Mochaccino.
I drink this stuff in bulk, so a get a big bowl and add equal parts of all the ingredients including an equal part of coffee creamer to give it more of a creamy mocha effect.
I’m just throwing this out there. Not to jump on the recipe bandwagon, just because I know there are other secret coffee lovers out there like me. If you feel like a cup o’ mockaccino, I keep the pot on the stove and the door is always open…
13 comments:
As you know, I love it and it works well for capuccino blasts just like Baskin Robbins makes. My son had his tonsils out, so I've been making shakes lately. "I wonder what would happen if I blended some vanilla ice cream, milk, ice, and CARRIE ANN'S MORMON MOCHACCINO..." Serendipitous. Thank you Carrie Ann, you are wickedly perfect.
I tried a variation on this (after talking to you) and was IN LOVE at first sip. Here's my version... Half postum, half hot cocoa (made with milk). Top off with whip cream. YUM!
I have to admit I never really liked the Postum but I am all about anything vanilla, ice and cocoa in a blender! And I do love coffee creamer in my hot chocolate.
I like Caro a bit better than postum. When I was in australia there were a lot of people who drank Echo or Nature's Cuppa which both seemed to smell more like coffe- I haven't seen either here in the United States. Have you tried any other coffe substitutes? Any recomendations?
Ask JP about her obsession with coffee and it's cousins.
I too have an addictive personality, it runs in my mom's side of the family.
BUT When I was 11 my evil grandmother insisted I taste her coffee, sugared and creamed to a syrup. From that 1 drink I learned I am very allergic to coffee and have never had trouble turning it down since.
My weakness: ice tea. Sweetened. No lemon.
PS I've been sitting side by side with a woman at work whose coffee sweetener is yummy smelling. It feels like I have a maple doughnut under my nose all day.
Before my parents converted (and actually probably for a little while after since I have such vivid memories of this and they joined when I was 18 months old) my grandma let me finish the last bits of her coffee when I spent the night at her house. She doctored it up with lots of cream and sugar. Yum!
That probably explains my predilection for mocha shakes and iced mochas when I was going through my non-Mormon phase several years ago.
I want to find this Postum stuff. So glad to realize I'm not the only heathen coffee-loving Mormon.
So fun to "find" other coffee lovers...
I've tried Caro, and it was good, but I can make the Postum nice and STRONG... but as for other substitutes, I need to break out and get to the health foods store...
I also have had a secret life of drinking iced tea (on the rocks, no sugar, yes to lemon...is there a coffee connection?) This was when I was in elementary school, and I knew HOT tea was bad, but herbal tea was good, but what about iced tea with no caffeine? I drank it by the gallon all summer long at my friend's house...I thought I was OK...now I know, but Oh how I miss you ice tea!
Carrie Anne (and any others who like iced tea) you may want to try this.
My friend of mine drank a lot of iced tea before he joined the church and it was the hardest thing for him to give up when he accepted the gospel. He wasn't going to drink de-caff tea since it was still tea, but he had tried a whole lot of different herbal teas iced- and he found a few that he kind of liked- but nothing that he really liked the way he liked tea.
When I was at the healthfood store looking for fake coffee I found the celestial seasonings herbal "caffeine free tea" which apparently is not like de-caff tea but is actually an herbal tea blended to taste like black tea.
My friend tried it tonight and he said it is really good- it has a very slight sweet aftertaste (he also prefered his tea unsweetened)but it isn't too sweet so it doesn't bother him too terribly.
The ingredients are all non tea herbs except "natural tea flavor." I'm not sure what exactly tea flavor is- but the box says it doesn't have tea leaves or caffiene- so I guess it's an individual call as to whether this stuff is mormon kosher.
It is funny how many things are distinctly Mormon. I love the smell of a fresh pot of coffee in the morning. It reminds me of going to my grandparents… ah the memories. My dad drinks Pero… another coffee substitute and when I am home visiting I drink Pero too… very very good stuff.
I love the Mockaccino and I love Kacy's Mockaccino Blast. You and T should come over sometime this week and we'll make them for you.
I saw Pero at the healthfood store- it looked a lot like Caro extra. I suppose I should have just gotten it rather than the stuff you have to brew.
Jess "outed" me and my love...so I shall not go into how I only recently stopped supporting the entire staff of Starbuck's coffee...
I'm just not going to go there. ;)
Abby sent me this link today, in October, so a while since the original publication in February! She read a post on my blog about resuming Pero drinking in the Fall.
I am a Pero devotee. I, too, love coffee flavoring and rum flavoring. And yes Caro and Pero are the same thing, they had to change the name for the US market.
I usually drink Pero with evaporated milk and a little Splenda. Sometimes I'll add cinnamon, or chocolate, depending. Pero has an "extra Dark Roast" on the market these days.
As for teas, I recommend the Pompadour brand. They brew especially strong for herbal teas and are quite tasty.
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