#1 Jesus, #2 family, #3 coffee

Today I tried something new.

Something one of my favorite blogger friends 

http://talefromthecoopkeeper.blogspot.com/

has been nagging encouraging me to try.

Home roasting my own coffee beans.

Jayme, said friend, does it.

  She swears the stuff I have been mass consuming 

is inferior. 

She may have even said ... swill.

I trust her. 

She is who I want to be when I grow up. 

Technically she is younger than me,

but my story...my rules.

So, I ordered the beans a month ago

and then spun my wheels....until today.

I gathered the equipment, the beans, 

the roasting apparatus and ventured forward.

I was advised to do it in the garage.

Not to roast them in the kitchen 

because it smells like burnt popcorn.

I drug the gas grill into the garage. 

Mine has a burner on it.

 Yeah, I didn't bother to clean it.

Don't judge.

Next I measured out enough beans to last for 7 days.

That is supposed to be the maximum time frame

to store them for freshness.

Then the magic machine...

This is what the green java beans look like.

I put the beans in the pan on low heat.

Then, I started my arm workout.

In 2-3 minutes I had the first color change (orange).

Next, I heard them start cracking. 

In (about 30 sec.) increments they get darker,  

the crack in them changes color.

Oils come out. 

It steams.

It smells like over- microwaved popcorn.

Sorry for all the scientific terms,

but readers, I am very smart.

  After 10-12 minutes I decide it looks good.

I turn off the burner and head into the house.

I dump it on a paper towel to absorb the oil.

Next, I put it in a colander and stirred to cool. 

Lots of chaff falls out during the stir.

Luckily, being smart,

I stepped out on the porch into the cool air 

and the mess fell out there.

I think I could have skipped the paper towel step, 

but I didn't read all the tutorial until after I finished.

It's how I roll...remember, I am smart.

On returning from the porch, 

I see I have left the door to the garage open.

All the burnt scent has wafted into the kitchen.

Jane E. Smart.

While I wait for the beans to cool a bit more,

I decide to clean up my mess.

I need to air the garage, take out the grill 

and bring in my vehicle.

Story of my life. 

After the beans cooled I put them in a jar.

Then I ground and brewed my first pot.

I poured the first cup in great anticipation.

Then, for some unexplained reason,

I wanted an unusual coffee-time snack.

Most excellent!
It is official.
Janie = barista

Boom!