Coffee Sales, First Day

It's 50 degrees and overcast out. Dreary and chilly. We woke up early to get ready for coffee sales.

Last year we started brewing our own coffee. We had trouble getting consistent donations from Dunkin'Donuts and without it being donated, the margin between purchasing the coffee and selling it was terrible. By brewing our own, we make better coffee anyway. My husband roasts his own green coffee beans - which means he's a little particular about the quality of his coffee and I am totally spoiled. (For more information on home roasting, see Sweet Maria's.)

Last year we also started making blueberry and chocolate chip muffins. I use Alton Brown's basic recipe from "I'm Just Here For More Food," and assemble the wet works and the dry works the night before so I can finish it all very quickly in the morning.

This morning went smoothly, and we were out of the house at 8:10AM with pump pots of coffee and two dozen individually wrapped muffins. The boys made signs using cardboard and markers once we arrived (see, we weren't completely organized), and then the boys made laps around the fields - first holding just the signs and later the signs and the tray of muffins.

We raised $36.20 today. That may not seem like a lot, but it's excellent for an hour and a half on a first day. We saw some people who remembered us from last year, and introduced ourselves to a new batch of T-ball parents. We explained what we were doing, talked about the walk, and reminded people that we'll be there every Saturday through June 9th. I think we'll have some consistent customers.

It's a very good start.