A coffee-free Christine

So Tuesday M made us some of the nice Kona coffee I had picked up at BJs. As I was sipping it on the way in, I started to get itchy. All over. Including my tongue. So I stopped at a red light and dumped that delicious, delicious drink into the street.

All day, I felt wheezy and funny. So I decided to stop and get a 50-cent iced coffee. It happened again, and this time I almost broke out in hives. I took two Benadryl and went to bed. Called the allergist the next day, and he wants me to abstain from the java until he can test me (May 5). I'm a mom -- how will I survive? I wonder if it was the Splenda?

Could coffee be worth $11K?

M and I are major coffee whores. There are usually a few pots a day brewing in my house. We also love gadgets -- hence the high-end front-loading washer and dryer we just bought, which have made doing laundry a joy. So when I saw this story on Slate about the Clover, a high-end coffee maker, I was intrigued. However, reading between the lines, it sounds like you're paying for a bunch of bells and whistles and get the same kind of coffee.

I know we've been through quite a few coffee makers, from a $30 basic model to a $100 Cuisinart Grind N' Brew (we always grind our own coffee). I can honestly say our $40 Mr. Coffee with a gold filter (a must) and a timer does the best job. Sometimes the extra money just isn't worth it.