Making Coffee Syrup and Remembering Mom

Did anyone else’s mom make syrup out of coffee?

When I was little my mom made it all the time. I can’t be sure, but I think she put it on pancakes and French toast. My little sister Kelly and I didn't care about those traditional uses, we loved the rock candy that formed in the bottom of the jar. In our opinion the sole purpose was to make rock candy. My dad would use a knife to scrape the hard sugar out of the bottom of the jar for us.

For some reason, I started thinking about this coffee syrup. I did a Google search to see if there was such a thing or if I was remembering things wrong. To my surprise, I found several recipes. The one that sounded like my mom’s consisted of three ingredients: instant coffee, sugar, and water.

One recipe that I found online from Robin Gagnon, who writes the Mom Foodie blog, provided a little background about how coffee syrup is used to make Coffee Milk.

“If you have never heard of Coffee Milk before, you have never lived in Rhode Island. It is simply coffee syrup mixed into milk, much like a chocolate milk... only cooler. Coffee milk is such an iconic beverage around here that we went ahead and made it the official state drink back in 1993,” she explained. “Growing up, we had three types of milk to choose from at school; regular white, chocolate and coffee milk. It never occurred to me that children in most of the country didn't have that last option.”

The Mom Foodie recipe uses the microwave (which we didn’t have in 1969), so I’m posting a stove-top version.

I don’t even like coffee, but I decided to make a batch to see if it tasted like my mom’s recipe. I gathered up the ingredients (I was surprised to find instant coffee in the cupboard). I dipped my finger in the pan to take a taste and it was exactly like my mom’s. Then, I added a little of the syrup to some milk and it was absolutely delicious. I think someone who likes coffee will really enjoy Coffee Milk.

***

Coffee Syrup by Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of cold water

1 1/2 Tbs of instant coffee

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add sugar, water, and instant coffee.
Let the coffee syrup come up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer until thickened (about 15 minutes.)
Pour into a cup and let cool. Cooling the syrup will let it thicken more.
Use the syrup in recipes or add it to a cup of cold milk.

This article was written in memory of my mother Roberta Phillians Ross.
She is pictured here with me and my sister Kelly in about 1969.

Written by Randi Ross Marodi ~ randileeross@gmail.com

Comments

The Generosity of Howard F. Shipley Continues

"I am not a religious fanatic but God put every man on this earth with equal right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. I am simply performing my duty to my fellow beings as I understand it." ~ Howard Francis Shipley who helped evicted coal miners during the Coal Strike of 1922 Howard Shipley on a trip in the 1920s with his family: from the left are his wife’s best friend Dora Kinder, his daughter Trissa, wife Annabelle, and daughter Blanche. Howard Francis Shipley 1883-1923 My Great Grandfather Howard Francis Shipley died suddenly of pneumonia in 1923 when he was just 40 years old, leaving behind his grieving wife Annabelle and three daughters: Mildred, who was already married, and Trissa and Blanche, who were still at home. Howard was a businessman from Brownsville who owned an automobile dealership in the bustling town on the Monongahela River in Fayette County, PA. His hard work made it possible for his family to live comfortably and allowed them to enjoy suc...

The Elopement of 1963

Wayne Ross and Roberta Phillians were married 62 years ago in this church in LaVale, MD on August 16, 1963. After my parents eloped they went back to Clarksville but didn’t tell anyone about their marriage until Christmas Eve of that same year. She was 18 and had just graduated from high school and he was a 21-year-old senior at Waynesburg College. It was their second attempt at eloping, the first time the minister wanted to call their parents! This is the closest thing to a wedding photo I have of my parents Roberta Phillians and Wayne Ross of Clarksville, PA. This was taken at her prom at Beth-Center High School in 1962. She made her own dress. On Christmas Eve they decided to break the news to their families. My mom thought her father was going to disown her, so she put on her favorite dress so she would at least have that. George might have been strict, but he didn’t disown his only child on that Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, my mom packed up her things that night,...

Clarksville Friends

Here’s a lovely photograph of my Great Grandmother Mary Brown holding on to her friend Leota Nyswaner of Clarksville, Pa. I'm guessing this photo was taken in the 1950s. Leota was a dear lady who lived on Market Street, just a block from the home of Mary and her husband Isaac and my Grandparents Forest Vance and Ruth Brown Ross. When we were young, my friends and I would visit Leota at her little house often. She would invite us in, give us treats, and tell us stories. She told me about the day she sat with my Grandmother and helped deliver my father, Wayne Ross, who was born at home on August 13, 1942. She was very proud of this, but I was too young to think about asking any questions. Was she a midwife? Did my grandmother have a difficult time? Did the birth take a long time? Was my dad a big baby? Nope, I didn't ask a thing. I was about 7 years old, so I was probably thinking, “Wow, that’s interesting, Mrs. Nyswaner. May I have another cookie, please?” I also rememb...

Julia Marodi's Prayer Cards

My husband’s Grandmother Julia Postic Marodi of Marianna collected prayer cards from the funerals of her family and friends. She tucked them away neatly in a little plastic bag, along with some other papers. I'm sure that, in her heart, each card represented a great deal of love and sorrow. Julia was born on March 23, 1909, in Brownsville, Fayette County, PA and she lived in T ower Hill II. She married Alex Marodi and they had three sons, Michael, Charles, and George. The family lived in Marianna, Washington County, PA, and belonged to the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in West Brownsville, PA. Julia, a faithful woman who loved her friends and family very much, died on N ovember 15, 1992, in Marianna, Washington County, PA. My husband's ancestral line to Julia Postic Marodi: 1. Timothy Marodi; 2. Charles Marodi; 3. Julia Postic by Randi Ross Marodi - randileeross@gmail.com

Our Historical Society's 15 Minutes of Fame! Bentleyville Historical Society looking for assistance with mysterious graveyard

Bentleyville Mayor Tim Jansante, Bentleyville Area Historical Society Vice President Randi Marodi & President Connie Gettings Bentleyville has roots that go all the way back to 1777 when founder Sheshbazzar Bentley purchased 1,077 acres on Pigeon Creek to build a mill. To start a village, Bentley rented, in 1790, 26 lots near the mill, located where Fox’s Pizza stands today. But it wasn’t until 1816 that his son, also named Sheshbazzar, established a village known initially as Bentleysville (sic). Since then, numerous generations of residents have come and gone, often leaving gaps in the historical record and questions that continue to baffle the local historical society. One such question concerns a small plot of land along Main Street in the middle of town that many current residents know little about. It’s a small plot of land currently confounding the Bentleyville Area Historical Society members, including that of the town’s mayor, Tim Jansante. The issue came to light when, in...

In Memory of my father Forrest Wayne Ross 1942 - 2021

H ow do you even begin to write about the loss of your father? I've put if off for a while, but it's time to recognize the fact that he's gone. Forrest Wayne Ross died on Thursday, September 16, 2021, in his home in Raleigh, NC. He had just celebrated his 79th birthday. Dad had been sick for about three years, but we hoped he would beat the cancer that was making him weak and stealing his youthful good looks and fun-loving personality. Just like everyone else who has terminal cancer there's a point where things start to change: a treatment takes a toll, appetite fades, a bout of dehydration, a urinary tract infection. Things get better and then it all starts again. Hospital, home, hospital, home. For us it was the beginning of the end, but we didn't realize it. A fall at the beginning of September set the ball rolling one last time: concerned looks from doctors, a mention of the word hospice, and an ambulance ride home. My dad wouldn't eat, he wouldn't talk,...

Tapestry

Search This Blog