We all know the feeling. The buzzer rings at 5:30 a.m., earlier than even Princess Pebbles, your pet Yorkie, wakes up to answer nature’s call. You rub the sleepy dust out of your eyes (thank my mom for that; when I was growing up she always tried to make disgusting things sound pretty), you take a shower, and you still feel like you’d rather stab yourself in the face with a pencil than remain conscious another minute.

No worries. Your friendly food critic has got you covered. Here’s a wonderfully simple recipe for iced coffee that can make any sleepyhead jump for joy, even if you’re up before the sun is.
There are two ways to make a delicious cup of iced coffee, depending on when you want to enjoy it. Before you go to bed, brew a pot of your favorite brand of coffee as you normally would. Add your choice of creamer and/or sweetener while the coffee is still hot, so it dissolves nicely. I prefer soy, because it is sweet. Pour the whole pot into a plastic quart container, and let it chill in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pour over lots of ice.

For the lazy in need of a quicker fix (moi), brew a pot of REALLY strong coffee and pour it into an insulated tumbler filled to the top with ice. I don’t advise using a regular glass or a Thermos with a glass liner, as the hot and cold at once may have you cleaning up a shattered mess.
Mix in sugar and cream before the ice or after, as the coffee will still be warm enough, and you’re good to go. The rapidly melting ice will water down your coffee significantly, but that is why you use a strong brew.

Cheers. Hope you make it through that 90-minute chem class.

Michael Newcomer is a senior at Tarpon Springs High.