Easy & Creative Barista tips using simple home brewed COFFEE!

coffee=love. coffee doesn't ask silly questions, coffee understands!! there are so many reasons i love this sweet nectar of the gods.....

*the heavenly aroma. 

*the ability it has to make me WANT to do stuff (aka~the caffeine boost)!

*the rich warm taste of a freshly brewed cup made just the way i like it.

*the feel and atmosphere of a good coffee shop.

*all the possibilities of brewing techniques.

*the many combinations of drink choices and flavors to play with.

* it gives me a great reason to drag myself out of bed every morning.

*it makes me happy :)

*etc, etc, etc.

i could go on & on but i choose to refrain. i've been a barista in 3 different coffee shops so far and though i'm currently taking a breather, i still see myself as an "at home barista" ;-) ((("i can't quit you coffee!!! i will never leave you i swear!!"))). wow, did i just type that out loud?! okay, so anyways.. i have some fun & different coffee tips for y'all that mostly only require your good ole at home coffee maker. no fancy espresso needed, easy peasy peeps.  ~>

cafe au lait

in America, cafe au lait's are typically served in cups. though, the common French tradition is to serve them in a bowl :)

~a coffee house drink that is less noticed but still very tasty~ the "cafe au lait" as opposed to the "cafe latte". the latte requires espresso & steamed milk, the au lait requires regular brewed coffee & steamed milk :), thus making it very easy to make at home! 

it tastes amazing w/ french pressed coffee or a dark blend, but you can use whatever you have available. you may be thinking, "but i don't have a milk frother thingamagij at home"! well, no biggie. just poor some milk in a pot (you may want to use half&half or add some to the mix, it froths really well), warm it up on a medium heat setting & whisk it as it starts to heat up. kinda tilt the pot to the side a bit (it helps) & whisk really quickly. this will froth milk i swear!! 

so, it's *half coffee and *half steamed/frothed milk. & to add a lil kick i often even use a fancy creamer mixed in with my milk to give it a yummy flavor. baileys is the BEST! 

CoCoA jOe!

the good ole cocoe joe! yummy, comforting and super easy :) just simply add any powdered hot cocoa packet to your joe. you can even add some steamed milk to make it a bit more mild & creamy.
this also seems to taste best w/ a lil whip on top, mmmMMHH!!
& heck if you have a bit of chocolate (hershey kisses, candy bars, etc) laying around, you can use your grater to shave some on top like the picture shows, fancy :)
*one cup of joe
*one packet of hot cocoa mix

PERFECT iCeD COFFEE!

i always crave my iced coffee year round! i usually drink a warm cup in the morn & a couple iced throughout the day. i actually just recently found the most amazing yummy recipe for the perfect iced coffee w/ no sugar needed! i like my stuff pretty dang sweet so it's hard for me to not use ANY sugar, but this does the trick. it's so simple, too.
okay first things first, many people will tell you to do this whole concentrate coffee thing for the best tasting iced coffee. you basically have to strain coffee grounds into cold water and let it set, yadayada. well you CAN do that & it will probably taste real good, but i NEVER do! to be honest my husband is a major coffee addict too and is constantly brewing pots and wasting coffee when we don't finish the pot. so, i keep a big coffee pitcher in my fridge and every time theres left overs, i just dump em' right on in my pitcher! that way we never waste it & i get my never ending supply of cold coffee :) perfection.

so yeahhh, what you need.
*cold coffee

*coffee ice cubes!

 try not to skip this step, these puppies can melt all they want and your drink will just taste more delish. just poor left over coffee in cube trays & say tootles to watered down iced coffee drinks forever!

*one can evaporated milk, one can sweetened condensed milk.

i know, who woulda thought these two would make the most amazing creamer? but, THEY DO! just mix these guys together in an old creamer bottle or whatever easy pouring container you may have. make sure to refrigerate a bit before using, this tastes much better cold! the combo is so freakin' sweet and scrumptious! believe me when i say you will not have to sweeten using anything else. :)

*you will want to measure about 3/4's a glass of coffee & coffee ice cubes, then add the creamer mixture to fill up the glass. of course more or less depending on your taste.

warning~ the caffeine boost definitely packs a bunch w/ these. well, unless your using decaf...

Eggnog as creamer

the nog season is upon us :) & i love me some nog. this southern comfort vanilla spice is my favorite! i know they have actual eggnog creamer but why bother with it? just use straight up nog in place of your creamer, for reals. it's the best. you can also do a cafe au lait w/ nog, why the heck not? just go for it. you dig the coffee & you enjoy the nog? mix em together and let the festive magic unfold <33

& while we're getting festive, i got one last idea for ya~

BaiLey's & COFFEE ice cubes!

you may have seen this idea scooting around the web and i just had to share it. doesn't it look awesome? so all it is is bailey's liqueur and coffee ice cubes. OR you can add some vanilla vodka as well. either way, i bet it's real tasty. i can't say i've tried it cause, well i haven't tried it...lol. but i most definitely WILL. yum :)

i hope i have inspired you to try at least one of these ideas, or maybe you already have. more coffee loving tips soon to come! 

~peace & blessin's~