// 4. the poor man's latte //

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My dad makes a pretty mean latte with his Solis espresso machine at home.  But the "poor man's latte" he makes while he's at work it truly amazing.

The key player in making a poor man's is this little guy

Literally sold for $1.00 on Amazon. 

My dad brews his espresso in this, After it's dripped through once, he sends it through a second time to get it really strong. Then he heats up some whole milk in the microwave and pours everything into a good coffee mug. And that is what goes into a poor man's latte  It's simple, but I have been there when he makes one and it fills the entire office with the most wonderful coffee aroma.  

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// 3. the perfect coffee mug //

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My mom is always on the lookout for the perfect coffee mug. She has a strict list of criteria for what make a coffee mug good, and finding a cup that possesses all of the qualities is no easy feat.

1. It has to have a thin lip. Big, chunky ceramic mugs are great, but if the lip is too thick sipping can be difficult, and drips are more likely.  A nice thin lip, and preferably one that flares out, makes sipping so enjoyably drip-free.

2. It has to have a balanced handle. This means you should be able to easily hold it by the handle with one hand. Also, mugs with no handles at all are no good.

3. It must be microwave-safe. There's nothing worse than sipping on a cold latte, so nothing stainless steel or with metallic details, please.

If you can manage to find a mug with all three of these criteria get it and save it for my moms birthday. She will love you forever.

Now, I hope you will never think about your coffee mugs the same again.

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// 2. coffee breaks //

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I grew up home-schooled, kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. There were so many things I loved about being home-schooled, like a later start time, flexibility to pursue things like music, and incorporating our faith into our learning. But my very favorite thing was our daily coffee break.

Every morning around 10 my mom would put a hold on whatever school work she was helping us with to begin that lovely ritual of making lattes. I can distinctly remember sitting in my room, bent over some math homework, and hearing the loud shrieking of the milk being steamed. Then it was only a matter of minutes before my mom showed up at my bedroom door, latte and cookies in hand. I can also distinctly remember my friends' indignation when they found out I had gourmet coffee beverages hand delivered to me everyday during school! Just one of the many perks of the home-schooled life.

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// 1. how to drink coffee //

Anyone who knows my parents knows that they love coffee.  Like, they are really into it. They were really into coffee long before it was cool to be into coffee.  For as long as I can remember my parents have been coffee drinkers. I've been late to music lessons and church events because they were making a latte. We've gone miles out of our way on road trips so that they could find a cup of coffee that was NOT from a gas station. They've exhausted at least four espresso machines that I can remember. Every morning starts with a pot of coffee. Every mid-morning they make a latte.  Every family gathering ends with a pot of decaf.

When I was around 12 years old my mom started making me little lattes. They were mostly steamed milk with a little shot of espresso, and that was when I started drinking coffee.

Now, years later, I can credit all my coffee preferences to my parents. I like dark roasts.  I like half and half in my coffee. I like my espresso to have good crema. I like my lattes really hot and made with whole milk. I buy whole coffee and grind it myself. I love coffee.

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