Upping my Coffee Game

I starting drinking coffee during law school and it remains a part of my morning routine. Most days, I would pick up an iced coffee on my way into the office. During the pandemic, my law firm transitioned to working remotely and I started working from home. As a result, I’ve had to forego my morning coffee run and figure out how to get my caramel latte fix at home.

The machine- Nespresso Creatista Plus by Breville. We invested in an espresso machine about a year ago, hoping that we could replicate our beloved caramel machiatto at home and save some dough. Needless to say, it was just not the same… and we continued our Starbucks runs. Fast forward to quarantine and this little machine has become our best friend! If you are in the market, I would keep an eye out for sales around the holidays (we got ours for almost half price on Black Friday at Macys!)

Lattes: My drink of choice! This machine is primarily for espresso and uses the original Nespresso pods. It has a built in frother, and a variety of settings to make lattes and macchiatos. It is super easy to use, its just a matter of finding out what you like and perfecting it!

Add ons: Now this is what really changed the game for us. You can’t have your caramel latte without caramel! And you can’t have a caramel macchiato without vanilla syrup! So we bought some of these to replicate our favorite drinks. It’s made a big difference! We no longer have the urge to go out to get coffee, except maybe for the fresh air and sense of normalcy.

Now, if you don’t have an espresso machine at home, adding some caramel, or vanilla/hazelnut/mocha syrup are still a great way to elevate your cup of joe!

Currently loving: Double shot over ice

• 2 shots of your favorite espresso (2 pods) You can try this with your regular coffee as well!
• ice
• vanilla or simple syrup
• Milk of choice

For this drink you will need some sort of shaker or something where you can mix the ingredients. Place the ice, 2 shots of espresso and 2 pumps of syrup (one pump for every shot) into the shaker and shake, shake, shake! This will create a nice cold and frothy drink that you then transfer into your cup and top off with milk. It’s simple, but SO good! I can’t explain it, but the shake really makes this drink different and really refreshing!

How are you all getting your coffee fix while quarantined? One thing is for sure, caffeine is caffeine and sometimes, that is all that matters am I right? But, when you do want a little something special, these small additions can really be a treat!

Until next time,

Jannette