How To Make A Latte - At Home!

Y'all I spend way to much on coffee at Starbucks, Peet's, and just about every other coffee shop out there #caffeinaddict. And apart from the seasonal fancy-drink (I'm looking at you PSL), I typically just order a plain latte which is really just espresso and milk. Cheaper than many options, yes, but still overpriced and those cups add up!

I was talking about this to a friend of mine and she told me a secret that has since blown my mind and saved me money. You can make a latte at home - without a fancy machine! And it is incredibly easy!

Begin by brewing your espresso - or really strong coffee if you're like me and don't have an espresso maker (though then it's technically a cafe au lait with a lot of foam...)

To make the hot milk and foam, you will need a tall, microwaveable container with a lid. This could be a mason jar (you'll remove the cap) or even a plastic Tupperware.

Pour the desired amount of milk into the container, but be sure to leave a good amount of room for the foam to expand. Put on the lid and shake until you notice it's becoming foamy - roughly a minute. Then remove the lid and microwave the milk for about 45 seconds. Once it's done you will have a good amount of foam and some nice hot milk.

Next, fill your mug with the desired amount of espresso/coffee. Hold back the foam with a spoon as you add the amount of hot milk you would like. Then use the spoon to add your desired amount of foam and voila!

(If you want to get fancy, you can also sprinkle on a topping like cinnamon or cocoa. Yum.)

And there you have it. A quick, simple way to drink your coffee at home and save some extra cash.

Are there any other caffein addicts out there who've tried this method or know of any others?

Peace,
Sarah

**Linking up with #RecipeoftheWeek, Two Cup Tuesday, Whimsy Wednesdays and Create-Link-Inspire

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Let the Advent-ures Begin!

Happy first day of Advent, friends! I hope you all had a restful Thanksgiving weekend filled with joy!

For those of you who haven't heard of Advent, in the Catholic Church it marks a season of waiting - waiting for Christ to come. (It is also celebrated in other Christian traditions, but I am not sure if all of the symbolism matches across the board, so I will only directly be speaking to the Catholic tradition. I'd love to learn more if any of y'all care to share!)

Advent begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30) and lasts for four Sundays. During Advent, we prepare ourselves for the arrival of our Savior on Christmas.  

As I mentioned in my recent post about Thankfulness, I am hoping to be more intentional about my personal preparation during this liturgical season this year. And in case any of you are interested in different ways to embrace a more intentional Advent this time around, I wanted to share some of the methods I am partaking in.

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Succulents and Teacups

Before moving to California, I had never heard of succulents. Once in Berkeley, I just walked around the neighborhood and there were succulents everywhere. My apartment had even inherited multiples of them that now pleasantly reside in pots on our patio. Needless to say, I fell in love with these unique little plants.

And what's not to love? They're beautiful in shape and color. They can easily be planted in a variety of pots. And they require very little care, which is a must for notorious plant-killers like myself.

As I was introduced to succulents, they seemed to become somewhat of a buzz on the internet. They may have always been a trend and I just hadn't noticed (very likely), but boy do I love seeing how people plant these little guys!

This week I made a stop to Flowerland to ask a question about succulent care. (My echeveria grew taller than expected and needed a little more light, but it's not dying which is super exciting!) Obviously I had to buy another succulent while I was there, so I thought I'd share how I plant my succulents in teacups. It's really easy.

All you really need is soil, a teacup, and your succulent.

I used G&B Organics Plain Potting Soil which works fine for me. Other websites suggest making your own mixture, so you could try that too. What is important is making sure there is enough drainage. Ideally, you should have a hole in the bottom of the teacup, but if not you should put in porous rocks or even pieces of terracotta pot to collect extra moisture.

My teacups are from Anthropologie last winter (I got them on sale for less than $3 each!) They don't have a hole in the bottom, so for this new plant I chose to "drill" a small hole. I may go back and add one to the first cup at some point too. We shall see.

As for the plant itself, there are so many different shapes, sizes and colors! Look around. See what you like. Just make sure it will fit in whatever you want to plant it in - teacup, pot, etc...

The planting itself is basically like any other flower. Remember to break up the roots a little before putting it in the cup with the soil. Succulents don't require as frequent watering as other plants, but you should still make sure water them every 4-5 days. Also be sure that they see enough light but beware that placing them directly in the sun can harm them.

Please know that I am by no means a gardening expert (or novice even). If you have questions, I am more than happy to help how I can, but I would suggest asking Google first because that is likely where I will find my answer for you :P

Happy Gardening!

Peace,
Sarah

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