coffee

I talked about the new Nespresso machine we purchased back in June and I thought I should give a quick update.

We.love.Nespresso.

That’s it!

No, really, we have used the machine every day since it was purchased and even

took it with us for a weekend family getaway. It is so easy to use, makes excellent espresso, and is a piece of cake to clean. Plus you can customize your coffee

I had a Starbucks latte the other day and I didn’t like it compared to what I make myself at home – I am so spoiled! The funny thing is, I bought the machine for my husband and I use it almost just as much. That gift worked out nicely 🙂however you like – I typically enjoy a vanilla iced coffee or vanilla latte.

I highly recommend this machine!

My favorite roasts are the Volluto, Finezzo Lungo and Rosabaya. Brett’s are Ristretto, Arpeggio and Rosabaya. We both prefer the short shot.

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For all the iced coffee lovers out there, how would you like to save money and have as much iced coffee as you’d like, prepared the way you’d like at your fingertips 24/7? Cold-brewed coffee, along with a handful of super simple ingredients on hand are all you need to be wired all day long!

A good friend of mine introduced me to Cold Brew and uses this system. When I decided to give cold brewed coffee a try, I found this article and this article  to help me get started without buying any special equipment.  I have to admit, I have only been a coffee drinker for the last couple of months – something about having two young children will do that to you! So the knowledge I am sharing is new found, but has worked great for me.

The cold brew method results in a smooth, less acidic coffee concentrate which you can then use as you wish – hot or cold using water or milk of your choice.

To brew the coffee, simply combine a ratio of 1:4 coarsely ground coffee of your choice to cold water and let sit overnight (12-24 hours). Then strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth, and enjoy!

The beauty of this is you can make a quart or gallon at a time if you would like and store it in the refrigerator covered for up to 2 weeks – if it lasts that long because once you see how easy this is, it will be hard to limit your habit to one glass a day 🙂

To make my perfect glass of iced coffee, I add approx. 1/2 cup of cold brewed coffee concentrate to my glass and 2 spoonfuls of homemade vanilla syrup. Next, I fill my glass with ice and then add a generous splash of half n half, stir and enjoy! The possibilities of your idea of a perfect glass are endless – more or less coffee, milk of your choice, sweetener of your choice, etc.

The result: a sweet, smooth, creamy refreshing cup of coffee to be enjoyed at any time of day.

I have also frozen extra coffee concentrate in ice cube trays and once frozen, popped them out into a ziplock bag that will keep for months in the freezer.

How do you like your cold brewed iced coffee?

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