Country Romantic: ~Coffee 101~

My, oh my, it has been almost a week since I last blogged and I have really missed ya'll. I have been trying to get used to my Jim Darling's new schedule but it hasn't been easy. For all of you sweet peeps that have emailed me or left sweet comments, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is so nice to have such good friends in blogland!! :)

Now, a few posts back I had asked if anyone wanted to know how to make coffee, since I used to be a Barista. So I've named this post.....~Coffee 101~ to give a few basic hints to make a favorite brew of mine with the home tools that I have and are easy to use.

First, I like to use a French Press (which can be purchased at most Walmarts or department stores) to make my coffee because it comes out with a smooth tasting flavor and I can control how long I want it to brew and the strength that I want my coffee. (You can simply brew your coffee in a coffee pot though.) Sometimes I like to use a gourmet coffee or beans that I grind "just before brewing" or I use a ground coffee from the grocery store, like Folgers. Follow the directions on your French Press to your taste.

This is how it looks after it has brewed and is ready to push the pump down. This keeps the grounds at the bottom while you pour out the top.

I use a smaller French Press for my milk and warm it in the microwave while the coffee is brewing. After it is warmed up to about 160 degrees, I pump it up and down until it is as frothy as I like it. This is poured on to the top of the coffee. (Skim milk froths better than whole milk)

If I want to make it a carmel flavor, I squirt a little bit of the syrup into the bottom of my milk and warm it at the same time. Then as I pump it, the flavor goes throughout the milk. (You can use any flavor or syrup that you enjoy)

I first pour in the coffee then add the milk and mix with a spoon. Then I pour the froth on the very top and squirt a little design of the carmel on top. This is about a $4.00 drink at my local coffee bar. But I can make this at home and it is just how I like it for much, much less. And yes, that is my favorite pink mug that I used in the last post of the ~5 Minute Cake~ I really like that mug. :)