RoobiFood

A Vanilla Latte, Mocha, Steamer or any other fancy coffee drink when purchased daily at a local coffee shop is sure to drain your funds and postpone retirement indefinitely. Well have no fear, I have compiled a few recipes for coffee drinks that can be made at home quickly and easily, just by starting the drip machine before hitting the shower in the morning.

When making coffee in a drip machine you can add flavor directly to the grounds in the filter before brewing for a subtle flavor boost. Here are a few suggestions for add-ins.

Ground Cinnamon

Lemon/Orange Zest

Dried Coconut (unsweetened)

Cloves

Mint

Faux Mocha AKA The Hillbilly Mocha

Mix 2-3 Tbsp Ovaltine/Nesquick into a cup of coffee

Add a splash of Vanilla Extract

Add Milk to your liking

Mix and enjoy.

Some people prefer Hershey’s Syrup in this recipe. This is fine, but I like the lower sugar content and added nutrients from Ovaltine and Nesquick powdered mixes.

Lazy Mary Vanilla Latte

Milk

Sugar

Vanilla Extract

Coffee

This is a nice flavor shot. Add a splash of Vanilla Extract and 1Tbsp of Sugar to a cup of coffee, stir and add milk to taste. This is an amazing fake-out for vanilla latte, and if you like a more succulent flavor use Half & Half instead of milk.

Dreamer Steamer

This is similar to the Vanilla Latte above, but sans the coffee. This recipe is designed for a 12oz mug, adjust sugar for smaller mugs.

Milk

Vanilla

Sugar

Fill a mug with milk. Pour into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tsp Vanilla Extract and 2 Tbsp sugar. Stir to dissolve. Heat and stir occasionally until a light foam or froth begins to form at the edges then pour into the mug and enjoy. Do NOT let the milk boil or scald, if this occurs there is no saving the treat and it will need to be thrown away.

An alternative is to place all ingredients into mug and microwave for 1-3 ½ minutes, until warmed through-out.

So keep that extra money you save on coffee house drinks and start building your nest-egg now. Plus, most people may find they enjoy using sugar to sweeten these drinks, rather than flavored high fructose corn syrup, which most coffee houses use.