Let’s flip the ‘stuck at home’ narrative to ‘safe at home’, shall we? Now that we’ve established that – aren’t you glad you’re safe at home so you can be your own barista?! ME TOO! I thought now would be the perfect time to share some ways to kick your caffeine up a notch, you know – just for fun and in the spirit of changing things up a bit!
If you haven’t gotten your hands on Surviving Motherhood Coffee yet, you can find it here! In case you weren’t aware, our coffee is locally roasted at a family owned and operated roastery just 20 minutes from Mom Life Must Haves HQ! This means your purchases not only support our small business, but also theirs, AND the small farms they visit yearly and import coffees from. The trickle-down effect is REAL my friends, and we can’t thank you enough for your support!
Now let’s get to some simple ways you can be your own barista!
Cold Brew your own coffee. This can seem intimidating, I know. But we have a super easy tutorial for cold brewing here. We LOVE to use the Toddy system because it brews one big batch of cold brew concentrate and because it’s the simplest most accurate way to brew (most coffee shops brew using this method!) However, if you’re a member of our Facebook community you know there are lots of mamas who use different methods. If not, click here to join us! A search of “cold brew” will populate a whole bunch of threads on the topic.
So, why cold brew? Because it produces a smoother, less acidic flavor that’s perfect for enjoying over ice! If you find yourself brewing hot coffee and pouring it over ice and adding a LOT of creamer or flavor, I highly suggest trying to make some cold brew. You’ll end up needing much less creamer and sweetener to combat that acidic taste.
Mix flavors and roasts. If you are a dark roast girl, you may find some of our flavored coffees are a little too light for your taste, this is because all of our flavors are a medium roast. Have you ever wondered why? We use medium roasts for flavored coffees because it produces a better flavor! There are lots of mamas who mix one of our darker roasts with a flavored roast to get the best of both worlds!
Add some toppings. I don’t think our kid-at-heart ever leaves when it comes to fun toppings, so anything goes! Grab a can of whipped cream or even whip up a batch of your own (here’s a quick tutorial for that, it’s easier than you think) to add as a topper. You can sprinkle on chocolate shavings, or mini chips, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. depending on your flavor preferences. If you’re not a big fan of sweets, skip the whip and try sprinkling just some cinnamon on top!
Experiment with flavored mix ins. I have to say I’m not huge on “swirl” flavors but I know some of you are, and some of you have never tried them. Many people rave about torani syrups, apparently you can also get Starbucks brand now, too!
Make coffee cubes. This trick helps in more ways than one! If you want to whip yourself up a frozen coffee drink – freezing coffee cubes is the way to go! Blend them with some milk or creamer, and any other mixins of your choice (syrups etc.) for a delicious frozen treat! You can also make them to enjoy your iced coffee or cold brew over to prevent watering down!
Enjoy the best of both worlds. Many people love other beverages like chai tea and hot cocoa but forget they can enjoy the best of both! These are fun for blending into your coffee to change things up! I personally love to brew some Masala Chai tea, let it cool, mix it with cold brew and add a hefty dose of milk. Sprinkle a tiiiiny bit of cinnamon on top of the best dirty chai – evah!
So, there you have it! I know these aren’t the most cutting edge ways to make coffee, but let’s be honest – we’re a bunch of moms who appreciate the little things these days! Which is exactly why I thought this post may spark a little inspiration and brighten your mornings that much more.
Do you have any other ways you’re your own barista? We’d love to hear them in the comments section below! As always, we’d love for you to come on over to Facebook and join our community here!
And don’t forget, if you’re looking for a way to reuse those coffee grinds, we’ve got a little something for you here!
No Comments