We all have a favorite cafe beverage whether that’s iced sweet tea, a latte with skim milk, black coffee or a hot tea with milk. But making repeated small purchases of coffee or tea can end up costing you quite a lot of time and money. So here are five simple ways to make some of your favorite beverages at home, without sacrificing your bank account.
1. The Perfect Sweet Tea
Sweet tea can be the ultimate thirst quencher on a hot summer day. Paired with a day spent relaxing at the pool, or a barbecue with friends and family, sweet tea is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Simply add one cup of sugar to two cups water and bring to a boil. Then add eight bags of black tea and let steep to desired strength (two hours is typically perfect). Then simply let cool and add ice and lemon to taste. Enjoy!
2. The Simply Delicious Latte
A hot latte can hit the spot in a way that no other drink can. Unlike its cooler counterparts, the latte has a degree of sophistication that will have friends marveling at your ability to conjure it on command. Simply brew one and one third cups hot espresso and pour into four coffee cups. Then heat two cups of your milk of choice into a medium saucepan and whisk to create foam. Pour milk into coffee cups holding back foam and ladle foam on top. Enjoy!
3. The Ideal Herbal Tea
Herbal tea can be the most relaxing and satisfying beverage after a long day. And it’s extremely simple to make! Use filtered fresh water to brew your tea and a full rolling boil can bring out the best aroma for most herbal teas. Additionally, you want to avoid over steeping your tea (stick to four to six minutes steep time) to avoid bitterness and loss of flavor. Then simply add your favorite sweetener and enjoy!
4. The Cozy Cappuccino
Cappuccinos are an excellent beverage for many a coffee lover. They are airy and foamy and leave you perfectly satiated. A cappuccino is very similar to the latte but incorporates a double shot of espresso and uses no liquid milk. However, the foam typically settles quite quickly to create equal parts espresso, foam and liquid milk. In order to create this, simply foam the milk to double it’s original volume, add to double shot espresso, wait for it to settle and enjoy!
5. Hot Chocolate (Not Just for Kids)
Hot chocolate can rival even the best sweet tea as an all around crowd pleaser, and on a cold winter day nothing beats it. Simply mix 2-3 teaspoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons sugar, and a dash salt in a mug. Then add one cup milk of choice to a saucepan on low heat and gradually add in cocoa mixture. Finally, stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and enjoy!
https://gatherforbread.com/perfect-sweet-tea/ (sweet tea)
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/96629/cafe-latte/ (latte)
http://www.celestialseasonings.com/discover-tea/brewing-methods (herbal tea)
https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-cappuccinos-766116 (cappuccino)
https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/hot-cocoa-for-one.html (hot cocoa)