I’ve been craving going to the beach lately. I’ve only been a handful of times in my life, since beaches just aren’t exactly plentiful here in Indiana… *snort* and maybe because I’ve been a bit bored with the scenery around these parts, it’s sounds positively adventurous going somewhere surrounded by water and sand. The kids would enjoy it as well, and just imagine all of the beautiful photo possibilities. But besides all that… I’m thinking swimwear! I just love the idea of classic details like polka-dots and a floppy-brim hat.

We love going on walks in this family… I probably do especially. It’s a little confusing though, figuring out a good time of day to go on a walk. It’s often to chilly to take the kids out into the weather, or much too hot… as the case has been these last few days. We decided to take just a short walk to get it out of our systems, and encountered this amazing little field of flowers. Small, but compact with beauty… of course I had to plop down into the flowers and nab a few photos… because it was like a bit of heaven waiting to be captured.

So I did a bit of research. Actually, I did a lot of research on “how to make a latte from home”. (Here is a helpful little video) Yes, I have one of those latte-making-machines, but it really doesn’t compare to the lattes from a good ‘ol coffee house (is it just psychological?). Furthermore, upon my intense studying, I found that in Italy where lattes were magically invented, they did not/do not use machines… but rather, a handy little tool called a Mocha pot.

It’s a simple device – fill with water, place ground coffee in the center compartment (the filter) and put the pot on the stove-top for a couple of minutes on low-medium. The water boils, bubbling up through the filter and coffee grounds, thus creating… espresso. Then take it from the heat right away before it goes bitter.

Now, for the milk. Traditionally, milk is not frothed but simply added to the espresso after being heated up (and served as a breakfast beverage). You can heat the milk (about one cup of it) on the stove-top (do all this while your espresso is going) and use a thermometer to check the temperature, which should reach about 160 degrees. DO NOT LET YOUR MILK BOIL, or it will also become bitter.

…Or, another option would be to put the milk in a microwave-safe container in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check the temperature just the same and cook a little longer if necessary, until it reaches the 160 degrees or just before a boil.

…With that said, I’ve grown accustom to milk being frothy in my lattes, and if you prefer that too then there are a couple way to go about it without an espresso/steaming machine. You can use a hand whisk very quickly, an Aerolatte or a glass milk frother just as efficiently. Another more amusing method would be to put the milk in a bottle and just shake it up. Use your method of choice until the milk has a good foam on top, then gently tap the cup down onto the counter-surface to remove any bubbles.

If you like flavor in your latte like I do, add it to your espresso just before you add the milk. Just a spoon-full or so, of chocolate syrup or caramel creamer/sauce and mix it. Then pour the milk into your espresso (3/4s of milk to 1 ounce of espresso), and pour quickly so that the froth is on top and you can make a cute little design at the end.

…now I think I’ll go make a latte, or possibly a Mocha Frappuccino… hehe.