Stove Top Vanilla Soy Latte

I've always been a coffee lover. 

Ever since I was little I loved the smell of it.
Now it's part of my daily routine.

It tastes amazing and it wakes me up when I need it!
My favorite kind of coffee to drink is a latte.

I used to go buy expensive lattes, in fact that was the only way I would drink a latte. The coffee I made at home just couldn't compare to the artisan lattes at coffee shops. But lattes are expensive, like really expensive! When I read that Starbucks lattes are $38.00 a gallon, I was done. And I like to use soy milk.. which usually tacks on another .60.. which adds up.

Plus, store bought lattes make a lot of waste! Unless you bring your own cup, you get a disposable cup which isn't good for the Earth at all! So, as part of my plastic free year, I also decided to make it a paper free year. I'm no longer buying anything "disposable".



Which incidentally means no more store bought lattes.

I decided I would learn how to make my own.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I've discovered how to make really good lattes at home.

I do not have a milk steamer, I don't have an espresso machine. I do it all by hand on the stove. It takes me about 6 minutes to make my espresso and it's totally worth it.

Vanilla Soy Latte.

Tools:

Medium Sauce Pan

Espresso maker (stove top, coffee maker, french press) 

Whisk 

Ingredients:

Espresso or strongly brewed coffee

Milk (I use soy or coconut)

Sugar (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

dash cinnamon

dash nutmeg

A latte is usually 1/3 espresso, 2/3 steamed milk.
You can make it as strong as you'd like.

Brew your espresso with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.
This really enhances the flavor of the coffee, and it gives it a very cozy taste.

While your coffee is brewing, warm your milk in a medium sauce pan on low-medium. Don't cook it too quickly too hot because you don't want to scald the milk. I've found that almond milk always gets a burned taste when it's heated up, so I usually choose soy milk. As the milk warms, add sugar to taste, and about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Continually whisk your milk while the coffee is cooking.

Once they are done, combine in the 1/3 espresso, 2/3 milk ratio.

I always like to whisk and froth up the last bit of milk to pour over top.

Stir together, and enjoy.

Cinnamon enhances the flavor of the coffee, nutmeg gives it a very cozy feel.

This makes about 2 espresso shots in 5 minutes.

Don't let the milk get too hot too fast, it can burn the edges of your pan. (Like mine)

It's delicious...
and so much cheaper and better for you. 

Apricot Fruit Leather from My Tree

Yesterday I posted a photo on Instagram  of me up a tree picking apricots! I went over to my family's house to celebrate my dad's birthday and I went out back to my favorite tree to pick my favorite fruit!

I've shared my tree with you before..  I even have a little tree that grew from one of the seeds on my front porch! This is the tree I talked to while growing up... which is where Talk2thetrees comes from. 

So yesterday it was a lot of fun to pick as many apricots as I could. Sterling was at the bottom of the tree holding a bag for me while I climbed up and stuffed my pockets as full as I could until I climbed back to the bottom to empty my pockets. 

I know this tree like the back of my hand, so climbing it isn't a a problem for me... It was something I did every day while growing up, so it's always fun to climb it again and again. 

I collected almost a full bag of apricots and have decided to make fruit leather with my oven. 

I'm going to do my best to not eat it all in one sitting... especially because it takes so long to make! 

Here is my recipe for Apricot Fruit Leather

2 cups Apricots (about 13 small ones)

1/2 cup of sugar 

1 tsp lemon juice

Remove the pits, and mash up the apricots and put in a sauce pan. Add the lemon juice and the sugar and cook on low until the sugar dissolves. The lemon juice keeps the fruit from turning brown. You can add more or less sugar depending on your taste. Once the sugar dissolves put your mixture in a blender and purify it until it's liquid.

Line a baking sheet in plastic wrap, and pour your apricot mixture onto the saran wrapped baking sheet, leaving about an inch from the ends of the saran wrap. 

Bake your fruit leather at your lowest oven setting for about 4-6 hours, or until it's no longer tacky. 

It's good to prop your oven open slightly with a spoon or some tongs. 

In the summer heat it seems impractical to keep your oven on during the day... but so far it hasn't heated up my house! 

Enjoy some delicious fruit leather. I know I will! 

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