Confessions of a Starbucks Junkie

My parents are very smart people. For Christmas, they bought the hubby the sweet little espresso maker that you see to the left. He thinks they're the greatest in-laws ever, I'm delighted 'cause I get to use it all the time, and they're happy because we're not spending money on coffee. Love all around!

I can't quite recall when my love of coffee began, but somewhere in the long line of sips from my dad's cup, java stopped tasting gross and starting tasting gorgeous. I've never looked back. I'm honestly not a caffeine junkie, as coffee doesn't do much for me in terms of a pick-me-up. It's just the taste and the smell. Oh man, the smell... I could just stand with my nose buried in a bag of Starbucks beans for hours. My dad, on the other hand, is a confirmed coffee addict, the kind that gets headaches when he doesn't have enough. And wouldn't you know, he's got the same espresso maker on his counter.

Generally, I'm pretty standard in my coffee tastes- either just cream, or a skim-milk latte. Sometimes you've gotta mix it up, though. I've mastered espresso & lattes in the new machine, but I know I'll get creative. Maybe some aizu-kohi (Japanese for iced coffee. They drink espresso cold, topped up with cold milk and ice cubes, with or without sugar. They do the same with tea), or some hazelnut syrup. There's this awesome store at Park Lane that sells only things to do with drinks, and they've got all of the flavours.

So, anytime you're having a coffee craving, come on over and I'll put on a pot. I might not be a barista, but I'm pretty damn good. I'll have to learn how to make gingerbread lattes for my sister...