cool it down

On hot summer afternoons when I'm not working, there are a few things I do to cool it down. I either get outside where there is a breeze and go for a little walk, retire to the darkness of our bedroom and nap a quick 20 minute nap, or make something cold and delicious. One of those things is an iced latte. Having an espresso machine at home is a luxury that my man and I never tire of. A cold latte definitely does not require an espresso machine at home..but it sure does help.

[grind and press espresso-if you fail to pack it correctly, you won't get the crema you want]

[FILL cup with ice]

[run your espresso into the amount of shots you desire]

[pour espresso over ice]

[add sweetener...monin sugar free vanilla is our favorite with nothing in a close second]

[add milk. organic. low fat. that's the way we pour.]

[stir if you desire/need. sit. relax. cool down.]

A true espresso shot is 1 fluid oz. of concentrated goodness. The thing that I love about it is that is gives me the caffeine my body now needs, yes, I'm addicted, but without the shakes of a brewed coffee. It has less caffeine, more anti-oxidants and is less acidic than coffee. {If you have to fake an espresso shot because you don't have a machine, substitute it for concentrated coffee since pouring more hot coffee over ice will water it down.} You can always mix a stronger amount of instant, yep, I said it, with water for an "espresso" shot.

Of course you can switch out the milk for your choice of milk or milk substitute. While I was diary free I used coconut milk (not water) and it was delicious. 

And of course you can always put what you want for sweetener, if you like it sweet. You can use agave, Splenda, simple syrup, raw sugar, you name it. 

The only real rule here is that you enjoy, get a pep in your step and cool down!