Making Morning Lattes at Home...It's a Breeze!

Love Starbucks? Don't love so much how much it costs to love your skinny vanilla lattes? Want to be able to stay at home just a little longer on those hurried mornings out the door? I'll share my secret to making the perfect latte while you're at home in your robe and for a fraction of the COST AND a fraction of the CALORIES!

The first thing you need is a standing milk frother. The one I use is the Bonjour Primo Latte milk frother. I will also add that all frothers are not created equal! This is my second Primo Latte frother. My first one I literally wore out a few years ago, then purchased a less expensive model at Bed Bath and Beyond with my coupon (I was so proud!... I love my 20% off) Second frother cost me about $8.00 and I got about $8.00 worth of frothing out of the thing, too, as I quickly had to replace it for another one! So, bottom line, it's worth it to get a $20.00 frother..and with shipping taken care of (Amazon Prime), you save money driving all over town looking for the right model!

 www.amazon.com/BonJour-Automatic-Primo-Latte-Frother/dp/B0000E170W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329143220&sr=8-1

This standing frother is available through Amazon for 19.99 (yes, free two day shipping for Amazon Prime members...have I mentioned I love Amazon Prime?). It is a lightweight, battery operated frother and the stand really is nice to have. Its slim design makes it easy to tuck in right next to my coffee pot!

So, let's get to the frothing!

1. Pour a small amount of creamer or half and half into your coffee mug. While I try to steer away from artificial sweeteners, especially aspertame, this is my one splurge! I use International Delight Sugar free vanilla creamer made with Splenda, pouring about three tablespoons per cup of coffee when I make a latte. (It's a bit thicker than the other brands and tends to keep its "froth" better once the coffee is added.)  You can heat the creamer in your mug for about 15 seconds, which keeps the coffee hotter for a while, but I usually just pour and go!

2. The next step is to froth the creamer/half and half in the cup until bubbles begin to form. If you use half and half, it is thinner and will not produce "latte" froth. All of the International Delight creamer formulas are thicker, and do this well, so be creative with your flavors. I just prefer the sugar free formulas. I have to admit, though, at Christmas the Peppermint Mocha was deelish...and NOT sugar free!

3. Continue frothing with one hand WHILE YOU POUR the coffee into the mug. This will mix the creamer mixture into the coffee and keep the froth on top!

Your finished product should look like this! 

You are ready to sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg or nothing and curl up in your chair! All without leaving your house AND for about 50 cents a cup! 

This little gadget is a GREAT hostess gift if you are traveling and want to take to a friend who is a coffee drinker. It packs easily because it's so small and you can add a bag of coffee to go with it for a nice touch. I have taken these along to friends' homes and they all seem to love them! It also works well for hot chocolate (kids LOVE the whirring of the hot chocolate in the mugs). 

Having a few extra minutes at home in the morning without needing to make one more stop along the way AND getting in a delicious latte makes purchasing this frother worth it! Have fun frothing and let me know what you think! CHEERS!