Sometimes I can’t help but crave a sugary burst of energy in the form of a drink from Starbucks. Even though it is great that it gives me a spark of joy, this has become a habit, and now that I have to pay for a lot of things on my own, I have realized that it is a very expensive habit. The amount of money I was losing made me think that there must be a better way to do this at home in order to not only save money, but also be a little bit more healthy. For about a month I’ve been experimenting with making different drinks at home, and I think I’ve finally perfected two of them. 

The first thing that I believe I perfected is a latte. The way that I make my lattes are very basic, but they genuinely taste so good that I’ve begun to prefer them over ones from a coffee shop. The first thing that I recommend is that you invest in an espresso machine. It doesn’t have to be very expensive or complicated- just any way to get espresso. Personally, I have a Nespresso machine which is super easy because it requires no prep and makes the espresso in seconds. Once the espresso is brewed I add ice and shake it, then add my syrup of choice and top it off with my milk of choice. This method makes the best-iced coffee and my favorite thing about it is that it is so customizable. You can adjust the ingredients and sweetness level based on your liking. Also, if you prefer a hot latte,  just microwave your milk of choice for 45-60 seconds and skip the ice. 

When I’m not craving a coffee and want something a little bit lighter instead, I opt for matcha. To make the matcha you do need a small handheld electric whisk. Whenever I get matcha from coffee shops I actually don’t enjoy it that much because I feel like it doesn’t taste authentic, and it’s always sort of powdery/grassy, but making it at home has made me grow to love it. Although a lot of people say that the grade of matcha and such that you use matters, I don’t really know if that is the case; I just use the most affordable and best rated matcha I can find on Amazon.  To make the matcha, all you have to do is add one tablespoon of matcha to four tablespoons of water (preferably hot) and whisk until combined. Once combined, add either sugar or your syrup of choice and whisk again. Once your matcha mixture is ready, just pour over a glass of milk and your drink is ready. The process only takes about 2 minutes and the result is delicious.

About a week ago I actually invited  some of my friends over to try my matcha. One of my friends Sophia Soliman (11) commented, “It’s actually really good! I normally don’t enjoy matcha but this I do.” I hope these recipes encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and try something new.