Kitchen Crafts 'n' More

Tuesday, February 26, 2013 How to Make an Easy Homemade Latte

Ahhh, lattes - the things dreams are made of! I readily admit to a fondness...okay, a downright obssession, with these delicious, milky espresso drinks. When your budget is stretched thin, however, it makes more sense to make a latte at home. Thankfully, making lattes at home isn't as hard as you might think. Here's my easy way to create delicious, creamy lattes with little effort. And they're cheap - hurrah!

What you'll need:

I swear by my Aerolatte Milk Frother. For under $20, you have this amazing little gizmo that creates delicious, copious amounts of frothy milk. If you don't have one - you can use a lidded jar (like a Mason jar) to shake the milk until you get froth. Not quite the same effect, but it'll do in a pinch.
A large coffee mug
Fresh milk - 1% is my favorite, but apparently skim makes more froth (you can also get a creamy latte by using homogenized milk, or even cream!)
Freshly brewed coffee or espresso; brew it very strong
Optional flavorings: vanilla extract, coffee syrups, caramel topping, etc.

STEP ONE - Making the Java
Make the coffee! I usually just brew extra-strong coffee (add more coffee grounds than you usually would), but of course the traditional way is to make espresso. You can make espresso using a nifty stovetop espresso maker. This is how a lot of Italian families make their espresso - and the Bialetti one in the link is still made in Italy.

STEP TWO - Making the steamed, frothy milk
Pour about one third of the mug full of milk. Heat in the microwave until hot, but not boiling. In my microwave it takes around 40 seconds or so for that small quantity of milk. Tip your Aerolatte into the milk at an angle - you'll immediately see mounds of froth appearing! Froth the milk for about ten seconds or so.

STEP THREE - Combine the two...
Pour the coffee into the steamed, frothed milk until you reach the top of the mug. Add in a little flavoring if you like - I often add a few drops of good quality vanilla extract. But, you can let your imagination go wild - try any number of good flavoring extracts like almond or caramel, and then top the froth with a drizzle of caramel sauce. YUM!

Is this the traditional method of making a latte or cappuccino? Definitely not! Is it fun, easy, fast, and cheap? Yep. So, enjoy your homemade latte experiments, and please leave a comment if you have an additional tip to share.

Labels: gourmet coffee, homemade latte, make your own, starbucks

Posted by HappySlob :: 6:07 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, November 12, 2012 Fun in the Kitchen - Make Your Own Butter

I'm afraid if you don't appreciate butter, that we must come from different planets. I love butter all melted and delicious on popcorn, or - nothing is quite so simple and good as pasta with some buttery garlic and shavings of parmesan cheese. Man, I just ate supper and already I'm making myself hungry again!!

But, did you know that making butter in your own kitchen is actually relatively simple? Here is the easiest way you'll ever find to make basic, delicious butter. (Warning: I did say easiest, but not in the physical sense! LOL This will take an awful lot of elbow grease, and you'll literally be shaking the butter into existence.)

You'll Need:

fresh whipping cream
a jar (as large as you like - you'll fill it about half full with cream)

Pour cream into the jar, about half full. Make sure to choose a jar that has a very tight fitting lid. Shake, shake, shake...and shake some more! Having a friend or family member on hand to help with this will make it easier - you can pass it back and forth between you when your arm muscles begin to ache.

When you see that the butter has formed, pour off the buttermilk - which can be used in any recipe, such as a delicious buttermilk pancake recipe. The rest of the glumpy mess is fresh butter! According to my research, if you knead the butter under cold water it removes the last remaining bits of buttermilk from the mixture, and creates butter that will last longer. You can also knead in a small amount of salt at this point if you prefer salted butter.

Otherwise - just pat your fresh butter into a round or square-ish shape and pop into the fridge. Enjoy your fresh butter. This is a fantastic and fun craft to try with kids!

Labels: easy recipes, fun in the kitchen, kitchen crafts, kitchen gifts, make your own, make your own butter

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Friday, March 27, 2009 Homemade Energy Bars

Here's another favorite recipe from the website - a fantastic way to creat homemade energy bars. Really delicious, and you could adjust the ingredients to include stuff your family will want to chow down on. (Like chocolate chips, for instance. Who DOESN'T like chocolate chips??)

Make Your Own Energy Bars - Recipe

Labels: energy bars, energy bars recipe, make your own

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Wednesday, September 05, 2007 Homemade Beauty Recipes - Facial Refresher Spritz

Facial Spray Refresher
Thanks to Dorina for this beauty of a recipe!

8 drops each essential oil of choice (peppermint, lavender)
2 cups bottled mineral water

Combine ingredients in a glass jar with a spray pump.

More Beauty (Facial) Recipes from our Site:

Using Apple Cider Vinegar as a Facial Spritzer/Spray
Homemade Facial Recipes - Facial Treatments

Labels: apple cider vinegar, baking soda, facial treatments, facials, make your own, spa treatments at home

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Tuesday, July 03, 2007 How to Make Your Own Extracts...Green Tea Treatment for Acne and more

Here are some oldies but goodies from the KCn'M website that I just had to share with you readers again! Most of these were submitted by our wonderful readers.

How to make your own vanilla extract...and making homemade citrus extracts, such as orange extract. Delicious when made at home without any preservatives! And really - vanilla extract is a breeze to make yourself...nice gift idea too.
And a nice natural way to treat acne is with this green tea treatment.
It's summer (at long last!) and that means it's a gorgeous time to putter around the garden. Have you ever wondered how to make your own compost? This fabulous article will help.
Always helpful are these natural health tips from our readers on how to treat water retention problems.

Enjoy! And have a lovely summery Monday...here the weather is sun-shiny and as perfect as can possibly be.

Christina

Labels: baking extracts, composting, gardening tips, green tea, health and wellness, health tips, how to make vanilla, make your own, vanilla extract, water retention

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Monday, February 19, 2007 Requested Recipes - Homemade Herbal Teas - Damiana Homemade Herbal Tea

Damiana Delight
Thanks to Jeannie for sending in this unique herbal tea recipe.
The bitterness of damiana is offset by the spearmint and orange zest.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbs chamomile
1 tbs damiana leaves
1 tbs lemongrass
1 tbs spearmint leaves
1/4 tbs jasmine flowers
1/4 tbs orange peel, grated
PREPARATION:
Combine herbs in two cups of water, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain out herbs and serve hot.

Christina's Note: I was very curious to learn more about damiana, which I had never heard of before Jeannie had sent in this recipe! Here are a few notes on what damiana is, in case (like me) you've never heard of this herb.

---Description---
A small shrub; leaves smooth and pale green on upper side, underneath glabrous, with a few hairs on the ribs, ovolanceolate, shortly petiolate with two small glands at base; flowers yellow, rising singly from axils of the leaves, capsule one-celled splitting into three pieces; smell aromatic, taste characteristic, bitterish, aromatic and resinous.

---Constituents---
A greenish volatile oil, smelling like chamomile, amorhpous bitter principle Damianin, resins and tannin.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---
Mild purgative, diuretic, tonic, acting directly on the reproductive organs, stimulant, hypochondriastic, aphrodisiae.

If YOU have ever tried using Damiana in a tea, please let me know how it worked for you. :) I'm curious to find out more about this...

Labels: beverages, chamomile, damiana, herbal teas, herbs, jasmine, jasmine flowers, lemongrass, low calorie, low fat, make your own, mixes, orange peel, spearmint, tea, zest

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Bath Recipes - Easy Essential Oil Baths

Essential Oils Bath
Add a few drops (no more than 10) of your favorite essential oil(s)
to warm water. Choose the oils to match your mood. For example, use
lavender and/or melissa if you want to relax before bed. Use
peppermint or juniper to revive and energize. Look at our complete
index of essential oils to choose more. **Note: Some oils can be
irritating, and should not be used by some people. Read the
instructions first, and always do a patch test before using a new
oil.

For more bath recipes, visit: The Bath and Beauty Recipes Page on Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Site

Labels: bath and beauty, EO, essential oils, homemade gifts, juniper oils, lavender, make your own, mood lifter, natural bathing, peppermint

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