Cafecito with Almond Milk

I love starting my day with a nice cup of coffee but sometimes I do the absolute most on the weekends, which I have to go easy on what I eat and drink during the week. I honestly don’t mind and some of my lighter recipes have actually become some of my favorites. I get to indulge without worry what’s going to happen to my waistline.

One of the first places I like to cut down (and save some money) is in my AM Cafecito. Before I gave in and acknowledged that I was Lactose-Sensitive (I still won’t claim Lactose-Intolerance… I’m stubborn. It’s a touchy subject but between me and you… I’m half a step away from being Lactose-Intolerant) I would make my morning coffee with Half-Half… or better yet, evaporated milk. I would also pile on the sugar and if I was really feeling myself, I’d use sweet condensed milk. Nowadays, I don’t do any of that unless I’m enjoying a Cortadito. Today, I skip all the sugar and dairy and use much lighter ingredients. I opt to use Almond Milk, Soy Milk, or even Skim Milk.

Now coffee is personal. Don’t believe me? Simply go to a Starbuck and see just how pissed someone gets when their order is messed up. See? … Coffee is personal. I love having fun with my coffee and adding fresh spices to it liven it up. I also like to save some money by doing it myself and you’d be surprised just easy it is. Before I share my recipe for Cafecito with Almond Milk, here are some quick tips to stepping your AM Cafe

Tip #1: Warm up the milk separately. This makes a HUGE difference and it was a step I used to skip all the time until I had coffee at a Cuban Cafe in Miami. I was reminded immediately, “Thou shall not cut corner with the milk!”

Tip #2: Use an Almond, Soy, or Skim Milk to make your AM Cafecito lighter. Start off with the sweetened king but eventually build up to having it unsweetened

Tip #3: Invest in a Milk Frother Wand and have your fancy coffee at home. My frother wand cost me $5 and saved me even more. I no longer have to leave my house to get gourmet coffeeshop coffee

Tip #4: Have fun with your coffee. Add spices to it so that you don’t get bored. My favorite is adding freshly grated Nutmeg, Cinnamon, or even Vanilla Extract.