Nashville Wife

Looking back at how much of a fad coffee–particularly espresso–has become over the past several years really fascinates me. The regular coffee, whether black or mixed with a bit of cream and sugar, that folks have brewed for centuries has sort of become passe. In its place are lattes, mochas, frappes, americanos, cappuccinos, and a host of other drinks that I can’t name, let alone tell you how they are made.

Before we became parents, Mr. Handsome and I were not big coffee drinkers. We would occasionally pick up a latte or mocha on car trips, but that was it. Enter Little Buddy, and everything changed. It was Mr. Handsome who started the trend, claiming that he needed it to function at work.

I somehow survived the newborn days without coffee, but it just made the house smell so good that I eventually got into it. I usually don’t drink it in the morning, but it makes a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up. In fact, I’m drinking a cup as I write this.

When we’re at home, we drink black coffee, made in our $20 French press, with a good amount of milk and a tiny bit of cream (the real stuff, not creamer). But when we’re out and about and feel like treating ourselves, we love to stop by coffee shops and pick up one drink to share. Over the summer, we did mostly iced lattes, but now we’re into hot lattes. While we enjoy the more sugary drinks, we usually ask the barista to hold off on any sweetener or flavoring. But every once in a while, we’ll try one of the advertised seasonal lattes, like lavender or pumpkin spice.

I still remember the day I told Mr. Handsome how delicious the fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks were and that he should try them. He laughed and told me that he would never get into that. Fast-forward about three years, and he is quickly becoming a coffee connoisseur. We haven’t been to Starbucks in months because we both agree that the coffee sold at independent coffee shops is much more delicious.

Are you a coffee drinker? What are your favorite ways to drink it?