How to make delicious (possibly low calorie) frothy drinks without a milk steamer

I love Starbucks.  Their chai tea latte is to die for.  Very few other places can even compete with it.  I’ve tried making it at home with the same mix they use, but it never tastes the same.  It’s all in the steamed milk…and I don’t have an espresso machine.  I don’t drink coffee, but I do have a french press for when guests come over;  I can at least attempt to make coffee for them.  Turns out the french press does a great job at frothing milk, and it’s really easy.

I start by heating some milk, just to the temperature right before it starts boiling.  Scalded milk tastes like butt.  Then I put the milk into the french press and plunge the press up and down.  It seriously makes foam like you have never seen before…foam as dense as a sponge.

I don’t have chai mix now, and plus it’s loaded with calories…so a lower calories alternative I have been making is with Bigelow Cinnamon stick or Constant comment tea.  I just use one tea bag and make a half a cup of tea.  Let it steep for a while so it’s strong.  Then I add 2 splenda, some cinnamon and pour the frothed milk on top.  It’s delicious and about 100 calories, with the benefits of both milk and tea.

I am convinced that you could make a regular latte or cappuccino with just a french press too.  You can make some hella strong coffee in french press, which may resemble espresso in dire situations…and then add the frothed milk.  I tried making a latte in this fashion for my mother in law once, but she seemed less than impressed.  I think it’s because she told me to make the milk hotter and it scalded, thus tasting like butt.  Now she won’t let me make her one anymore, and I don’t really do lattes.  Anyone want to be a guinea pig so I can perfect my latte?

Hearing things

I swear today I have been hearing things all day long…like whining, crying and banging.  It sounded like it was coming from my bathroom, but when I actually went out into the hall and listened for it, I never heard it.  I looked for all of the cats, and only found two, Stewie and Zoe sleeping on the couch.  Maggie is pretty elusive during the day, and Sweet Pea doesn’t like me, so she would run away if she heard me calling her name.  I let it go since Stewie was there (he’s always getting into trouble), but kept hearing it.  I searched high and low for the damn kitties.  I found Maggie, but still no Sweet Pea.  Then I decided to start being nosy and started looking in all of the crevaces in my roommates bedroom, under the bed, in the bathroom, and in the closet.   Bingo.  Poor Sweet Pea was trapped in there all day long.  I rescued her and she still won’t let me pet her.

To make up for it, I hosted a catnip party with Sweet Pea as the special guest.

Like kitty cocaine

update.

I feel fat and need to lose like 10 pounds.  That is all.

OK.  It’s not all.  My ballet class ended two weeks ago.  I have been practicing at home, but not enough I guess.  I feel disgusting.  I’ll be starting up again after I get back from Tucson.  This time, with crazy Russian ballet.

I also need to learn to stand up straight.