Years ago, due to a combination of wanting to save money, learn a new hobby, and come to terms with a beloved coffee/sandwich shop going out of buiness, I decided, “Why spend all this money if I can just become the barista myself?”

So I gradually invested in a really lovely home kitchen setup. I shamelessly downloaded a PDF of the shop’s menu before it went under, and I got pretty good at recreating the same breakfast sandwiches and lunch combos. I also grind beans that I buy locally, do french presses and pour-overs, and when time allows, make lattes. I learned a lot of valuable skills along the way. It also retroactively made a lot of diners and brunch spots worse for me. There’s been a number of bad, kind of overpriced omelets I order at restaurants that I think I can do better at home.

Chai lattes, my favorite drink, has been my latest obsession to recreate after having a proper cup at a tea bar. Now I know if it’s not spicy, something’s wrong. I really didn’t realize how many coffee shops were just using powdered chai too, instead of making it from scratch. I can never go back. 🙃