Caffeine and Sugar

I'm not the huge coffee drinker I once was. Before the cause of my chronic fatigue was finally diagnosed, it was no unusual feat for me to consume well over a pot of strong, straight, black coffee every day. Yep, no sugar, no cream, no flavor, just brew and serve. I was so sick, so far gone, that I could barely stay awake for more than a few hours at a time without mass quantities of caffeine.

Anyhow, these days I'm medicated; the fatigue is about as under control as it can be; and I only drink coffee when I honestly want a cup, not need one. While I still generally take my coffee black, no sugar, I'll pretty much drink it any way you hand it to me. Every so often, I get a yen for a gigantic iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. That's when I hit the drive thru and order an extra large, extra, extra. (For those of you not in the know, that's extra cream, extra sugar.) Unfortunately, OKC only has 3 Dunks, and none of them is convenient to my home. To put it in perspective, there were at least six Dunkin' Donuts within walking distance to where I last lived in the Greater Boston area.

I decided to share this recipe with you today because I've received so much positive feedback regarding the chai latte recipe on my main page. It brings a smile to my face every time one of my readers mentions it here or elsewhere on social media. The surprise is that it happens more often than I ever expected it would.

Today, I offer you the coffee concoction I'm most likely to make when I'm in the mood for something more adventurous than black, no sugar. So fire up the coffee maker and follow me . . .

French Vanilla Iced Latte

the cheap and easy way

1 12-cup pot of freshly brewed coffee (about 1 quart)

1 quart unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice)

2 T vanilla extract (not that artificial junk)

1/2 c light agave nectar (or 1 c sugar or measures-like-sugar substitute)

Brew coffee just a bit stronger than you normally would

Add sweetener and stir to dissolve completely

Add milk and vanilla extract, stir to combine

Refrigerate until icy cold

Serve over ice or well chilled

Here's a tip:

Keep an ice cube tray in the freezer filled with coffee. By using coffee ice cubes, you won't dilute your drink.

Happy Caffeinating!