Budding Barista

Gone are the days of quietly sipping my latte while thumbing through a magazine and present are the days of “Little Helpers.” Coffee grounds all over the counter top and drips of espresso are part of the deal but that’s OK since my drink of choice costs $5 at Starbucks—for five bucks, I can wipe a counter. And who am I kidding? I make just as much mess when I make a latte on my own. Anyhow, as long as they are careful about the hot parts of the little espresso machine and allow me to reach in for the parts I need to do, my budding baristas push the on various buttons, wait for the green light, and turn the steam knob when I say, “go.”

“Mom, I do the panting?” Sara asks and it cracks me up every time. She is talking about “tamping,” the part where she uses the cool little tamping tool to press the coffee grounds into place but I can’t help but imagine myself panting like an eager puppy in anticipation of my coffee fix. How about you do the tamping, and I'll do the panting, Sara Bear.

"How 'bout we make some hot chocolate now?"