'tis the season for peppermint mochas

In order to get my veterinary degree, I had to survive seven years of studying up at Texas A&M; turns out, to keep my license, I still have to do a lot of studying under the guise of "researching a case". Much of the material is pretty boring stuff, and if they don't suffocate you with some complex pathophysiology, some papers will just play games with you. They may get you excited about the possibility that their latest data is going to give you the answer you need, only to say at the end that more data is needed. A person has to figure out a way to survive, and mochas have allowed me to do this.

For my first 3 years of college, I actually never touched a drop of coffee, but I was studying. I'd study in all sorts of crazy places - the basement at the MSC, a vacant office sized closet in the vet building, in a video arcade - something about a unique setting really got the juices flowing. I would find a spot, use it for a while, and then it just wouldn't work for me. Finally, I discovered Sweet Eugene's coffee house in College Station. There was something about that setting that really allowed me to concentrate.

After studying at Sweet Eugene's for many months, I began to feel guilty that I wasn't actually buying anything from them. Up to that point, I thought I hated coffee - out of a feeling of obligation, I figured I'd give it a go. They had helped me stay in school after all; I felt it was the least that I could to do spend a buck there. My friend Amy suggested a "Snickers Latte". The rest is history.

I continue to make use of coffee houses for studying on occasion, but the cost really adds up. Five years ago, I bought my first espresso machine for the home - I was broke, so the $15 contraption from that garage sale fit the bill nicely. In retrospec, it was a clunky thing, but it did a decent job and saved me some money. Back in the summer of 2003, to celebrate my graduation from veterinary school, I decided to visit wholelattelove.com and buy myself an Italian engineered superautomatic espresso machine. I don't freely admit the amount of money I spent on it, but we have grown very close. I sent it in to the shop once. I actually cried when it came back to me.

So this all brings me to the title of this post - the peppermint mocha. It's wintertime, and many coffee houses have this offered as a seasonal drink. It's quite good, but it's one of the most expensive things they sell. I recently set out to see if I can recreate this experience at home and the answer is a resounding yes.

The recipe:
1. Start frothing 10 oz of milk to 180 degrees F. I cannot recommend Horizon's organic milk enough.
2. Heat up your cup for 30 seconds in the microwave (the drink stays warm longer that way).
3. Mix 2 - 3 tablespoons of a high quality chocolate syrup with a tad less than 1 tablespoon of Monin peppermint syrup in your cup.
4. Place the cup back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
5. Pull 2 shots of espresso into your cup
6. Add your heated milk and enjoy.

I think it's time to go read up on a case!