Frugal Foodie Mama: So This Former Teacher Walks Into a Coffee Bar...

Saturday, August 11, 2012

So This Former Teacher Walks Into a Coffee Bar...

and applies to become a barista.  Yes, 8 years of teaching behind me and an education degree under my belt, and I wanted to serve coffee.  
To be honest, I had always wanted to learn how to make those fancy coffee drinks I so happily ordered from Starbucks and small coffee shops.  It always seemed so daunting to me.    How did they steam the milk just so to get it the perfect frothiness?  Is there a secret to getting the perfect pour of espresso?  It was always one of those things I had wanted to learn to do, but I really never had the opportunity to pick up that skill.  Until that day almost two years ago...
The bat headband aside (Hey, I had to work that Halloween & I was getting in the holiday spirit. ;) ), I have a big ole grin plastered on my face in this photo.  I enjoyed the job.  It didn't pay much, and I didn't need a college degree to work there.  But I really liked my little four month stint as a barista at the only local coffee shop in my hometown.  
I really liked my regulars.  I took pride in my lattes and espresso pours.  
The only down side was the desserts... The owners of the coffee shop also owned a local bakery, and we had fresh goodies in the shop every single day.  I may have gained about 6 pounds working there. ;)

I am glad I could add milk steaming/frothing, espresso pours, cappuccino/latte making to my culinary skills set.  And now, I make some mean lattes at home with my own espresso machine.