I love Starbucks. I love being inside a Starbucks, I love drinking Starbucks coffee and I love trying all the treats they offer (scones! yogurt parfaits! roasted almonds! oh my!). But since I've become a mother, I want to spend more time at home and less time at Starbucks (sorry!). Yes, I am now a stay-at-home-Mom. Of a cat.
So to help with the inevitable Starbucks withdrawal, I've been working on recreating the Starbucks experience in my apartment. I started with the coffee: Starbucks VIA* (previously reviewed here, with a fun related craft project here) is an impressive at home version that is easy to make and incredibly delicious. Next I recreated my favorite meal: the power protein plate.
Starbucks At Home
serves 1
1 mini whole wheat bagel
1 tablespoon reduced fat peanut butter
a tiny fistful of red seedless grapes
2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
1 hard boiled egg, salted and peppered
1/2 apple, sliced
your favorite mug full of water (ain't I specific?)
1 packet of Starbucks VIA
1 music player (your computer, a "stereo" etc.)
1 copy of the New York Times or 1 laptop computer
1 iPod
1. Turn on every lamp in your apartment but keep any overhead lights off. This is called mood lighting.
2. Put on a playlist (loud) that includes a mixture of Dashboard Confessional, Bob Dylan, Motown and some strange samba music. Be sure to include some John Mayer and John Legend. You don't have to like this music, just listen to it. It is part of the experience.
3. Microwave your mug full of water for 2.5 minutes. Add packet of Starbucks VIA and stir.
4. Spread the peanut butter on the whole wheat bagel, arrange on plate with hard boiled egg, apple, cheese and grapes.
5. Lay out the New York Times in front of you (or go to nytimes.com on your laptop).
6. Turn on your ipod (yes, I know there is already music playing but this music is your choice) and put it up really loud to try to drown out the John Mayer.
7. Yell "VENTI CHAI LATTE NO FOAM" every so often.
8. Smile at the sleeping kitten on your lap. Know that you can recreate the feeling of a Starbucks but you can never fake the feeling of home.
9. Remember that they don't stay kittens forever, and that they also don't stay asleep forever and will soon investigate the leftovers of your Starbucks experiment.
* I just found out VIA will be available in stores at the end of September!