Oh, how I do love my coffee! I began drinking mochas in college, savoring their chocolaty goodness and enjoying the amount of studying I got done on those days. I guess you could call them the gateway drug 
I quickly learned how to make a reasonable imitation at home with strong coffee and later lured my unsuspecting husband into my addiction. In our heyday, I even made fresh whipped cream to top our weekend beverages. Then, Brian fell off the coffee wagon and I turned 32 – the year when my already slothful metabolism came to a screeching halt. It was time to slim down my favorite drink, so through a gradual process I developed my current cup of perfection – a lowfat, sugar-free caramel latte-ish cafe au lait.
Here’s how it works. I grind 4 scoops of good coffee beans and put water up to the 4 line on the coffee pot, then start it brewing. Next I fill a mug halfway up with milk (1% for me) and microwave it for 1:05. When it’s done, I use my handy frothing wand to get a good inch or two of foam built up. Then I add 1 spoonful of Splenda. By then, the coffee is usually done and I pour half the pot (from 4 down to the 2 line), stir, and top it with squirt a swirl of caramel (I keep it in one of those squeezable yellow mustard bottles). And voila! Happiness in a cup x 2, since an encore is always required.
