Throwback Thursday with Cubans and Coffee-mate

Café con leche has been a staple in my life since I can
remember. I often woke up to the sounds of pots and pans, laughter, and the
wonderful aroma of coffee. I’d lie there listening for a few minutes, enjoying
the comforts of being surrounded by the people I love, before hazily rolling
out of bed. Sipping milk with a bit of coffee and twirling my hair, as my
family continued chatting around me is one of my fondest memories. And then around
2 or 3pm, after my mom, aunt, or grandma woke up from a nap, the house filled
with the wonderful scent again. Coffee is more than a caffeinated beverage to
me. It’s a family tradition and a feeling, and it has to be prepared in a
manner that does my taste buds justice.

When I was younger my mom mixed primarily milk with a bit of
coffee, but I take it “tan” these days, with a bit of sugar and about a
tablespoon of Coffee-mate Classic Vanilla. It adds just enough sweetness to
remind me of my café con leche days.

 As an adult, my alarm blasts me awake most mornings, not the
soothing laughter and chit-chat of my family. But the coffee routine continues.
I brew Daniel and I a pot as he gets ready for work, and I curl up in my desk
chair with a creamy mug of coffee in one hand, hair in the other, immediately
feeling uplifted by the deliciousness in front of me, and the memories it
evokes.

Twice a year I have the opportunity to re-live all of these
memories. I’m visiting my family in Miami next month and am more than excited
to recreate these moments with my loved ones, including my life-long beverage
of choice. I’ll wake up to the same sounds, the same smells, and join them for
our morning café con Coffee-mate.