Over the last couple of years, I have cut down my coffee consumption significantly. I used to have my coffee after lunch at work (I was never really a morning coffee person) but once I started exercising regularly, I found that I no longer needed an afternoon pick me up, and eventually, I started getting the jitters when I had regular coffee. That being said, I love the taste of coffee and every once in a while, I would treat myself to a Peet’s latte (the best coffee/espresso that is readily available).
As of a month ago, I have committed myself to drinking only organic milk and avoiding heavily processed soy products. As a result, I have had to eliminate Peet’s from my diet. They do not serve organic milk as an option and their only non-dairy milk is an organic soy milk. This leaves me to venture out to find smaller coffee shops that offer a better variety of milk options – if you’re in San Francisco, this is not a problem at all, but it is a much more difficult feat in the area I live in.
I’ve been thinking of trying out Starbucks Via, and I decided to pick up a pack of Decaf at the grocery store to make an Iced Coffee for myself at home. I can just see true coffee connoisseurs rolling their eyes at me – I’ve read somewhere about folks who freeze coffee cubes so the taste of the coffee doesn’t get diluted when making an ice coffee, and have also read about cold brewing approaches. Quite honestly? I just want a quick coffee fix and don’t think it is worth growing through all this, especially since I’m not a regular coffee drinker.
In my iced coffee, I mixed in a Starbucks Via packet with a few tbsp of warm water in a large tumbler. I then added some peppermint syrup (I keep a bottle of vanilla and peppermint syrup on the counter for such occasions) and a bit of cocoa powder. Once it was all mixed together well, I filled the cup with ice and topped it off with about 1/2 a cup of milk. It was delicious, refreshing and hit the spot. I think I found my quick (and cheaper) substitute I can make at home without breaking the bank or breaking my organic habit. A perfect find for a summer long weekend – looking forward to this afternoon treat on a regular basis :).
PS – I just thought of all the coffee flavour ice cream I could make with my new ice cream maker…score!
My Vegetarian Kitchen 
Being a self-proclaimed coffee-snob I actually don’t have issue with this. You’re being real. Especially for iced coffee! I usually just brew a cup extra in the morning knowing I may want it later on (or the husfriend might). But using instant definitely is helpful.