Cappuccino, cappuccino and cappuccino
Recipe #9: You guessed it, cappuccino!

Both of my parents enjoy coffee. Mom brews it every morning, so my father and I literally "wake up and smell the coffee" at breakfast time. This is the luckiest thing in the world - every day is like a good start.

Because I like the smell of coffee and the taste of ice cream bars, I once asked my mother to buy a box of cappuccino-flavored bars at a supermarket, which was made by a well-known coffee brand.

Every day after dinner, I would eat one of them... it was heavenly. Although I go to bed late, I felt pretty wired up, and one day, I was unable to fall asleep until I 2:00 a.m. I was a bit worried. My mother thought it was unusual, so she decided to find out the cause of my insomnia. Looking for the root of the cause, she suspected that the caffeine in the cappuccino-flavored bars (to a young kid, the caffeine was probably too strong). Since then, I have known caffeine was to be avoided at all costs, so I would never drink any coffee.

When I was in college, some of my buddies would like to go to coffee shop. Since I did not, I felt I was not in their circle. My mother made two kinds of coffee, mocha and cappuccino, for me to try. I tasted it, and it was a wonderful drink; it was even better than the brand I mentioned (or maybe it was because our coffee was better). In a delightful weekend, the start of one day is marked by the delightful coffee. All of our friends love coming to our house, probably because her coffee is so good. Anyways, it's a treat for all of us.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 c. strong coffee, brewed
2. 1/4 c. milk
3. 1 tsp. sugar
4. Cocoa powder (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare the freshly brewed coffee, hot and strong, and add sugar.
2. Using a blender, beat the milk until it gets foamy
3. Microwave the foamy milk for about 30 seconds on high, and pour into the hot coffee.
4. Use a spoon and put the foam on top of the coffee.

Tips

1. If you have an espresso machine, you can make espresso. Otherwise, use a brewer. If you're using espresso, reduce the coffee to 1/4 cups and increase the milk to 1/2 cups.
2. You can use skim milk.
3. Sugar is optional. It is totally up to you.
4. If you like the taste, you can add some cocoa powder.
5. Different microwaves have different power, so be sure to stop the microwave before the coffee boils over.