Be your own barista

Don't get me wrong, I love to stop for coffee, but sometimes I just don't want to pay FourBucks per cup. One of my favorite ways to get the same coffee shop taste is to use filtered water, good coffee, and a splash of flavored Italian syrup. Because I don't like to add calories to my caffeine, I look for flavorful sugar-free syrups.

Starbucks has sugar-free cinnamon and caramel syrups for sale. The big bottles are behind the counter, so just ask your friendly barista. And, if you ask nicely, they'll give you a pump to go with it.

DaVinci Gourmet and Torani also offer a ton of sugar-free Italian syrups. You can find a few flavors at your local grocery store in the coffee aisle, but to get some unique flavors (like peanut butter!) you will have the best luck online.

In addition to coffee add sugar-free syrups to:

• Cocktails (there are some fruity flavors available, too)
• Iced or hot teas
• Protein shakes
• Lemonade 

I've been making my own frappacino's at home for an afternoon pick-me-up. Here's my featured house blend:

• A cup of cold, strong brewed coffee (or if I'm lazy, I'll skip this step and add in a tablespoon or two of instant coffee)
• 1/2-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2-3 tablespoons of sugar-free caramel syrup
• Ice

I just toss everything into my Magic Bullet and blend. 

So, if you're into flavor, but just don't want to pay for the pump, I encourage you to give these syrups a shake.

Coffee Talk

Want to know a little secret? I am a Tassimo addict. Tassimo is a clever little machine that makes freshly brewed single-serve coffee or tea within about 60 seconds. I first discovered this fabulous little invention in a hotel, most likely in Boston since I traveled there more than I care to admit during my stay in corporate America. Oh, the things I learned in Boston! but that's not important right now. 

Back to the subject at hand...My Tassimo. 

My Tassimo gets a daily workout that looks like this:

6:00 a.m. Morning Coffee Blend

7:00 a.m. Morning Coffee Blend

11:00 a.m. Green Tea

3:00 p.m. Green Tea

7:00 p.m. Decaf Coffee

9:00 p.m. Espresso (this cup goes in the fridge to mix in with my morning protein shake)

Go to www.tassimo.com to learn more and while you're there ask them to create a decaf green tea, because no one really needs that much coffee. 

Tassimo: It will have you bouncing out of bed and skipping to the kitchen in the morning. Ok, perhaps that's neither safe nor entirely true. Afterall, you should never, never skip without having caffeine first.