Confession, it’s been a little hard for me to get into the festive spirit this year. It feels like it came on so fast. I really can’t fathom setting foot in a mall. Even online shopping has a lost  some of its luster. I think I’m on a bit of stuff overload.

What I’m really craving this year is time. Time to reconnect with friends and family. Time to have those long girl-talks. Time to reminisce with my siblings. I didn’t appreciate the amount of freedom I had with the hours in my day pre-baby. It’s a very different world when you’ve got feedings, naps and bedtimes to adhere to. Your life is broken up into two or four-hour chunks. And conversations lose a bit of their depth when you’re trying to keep tiny fingers out of light sockets. So instead of gifting tchotckes, candles or the like, this year I’m planning on booking good old-fashioned quality time with the people I care about most. A few sweet treats and a really good coffee recipe is all you need.

I got started this past weekend, enjoying a catch up sesh with my girl Caitlin Flemming of Sacramento Street. She and I actually met through blogging, coming on six years ago now and it’s amazing to see where our lives have taken us. In that time we’ve both gotten married (a week apart), had babies (four months apart), built carriers and ended up living in the same city! Feel pretty damn lucky about that.

A couple of hours over the best pastry San Francisco has to offer (from here if you’re wondering) and a delicious cup of coffee fill the soul more than anything that comes wrapped in a bow.

But I couldn’t help but make our catch-up date a little holiday-y. The easiest way to do that is with a delicious coffee recipe you can make at home. All I needed was my Nespresso and a few extra ingredients to feel like my own personal barista so of course I had to share it with you. I think I’m going to be making this recipe well into the new year!

NESPRESSO SPICY GOURMANDISE COFFEE

Ingredients
1 Swiss Chocolate Nespresso capsule
3/4 C heavy cream, cold
3T sugar
1t ground cinnamon
half of 1/8t cayenne
1 cinnamon stick

Directions
For the spiced cream: in a bowl combine cream, sugar, cinnamon and cayenne; whisk until firm and set aside to chill.

For the coffee: add cinnamon stick to your VertuoLine Glass and brew your capsule of Swiss Chocolate Coffee over cinnamon stick. Top coffee with spiced cream & enjoy!

original photography for apartment 34 by suzanna scott

This post was created in connection with my appointment as a Nespresso “A Cup Above” participant. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that have kept Apartment 34’s doors open.