Drink and Read of the Month: January 2022

Hello and happy new year! Although we are now over halfway through the month, it still feels like the new year over here on my blog. One of my goals for 2022 is to be more consistent with this blog. During the last half of 2021 I was so focused on client work that my blog was pretty much left in the dust. But not this year, you have my word!

I am going to start this year with January’s drink and read: where I talk about the drink I’m sipping on and the book I’m reading. My favorite thing this month is my brand new Nespresso Vertuo machine! I have been dreaming of being able to make espresso drinks at home for so long and now I am truly obsessed. So stay tuned to see it in action!

Drink

This one may sound a little weird, but stick with me. I tried this out after seeing a few videos online, and it didn’t disappoint. If you like sweet and fruity notes in your coffee, the Fruity Pebbles latte is the one for you. Cereal milk lattes have become so popular, and I’m a big fan. 

You start by infusing some milk with the cereal of your choice. For the most amount of flavor, you should really let the cereal soak in the milk for fifteen to thirty minutes. Or if you’re impatient like me, just shake the cereal and milk in a cocktail shaker for a bit and hope for the best.

To make this latte, I poured around a half cup of Fruity Pebbles and a cup of milk into my cocktail shaker. I shook it all up for thirty seconds or so, then poured the milk into a glass with ice. Because I love a good iced latte. I must say, I was a little disappointed that the milk didn’t turn pink or purple, like I had seen in a few videos. But that was probably due to my impatience.

Next, I popped an Ice Leggero double espresso pod into my Nespresso Vertuo machine and let it brew right into the glass of milk. The amazing thing about the Ice Leggero is that it’s made to go in iced drinks, so that was perfect. There is something so satisfying about watching the espresso layer onto the milk and then stirring it all together. I get way too excited about this.

And that’s really it! I was pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted fruity, despite me not soaking the cereal too long. I did end up adding a pump of french vanilla syrup since the milk wasn’t super sweet. But the latte turned out very tasty! I also need to add that this flavor combination isn’t for everyone. My husband took one sip and grimaced, so to each their own, I guess! If you’re curious about cereal milk lattes, do give them a try though!

Read

The very first book I read this month was Verity by Colleen Hoover. I know, I know, everyone is obsessed with this book right now. But it’s definitely for a good reason! I devoured this book in a little over two days and enjoyed every bit of it. Verity is full of suspense and lots of twists, like any good thriller.

Verity centers on Lowen Ashleigh, a writer who doesn’t know where her next paycheck is coming from. She has authored a few minorly successful books, but has just spent the last several months taking care of her dying mother. After her mother passes away, she is days from being evicted. 

Lowen’s agent summons her to a meeting, where she is offered the kind of big opportunity she really needs. The job is to write the remaining books of a very popular series by author Verity Crawford, who has been injured and is unable to finish them herself. Verity’s husband, Jeremy, is at the meeting trying to convince Lowen to accept the job. Lowen knows that Verity’s shoes are almost too big to fill, but she needs the money so she accepts.

The majority of the book takes place in the Crawfords’ home, where Lowen needs to stay for a few days to go through Verity’s cluttered office. She needs to find any useful notes about the series and then get back to start outlining and writing the books. Although she tries to focus and stay on track, Lowen discovers an unpublished manuscript that Verity wrote, but not for her bestselling series. 

This manuscript uncovers so many secrets, but Lowen is always left with more questions than she gets answers to. What really happened to Verity? Who can she trust? Is she safe in the Crawford home? 

And the rest you’ll have to find out for yourself! I spent most of one weekend sitting around, reading this book, needing to find out what was really going on. There were a few times I was really creeped out but had to keep going. If you are a psychological thriller fan, I would definitely recommend Verity. It really reminded me of The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, so if you liked that, you’ll probably be enchanted by this one, too.

So there we have it, the drink and read for January! I feel like I’m starting 2022 off strong. I’ll be back here soon, and in the meantime, I’ll be doing what I love: writing for clients!

Do you know of any books or drinks that I should check out? I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me a DM on Instagram @ashlyncarmichaelcopy. Happy sipping!