Hi! I’m Kristin, and welcome to Sweet Steep! I’m so glad you’re here!
Sweet Steep began in 2018 as a place to share my love of tea. Since then, it has grown into a place where I share easy drink recipes to make at home, from coffeehouse favorites and homemade syrups to refreshing lemonades, smoothies, hot chocolate, and plenty of tea.
But my love of tea goes back a lot further than 2018. In fact, I even remember my first sip of tea. Crazy, right?
My First Sip of Tea
I was a kid in the early 1970s, and my childhood best friend and I were playing school. Naturally, we decided we needed a hot drink in hand to properly play the role of our real teacher.
There weren’t coffee shops on every corner back then, and neither of us had any idea how to make coffee. So Lipton black tea with milk and lots of sugar seemed like the perfect substitute. It helped that I watched my mother steep a cup every morning.
That first sip of tea was delicious, warm, and sweet. And somewhere along the way, I became a lifelong tea drinker.
From Tea to All Things Drinks
These days, I’m just as interested in figuring out how to make all kinds of drinks at home.
Luckily for me, my daughter was a longtime barista who was passionate about her craft. She’s taught me some of the hows of drink-making, but the whys, too. We’ve talked about ingredients, ratios, brewing, texture, and what makes a drink work.
That has been especially helpful when I’m developing copycat recipes and trying to recreate coffeehouse favorites at home.
I test my recipes in my own kitchen, make adjustments, and work through the details until I’m happy with the finished drink. Sometimes getting the right flavor or texture takes a little experimenting, but that’s part of what I enjoy about creating recipes.
A Little About Me
I’m married to Steve, and we’re the parents of two adult children. We all live in the Chicago area, although I’m originally from the little (but great!) state of Connecticut.
While my degree is in Marketing, I’ve worked in web design for many years, going all the way back to the days of typing HTML line by line. Yikes!
Behind the Camera
In recent years, I’ve really gotten into photography, and I’m quite passionate about it. I love the challenge of capturing a recipe in a way that makes you want to reach through the screen and make it yourself. Sometimes that means racing melting ice cubes to get the shot.
And yes, all of the photography on Sweet Steep is my own.
I’m still learning and experimenting, but that’s part of the fun. There’s always something new to figure out when you’re working with food, drinks, light, and a camera.
Why Sweet Steep?
What started with a love of tea has turned into a place where I can share the drinks I enjoy making at home.
Whether you’re looking for a refreshing lemonade, a homemade coffee creamer, a cozy cup of hot chocolate, a Starbucks-inspired favorite, or simply a really good cup of tea, I hope you find something here you’ll want to make.
Thanks for stopping by Sweet Steep!
Kristin