what's for breakfast this morning {homemade french vanilla coffee creamer}.

i *love* coffee creamer. and i'll be honest. i probably love it more than i love coffee. i get excited to try new flavors when they come out, and i always like my coffee better at home than in a restaurant because of my beloved creamer.

i know. i said i'd be honest.

when i saw this recipe on pinterest for homemade french vanilla coffee creamer, i knew i wanted to try it. nick&i like to eat healthy, and we're always up for eliminating chemicals and processed junk out of our diets. we are big fans of jamie oliver and i once heard him say that "if you don't recognize an ingredient, or your grandma wouldn't have cooked with it, then don't eat it."

this struck a chord with me because oftentimes i'm drawn into the "light" or "low fat" foods that are really just more unhealthy and processed in so many ways. we've made little changes... nothing too drastic... we use real maple syrup now instead of aunt jemima. i try to use real butter more often in recipes. and just this year i've started making all of our bread from scratch. i'm always up for being able to control the ingredients we put in our bellies, and love the challenge of making things on my own to guarantee they are healthier than usual.

(obviously with some exceptions if you've read any of my recent recipe posts... everything in moderation; although it will be back to healthier eating once emmy is here and i'm not craving baked mac&cheese or chocolate chip cookie bars).

anyway.

i checked out the label on the back of my latest bottle of white chocolate caramel latte creamer... i mean, what pregnant woman wouldn't enjoy that?! i was mortified to see what i've been consuming in my daily cups of morning coffee. i'm pretty sure the only ingredient i recognized on the list was water.

yikes.

this recipe is super easy, and you can adjust it according to your personal taste and preference. and a whole jar lasted us about a week, which isn't bad for how inexpensive it is.

and not to mention, chemical-free.

homemade french vanilla coffee creamer

* 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
* 14 oz of milk (i used half skim, and half 1/2&1/2 for some extra creaminess)
* 2 t. vanilla extract or coffee syrup for stronger flavor
* a mason jar (a quart sized one works well)

- combine all ingredients in your mason jar. screw lid on tightly and shake well. voila. you're done.

easy peasy, right? really delish and guess what? not one of the ingredients is water. i like it.