Super Simple Pumpkin Spice Latte

I love going out for fancy coffee drinks.  They're just so expensive!

So, I try to make them at home as much as I can.

I've figured out some easy versions of several hot and iced lattes.

A couple of weeks ago, I figured out a simple way to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I simply mix about eight ounces (one cup) of hot milk (I use coconut milk) with two tablespoons of vanilla simple syrup (I'll post this recipe below), two shots (about four tablespoons) of espresso or very strong coffee, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.  Super simple and super yummy!

To make your own vanilla simple syrup, boil one cup of water with one cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved completely.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (I love the Trader Joe's brand) and stir.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks in a covered jar and used as needed.

The drink recipe above can be a vanilla latte with by leaving out the pumpkin pie spice.  Enjoy!

Tea Time

We're becoming big fans of tea.  It started slow.  Years ago, we just had a cup or two a year.  Then, we started making and drinking sun tea.  A few years ago, we started making our own version Starbucks' green tea lemonade.  Since then, we've been trying more and more kinds of tea.  Even Yerbe Mate.  I've been hearing more and more about the health benefits of tea.  It's especially enjoyable to drink at this time of year when the weather starts to get a bit chilly.  A hot cup of tea, a cozy couch, and a yarn project are a wonderful way to spend some time.

Our collection of tea grew so big a couple of years ago that I decided to create a tea drawer.  There have been a few times that the amount of tea we had out grew the space of the drawer.  It's quite handy to have it all together in one, easy to view and choose space.

This past year, we've become big fans of Yogi brand tea.  It started with their "Breathe Deep" tea.  The taste is surprising and delicious.  Even more surprising is how well it works to help clear a stuffy head from a cold or allergies.  Since it worked so well, we've tried several of their other medicinal type teas and been equally surprised and happy at how well they have worked.  Just be careful if you use the "Get Regular" tea.  One member of my family tried it and found out that a half a cup would have worked just fine!

I'm trying "Relaxed Mind" this week.  I thought it might be worth a try since life has been so stressful lately.  The box says it helps to balance your mood and nurture creativity.  That sounds good.  I had some yesterday and I felt great.  I'm not sure if the tea had anything to do with it or not but I'm giving it another try today.  I'm not crazy about the flavor of this one but the smell is awesome.  It has sage in it and the scent reminds me of a hike and the smell of sagebrush.  Mmmm.

I like Ruby Red Chai tea from Trader Joe's.  It's super yummy mixed with rice milk (coconut, soy, almond or regular would be fine too) and a teaspoon of raw sugar or honey.  Sooo good and not too sweet.

It's fun to find and try different flavors.  Do you drink tea?  What's your favorite?

Sippin' Sangria

We just got back from spending a few days in San Diego.  We went down there for a family reunion and had a great time with family members who drove in from various parts of Southern California and flew in from Washington, Oregon and Texas.  We enjoyed lots of food, drink, and visiting.  And, the weather was wonderful! 

On Saturday night, I made a pitcher of Sangria.  I've tried a few different recipes in the past and they've all been good.  This time, I decided to wing it and it turned out to be the best one so far!  It went quickly and I went back to our RV and whipped up another batch.  I'll definitely make this one again and again!  Here's what I did...

Into a large glass pitcher, I added...

1/2 bag of frozen organic raspberries from Trader Joe's
1/2 bag of frozen organic strawberries from Trader Joe's
1 bottle of Merlot (I used 2 buck chuck from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup of brandy (also from Trader Joe's...Raynal VSOP Rare Old French Brandy...It's really good!)
1 thinly sliced lime
Half of a lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
Half of a juice orange, thinly sliced
1 single serving bottle of Raspberry Juice Squeezer for some fizz

Gently stir and enjoy!  It can be served right away but the longer it sits the better it tastes!

Sangria is so much fun to make because there are so many possibilities and it's so delicious to sip on hot summer days.  I saw a recipe last week that included a Serrano chili.  Hmmmm?  That sounds interesting!  I might give that a try. 

Espresso-ly Good

Martinis come in many flavors that sound yummy. However, I'm usually not crazy about the taste when I try them because alcohol is often the strongest flavor. I'm not opposed to alcohol...a nice shot of tequilla or whiskey is good on occassion but I'm not big on foofoo drinks either. I just haven't found a martini that I really like...until now.

Hubby took me out to dinner last Friday where a martini being served at another table caught my eye. It turned out to be an Espresso Martini. It looked so good that I ordered one for dessert. I'm glad I did. It was the best martini I've ever had.

It was so good that we wanted to re-create it. So, we went to the store to gather the ingredients: vanilla vodka, Kahlua, espresso simple syrup, and half-and-half cream. We were successful with everything but the espresso syrup. So, I came home and made some. I put a half cup of water into a small sauce pan, heated it, added about two teaspoons of espresso powder and stirred until it was disolved. Next, I added one cup of sugar and stirred until it was disolved. I poured the syrup into a jar to cool.

Later, I poured the following into a shaker of ice:

1 ounce vanilla vodka (we used Stoli Vanil...It's very good)
2 ounces Kahlua
1 ounce of half-and-half
1/2 to 3/4 ounce of espresso syrup - We tried about 3/4 ounce in one drink and 1/2 ounce in another and they were both good. So, add what tastes best. It can be left out but it will have a stronger alcohol flavor.

I shook it a few seconds to chill it and strained it into a glass. It looked fabulous...


And, it tasted even better! Yum!!!


These are so good they're hard to just sip!