copycat Starbucks pumpkin spice sauce

I'm sure you have gathered lately that I have a bit of a pumpkin obsession.  I just can't get enough, once the weather starts to turn and fall is in the air.

Fall makes me so happy.

I love summer, for a minute, but it doesn't take long for it to get old.  I much prefer a cool, sunny fall day...  with the fresh smell of leaves and the breeze of change in the air.

I love sweaters, boots, scarves...  schedules, routines and activities.  Everything that is fall.

One of my favorite little fall indulgences are Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes and chais.  So festive, fallish, and delicious...  I could drink them every day if my wallet could afford it!

Of course every day is just too much, but I finally nailed down a recipe that is as close to Starbucks' as possible.  Now I get my fix whenever I want it, and without the guilt.

My favorite way to use this sauce is to put 1-2 tablespoons into a mug, fill it up with hot coffee and top with a splash of heavy cream.  Autumn in a cup.  Try it!

What's your favorite fall treat?

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup pumpkin

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat until clear and the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and reduced a bit.

Pour into a jar and let cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.  The sauce is thick when cold.  It will melt just fine into your hot coffee!

This makes about 1 cup of sauce...  servings vary depending on how sweet you like your drinks.

fresh blackberry margaritas

Fresh squeezed citrus, crushed wild blackberries, simple syrup...  and of course, some tequila & triple sec!

Summer is officially coming to an end, and kids are going back to school.

In my world, that's a celebration, since I love fall and can't wait for the season's change!  In my husband's world, summer ending is like a death and requires some mourning.

I don't know how it goes in your house, but mourning in this house involves margaritas.  Really good, homemade margaritas.

My husband has become somewhat of a margarita-king lately...  perfecting his recipe and loving to spoil our friends, family & guests with his homemade masterpiece.

This last weekend, he decided to switch things up a bit and make some blackberry margaritas.  And my word, they were delicious!!

Give these a try if you can snag a few handfuls of blackberries, and celebrate (or mourn, depending on how you feel) the end of summer with us!

Fresh Blackberry Margaritas Recipe
makes enough for 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup simple syrup*

2 cups, or so, fresh blackberries
Triple Sec
Tequila

Directions:
*Make the simple syrup (recipe below) and let it cool.

In a pitcher, mix together the lemon & lime juices with the simple syrup (you can start with 1/2 cup and add more to taste if you're not sure how sweet you'd like things!).

For each margarita, place a handful of blackberries in a salt-rimmed large glass.  Muddle (smash with something blunt, like a muddler or the end of a spoon) until the berries are crushed.  

Fill the glass with ice, pour in a good splash of Triple Sec, a shot or two of tequila and then fill with the margarita mix.  Top with a couple of berries and serve!

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Simple Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions:
Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the syrup is clear.

Remove from the heat and let cool.  Store in a jar the fridge for up to several weeks!

'eat your greens!' smoothies

Yep.  That's what I'm calling these.  Because my kids won't eat leafy greens any other way.

They're toddlers, they're picky, and greens are just not on the list of 'acceptable' foods in their minds.

But I refuse to give up, which is where these smoothies come in.

Fresh leafy greens, yogurt, oats, fruit...  These smoothies do the trick every time.  I can fill them with as much green stuff as I want, and the kids have yet to turn them down.

And that makes this mama-heart happy!

(Especially when I am very pregnant, very tired, and really not wanting to cook...  which seems to be the case more and more these days.)

I use the oats primarily to bulk up the smoothie so I feel better about serving it to my kids as a meal.  Feel free to leave them out if you want, but you won't even know they're in there!

And if you think you're kiddos (or yourself) will be turned off by the color, use mostly dark berries for a nice purple smoothie.

*By the way, these smoothies freeze great...  so if you don't drink them all up at one sitting, throw the rest in the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge the next time you want them!

'Eat Your Greens!' Smoothie Recipe
serves 3-4

Ingredients:
2-3 cups frozen fruit (strawberries, berries, banana, mango...  whatever you like!)
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2-1 cup juice or water
3-4 handfuls mixed greens or spinach

Directions:
Place the fruit, yogurt, oats and 1/2 cup of water/juice into your food processor.  Process until very smooth, streaming in more liquid if needed so it's not too thick.

Take off the lid and add in the greens, filling the processor as full as possible...  it will blend down into nothing, don't worry!  Puree again until as smooth as you'd like, adding more greens if you couldn't fit them all in at first.

Taste for sweetness and thickness and add a bit more juice or water and a touch of honey if needed.

Serve to your kids and smile when they ask for more!

triple citrus margaritas, from scratch

Two drinks in a row?  Yep.  This is me wishful-thinking and the husband enjoying!

(30 weeks pregnant, I am obviously not drinking these days!)  :o)

For some reason Andrew got it into his head the other day that he wanted to make margaritas from scratch.  No mix, no cheating...  just real juice!

I love it when he gets in those moods and into the kitchen with me.  We have fun together (and annoy each other!) and definitely enjoy the results!!

These margaritas turned out great!  (Well, according to everyone who tried them and my own pre-tequila sips!)

They are just as good with just lemon & lime juice if you don't have or want orange juice, but we loved the combo of all three!

If you've never made simple syrup before, it's an incredibly easy thing to make and great to keep on hand in your fridge.  Perfect for sweetening iced tea, iced coffee, fresh squeezed lemonade and more.

Give these a try next time you are craving a great margarita and just don't feel like driving to the nearest mexican restaurant!  (Where I'm betting you won't get anything close to this good!)

Thanks for joining me in the kitchen honey!

Triple Citrus Margaritas, from scratch Recipe
makes enough for 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup simple syrup*
Triple Sec
Tequila

Directions:
*Make the simple syrup (recipe below) and let it cool.

In a pitcher, mix together the lemon, lime and orange juices with the simple syrup (you can start with 1/2 cup and add more to taste if you're not sure how sweet you'd like things!).

For each margarita, fill a large glass with ice.  Pour in a good splash of Triple Sec, a shot or two of tequila and then fill with the margarita mix!

(You can also just mix up one big pitcher, to taste, and serve from there.  Whatever you'd like!)

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Simple Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions:
Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the syrup is clear.

Remove from the heat and let cool.  Store in a jar the fridge for up to several weeks!

perfect fresh blended piña coladas

I was having a frustrating day the other day (ok, when is that ever not the case these days?!), and I really needed something special to cheer myself up.

I have always loved a good piña colada...  and I just so happened to have a beautiful pineapple sitting on my counter and some cream of coconut in my fridge that day!

The combination of the fresh, sweet pineapple, creamy coconut, a touch of ice cream and lots of cold ice made this an amazingly refreshing and special treat.

I have to say... I think this may have been the best piña colada I have ever had!

(Of course I was really wishing mine had a little rum in it, but it was pretty amazing even without it, so I'm not complaining!)

Perfect Fresh Blended Piña Coladas Recipe
makes 1-2 servings  :o)

Ingredients:
1/4 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and chunked
1/4 cup cream of coconut
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2-3 handfuls of ice
2oz light rum or coconut rum (leave this out for virgin drinks!)

Directions:
Blend the pineapple in your blender until smooth.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Taste and add more cream of coconut, ice or rum to your liking.

Enjoy responsibly and pretend it's summer already...  even if you live in the dreary northwest!  ;o)

slow cooker rich & creamy hot chocolate

In honor of our first real snow of the season (and it's a good one...  8" on the ground so far!) here's an easy homemade hot chocolate recipe that will cook itself while you play outside with the kids!

This hot chocolate is everything we love.  Thick, creamy, rich, chocolate-y...  it is just plain delicious!

This is definitely not your open-a-packet-and-add-some-water hot cocoa.  It actually reminds me more of that sipping chocolate that Starbucks had a few years ago.

Oh and the best part?  You throw it all in the slow cooker and you've got perfect hot chocolate without the work!

We like to enjoy ours with Peppermint Schnapps (for the non-pregnant grownups!) or peppermint syrup (for the rest of us!) and lots of marshmallows or whipped cream!

Slow Cooker Rich & Creamy Hot Chocolate Recipe
adapted from Mrs Happy Homemaker
makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
6 cups milk (or 2 cups milk & 4 cups water for a lighter version!)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Dump all ingredients into the slow cooker, stir and cook on low for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally if you think of it.

Serve hot with fresh whipped cream or lots of marshmallows (and a shot of peppermint schnapps for the grown-ups!).

triple-chocolate peppermint hot cocoa mix

These cute & easy jars of triple-chocolate peppermint hot cocoa mix mark the beginning of my Homemade Christmas Gift testing & making for the season!

Actually, I guess I started it a while ago when I made my Homemade Vanilla Extract...  but that was just an early start thing.  Now the fun really starts!

I have so many fun ideas for this year's Christmas gifts!  Some are projects for Navy and I to work on together...  and the rest are projects for just me.

(Little tidbit about me:  I'm not so good with help in the kitchen... something I am working on and need to be better about, especially with kiddos who want to help...  but it's so hard!)

This is by far one of the most fun and easiest gifts to make and would be a great kiddo-helper task!

Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips are available mostly at the holidays I think...  I love them, so I stock up when I can find them so I can use them all year long.  

Especially in my Chocolate Peppermint Candy Cookies...  my favorite cookies ever!

(Oh...  each jar makes about 6 servings.  Unless you want a huge mug or multiple servings.  :o)  I am about to go make another mug-full...  as soon as I get done writing down this recipe for you!)

You can double this recipe to put in one quart-sized jar if you want a bigger batch!

Layered Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe
adapted from my recipes
recipe makes 1 pint-sized jar

Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup andes peppermint candy baking bits or
     3 tablespoons crushed candy canes
     1 tablespoon chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Layer the ingredients, in the order shown, in a pint-sized jar... using just enough marshmallows to fill up the jar so the contents don't move around too much when sealed.

Include these directions on a cute little tag or label when giving these as a gift:

"Mix contents well in a large bowl.  For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug.  Add 8oz of boiling water, stir well."

peppermint white chocolate frozen hot chocolate

An icy, rich, decadent frozen drink...  with flavors that hint at a warm cup of hot chocolate, but are hidden in a slushy bowl of refreshing-ness (is that even a word?!) and brightened with a shot of coffee liqueur...

We now have a way to enjoy our favorite hot chocolate drinks even on the hottest days of summer!

We are not huge chocolate fans in this house (I know...  you're shocked, aren't you?) so I decided to go with out favorite combination of flavors when I made our "remembering 9/11... with frrrozen hot chocolates" treat the other day...

Yep, peppermint & white chocolate!

(I'm not sure if we're stuck in a rut, or just really like peppermint and white chocolate, but that's beside the point...)

I used white chocolate chips and a couple of tablespoons of yummy peppermint candy cane hot cocoa powder...  which is why this drink is not completely white (and why the top has a few tiny red flecks on it!).

I also 'grownup-ed' it up by adding a bit of coffee liqueur to Andrew and my servings.  Yes I did just made up another word.

Two in one post...  I'm on a roll today!  :o)

Of course you can use your favorite dark or milk chocolate (or combination of the two!) for this drink...

Just remember... the better quality ingredients you use, the better the finished product will taste!

Peppermint White Chocolate Frozen Hot Mocha Recipe
adapted from the Sweet Serendipity cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup good-quality white chocolate chips*
2 tablespoons store-bought hot chocolate mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cream
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk, divided (1/2 cup + 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2oz coffee liqueur
whipped cream, optional
hot chocolate powder for garnish

Directions:
In a double boiler (or a glass or metal bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water) melt the white chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and combine, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the cream, 1/2 cup of the milk and peppermint extract.  Whisk until smooth.  Set the bowl aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the white chocolate mixture, the coffee liqueur - if using, and the ice.  Blend on HIGH until smooth.  (This will be more the consistency of a Frappuccino than of a milk shake!).

Serve with whipped cream on top and a sprinkling of hot chocolate powder for garnish!

(This makes one Serendipity-sized drink...  or 2-3 normal servings!)

*When buying white chocolate chips at the supermarket, here's a tip to knowing if they really are white chocolate chips and not just 'vanilla flavored chips':

Check the ingredients!  If there is cocoa butter, then you're good to go!  (And the higher up on the list that cocoa butter is, the better!)  If there's no cocoa butter in the ingredients list...  stay far, far away from those fakes!  :o)

Starbucks iced white chocolate peppermint americano... cheater style

Strong, cold coffee...   creamy sweetened condensed milk...  refreshing peppermint...  and a splash of rich heavy cream...  all poured over lots of ice...  makes for a perfect drink for a hot summer's day!

Tasting just as good as a coffee-shop treat, for only a fraction of the price...  makes this drink perfect for every summer day!

Ok, so I know I might be a little late in the game with this iced coffee recipe, but summer just came to the Pacific Northwest.  Seriously...  just!

It has been cold and dreary all summer...  up until this week when the kids all went back to school and now it's finally nice out!

Like high 80's, swim in the pool all day, too-hot-to-drink-anything-that's-not-iced kind of nice!

I have been dreaming up this drink for a while now, but it just hasn't been nice enough to remember to make it.

It really does taste just like my favorite Starbucks drink in the summer...  an iced white chocolate peppermint americano with a splash of heavy cream!  So good! 

(If you really want to kick it up a notch, add some Kahlúa, or Starbucks Coffee Liqueur!)

Peppermint is what I keep on hand, but you could use any type of flavored beverage syrup.  Vanilla would be good...  or caramel...  or hazelnut...  yum...

Creamy Iced White Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Recipe

Ingredients:
lots of ice
1 oz peppermint syrup (any flavor is fine!)
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
cold double-strength coffee*
1/2-1 tablespoon heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons Kahlúa, optional

Directions:
Fill a tall glass with lots of ice.  Pour the peppermint syrup and sweetened condensed milk over the ice. Fill almost to the top with coffee (& Kahlúa, if using).  Stir well.  Top with half a tablespoon or so of heavy cream, to taste, and stir.  Enjoy!

*Cold Double-Strength Coffee Instructions:
I pour 4 cups of water into my coffee maker.  Then I put in enough coffee to make 8 cups.  Brew as usual and then chill in a pitcher in the fridge.  I usually do this in the morning so that I can make iced coffee in the afternoon!  (And this makes 3 big drinks...  2 for me and 1 for Andrew!)  :o)

homemade Starbucks apple chai infusion (hot apple cider chai tea)

Have you ever tried Starbucks' Apple Chai Infusion that they sell in the fall & winter?

I fell in love with it last winter and it's still one of my favorite drinks!  (Here's a tip:  It's not on the menu, but they can make it year-round if you ask for it!)

This is my version of the drink, for a fraction of the price and all the same flavor!

I like this best with Tazo Chai (the same stuff Starbucks uses!), which you can buy at most grocery stores and is nice and spicy, but use whatever Chai concentrate you like!  (It must be concentrate for this though...  powder would just be weird!)

Also, if you can get your hands on fresh pressed apple cider, or can make your own, that will make it even better!  But store bought will work just fine too!

Apple Cider Chai Tea Recipe

Ingredients:
1 gallon apple cider (fresh-pressed or store-bought!)
1 32-oz box Tazo chai concentrate

Slow Cooker Directions:
Pour both the juice and the chai concentrate into the slow cooker.  Turn on LOW and heat until hot (can simmer all day!).  Keep the slow cooker on WARM and serve directly out of it!

Stove-Top Directions:
Pour both the juice and the chai concentrate into a large pot.  Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer gently until it is nice and hot or up to 6 hours!  Remove the lid and turn off the heat, keeping the pot on the warm burner, and serve as needed!

Whichever method you use, your house will smell amazing!!

not-so Green Smoothie

We all know we need to eat more greens right?

Dark, leafy greens... as in a big salad.  But really, how often can we (and do we?!) eat big green salads, especially without dousing them in not-so-good-for-us salad dressing?!

Well, here's the solution...  Green smoothies!

Yep, I said green smoothies.  I know, I know...  green is not the most appetizing color of a beverage, and in fact this smoothie is not even 'green'...  but I am talking more about the philosophy of this smoothie than of the actual color.

Green smoothies are about upping your daily intake of dark leafy greens.  All it takes is some greens (anything really...  the darker the better!) and some fruit!  Simple, right?

This smoothie is a mixture of banana, frozen berries, mixed greens/spinach & a bit of ice and water to thin it out.  That's it!

It's really more of a method than a recipe...

Throw some fruit in a blender, add in as much 'greens' as you can fit, blend until smooth, add in a bit more fruit, water or juice if the greens are too strong and enjoy a healthier you.  That's it!

The bonus:  My two-year old and 7-month-old both LOVE these smoothies!  (As do I!  Although I can't seem to get my husband or 9-year old to try them!)

We try to 'green smoothie' as close to every day as we possibly can!

Green Smoothie Recipe #1 (berry)

Ingredients:
1 banana
2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach
1-1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1/2-1 cup water

Directions:
Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using more or less water to get the consistency you want!

or try this one:

Green Smoothie Recipe #2 (tropical)

Ingredients:

1 banana

2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup mango or other tropical fruit nectar or puree

Directions:

Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using a bit of water to get the consistency you want!

(I use my food processor for these because my blender broke...  and it works great!)

homemade vinegar & honey sore throat and cold remedy

Being pregnant and/or nursing for most of the last 3 years has made cold season a little more miserable than usual...

So when my friend Nazra (who blogs over at MakeItBakeItCreatIt.blogspot.com - go check her out!) gave me this recipe that her family has used for years to soothe sore throats and help combat cold season, I had to give it a try!

I have already been taking straight shots of organic apple cider vinegar (or diluted in water) for the health benefits this cold season, but let me tell you...  it's not so fun.  So when Naz mentioned that she takes this remedy of honey and vinegar mixed with hot water, I just had to try it!

I immediately fell in love (well, as much as one can love a cold-remedy that is!) as it tasted great and every sip soothed my very sore throat!

And since I already know the health benefits of raw organic apple cider vinegar and honey (and I added a little salt to her recipe for the additional throat healing!) I know this recipe is a keeper and will be used for years to come in my family!

Thanks Nazra!!

**Click here for a website with more information on the health benefits of Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, for those of you who hadn't heard this before!!**

Vinegar & Honey Sore Throat and Cold Remedy Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons organic raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw local honey
pinch of kosher or sea salt
boiling water, to taste

Directions:
Measure out the first three ingredients into a mug.  Pour in the boiling water, stirring well to combine.  Drink as soon as it has cooled off to 'drinkable'!  (This makes one serving.)

Take at least once a day during cold season, or more often if you have a sore throat!

mama & baby-friendly smoothie

I am always looking for healthy toddler-friendly foods to serve my son.  And since I don't like to make more work for myself than necessary (who does?), it's always a plus if I can enjoy the same foods myself as well!

Now, I have spinach in this smoothie for many reasons.  One reason is that Bjørn and I are both anemic and need all the iron we can get.  But also, why not sneak more veggies in our foods (for him and for me!) as often as we can?!  I promise you won't be able to tell that it's in there, and you will be so much healthier for it!

I also use that V8 fruit 100% juice stuff, because again...  I like the added veggies.  But feel free to use whatever juice you have on hand!!

Oh, and if you are using something other than plain yogurt, you can leave out the additional sugar in the recipe.  You won't need it!

Mama & Baby-Friendly Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup 100% juice
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup baby or regular oatmeal (I use baby because of the added iron!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar, any kind
2 small bananas (or 1 1/2 large), broken into big chunks
1 cup frozen berries
1 cup frozen chopped spinach

Directions:
Place ingredients in order into a blender.  Blend on high until smooth and well combined.  Serve!

This smoothie can be easily made ahead and frozen...  Defrost in the fridge overnight!

perfect hot buttered rum mix

Nothing warms you up from the inside out better than a delicious, sweet & comforting mug of hot buttered rum.

This mix is simple to whip up, tastes amazing and keeps great in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Perfect Hot Buttered Rum Mix Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups vanilla ice cream

Directions:
In a saucepan, cook together the sugars and butter over low heat until melted.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cooked sugar/butter mixture and the ice cream on medium speed until very smooth.

Use immediately, or pour into freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 3 months.

To Serve:

Fill a mug 1/4 full of the buttered rum mix.  Add one ounce of rum.  (We use golden rum).

Add about 3/4 cup of boiling water and stir well, until mix is melted and there is a thick, creamy foam on the top.  Sprinkle with fresh grated nutmeg, and enjoy!

Yes, that mug does have a picture of my baby on it!  It's my new Christmas mug, and I love it!!  Isn't it sweet??  :o)