Pumpkin Spice Latte

Yes, just like starbucks. This is a latte that makes people swoon. Even my coffee-hating husband loves these lattes. It is now about $8 (!!!) for us both to have one, and since we would rather buy things like craft supplies and comic books I thought i'd give some of the at-home recipes a try. I made a few changes to the recipe that I saw on Kitchn. And HOLY MOLY, I swear to you it is identical! If you are fan of the perfectly spiced, creamy orange beverage, please give this a chance. And go buy yourself something REALLY worth spending your money on. Pumpkin spice latte

1 cup milk (i used pumpkin spice SILK)
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (i would use more since my milk was slightly pumpkin flavored)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup espresso or 1/4 cup REALLY strong coffee (use more if you want a strong coffee flavor)

In a glass jar with lid, combine milk, pumpkin puree, and sugar. Shake vigorously until slightly foamy, and microwave for one minute. Shake again, and microwave again. Repeat until foamy and hot. Add vanilla extract. Pour into mug, with a spoon holding back the foam. add espresso. Then top with the foam. Voila!


Don't try to photograph with a hyper kitty around, or you might end up with this situation.

5 things i love today

five things i love today:

1. foxes






2. french macarons


3. drinking tea


4. copeland


5. pretty lipstick

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

(click on picture to see full size)


I love fall. Most people do. The weather is perfect just about everywhere. The trees are gorgeous, in all the stages of yellow,
orange and red. My birthday is in the fall. My anniversary is in the fall. But one of the best things about fall is the pumpkins.
Especially when it comes to pumpkins in baking. (and lattes!)

Since we we're gone for all of october, I had a bit of catching up to do. And I have some lofty plans to squeeze in all the pumpkin recipes I can. But I had to start somewhere so the day after we got home, these babies were in the oven. They are the epitome of fall, and goodness they are delicious.



Pumpkin Spice Muffins (adapted from Pioneer woman recipe)

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Earth Balance Margarine or Butter - Cut Into Pieces
• 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
• ½ cups Evaporated Milk (I used soymilk)
  
• 1 whole Egg (or egg-replacer equivalent)
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

Tiny Cherry Pies

The summer heat has definitely put a hold on my baking obsession. Living in a small apartment will make you dread the thought of turning on the oven, let alone standing in the kitchen mixing and prepping while it is on. If I do, I definitely choose to do it late at night. Hopefully this will be changing soon when I get my counter top convection oven in (who can resist an appliance you can do all your baking and cooking in, saves time and money, and will not heat up your kitchen/house). But today I had had enough and braved the hot kitchen to make these.







TINY CHERRY PIES! For size comparison, they are just a wee bit smaller than a silver dollar. And boy are these are little sweet bundles of joy. They taste nothing like that bright red artificial pie sold at the grocery store, well, I've yet to taste those so we'll say these definitely do not taste like those look! They are sweet but not overly, and slightly tangy. And have I mentioned, amazingly delicious! In other words, go make these now.

Tiny Cherry Pies (12 tiny, 6 minis)

• 1 cup cherries, pitted


• 1 teaspoon cinnamon


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cups brown sugar


• 1 cup white flour


• 1 cup rolled oats


• 4-5 tablespoons earth balance margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, flour and oats. Then add melted margarine. Spray muffin tin with oil. Press a small amount into each muffin round of a muffin pan. Making sure to leave some for the tops (if you want).Place your muffin pan into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Put halved cherries into the crusts, and top with the extra crust (pressing slightly into the cherries). Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Note: They are somewhat difficult to get out of the pan, but using a spoon and caution they should come out without falling apart.

Now seriously, Go make these. If you're not a vegan you can obviously substitute regular butter for the vegan margarine.

Stay tuned, Sorbet recipes are coming tomorrow!

Cilantro-Lime Rice

I have no excuses. I made this a couple weeks ago, took the picture, and forgot all about it. However, I don't know how. Such a simple yet delicious refreshing rice dish. A restaurant I am not fond of at all serves something similar in their burritos (chipotle? ew.) I promise you, THIS IS BETTER. Or atleast, I think so.

Lightly spray the pan with oil, and heat over medium-heat. Once hot, add brown rice, juice from 1/2 lime, and a handful of chopped cilantro. Voila!

We leave in a few days to make our 30-something hour trek to northern Cali, where I'll spend a night and continue on to the pacific northwest. I am tremendously excited to be there, but in no way looking forward to being away from my husband. That never goes over well with me. When I make quick trips to get groceries, I find myself speeding home to be with him. Pathetic? Maybe. But I guess dating three years away from each other, for the most part, will do that to a person. Thank God for iChat. And my cats to snuggle with.

-A

Dal Palak

I bought a garam marsala spice mix for the first time a few weeks ago, and I am just now getting around to using it. I figured since I bought a huge amount of spinach last week now would be a good time to make Dal Palak, a spicy lentil and spinach indian dish. And oh how I loved it.

I used a 90,000 (heat) chili powder, which made it VERY VERY spicy. I also didn't use the full amount of water because I like it more like stew and less like soup. I ate it with a piece of wheat bread, but it'd be amazing stuffed in pita, or served over rice.

Here's the recipe!

Dal Palak (makes about 8 cups)

1 large onion, diced
2 medium-sized red or white potatoes, cubed
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons coriander
1 Tablespoon garam marsala
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
10 ounce bunch of spinach (or more!), cleaned and cut into ribbons
1 cup lentils
3 cups of water or broth
1-3 Tablespoon salt, to your taste

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and pinch of salt, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes and another pinch of salt, and cook until the edges are just starting to turn translucent.

Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add the ginger, garlic, spices, and some more salt. Cook until the garlic is fragrant (30 seconds), and then stir the spices into the mix. Add the diced tomatoes in their juices, the spinach, and the lentils. Stir to combine everything and then top with three cups of water or broth.

Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are cooked through. Taste the soup to adjust the seasonings and salt.

And i had a mango for dessert.



I also have most of the other recipes on here typed out now. So if you still want them comment with your email address!

On a non-food note, i'll be visiting Washington in a month! I'm looking forward to the fresh air, the farmers markets, the family(!), all my KITTIES(!!), tea parties with mom & sis', interaction with people beyond the grocery store clerks and of course, clouds and rain. Oh and ikea, trader joe's, free coffee, liquidator stores, vegan restaurants galore, and did i mention KITTIES!! I'll stop now, but maybe for that month my blog and twitter updates will actually be worth someones time.

Peace for now.