Happy Fall...

okay. so. since i can't have summer year round. this will have to do.

***Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte***

 a friend passed on this "Gina's Skinny Recipes" blog to me...to help keep me skinny ;), and this is what i found on there a couple days ago. i am NOT kidding you when i tell you that i have made one of these for myself for the past 2 mornings. they are so.so.so. yummy. it's quite frankly my new *fall* addiction...

Adapted from The Kitchen:

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

2 tbsp pumpkin butter- you need to make this too...very easy...my kids love it.

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (to taste)

1/4 cup of espresso (or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee works)

fat free whipped topping

pumpkin pie spice for topping

In a small pan combine milk, pumpkin butter and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (or whisk well with a wire whisk)

Pour into two mugs, add the hot espresso and top with fat free whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice on top.




i am not going to lie to you. i do not really follow the above directions...i throw EVERYTHING into the pan, stir until it boils...and waaaa-laaaaa. it is fan-tab-u-lous. i kid you not. and saves ya $5 from starbucks and a LOAD of fat. now THAT is yummy.

oh yea...now...for that pumpkin butter recipe...so you can actually make one...

Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin lovers will love this simple pumpkin butter recipe which is so versatile to use, and deliciously good for you. Your kitchen will be filled with pumpkin spice aromas while making this. A few ideas that come to mind with what you can do with pumpkin butter; serve it on toast or scones, add it to your latte for a pumpkin latte, make pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cheesecake, add it to yogurt with granola for a pumpkin yogurt parfait... have I enticed you yet? I cooked a pumpkin in my crock pot and pureed it in the blender, but canned pumpkin would work just as good. I love using real cinnamon sticks for this, but ground cinnamon would work in place of them.


Pumpkin Butter



3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup apple cider or juice

1 cup packed brown sugar

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.



okay. so i cheated on this one too, but it's still totally delicious. i used canned pumpkin of course, and ground cinnamon...

thanks to my new favorite blog: http://www.skinnytaste.com/ for letting me "feature" my 2 new favorite recipes...

***************and now onto the rest of fall******************

 

~  just wanted to mention

that it's not too early

to be thinking about

Christmas puppies...

presents...

i mean.  ;)  ~

they are growing.

growing. growing.

we are thinking about naming

them, but are still getting them a little bit mixed up...