Fall

Tomorrow it will officially be Fall, my favorite season. Well at least I think it is. It runs in a very close race with winter and spring. I think it wins because it kicks out summer, which is my least favorite season when looking at weather only. I guess to clarify, if summer around here was 65-75 and not humid the whole time - then it would be my favorite. I have a very deep hatred of humidity and very hot weather. I love sweatshirt weather. Curl up with a hot beverage and a good book (or good hand held video game like this one I am almost done with.) Which leads to a quick lament.
My poor coffee pot bit the dust. Some how the hose that takes the water from the tank to the pot wasn't connected properly, so the carafe got really hot with no liquid in it, so when I picked it up there was a loud CRACK, then a scream from me, and a large chunk of glass hit the floor. It was a very sad day for coffee at the Troyer house. (I still got my coffee after reconnecting the hose and some creative use of a spoon and a large measuring glass.) And while we are on the subject of coffee, I found this recipe on a different blog I read, The Kitchn. I can't wait to try this one out.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.)

Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a blender, don't worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

A little more about The Kitchn blog. They put out quite a few things each day, so I don't read everything in depth, but I enjoy checking out most of the content. It ranges from kitchen layouts, kitchen tools, recipes, canning tips, etc. Definitely worth a peek.