homemade pumpkin spice latte

i know... it's totally that time of year that people are obsessed with their PSLs. not me. i don't loooooove a pumpkin spice latte. i just don't! there's something about it that's just a bit too much for me. too much milk. too much fake flavoring. i just don't love it. BUT, last weekend when B and i had a quiet sunday morning, i took the opportunity to whip up a little treat... a homemade pumpkin spice latte. i loved the idea that i could tailor it to my liking - both in taste, strength AND the amount of milk i wanted in my coffee.

these were a hit :) extra wifey points for me!

recipe via the kitchn

makes 2 lattes

ingredients

2-3 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more to garnish

fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups milk (we used 1%)

1-2 espresso shots, or strongly brewed coffee

directions

1. in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the pumpkin with the pumpkin pie spice and a generous helping of black pepper for 2 minutes or until hot and smells cooked. stir constantly.

2. add sugar and stir until the mixture looks like a bubbly thick syrup.

3. whisk in the milk and vanilla extract. warm gently over medium heat, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over.

4. optional: carefully blend milk mixture with a hand blender, or traditional blender.

if you're using a fuller fat milk, this will really make your mixture frothy. for those using a skimmer milk, i found that this step doesn't make a huge difference.

5. make espresso or coffee and divide between two mugs, and add frothed milk. feel free to add a whipped cream topping and an extra sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon or nutmeg.

6. enjoy! :)

monday morning mashup

pic via

1. bars to add to your bucket list

2. new (& local) food blog i'm pretty excited about

3. the new TV show i'm totally hooked on

4. my favorite spot for weekly outfit inspiration

5. how to: keep your sparkling wine sparkly longer

6. loving this poncho. (now if only money grew on trees!)

7. advice for my ambitious lady friends

8. love transitioning our home into fall...

9. hair inspiration... thinking about a change!

10. how delicious does this bourbon vanilla cider sound?

gwen's turkey bolognese

weeeeeeee're back! from an amazing two week vacation frolicking around europe.

we hit paris, cannes, antibes, nice, monaco, florence, cinque terre, athens and santorini!

posts and pictures to come! in the meantime, i can't tell you how excited i am for the change in season.... to get back in the kitchen, to get back in a routine, and to put away my summer clothes.

this has been on constant rotation in our house for the past few months.

as far as meat sauce goes - it's the easiest and most delicious one i've made in sometime.

i love the the simplicity of ingredients, and how hearty the outcome is.

i make a big pot and then B and i eat it over zucchini noodles throughout the week.

ENJOY!

recipe via my father's daughter

serves 4 (with leftovers)

ingredients

5-6 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound italian turkey sausage, or any sausage you prefer 

1 pound ground turkey

course salt and fresh ground pepper

2 cups diced yellow onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 28oz cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

1/3 cup tomato paste

pasta or zucchini noodles

grated parmesan cheese for serving

directions

1. heat olive oil in large pot over high heat. add sausage and cook, turning now 

and then until browned (about 10 minutes). remove sausage and set aside.

2. using the same pot, cook ground turkey with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. 

cook, stirring often until nicely browned. remove turkey and set aside.

3. add another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and add onion and garlic. 

cook until softened and just beginning to brown, another 10 minutes.

4. add tomatoes and their juice along with about 1/2 cup of the 

water you've swished in the cans to get all the tomato out.

5. add ground turkey, stir well. add sausage.

6. bring the sauce to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and turn the heat to low. 

cover almost completely with lid (letting steam escape from one side). 

gently simmer for 4 hours, adding splashes of water if the sauce is ever drying out.

7. uncover the sauce and stir in tomato paste. barely cover and simmer one more hour.

8. when it's almost ready, begin to prep either your pasta noodles 

OR your zucchini 'noodles' using your spiralizer.

9. serve with a sprinkle of cheese.

pumpkin pecan granola

i love granola, but just can't justify the super high calorie, high sugar stuff you buy at the store.

for those of you that have tried your hand at homemade granola, you know it's super easy, 

tastes delicious, and is much healthier than the store bought stuff.

i know it's not the time of year you're normally thinking about pumpkin pie spice 

and pumpkin puree, but you'll change your mind as soon as you smell this baking in your oven!

the recipe is easy and delicious.

i've been eating this on top of my oatmeal and yogurt all week.

{this first made an appearance at marcy's baby shower this past weekend!}

recipe via sprouted kitchen

makes about 3 cups

ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup grade B maple syrup

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup crimson or golden raisins

directions

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. in a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt,
the pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.

3. add oats, pecans, and sesame seeds and stir until evenly coated.

4. spread mixture on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, 

keeping some of the clusters of oats intact.
bake granola until dry and light brown in color, 35-45 minutes,
stirring every 10 minutes, making sure no spots getting extra toasted.

5. remove from oven and allow granola to cool a few minutes. add raisins and toss to mix. 

add another pinch or two of salt if needed. cool completely before storing. 

can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

engagement photos

okay, i realized B and i got engaged LAST SUMMER,

and that i'll be sharing my wedding photos next week, 

but i thought - hey - it's better late than never! :)

we had the privilege of having ryan flynn spend the afternoon 

with us at discovery park this past fall. it was such a fun day!