Pumpkin Spice Creamer

I thought I'd let Labor Day pass before going full-fledged pumpkin on you guys, so get ready because we are in the thick of it! I am as basic as it gets when it comes to pumpkin. However, truth be told, I would much rather make my own PSL at home, then get a fake-tasting, chemical-filled one from you-know-where. Even though I hear they actually added *real* pumpkin to it this year. Way to go. Slow clap. Okay, rant over. If you're like me and want to make your own pumpkin flavoring, all you need is 3 simple ingredients. These natural bliss creamers are a dream come true. They only have 4 ingredients. FOUR! And no ingredients that you can't pronounce, like dipotassium phosphate or carrageenan. Yes, those are really ingredients found in everyday creamers. I don't know what they are, which is exactly why I don't want them in my morning coffee. Okay, second rant over. What is really important here is getting as basic as possible this fall season. So, put back that artificially flavored creamer and make your own at home today! 

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Cinnamon Cream flavor
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Add all ingredients to a blender and whirl until smooth. Carefully pour back into the bottle, and keep in the fridge.

This recipe is not sponsored by Coffee-Mate or Sprouts, but based on my own opinions and love for these products. 

Brussels Sprout Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs

Is there anything that Brussels Sprouts aren't good in? If there is, I have yet to find it, and even then I would probably find them delicious. I just can't seem to get enough of them, and have been sneaking them into as many things as I can before Andrew calls a Brussels timeout. I made this breakfast for us last weekend, which happened to be our first weekend off together in a month. I wanted to make something that was no fuss, that we could just enjoy together while we sipped our coffee at the table together and talked about weekend things like, where we were going to dinner that night with friends, what we should watch while we lounged on the couch, and only a couple of wedding details. The nice thing is, that if you don't like Brussels Sprouts (what is wrong with you?), that you won't even notice that they are there. Because they are sliced so thin, they don't have an overbearing flavor and you can all enjoy breakfast together!!

Brussels Sprout Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil (can substitute bacon fat, or combination of both)
• 1 large sweet potato, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 lb. brussels spouts, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 4 farm fresh eggs
• salt and pepper taste
• hot sauce for serving

Heat the bacon fat or olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Once the oil is hot add in the sweet potato and the onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally for 6-7 minutes until beginning to soften. Add in the thinly sliced brussels and toss well. Add in more oil at this point if you think you might need it. Cook, tossing occasionally, for another 5 minutes. 

Add in the bacon and toss well. Create 4 wells in the pan and crack an egg into each one. Lower the heat to medium-low, careful not to leave it on too high or the bottom might burn. Cook until the eggs are set to your liking. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with coffee and hot sauce.

Coffee Cup Shortbread Cookies

Though Andrew and I have been in our house for about 5 months now, we are still finding ourselves getting settled; upgrading appliances, doors, and even toilets. Isn't homeownership a beautiful thing? Who knew I could get so excited over a new toilet seat? Or a door? But, alas, here I am. I am also finding housewarming gifts that have yet to be put to use. This amazing coffee cup cookie cutter is one of those beloved gifts. It's been sitting on my pantry shelf in plain sight, just waiting for me to pick it up, and finally I got around to baking some fun coffee cookies to serve with your morning brew. While the ingredients are fairly basic and assembly is ridiculously simple, please keep in mind that you need to chill your dough before baking, so give yourself ample time to make these. I ground my coffee myself for additional freshness, and the fresh vanilla bean really adds another depth of flavor. This batch made out 20 or so cookies, and let's just say they were gone in the same number of hours.

Coffee Cup Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. coarsely ground coffee
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, coffee, vanilla bean, and salt. Turn on to low until the powdered sugar is combined, scrape down the sides, then increase the speed to medium for about 4 minutes until the dough lightens in color and becomes well combined.

Add in the flour and mix for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as you go. Once the dough comes together, form a ball with your hands and place onto a sheet of saran wrap.

Place another piece of saran wrap on top and roll out using a rolling pin until about 1/4-inch thick. Place the sheet of dough into the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut your cookies with a cookie cutter, or into squares. Place about 2 inches apart on a parchment paper or silicon lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-14 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn a golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a place or airtight container.

These will keep for a few days, but trust me, they will disappear within a day or two. 

Wakeup Call Smoothie

Oftentimes I get lazy and won't create a recipe for days on end, and then there are other days when I create up to 4 or 5 recipes in a day. Can we talk about how many dishes I have to hand wash on these days? Too many. See, everything in the blogosphere isn't perfection. I don't make gourmet meals for breakfast each and every day. Sometimes it's all I can do to muster up a piece of toast with peanut butter and then starve myself until lunch time. On the weekends, if I find the time, I like to stop by one of my fave breakfast spots for one of their legendary breakfast smoothies. Luckily, I am a girl with connections, and created a copycat recipe of my own to enjoy at home. Now I can have this on the run, or as a mid-afternoon snack as the perfect pick me up. 

Wakeup Call Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana
• 1 large spoonful of creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. instant espresso dissolved into 1 tbsp. hot water
• 1-2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
• 1 pkg. chocolate powdered Carnation Great Start
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup ice

Place all ingredients in the order listed into your blender and whirl until smooth.

Makes 2 single cup smoothies, or 1 large smoothie.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes

If you don't know what a PSL is, then you have probably been living under a rock, because every girl between the ages of 12 and 40 is talking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks! Fall is quickly approaching, which means that they have released their seasonal PSL for a limited time only. But what if I told you that you could make your own at home, anytime of the year?! And that it would taste even better than the popular coffee chain's version?! That's right. I have found the holy grail of PSL recipes from The Kitchn that actually uses real pumpkin, not Starbucks' pumpkin "sauce" and it doesn't include high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and colorings, salt, or preservatives like potassium sorbate. Instead, you know exactly what is going into your perfect PSL, and what's not (like 50g of sugar, umm no thanks Starbucks!). And if you're not feeling the hot drinks because it's still 110 degrees in Phoenix, feel free to let the mixture cool to room temperature and then serve over ice for an nice cool treat!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Makes 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 heaping tsp. instant espresso granules
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• whipped cream for garnish (optional)

To make the espresso, mix the boiling water and instant espresso together until the granules disintegrate. You could also use 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee here instead. 

In a medium saucepan, heat the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and black pepper over medium heat until cooked through and fragrant. Add in the sugar and whisk until a thick syrup-like consistency forms. 

Slowly whisk in the vanilla and milk, whisking heavily and constantly. Continue to whisk while the milk warms up, but do not let it bubble or boil. Once the milk is hot, use the whisk or an immersion blender (I used my immersion blender) and froth the milk until nice and foamy.

To serve, pour half of the espresso into each glass, then top with the foamy milk. Top with a dollop of whipped cream if you desire. Serve hot.