Pumpkin Spice Latte (similar to Starbucks) & Pumpkin Pie Spice

I love Starbucks a little too much, so when I came across this recipe on The Kitchn, I just knew I had to try it. It's a little bit of work, took about 10 mins or so to heat everything on the stove, but it is very tastey. Great idea for a lazy weekend morning. I actually needed a little more espresso than what was called for below, but it was so tastey! I enjoyed mine with a pumpkin donut that we got from Lindsay's Bakery at the Circleville Pumpkin Festival the other day.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings
Ingredients:
-- 2 cups milk
-- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
-- 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
-- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
-- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I made this, see below)
-- 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.

I did not have any pumpin pie spice, so I found a recipe for this online:

Pumpkin Pie Spice
-- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-- 1/4 tsp ground cinger
-- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
-- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix all spices together, makes 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my very favorite fall recipes is Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. I used to get these from the bakery at Kroger’s, and then one day I decided to search foodnetwork.com to see if I could find a recipe that was similar. I swear these are just like the ones I got at Kroger’s. They are very moist and are more like a cake cookie. And although pumpkin and chocolate may not seem like they should go together, they really do complement each other very well. I highly suggest you try this recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

-- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

-- 1 cup white sugar

-- 1 cup light brown sugar

-- 2 large eggs

-- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (small can)

-- 3 cups all-purpose flour

-- 2 teaspoons baking soda

-- 1/2 teaspoon salt

-- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

-- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

-- 2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet

-- Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks. Enjoy!

Margherita Pizza

 My cherry tomatoes finally ripened (the end of Sept!!) and my basil was also really taking off, so I thought I would make margherita pizza! It was delish, and I was so proud I used ingredients I was able to grow!

Quick and easy Margherita Pizza:

Ingredients:
-- Ready made crust (I used individual size)
-- Extra-virgin olive oil
-- Pizza sauce
-- Shredded mozzarella cheese
-- Tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
-- Basil leaves (chopped up into smaller pieces)
-- Fresh shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brush EVOO onto ready made crust (especially on the edges). Spoon on pizza crust, layer with shredded mozzarella cheese, add tomatoes (I slided them into tiny slices), basil leaves and top with fresh shredded parmesan cheese. Bake according to directions on pizza crust package (I baked mine at 415 for 15 mins. Enjoy!