Recipes and Reveling

Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

Mix Pumpkin Base Mix

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups 90 calorie vanilla almond milk

1Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Prepare coffee you enjoy.  I use decaf Via.

In a mug pour 1/2 cup 90 cal. almond milk and froth.

Assemble latte:

In another mug put about 1/3 cup warmed base mix.

Add hot coffee leaving room for froth.

Pour in froth.

Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

Enjoy :)  

 I tried to make froth with unsweetened almond milk and was not successful, but the latte is still good using unsweetened almond milk [depending on your sweet tooth :)],  just be sure to put a sprinkle of pumpkin spice on the top of the coffee.

My recipe results in about 3 1/2 cups base mix which can last in the fridge "awhile" depending on how rapidly and how many lattes you make.  If you choose to freeze the base mix, I suggest you use an ice cube tray to do so.  Realize that freezing separates the almond milk so your latte will be a different consistency when you warm the base mix before assembling your latte.

Crockpot Beef Minestrone Stew/Soup

Gently Saute:

 1/2 chopped medium yellow onion

two sliced cloves of garlic and

crumbled 1 lb. lean ground beef 

Add:

1 Tablespoon dried crushed Italian seasoning/sprigs of basil and rosemary

 1 cup raw juliene carrots

about 2 cups green beans

about 2 cups cooked rinsed red kidney beans

about 2 cups diced tomatoes

make sure you have  at least two cups liquid  and simmer in crockpot

add more water if you want soup

salt and pepper to taste

Just before serving you can add cooked macaroni or enough liquid to simmer the dry macaroni  until it softens...but don't let it turn to mush!

Friday night I went for an overnight campout with a nice group of folks at Oregon's [near to our house], Mc Iver State Park.  A little brown salamander was at our camp site to welcome us!

I brought Minestrone Beef stew to heat on this campfire.  It was delicious
 [without macaroni :)]

When I drove in our driveway after camping, I spotted the pretty red maple tree on the other side of our non existent front pond.  I felt sorry for the blue heron I saw swoop down toward the pond the other day, but at least the creek still has water in it.

Then when I stopped by the garage to drop off some camping gear I saw these lovely branches.

I headed off to our once a month church art group and took along this booklet I have been working on. I want to learn how to do better lettering.

See the pretty coaster above the book?   Meredith sent me four she made several years ago, and I love using them.

I borrowed plastic leaf rubbing plates from my granddaughters and used them like stamps with ink...now whether to splash some color washes on them...and or write verses around or on them...it is fun to contemplate and experiment...

Although I had come down with a cold by the time the eclipse was to take place, I hopped in my car with a box of tissues at my side and drove [along with at least 30 other cars] to Revenue road to try to get some photos of the eclipse with Mt. Hood in view as well.

I could not figure out how to get my Panasonic Lumix camera to manage the twilight.

In this the eclipse was nearly complete.

In this the eclipse was receding.

We had guests and I wasn't able to go out and try to photograph the biggest brightest moonrise of the year, tonight, but after our guests left, I was sitting in my favorite chair in the living room.  I looked out the window and saw the moon two hours after it had cleared our horizon.  On a whim I took out my camera, activated the zoom and got this view...through the window!

Do you have any recipes you want to share with me, or any reports of your reveling?

XX
Gracie