We Should Be Folding Laundry

Breakfast of champions.

I don’t want to alarm you but it’s that time again.

Pumpkin domination is upon us.

If you’ve checked Pinterest or your Bloglovin’ feed lately, or watched television, or been anywhere outside of your house, you know what I’m talking about.

Pumpkin is everywhere.

I love this time of year because I’m a huge fan of all the pumpkin spiced drinks at Starbucks. And while I know that I should stay away from them due to their questionable ingredients, empty calories, and $6 per drink price tag, let’s face it, they’re delicious.

I just so happen to live right next door to a pretty well-known donut/coffee place and they have a Pumpkin Creme Brulee Latte that is pretty fantastic. A little too sweet for my taste but a genius idea that I will be figuring out how to replicate in my own kitchen very soon.

This smoothie came to be because I was craving a pumpkin spice latte but didn’t want to shell out the $6 and frankly, didn’t feel like going out in our nearly ninety degree weather to get one. Nothing is worth all that.

So on a whim, I came up with a smoothie version that actually tastes just like a pumpkin spice latte.

To be honest, this smoothie actually tastes like both a pumpkin spice latte and an oatmeal cookie but there was no way I was going to call this a Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie because that sounds ridiculous.

However, it doesn’t taste ridiculous unless you mean ridiculous in a good way, and then yes, it’s quite ridiculous.

My husband and I have been drinking this smoothie for breakfast for a few days now and we both love it. In fact, I’m really regretting not reminding him to pick up more bananas while he was at the store earlier so I could make another one in the morning.

Rats.

Anyway, if you like pumpkin spice lattes and oatmeal cookies, and not spending $6 per drink, I think you’re really going to like this one.

Ingredients

3 oz water

1 tsp instant espresso

1/4 cup oats

1 frozen banana

1 tbsp real maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of allspice

pinch of sea salt

1 cup vanilla almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

4-5 ice cubes

Directions

Bring 3 oz. of water to a boil and stir in 1 tsp of espresso. You can do this the night before and leave in the fridge overnight, or you can make it before you make your smoothie. Just remember to let it cool for a few minutes.

Add the oats to your blender and pulse a few times to give them a head start. Then add the cooled espresso and the rest of the ingredients and blend for 1-2 minutes until everything is super smooth.

Split between two glasses and enjoy!

I highly recommend using vanilla almond milk for this because it tastes much better than regular milk. If you don’t do almond milk, you can sub in your favorite milk and just double the amount of vanilla to 1 tsp. You may need to add an extra tbsp of maple syrup too if it’s not sweet enough.

You’re probably wondering why I didn’t just use pumpkin pie spice because that would make a lot more sense here.

Fair point.

If there is any pumpkin pie spice left in my spice drawer I can guarantee you that it’s at least two years old so I really need to find it and throw it out. I went the safer route and just added in the spices separately.

If you have pumpkin pie spice, just add about 1/2 tsp or so to your smoothie. Blend and give it a taste. You can always add a little more if you think it needs more spice.

I certainly can’t take credit for these. They’re everywhere right now. I have no idea where this idea originated from or who gets the credit for it but that person deserves a big thank you.

Apple Nachos kept popping up on Pinterest and in my blog feed but I never pinned the recipe or saved it anywhere. I really never gave it another thought until last Friday afternoon when I was rooting around my refrigerator, looking for a snack for my kids.

I opened the crisper and found apples and for some reason remembered this ridiculously easy recipe.

I’m so glad I did because both of my kiddos gobbled these up and truth be told, I ate quite a few as well (quality control – It’s a tough job).

Not only are these delicious but they’re also super simple to put together and you can top them with whatever you and your kids like.

Got people coming over to watch the game? Set out a big platter of these babies and watch how fast they disappear. Better yet, just set out lots of toppings and let everyone make their own. Fun!

Ingredients

sliced apples (pears would work too)

citrus juice, pineapple juice, lemon lime soda

toppings – shredded coconut, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, peanut butter (warmed to drizzling consistency), caramel, melted chocolate, sprinkles, chopped candy bars, warmed pumpkin peanut butter, etc.

Directions

Fill a medium-sized bowl about halfway with cold water and add in a good splash of citrus juice or pineapple juice. You can also use lemon lime soda instead of water if you have it.

Thinly slice your apple(s) and drop them into the water. Don’t skip this step though, it keeps your apples from turning brown.

Let the apple slices soak for a minute or two and then remove them from the water and place on a towel to dry. I like to pat them dry with paper towels too.

When the apple slices are dry, arrange them on a plate or a platter and lovingly add the toppings of your choice. Or just haphazardly throw them on like I did because my kids are not pleasant when they’re hungry.