pumpkin

Orange is the New Black

I love a good cup of java and all the cute coffee shops and feelings that come with each cup! This really is one of life’s simple joys. And as the Fall season sets in, I love to indulge in a good ol’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. Lately though, I have been reluctant to regularly indulge in the PSL we all know and love and find that often I am choosing this option more so for the convenience aspect and here’s why….  Homemade PSL’s!

These are so much better than and pumpkin syrup just does not compare. You control the sweetness, the spice and know exactly what goes into each cup. Plus, the $5+ spent on each cup is much more welcomed in my pocket!

So this Thanksgiving weekend, cuddle up on the couch with this homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte and enjoy yourself and all the things we have to be thankful for: 🙂

Pumpkin Spice Latte (yields 2 cups)

  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 tbsp pumpkin purée
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp of maple syrup (you can add this in as you go to suit your sweet tooth)
  • 1/8 tsp salt (optional)
  • 4 oz brewed espresso or strong coffee
  • 2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)

PSL Ingredients

  1. Mix spices with vanilla and maple syrup to create a paste.
  2. Heat milk on low, add in pumpkin puree, and spice mixture. Whisk until smooth. (don’t be afraid to add more sweetness or spice if you prefer)
  3. Brew Espresso.
  4. Pour Espresso and top with pumpkin spice milk mixture.
  5. If you are feeling fancy, top with whip or frothy milk.


Sip & Enjoy. xx

All Things Pumpkin Spice

It’s October! Which means we’ve entered the blitz of pumpkin everything and there are no complaints here.

As new products hit the shelves, I am easily intrigued by all the new variations of Fall. Pumpkin has literally taken over the grocery aisles and I’m suddenly set for all things Fall. I’ll be perfectly honest when I say that I love me some good ol’ pumpkin spice – the famous PSL, tasty pumpkin ales (or not so tasty lol), and every type of pumpkin dessert imaginable. I do my best in keeping up with the pumpkins. 🙂 And best yet, I have been experimenting at home, which usually brings an even better version of the things we love without the fake pumpkin flavour and extra sugar!

You’ll see in past some of my pumpkin go-to’s (energy balls, raw pie, and savoury risotto). And this weekend I am sharing the ultimate pumpkin spice smoothie and latte!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (yields 4 cups)

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 frozen ripe banana
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1.5-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1.5 tsp pure vanilla

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Ingredients

  1. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the milk, oats, and chia seeds. Place in fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
  2.  Add soaked oat mixture to blender along with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
  3. Add ice to make it more refreshing and top it with your favourite whip to make it extra fancy and sweet!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

The PSS works great for breaky or dessert and is a quick way to satisfy that pumpkin craving!

Pumpkin On! xx

 

Raw Key Lime Pie

“You attract what you are.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

And I’m happy to say many of my friends are like minded when it comes to food, lifestyle, interests and health. We spend A LOT of our time exchanging views, best practices, hidden gems and favourite recipes. With that being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t share their best ideas. 🙂

Which leads me to introduce, my friend Kieran Darcy, who I’m thrilled to say will guest blog with some of her favourite dish’s, along with some of her beautiful photography. You’ll quickly notice, her skills are much better than mine (she is a very talented photographer) and gets it right every time. Please check  out more of her amazing work here.

Kieran had my mouth watering when she first told me about her Raw Key Lime Pie recipe. And with each week she had a new variation to share and that’s when I knew I had to have her dish about it!

Without further ado, here’s Kieran’s Dish –

A few months ago I decided to make a key lime pie for my dad’s birthday. I don’t know why, but I’m glad I did. I started googling ‘raw key lime pie’ to find something that would suit his celiac & diabetic needs and came upon this. The amazing thing about this recipe is that it’s really just a launching pad for any dessert you want to make. For any of you who don’t like following instructions or baking, this is the dessert for you.Raw Key Lime Pie

Let’s take a moment and appreciate the fact that the main ingredient in this dessert is cashews. Maybe I’m just ignorant, but I had no idea what they were capable of. Sorry cashews, I underestimated you. Since mastering the key lime pie I have adapted the recipe to make pumpkin, chocolate-orange, chocolate-raspberry, and lemon pies. With the lemon pie I added some Astarte blueberry-lavender preserve to each slice when serving – Sooo good!Raw Pumpkin Pie

This dessert has become a staple for every family gathering and I get to pretend I’m a really great baker when all I’ve done is blended. Easy, healthy, and delicious. I will say that attaining all of the ingredients is a bit pricey but you won’t need to buy them every time.  So take this recipe and make whatever you want with it. Cover it in nuts, fruit, add peanut butter, make different flavour layers, increase the crust measurements…Do whatever you want.Raw Chocolate Orange Pie

Raw Key Lime Pie

Crust:
  • 1 cup dried dates
  • ½ cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup whole pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • Pinch of sea salt
Filling (Key Lime):
  • 2 cups cashews
  • ¾ cup fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • â…“ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp matcha powder (optional for color only)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  1. Put all the crust ingredients into a food processor, and process until the ingredients can just stick together. Pie Crust
  2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9­inch pie dish
    Pie Crust
  3. Place all the filling ingredients in your high-speed blender or food processor and blend until the filling is completely smooth and creamy.
  4. Pour the filling evenly over the pie crust, smooth with a spatula.
  5. Place the pie in the freezer covered to set for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible.
  6. Let the pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and garnish before serving. I used coconut and lime zest on the Key Lime variation.Raw Pumpkin Pie

Enjoy!