Pumpkin Latte

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I will be the first to admit that I've got a slight ummm make that a major addiction. My drug of choice?? Coffee. The idea of starting the day without a mug of steaming hot coffee makes me shudder. Most days, just the thought of that mug of coffee is what motivates me to rise from the warm nest of my bed. Waiting for the pot to brew is the longest ten minutes of my day, but ohhh it's so worth the wait! That first sip aaahhh, nothing like it. Bring on the day!
I love the smell, taste, pretty much everything, about coffee. No love isn't to the right word, I adore it. Really coffee holds a special place in my heart.Generally I'm not a fan of flavored coffee. I want it straight with a splash of milk/cream. No sugar or flavored creamers, just plain ole coffee for me. This is still true in the morning. DO NOT mess around with that first cup of the day.
A couple of years ago I discovered (along with millions of others) Starbuck's pumpkin latte....oh my... Wow! Pumpkin and coffee ingenious! This was a flavored coffee that I could get into. However at five bucks a pop and more calories than I want to know, I didn't indulge very often. I decided to try to duplicate the flavors of the pumpkin latte at home. While not this is not quite a coffee shop style coffee, it's a pretty good knock off that is easily made at home, with no special equipment required. Drink up!!

1 cup very strong coffee or espresso
2/3 cup evaporated milk(regular or fat free evaporated milk)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 to 2 Tbl maple syrup (or use granulated sugar, if you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Combine coffee, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan. Heat until very hot over medium-low heat and stir occasionally. To make a foamy top to your latte. Carefully transfer hot mixture into blender container; cover with lid and then hold down lid with folded towel or potholder. Blend for 1 minute.Take care when blending hot liquids!  I used an immersion stick blender. It made a nice foamy top.Carefully pour into mugs and sprinkle with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Mint Iced Tea

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It's still unbearable hot! I hate to see summer slip away, but I must admit I'm looking forward to temperatures below 95. When I was about 8 years old my family moved from outside Philadelphia to lower Alabama. To call it a culture shock would be an understatement! I had to learn a whole new language( southern English) as well as eat food that was totally foreign(okra, black-eyed peas, grits) to me. Although now a staple of everyday life, at the time I'd never even heard of iced tea before(sweet tea as it's called here). Every time we were invited into someones home they would offer us tea. A dark brown liquid so sweet that it has an almost syrup like quality. During our first summer in Alabama my mother finally asked a neighbor,an older Southern lady, why they drank so much tea. Our neighbor said because tea "cures what ails you." We came to learn the truth in that statement. Before moving South, we didn't even really drink beverages over ice.Maybe a cube or two. Now I find this impossible to imagine because I like my glass so full of ice that the beverage of choice can only fill in the spaces between the ice. Although I still don't drink real southern sweet tea,I find it too sweet,iced tea really does "cure what ails you" especially in summer. My mother started making Mint Iced Tea during that first summer in Alabama and it remains our family favorite. I sure many southerners would find it a sacrilege of true sweet tea. I think it's a wonderfully refreshing perfect summertime drink.
Mint Iced Tea
Method:
Bring one quart of cold water just to a boil. remove from heat.
Add one tea bag( I used the family size Luzianne Tea bags)
Let steep for about 10 minutes.
meanwhile bring another quart of water to a boil.
Add a large handful on fresh mint to the water remove from heat and cover pot.
Allow mint to steep for 10-15 minutes.
Pour tea into a large pitcher. Add steeped mint poured through a sieve into the tea.
Add a quarter of a can of lemonade and a quarter of a can of orange juice concentrate to the mint tea
Stir in 3/4 cup of sugar(it seems like a lot but it really does take a good bit of sugar)
Chill and serve over lots of ice!

Cold brewed iced coffee..yum

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When I first read about cold brewing coffee on the Food Network,I admit I was pretty skeptical, but after trying it I'm a total convert! I was amazed that the coffee concentrate actually has an almost sweet, chocolaty taste. The article I read said the coffee actually is lower in acid and caffeine so it's better for people with sensitive stomachs(not my problem). Good to know!
Process:
3cups cold water in a pitcher or jar
2/3 cup coarse ground coffee. (i used the lowest setting on my grinder)
Allow to steep for at least 12 hours.
Strain coffee. I put a sieve lined with a coffee filter over a pitcher. After the coffee is strained, I sweeten it and added milk. How much you add depends on how you like your coffee.
There is a cold brewing pot available online. It makes this process easier. If I continue with this latest obsession I'll have to invest in one!