Michelle

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, Pumpkin Spiced Latte Syrup

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

HEY! It’s pumpkin season – you were warned! I am a self professed PSL junkie. That’s a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, in ‘Starbucks’ lingo. Every year I wait, somewhat impatiently, for the local coffee house to come out with the annual PSL. No shopping trip South to the Big City is complete without a pit stop at the Starbucks drive-thru on the way out of town. It’s so bad that when I place my order with an “I neeeeeed a grande, pumpkin spiced latte, skinny as you can…” the baristas will mess with me and say something completely crazy like, “Oh, we’re all out.” NOOOOOOOO! ‘Just kidding, it’ll be right up…$4.50 please.’ Ouch, how much. Ok, ok, I did use the term ‘junkie’ earlier. Ugh.

I discovered I probably needed professional help with my obsession, when I purchased a bottle of a pumpkin spice latte syrup last season. It set me back,…wait for it,… $12.95 for 8oz. That liquid gold was like happiness and sugar & spice, and bunnies, and rainbows all rolled into one! Just thinking about making a PSL at home made me giddy. I greedily hid the bottle in the fridge after use (like anyone else in this house cares!), but one day it was gone. E M P T Y…. “What’d you mean it’s ’seasonal’?!” I suppose, if we can have something everyday it’s not special anymore. I mean, what’s Christmas morning without the other 364 days of suspense? Ok, it’s finally pumpkin season again…I’m a happy girl. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin roll…and the ubiquitous PSL ! I’m amazed my skin isn’t orange with an odd version of a Fall tan. Although, $12.95 for that bottle – I’m just sooo cheap. Wait, I saved the bottle (oh yeah, you know I did). I can make my own and it’ll be PSL ’s FOREVER!!! Ok, I’ll settle down. Now go and get the following goodies and get thee to the stove.

PSL Junkie Fix:

This makes a bit less than 8oz. That means it fits nicely into the bottle, and there’s space to add creamer if you like. Also, this can easily go all-organic if you’re into it.

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, Ingredients for Pumpkin Spiced Latte Syrup

Step 1: In a small sauce pan combine the following.

1/4 Cup Agave Nectar

1 Tbl Brown Rice Syrup

1/2 tsp Vanilla

4 Tbl Pumpkin Puree (NOT that pie filling stuff)

1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

A dash of Fruit Fresh (aka Citric & Asorbic Acid to keep it from going brown too quick – optional)

3 Tbl (or 4) Water

Step 2:

Bring this together over low heat to a simmer. I must admit, this isn’t the most appetizing photo ever…now if you could smell this, you’d feel differently. Let it simmer for about 5 min or so to get the spices married to the pumpkin…love this kind of wedding!

Step 2, Pumpkin Spiced Latte Syrup

Step 3:

Let it cool and fire up that Nespresso machine (or your coffee pot – it’s all good). I’m such a coffee nerd (not to be confused with ‘coffee snob’). We actually have a corner of the kitchen devoted to our caffeinated vices. Yes, Bailey’s + Coffee = Happy Mommy Saturday morning. OK, I digress, now go fill your bottle. You’re done. (keep refrigerated please)

Step 3, Pumpkin Spiced Latte Syrup

Give it a test – aren’t you pleased with yourself!? It’s sooooo good. Now, if you’re going to use it only for coffees then feel free to mix in (to taste) either half & half, or some lo-fat evaporated milk. Me, I have to leave it the way it is because it’s been found not only in coffee, but tea, and even drizzled over morning granola or a vanilla fro-yo! Did someone say PSL Smoothie?? Oh yes, my friends! Blend up some of that whey or soy whatever protein powder you add to your smoothies, along with some vanilla almond milk, ice and your new golden goodness – OMG! I told you I was a junkie. See, I wish I had other ‘obsessions’ that didn’t involve food or paint strippers…It’s no wonder I have to watch my weight constantly. You’ll probably never hear me talk about my being obsessed with running a 5k…unless it gets me to Starbucks quicker. I’d need to work off those PSL’s.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Syrup

Michelle Beal

Adventures with Michelle, Mom’s Six Pack

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I am not a fan of beer. This is not a revelation to people who know me. Not to say that I won’t drink one, I do, but it’s not my first choice. I’m a gin n’ tonic girl who’s had to give up the tonic (cause I think it’s eaten a hole in my stomach…but good news, I’ll never get malaria!).

These days I’ve been more into vodka mixed with, well, most anything. This isn’t a big deal if I’m at home or at a restaurant or an afternoon/evening at Perfect (always the best bar – and there’s always a driver…or a sofa). There are time’s, however, when a bottled drink is choice. Something I like even less than beer are the ‘malt-beverage drinks’ that are out. That’s everything other than beer. Now that Zima’s off the market, I’m out of luck. Now I have a choice of expensive, overly sweet and super high calorie bottled ‘lady drinks’ (ugh), or a manly ‘hard lemonades’ which I’m sure has the same level of acid content as my car’s battery. I’d bother to try them all, but just reading the labels I can narrow it down to maybe 2 or 3 versions on the shelf that seem even moderately appetizing. How ‘bout a bottled Sangria? Sounds good, since it probably contains some actual fruit juice and wine, right? Not! It’s tasty, but I’m not sure what’s in it…not rum, or wine, but whatever it is it’s 225 calories worth – per bottle! And who’s going to drink one bottle? Not me! (yet again, not another revelation to those who know me).

So, I’ve had this dilemma for a while, but it hasn’t really been an issue until River Day. Ahhhh, River Day…that’s when the mermaids go and hang out and enjoy one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful gems, the Weeki Wachee river. I’m always so excited that they even invite me. I try to bring something yummy to offer the retired Goddesses of the Deep, to remain favorable in their eyes. They are my favorite sirens. Now, like every God fearing cult, there are rules. (ha ha) Na! But seriously, there’s ’No Glass’ at the river. This is a very good rule, for reasons that are very obvious once you arrive at their little private haven – you must respect the fins – no glass.

The makings of mom's six pack

Here’s my solution to the high-calorie, fruity, malted beverage in a glass bottle problem. DIY! For a long time I’ve been mixing liquor of all sorts with club sodas, flavored mineral and filtered waters. Why can’t I just do that – ok, there’s that whole ‘Open-Container Law’ here in FL. But I’m hoping that if it’s in a cooler and in the trunk, it’s not really ‘open’ is it? (don’t answer that!) Not to say you have to carry it anywhere – maybe you want them at home, waiting patiently at the back of the fridge for when Friday just won’t get here fast enough. So, here’s what you do. Find a bottle for a carbonated soda to reuse. I like Perrier, because I’d drink the mineral water anyway, but mostly cause it had a neat shaped and remarkably heavy plastic bottle. I guess it needs to stand up to a lot of pressure being shipped all the way from France (really, from FRANCE?!) Remove the label and refill. Awesome! I like a mixture of Fruit2O lemon, a trickle of Limoncello, and a bit of vodka. (you can use your best judgement – don’t use mine, or you’ll be drunk!) Some bottles I topped with a bit of San Pellegrino Lemon soda. It’s so good, so lemony and actually has some lemon in it…not so much acid that you could charge your cell phone with it either! The Fruit 2O is a flavored water with a touch of carbonation and 0 calories. You could do this with a raspberry version or even a bit of orange peel with a hint of Cointeau. Hmm, I’m thinking a lo–cal DIY bottled mojito may make it’s way to River Day sometime….but keep it hiding in the cooler,…in the trunk – shhhh! It’s for a good cause – no glass – you must Respect The Fins.

Mom's six pack

Adventures with Michelle, Frugal Fragrance

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Downy Meltables, Adventures with Michelle, Frugal Fragrance

Here’s a sweet smelling post for my frugal friends. This is an easy one, so I’ll make this short. I love it when my house smells nice…not like oatmeal cookie-nice (that’s just makes me hungry!). No, I mean, like clothes out of the dryer ’nice’,…like my ’non-existent-cleaning-lady’s-been-here’ nice. Newsflash – I am not the worlds best housekeeper! My place is always in a varying state of the lived-in look. Sometimes it’s lived thru a quiet weekend of the guys out fishing,…sometimes it’s lived (or survived) a weekend of the kids in da ‘hood. The carpets always need a steam cleaning, but that means I’d have to vacuum first – ugh. Well, sometimes, I have to just take the place a section at a time and what doesn’t get done will just have to wait. In the meantime, I can at least make sure the clothes are folded, there’s no discernible ‘floor-food’ (you know what I mean), and just make the place smell c-l-e-a-n.

Making the house smell clean usually means lighting a candle (room sprays are for the bathrooms only here). I love my candles. I buy them, I even make them. They smell so nice. Although, there are some that are just too much…too much money and too strong smelling. I mean, I love dryer sheets, but not hung around my neck like a flea collar!

That said, I’ve discovered something that I need to share. One of my dear Pinners posted this little trick, and after the ‘water marble’ hoax, I now test everything. Today, I tested this little gem. OK, who buys those ’scent additives’ for the laundry? Yes, I do too…not that the smell of Gain doesn’t already make your eyes water, but I like some of the new scents to mix. I also confess to loving Mrs. Myers Lemon Verbena (but not in a dish soap – cause there’s nothing foodie smelling about it). Alright, moving on – I know I said I’d be short. So, clean out that oil warmer you’ve got (yes, you may use the engine degreaser from the garage – I do)…no, well go get one – they’re cheap. Warning: Make sure the candle area is very open, not the glass jar type. Why? Well, I had one from that fancy soap store and it had the cutest little glass saucer on top. One day, I put a tea light candle in the bottom of the glass and not long after I lit it the little frosted glass jar was ENGULFED IN FLAMES! Oh, yeah. Turns out that there’s a candle residue that builds up in the glass jar and eventually it’s a enough to be it’s own mini fire pit. Somehow the oil in the saucer never caught. Be careful my friends.

Since this is an experiment, and I’m a lazy housekeeper that doesn’t live to chisel a new chemical concoction from her little metal dish, I opted to reuse the old tea light case and fill it with my favorite laundry smelly bead goodies, Downy Unstoppables. Mmmmm, I can smell it from here. A little, but not too much – I know, I thought there’d be a smell-o-vision app by now.

Downy Meltables, Adventures with Michelle, Frugal Fragrance

Did I mention soooo cheap! When it’s done, and cooled, I’ll toss the little tea light case and not have to look for the engine degreaser again – or have to explain my reasons for needing it. Because I’m sure there’s a lot of guessing going on when 1. The house smells nice. 2. The engine degreaser has been moved 3. The vacuum hose hasn’t been moved.

Michelle Beal