Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Since it is the season of all things pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes had to be added to the recipe list. I don’t know why, but nothing seems quite as comforting on a cold fall day then a warm drink by my side. And even though I live in San Diego and it never really seems to get to ‘I can’t feel my fingers’ cold, I still cannot seem to part from my warm drinks. I made my latte with coconut milk for its mildly sweet flavor, but feel free to substitute it for any milk of your preference.

Side note:  I find that when the hot drink craving stikes, I am 95% of the time too lazy to whip up a fancy latte from scratch.  Much more likely, I make a quick cup of tea, throw in an absurd amount of stevia, and I’m good to go. So although it may be ‘cheating’, when making this spiced hot drink, I double or triple the recipe (minus the espresso) and stick the leftovers in the fridge. That way, when I want another drink the next day (or an hour after my first one) I just heat up the milk mixture and add in the espresso at the last minute. Who needs to spend $4 on a Starbucks drink that is full of sugar? Not I.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2-1 teaspoon of stevia

1- 2 espresso shots

1 dollop of natural whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, stevia, and pumpkin pie spice on medium heat until everything is combined. Add in the espresso, transfer to big mug, dollop with some natural whipped topping, and cozy up with a blanket and good book for a relaxing evening.

Save-the-Guilt-for-Something-Else-Nutella

Everyone loves Nutella. And if you don’t, it’s probably just because you have not tried this all-too-delicious-it-must-be-bad-for-you-food. It it something that comes with a little guilt attached, yet since people can’t seem to stay away from it, I was determined to make a healthy version of this chocolate, hazelnut spread.

I do encourage people to incorporate coconut oil into their diet, and through experiance, I know many struggle with how to actually include this fat into their day. Make this spread and kill two birds with one stone: get those essential fats into your body and put your sweet tooth to rest.

Ingredients:

· ½ cup of raw, organic coconut oil

· 1 teaspoon of hazelnut extract

· 1 tablespoons of high quality unsweetened cocoa powder

· 4-5 packets of stevia

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together (just make sure the coconut oil is left out of the fridge, otherwise it will be rock hard). I kind of wish I could give you more instructions to make it sound fancier, but it really is that simple.

{ My homemade Nutella. Perfect dipping fruit into, spreading on toast, or just eating straight}

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