Pumpkin Spice Latte

I love coffee! I REALLY love specialty coffees. I don't hit Starbucks nearly as often as I would like to, which is probably for the best since a drink there is nearly a small fortune. As I was spending much too much time on Pinterest I came across this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Lattes that were supposed to taste just like the ones Starbucks makes! Yay! And luckily for me I had everything I needed to make them! It was absolutely delicious! So I must share this with any other coffee lovers out there!

• 2 cups milk
• 4 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 2 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• whipped cream

Add first 5 ingredients to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring almost to a boil. Remove from heat, add to blender. Blend on high til milk begins to froth, about 2 minutes. Divide milk between 2 mugs. Add the coffee slowly down the side so as not to disturb the frothiness. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice. Enjoy!!

*For me, this recipe was enough for 3 mugs. I guess if you have really big mugs you might just get 2!

*If I am just enjoying this drink by myself I skip the blender part. It tastes the same and I really don't enjoy the dishes. When I am having company I will do the extra step just for flare ;)

* You can also mix the milk mixture and keep it in your fridge until you are ready to indulge in another cup. I have some in my fridge at this very moment!

Strawberry Punch

This is a delicious punch and it's relatively inexpensive to make, which is always a plus! Thanks to my friend Claudette for sharing the recipe.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 litre of pink or regular grapefruit juice
• 1 can of frozen lemonade
• 1 can of frozen berry punch
• 1 package strawberry koolaid
• 4 cups frozen sliced strawberries
• 2L sprite
• ice cubes

Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Do not add water.

Serve over ice and enjoy!

Shirley Temples

Shirley Temple

This drink works best when served in a tall glass. Fill half way with orange juice. The more flavorful variety it is, the better it would taste. These were made with a orange/passion fruit/guava frozen juice mix. Also add a little less water when mixing it up so the flavor is a little stronger. Then fill the remainder of the glass with lemon-lime sode or gingerale, whatever you have on hand. Finish it off with a tablespoon or two of grenadine (easy found in most grocery stores). The grenadine sinks to the bottom, making a multicolor drink. Pop a maraschino cherry in the glass or put an orange slice on the edge of the glass. To get the crystalized effect on the top, just put the glass, upside down, in a shallow bowl of water, then dip into some white sugar. Obviously you would do this before putting anything in your cup! Voila - an easy and very pretty drink. The perfect thing to serve at girls night. :)