FALL IS HERE!!! This weekend I fully embraced all things autumn. I rotated my wardrobe to put flannels front and center, along with cardigans, sweaters, and long-sleeves. Jeans and leggings were brought out, along with all the fuzzy socks and tights I own. I drank PSL's like the world was ending and we brought home mini pumpkins from the farmer's market to decorate. Fall is really here, and it's the best season!
This time last year we had been in New York for 9 full months. It was the first time we were truly experiencing fall, or four seasons in general, and I remember how completely shocked I felt when at the beginning of September, a chilly cool front rolled in, and everyone started wearing jackets and boots. Coming from Texas, this was so early for me! In a Texas September, we would be all about football season, standing in the bleachers in the heat, drinking iced pumpkin spice lattes because it's still a billion degrees out (but we all liked to pretend it was pumpkin season). I remember being on my lunch break, drinking a hot pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and taking this photo, and not being able to understand how the weather could be this cool this early in football season. Like, where have four seasons been my whole life??!? And when the leaves change in Central Park...are you kidding me? It's SO beautiful!
At first I was really sad about fall coming, because that means the next season after that is winter, and the past two winters here have been hard. Mostly because I HATE the cold, and snow, and my skin gets really dry and I become very pale and I hate staying indoors all of the time. But, I've decided on something: experiencing four seasons is a beautiful thing. There was a time (the vast majority of my short life) where I didn't truly have all of these seasons and I wished I did, so now I am going to embrace it. Fall in New York just produces all of these exciting nostalgic feels, ya know? Everyone seems happier, no one is sweating on the subways, there's less crazies yelling at you on the sidewalk, every coffee shop + cafe is serving their best version of fall baked goods and drinks, and everyone is excited about halloween!
Now on to this latte--Does the world really need another pumpkin spice latte on the internet? Yes. This one is different because instead of sugar it uses real maple syrup, which increases the autumn-like qualities of this drink even more. Need I say more?
Maple Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coffee
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tbl. real pumpkin
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or make your own*)
- 2 tbl. maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Directions: Prepare coffee as directed and set aside. Warm milk in a small saucepan and combine all of the ingredients. Heat until mixture becomes bubbly, and then whisk vigorously to produce frothy-ness. Grab a mug, pour the coffee first, then add the pumpkin-milk mixture. Top with cinnamon or whipped cream if you fancy!
*Homemade pumpkin pie spice: Whisk together 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.