Starbucks VIA Pumpkin Coffee!

That's right.

You can now make your own pumpkin spice lattes at home! I'm still wanting to make my own pumpkin sauce for pumpkin spice lattes, but in the mean time: Hello! Talk about a cheaper way to enjoy your favorite fall indulgence. I tested this wonderful taste of heaven last night for dessert and it tasted just like the ones baristas make, but for a fraction of the cost. Five come in a package, so you can make yourself five drinks for the price of one. I know, what a steal!

So go on over to Starbucks and get yourself some Pumpkin VIA. Just add hot milk, and you.will.be.on.cloud.9!

(if you already knew about this, I'm so sorry. I just had to share!) I'm going to enjoy another cup now...

And since I'm feeling the fall, look at these awesome trees that are in the process of turning. This is my walk on my break at work. I love these. Are yours turning yet?

What to do with your leftover Coffee

Source: topnfun.com via Willow on Pinterest

After I exercise in the morning, the first thing I do is reach for a cup of hot coffee (or two). It's exactly what I need to put me in a good mood and get me started. But sometimes, especially in the summer time, we don't always finish the pot and have a little bit of extra leftover. What to do? Well, you don't have to waste it! Here are a few tips to stretch your dollar on your coffee:

Make iced later! This is a no-brainer! Chances are, later it'll get warmer and iced coffee will be the perfect treat to cool you down.

Make coffee iced cubes! A perfect addition to the iced coffee. It makes the flavor more intense and is the perfect compliment to the iced drink.

Bake with it! I know, it sounds odd, but you could add it to cake batter, chocolate sauce, even cookie dough to give your baked goods that little extra zing! Hello, yum!

Put it over vanilla ice cream!!! My mother taught me this little trick about a month ago...and I'm hooked! I love it! It's the perfect way to make coffee ice cream if you don't have it. Sometimes I even add little chocolate chips on top to make it like a mocha. Best.Treat.Ever!! Seriously, tell me if you try it because you will not regret it!

How do you stretch your coffee? What's your favorite way to have it in the summer?

The most PERFECT...

Iced Latte with freshly baked elephant ears

...Iced Latte! I'm serious guys, this thing is the best and I have seriously made one every single afternoon with my leftover espresso. People can say what they want about having more than one (or two...just being honest!) cups of coffee per day, but seriously, in the summer, what's wrong with that little extra boost? I love it.

So, everyday, usually around 3 or so, I take my extra espresso, throw in some milk, lots of ice, and now my favorite secret: raw sugar. It's perfect and I love the sweetness and the little extra crunch from the sugar. It's so so so good. And of course, I can't take full credit. You know the phrase, "Everything I've learned, I've learned from my mother"? Well, that's exactly where this came from. She's a master at all things food and she came up with this gem. So sit back, get a colorful straw and just relax. This is the best!

We've also paired it with a wonderful little light treat: elephant ears. They're literally the easiest deserts to make and take little effort. All you need is puffed pastry and sugar. You let the pastry thaw, lay it flat, and cover it in a healthy amount of  granulated sugar on both sides of the pastry. You then fold it three times (like a book, sort of. That's what Ina said anyway! You'll see the layers as you fold) until it forms a log. You cut the log into about 1/2 inch pieces. Pick up the pieces and form them into a heart shape. Bake them at 425 for about 7 or 8 minutes (until brown) and then take them out and flip them. Bake them for about 3 more minutes or so and voila! You've got the world's easiest dessert.

So perfect and easy. And pretty too!

So I'll just be here enjoying this beautiful Chicago day! It's the coolest it's been in almost two months now, and it's quite refreshing. I went for a run this morning and it felt so good because it wasn't a million degrees here! (Don't get me wrong, I love heat. But I'll take this too!). Enjoy your Tuesday, and make it a tasty one too

~Susan