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