Monday Musings & Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

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Christina Ross
Christina Rosshttps://www.healthyfoodforliving.com/
I'm a human being on planet earth. I've lived hundreds of lifetimes. In this incarnation I'm here to advance medicine.

1. This marks my first hot OIAJ since last winter. For those of you scratching your head right now, OIAJ is a food blogger acronym for “Oats In A Jar”, and refers to eating oatmeal (hot from the stovetop or cold overnight) straight from an almost-empty nut butter jar. If you haven’t already tried this trend, I implore you to do so!

[Iced tea spoon to reach the nut butter at the very bottom of the jar optional but highly recommended].

Reaching the bottom of a peanut (or almond, cashew, etc.) butter jar is an exciting event!

It’s the little things.

*On my last trip to Trader Joe’s, I was informed that my beloved organic peanut butter has been discontinued 🙁. Something about the growing practices and how it wasn’t lucrative enough for the farmers. THIS is why I wish more people would consider buying organic – we need to support the growing practices of organic farmers if we value their methods; and as far as prices go, this organic peanut butter was less expensive than many peanut butter varieties available on stores’ shelves.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

In the jar: stovetop zucchini bread oatmeal (yes, I put the green summer squash into granola, pancakes, and oatmeal) with vanilla almond milk, banana slices (for me, oatmeal without banana is like s’mores without chocolate… I don’t sweeten my oatmeal with maple syrup or sugar, so those bananas are a must!), cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, finely grated zucchini, walnuts, and grain-sweetened chocolate chips.

If you haven’t already come to this conclusion, I’m all about zucchini bread-inspired breakfasts for the sole reason that it gives me an excuse to eat chocolate chips first thing in the morning ;).

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

2. Just a few days after digging into hot oatmeal on a rainy 55° morning, I was craving a ripe juicy plum on a sunny 80° afternoon.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

Heeeelp! I’m stuck between seasons!

3. I attempted to find a happy medium between summer & fall with a parfait of cold pumpkin overnight oats, banana soft serve, & crushed whole wheat graham crackers…

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

[The night before, combine in a bowl: 1/3 cup each rolled oats, milk, and Greek yogurt, ~ 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree (I didn’t really measure), and cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to taste; refrigerate overnight. Also the night before: cut a peeled banana into slices, place in a ziploc bag, and freeze. The next morning, toss the frozen banana slices into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Place a few graham crackers sheets in a ziploc bag, and smash into crumbs using a pan or heavy mug. Layer the pumpkin oats with the banana soft serve and graham crackers crumbs.]

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

4. … which I promptly chased with a homemade Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

This went down way too quickly.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

Printer-Friendly Recipe

yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk from Trader Joe’s)
  • 3 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground ginger
  • tiny pinch ground nutmeg
  • tiny pinch cloves
  • ice cubes
  • 1/2 cup strong cold-brewed coffee (I used coarsely ground TJ’s Fair Trade Organic French Roast Decaf); or brewed coffee that has chilled thoroughly in the fridge

Directions:

  1. Combine milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and spices in a blender or mini food processor; blend until well-combined and frothy.
  2. Pour mixture into a large glass filled halfway with ice cubes. Slowly pour in the chilled coffee. Serve with a dusting of cinnamon, if desired.

Nutritional Information (using unsweetened vanilla almond milk; this will vary depending on the type of milk you use):

63.4 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 2.6 grams fiber, 5.4 grams sugar, 1.6 grams protein

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

It’s going to be a fabulous fall ;).

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