Goodbye, Summer! No, seriously, goodbye. Get out of here.

Oh hey everyone.  I'm just sitting here in my pjs drinking a pumpkin spice latte and listening to my Bon Iver Station on Pandora.  I'm just ready for it to be fall.  It's currently 88 degrees outside at 10:19 am, but I am wishing for pumpkins and leaves and chilly mornings.  Usually I fight the end of summer like a kid fights their bedtime, but that is because summer in Oregon is so fleeting.  After spending the summer in a climate that is literally trying to kill me (seriously, humans are not meant to live in a place that is consistently 110 degrees.  We just aren't)  I am more ready than I have ever been for summer to be over.  When I was younger, I would try to get summer to hurry up and start.  Like when I still lived in Anchorage, I would start wearing shorts in March just because the sun came out, even though there was still 2 feet of snow on the ground.  Now I'm trying to hurry along autumn in the same way, drinking my pumpkin beverages and sometimes even wearing pants.  Pants!!  Ok, so they are capris, but still.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

  I used to be a Starbucks fiend.  I would scrape up as much change as I could find to buy my four dollar caffeinated beverage, I couldn't wait for the seasonal specialty drinks to be available, if I was having a rough day it could at least be improved by a trip to the 'bux.  Then I moved to Portland, where it is pretty uncool to like Starbucks.  Portland has very strong opinions on all things, including beverages.  Beer, wine, cocktails, and coffee.  Probably Kombucha.  Most people still think of Seattle as the Coffee Capital of the World, but Portland has risen up to challenge them for the title.  My old roommate used to call me a coffee snob because I insisted that my coffee not come from a can.  But any true coffee snob would be appalled by the fact that I not only go to Starbucks for my coffee, but I also use the beans at home!  Sometimes I don't even grind them myself.  And I don't even use a french press!  But my time in PDX did give me an appreciation for the finer coffees and coffee shops.  And then I moved to a place where Starbucks really is the best coffee you can get. 

I don't venture to Starbucks often these days.  Mostly because leaving the house strictly for a coffee seems kind of ridiculous.  And we have implemented some austerity measures around here, since the whole reason we moved to Arizona was to save some money.  I did stop by last week to get the newly released PSL (That's a Pumpkin Spice Latte, for those of you who are too cool to not know the Starbucks lingo), as part of my Ushering In Fall Policy.  Then I started seeing these "Make your own Pumpkin Spice Latte" posts all over the place.  I decided to give it a shot.

 I have been searching for pumpkin pie spice everywhere.  I normally buy my spices in bulk, because it is sooooooo much cheaper.  But there is only one store in my area that has bulk spices, and the selection isn't that great.  So after going to several stores, I finally found it at Target.  Not Sprouts.  Not Whole Foods.  Target.  I gathered the other ingredients, and here is what I made!  I used a recipe from one of my favorite food sites, The Kitchn.

Representing Portland with my mason jar of coffee.  Also, yes that is vanilla flavor, not extract.  I made a horrible mistake at Trader Joe's.  At least it isn't imitation.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
From The Kitchn

Makes 2 to 3 servings
2 cups milk
2 heaping tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla flavor.  The shame....)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more to garnish
1 to 2 shots espresso, about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee
Whipped cream, to garnish

In a saucepan whisk together milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy.  Or just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.  ( I just whisked it and it was fine).
Fill half the mug with the mixture, top with coffee.

Just whisk it!

Top with whipped cream, if desired, and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top. (Trust me, it IS desired.  Just do it).

The egg might not be pretty, but it was delicious.

 I used Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla milk.  I don't like to drink much real milk, although I am not at all dairy free.  I just thought I would try it with this, since it is very creamy and low calorie.  Only 40 calories per cup!  You could very easily use regular milk, and I will probably try it that way sometimes.  BUT, if you decide to get the almond milk like I did, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you get this specific brand.  Almond Breeze.  I have tried other brands and they taste like crap, no joke.  To save on calories be sure it is unsweetened as well.  If you accidentally get sweetened ( I have done that before also) just don't add sugar to the drink until you can do a taste test.

I also think that topping this with whipped cream and a little additional dash of pumpkin pie spice really makes this drink.  I highly recommend it.  Now when you have all the ingredients you can whip this up in the morning and enjoy your delicious pumpkiny beverage without ever having to leave the house!  I might even pull out my fall decorations today.  Get ready K, you just might be coming home to some pumpkins!  But not before I pour myself another cup of coffee.  Because this is happening.