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PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

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Hi There! I’m dropping in with something perfect for the season today, a pumpkin spice latte. We are finally feeling the colder temperatures and it sparked me to share some of the fall goodness that has been showing up at the markets and heating up on my stove. I make this latte almost every morning and sometimes at night. It has no dairy and no caffeine. But I promise you it’s not lame. It’s sort of an alternative super-power giver.  Almond milk, maca powder and pumpkin spices bring an element of earthiness and goodness to it. I honestly look forward to this when I get out of bed. Savoring the small things opens the door to the big things.

I didn’t intend to take a break from sharing recipes, but then life kind of just caught up with me. In the meantime, I’ve been hashing out new recipes, trying to perfect some baking AND I gave this little blawg a small makeover. I designed a logo and, among other things, I finally changed my URL to one that matches the blog title. The blog just turned 5 years old so I thought I’d give a little gift.  Hello, “itswhatscooking.com”! Someone already had plain old “whatscooking.com” and is offering to sell it for a few thousand dollars, um no. I also added a resources section so you can see what I’m listening to, reading, buying for the pantry, etc. I’ll be adding to this page regularly. I’m still working out a few small technical details (anyone know how to get the recipe grid to show as a grid on mobile?), but I like the challenge of trying to figure it out.

But back to this latte. Adaptogen powders are all the rage these days. Adaptogens are mostly plants that have adapted to growing in very stressful conditions, which is what makes them so powerful.  They give their strength and adaptability to us when we consume them. They produce an increase in the power of resistance against multiple stressors and has a normalizing influence on physiology. I figured it could be a good alternative to coffee if I’m not looking for the caffeine rush.

Maca mainly grows in the Andes of central Peru, in harsh conditions and at very high altitudes — above 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Maca is a cruciferous vegetable. The main edible part of the plant is the root, which grows underground.  It’s generally dried and consumed in powder form. It tastes kind of nutty and a bit like butterscotch. I just throw one or two tablespoons into the almond milk, add the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) and whisk it around in the Vitamix for a minute or two and get this beautiful, frothy latte, that may or may not have superpowers. Who couldn’t use a bit of those these days? I hope you’re all doing well. It’s nice to be in this space again. xo

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PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

  • Servings: makes 1
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1-2 tsp maca powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 whole cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Heat almond milk up in a small saucepan over medium flame. Be careful not to boil it. Meanwhile, add the spices and maca powder to the blender. Once the milk is heated, add to blender. Blend on high for about a minute. Pour into your favorite mug and serve hot.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Amanda

      Thanks, Jovina!! I remember when I redesigned it in 2015 you helped me with your comments in trying to figure it all out. So great to see you here. And warm drinks in cold weather are everything:) I hope you’re well. Xo

  2. Mad Dog

    Welcome back – I love the new look and logo.
    Having just cycled home in the cold and dark, I’m thinking pumpkin spice latte with rum – of course, in Spain it would come with rum at 11am!
    There are some good free grid gallery plugins for WP – I perhaps one of them will carry through the desired mobile look…

  3. Jessica Grosman

    Your pumpkin spice latte sounds perfect! I’ll need to find a replacement for the maca, as me and maca don’t get along well…but just the warming spices along with almond milk are so wonderful and cozy! xoxo

    • Amanda

      Hi Jessica! I’ve been searching for something to replace caffeine when I want a warm drink without being wired. I’ve found carob powder also works, but I love the flavor of maca. Do you get jittery from maca? I’m curious how other people tolerate or interact with it. I personally haven’t noticed any real affect, but maybe I’m just really focused on flavor. I just made a pumpkin pie smoothie that was just like drinking pumpkin pie. i guess I’m in the spirit. so nice to see you here! xo

  4. Jenny@dragonflyhomerecipes

    Nice job on your logo! I really like the tweaks you have done to your already-lovely blog. This latte sounds delicious and I love how frothy it looks. I haven’t tried any Adaptogen powders yet, but that sounds right up my husband’s alley–wait till I tell him about it. 🙂 Glad to see you in the blogosphere again!

    • Amanda

      So nice to be back! Thanks, I’m glad you like my tweaks 🙂 I’m popping over to you now to see what I’ve missed. Happy to see you here. I definitely want to try other adaptagens soon.

  6. Darya

    I really like the logo and new look; well done, I’d never have the patience! I have never tried maca, and would be curious to try it some day, though just to discover a new flavor, certainly not as a substitute for coffee 😉 I hope you’re well and thriving! Keep in touch!

    • Amanda

      Thanks, Darya! I know re sub for coffee. Why would anyone do that??! 🙂 i have tried putting it in oatmeal and other foods and I only seem to appreciate it in a drink, otherwise it can be overpowering. I’ll send an email soon!