Scooter's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Copycat

Scooter's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Copycat

     In college my friend Sarah introduced me to the Scooter's Coffehouse Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. I had never tasted anything that represented fall in a cup so well, I think this was even before I had experienced a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. My younger sister Elizabeth went to get her yearly Pumpkin Pie Smoothie fix last week and she found out they changed the recipe. Since she used to manage a Scooter's she knew they used to use a family pumpkin pie recipe as the base, now the only use a pumpkin pie flavoring. She told me her life would never be the same when she found this out, not being dramatic at all. he he Elizabeth experimented with a recipe at home and sent me her base recipe, I messed around with it a little and wrote down the recipe to share! Now if you are missing the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, or if you want to try one for the first time you can make it at home! It's a bonus that this has no refined sugars and can easily be made dairy free if you need it that way.

Ingredients

1/3 cup canned pumpkin 

1/2-1 cup ice

1/2 cup coconut, almond, or whole milk

1 1/2 TBSP maple syrup

1 TBSP cashew or almond butter

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

optional- dairy free whip cream or whip cream and pumpkin pie spice for sprinkling 

Directions

1) Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth. If you are using a high speed blender such as Vita-mix you will want to use closer to 1 cup of ice. If using another blender start with 1/2 cup of ice and blend, then add a few ice cubes at a time and blend until it is a creamy and thick texture.

2) Top with whip cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice! 

Enjoy!

Notes: The nut butter helps to add a good texture to the smoothie, you can use a TBSP of vanilla protein powder instead of the nut butter.

You also can add more maple syrup to taste, 1 1/2 TBSP makes for a sweet but not overly sweet smoothie, if you want more of a dessert type smoothie add 2 TBSP. 

 

Late Summer Vegetable Egg Bake

Late Summer Vegetable Egg Bake

     If you are like me at the end of the summer you end up with a lot of tomatoes and zucchini from family and friends. I would like to have my own garden again someday but in the meantime I will welcome any produce that I can get from them! I love zucchini and tomatoes and thought they would be great combined in an egg bake, and I was right! I added some defrosted frozen kale for another level of nutrients and flavor and it was a hit! I love making an egg bake for dinner on Sunday evening, that way I can start the week with leftovers for breakfast for a few days. This easy recipe can be adjusted for just about any veggies you might have on hand. If you are using a vegetable like spinach or kale that will release a lot of liquid during cooking just make sure you defrost and drain well if frozen, or saute for a minute or so and drain well before adding it to the egg mixture if fresh.

Ingredients

6 large eggs

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cracked pepper

1 zucchini thinly sliced

1 small tomato diced

1/2 cup of frozen kale ( I ran mine under warm water for a minute while in a colander and then squeezed it dry by pushing a spatula against the kale and the side of the colander) 

1/2 tsp dry basil

Directions

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 and spray a 9 inch pie pan with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl crack the 6 eggs, add the 1 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and whisk until fully incorporated and fluffy.

3) Place the defrosted and dried kale in the bottom of the pan. 

4) Pour the egg mixture over the kale.

4) Arrange the thinly sliced zucchini over the top of the egg mixture, and then top with the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle the 1/2 tsp of dried basil evenly over the top.

5) Bake for 20-30 minutes until the center is set. 

Enjoy! 

This keeps up to 4 days in the refrigerator covered and reheats well in the microwave for an easy breakfast!

 

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bars

 Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bars

     I have had this idea for a dessert for years. Something that combined three of my favorite treats, gluten free pretzels, peanut butter, and chocolate. I saw a recipe recently from Trisha Yearwood for some bars that contained those ingredients. They were not gluten, dairy, or refined sugar free, but I knew I could adjust the recipe and they would be just as delicious! When they were set up I took one bite, then got in the car and took a plate of these over to my younger sister's house. I had to share them with her, and also didn't want to eat them all. The consensus from her family ( which includes two picky toddlers) and mine is that they are a new favorite! She text me to say thank you for sending her five bars she she could have two of them. I told her that meant she didn't share one with her one year old son. haha  My son also kept counting how many we had left in our fridge, he didn't want to think he was getting one for dessert and find out we were out of them. Thankfully I cut them in small enough pieces he's been able to have an after dinner treat all week! I hope you enjoy them as much as we have!

Ingredients

PB Pretzel Bar

1 cup gluten free crushed pretzels (the cup measurement is of crushed pretzels, not whole, crush before you measure) I used Quinn Gluten Free Pretzels 

6  TBSP melted dairy free butter, coconut oil, or butter ( if you use coconut oil it will have a slight coconut taste) 

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 

1/4 cup maple syrup

Chocolate Topping 

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, I use Enjoy Life to keep them dairy free

2 TBSP PB

Directions

1) Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside 

2) In a large bowl mix the crushed pretzels, butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined. 

3) Spread the mixture into the parchment lined baking dish and use your hands or the back of a spoon to push down. You want to make sure the mixture is well pushed into the pan so that it will hold together. 

4) In a small microwave safe dish melt the chocolate chips and 2 TBSP peanut butter in 30 second increments until melted. 

5) Stir the chocolate peanut butter mixture and using an offset knife spread it evenly over the PB pretzel bar.

6) Place the bars uncovered in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours until set. You will want to make sure they are well set before you cut them. They set best if left overnight but it's hard to wait to eat them for that long!

Cut bars into 12 equal pieces, or less if you want larger bars. 

Enjoy!

* Make sure to keep these in the refrigerator and serve cold, the bars will start to loose their shape slightly when they get to room temperature. 

* Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. 

This recipe was inspired by 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/no-bake-chocolate-pretzel-peanut-butter-squares-2254342

Mason Jar Instant Latte

Mason Jar Instant Latte

     When I was in college I worked at Starbucks for a few years. It was a lot of fun, I learned a lot about coffee, and I loved the people I worked with. It also was the first time I drank coffee on a daily basis, and I became addicted! I don't drink coffee daily anymore because of health reasons, at least not a whole carafe black like I used to. When I'm craving a little coffee treat though this is my new go-to. I have never really liked the taste of instant coffee but it's gotten so much better over the years! It's important to use a high quality instant coffee in this recipe so it won't taste as bitter, I will list a few brands in the notes. Funny story about instant coffee, I used to be so addicted to caffeine and strong black coffee that I would bring Starbucks instant coffee packs with me to restaurants, hotels, and even when I stayed at someone's home to add to their weak coffee! I'm glad I'm not quite as addicted as I used to be, but this latte is so good I could see it happening again! 

Ingredients

1 TBSP good instant coffee or 1 packet of Starbucks Via instant coffee

1 TBSP water

1 Cup milk of choice, I use Coconut

1 TBSP maple syrup or sweetener of choice 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract ( optional )

1 cup of ice or ice to the top of the mason jar

Directions

1) In a 16 oz. mason jar add the instant coffee and 1 TBSP of water, swirl to mix until coffee is somewhat dissolved. 

2) Add the milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and ice.

3) Place the lid tightly on the mason jar and shake! This is optional, you can stir if you don't have a lid, but it helps to dissolve the instant coffee and crates a slight froth at the top of the latte.

4) Top with whip cream or dairy free whip cream!

Enjoy!

Note on instant coffee 

I like Mount Hagen Organic Fair-trade Instant Coffee, they are one of the only decaf instant coffee brands I have found that is Organic and also tastes good!

Starbucks VIA instant coffee is really good, it is strong and finely ground so you will only need one tiny pouch of the instant coffee instead of a TBSP if you use Starbucks VIA.

                                 

                              

Easy Iced Matcha

Easy Iced Matcha

     The first time I heard about Matcha was about 15 years ago. I was at a local coffee shop and my friend's boyfriend ordered it and then went on to explain the complicated way in which it was prepared with a bamboo whisk in a bowl. The whole process seemed more than I wanted to deal with at the time so I never attempted to make it. When I started drinking it myself I found out a prefer it iced and there is a lot easier way to prepare it by shaking it! I have even saved some empty jelly jars with lids to make tiny matcha shooters to have as an afternoon pick me up! 

Ingredients

6 oz water

Ice

1 tsp Matcha, I use Jade Leaf Organic Matcha

1/2 tsp Maple Syrup or more to taste

2 oz coconut milk or milk of your choice

Directions

1) In a mason jar add the water, ice cubes to almost the top of your jar, and maple syrup.  You want to make sure you leave a little room for the coconut milk! 

2) Place the lid on the mason jar and shake the jar until the matcha is well mixed.

3) Top with the coconut milk and stir to combine.

Enjoy!

If you find the Matcha flavor is too strong for you, you can use 8 oz total of coconut milk to make a latte instead!

 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

 Homemade Taco Seasoning 

     I realized about 8 years ago when I needed to start eating gluten free that most store bought taco seasoning had wheat in it as a thickener. I started experimenting with making my own and never turned back! My husband's favorite food is ground beef tacos so I make them at least once a week for him. This recipe is for a pound of ground beef, but if you would like to quadruple the recipe it stores well in a mason jar, you can then just shake it before use to mix the spices and add what you need. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

( for one pound of ground meat)

Ingredients

1 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp paprika

Directions

1) Measure all of the spices into a small container and mix well.

2) Brown your choice of meat.

3) Once the meat is browned and cooked through, add the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water in the skillet, reduce the heat and simmer until most of the water evaporates.

Enjoy!

Matcha Blender

Matcha Blender 

      

     I started drinking Matcha instead of my morning coffee a year ago and love it! It gives me a little bit of energy without the crash or jitters I would get from coffee. This summer I wanted to switch up my matcha so I decided to make a refreshing matcha blender. It was so good I started looking forward to it each morning when I got up, almost as much as I used to look forward to coffee. I love to enjoy my drink on my deck in the sunshine while my son has a smoothie, it's become one of my favorite times of the day!

  

Matcha Blender

Ingredients

1 cup coconut or other milk

1 cup Ice

1 tsp maple syrup ( or more to taste)

1 tsp matcha, I use the Organic Jade Leaf Matcha brand

Directions

1) Place all ingredients in a high speed blender, or smoothie maker and blend until smooth!

Enjoy!