Pumpkin Spice Latte

Here's a great recipe!

• 2 level tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk (I used 3/4 cup skim-canned milk/3/4 cup water)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (+ a pinch for sprinkling later)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups strong coffee (brewed using 2 tbs per 1 cup of water)
• 2 tablespoons Coffeemate creamer
• 4 to 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar (I used 2 pks. of sweetener)
• Nutmeg (optional)

Begin brewing coffee.

In a blender combine the milk, pumpkin, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla (or wisk in bowl very well). Microwave on med/high until the milk begins to froth slightly.

For each serving: Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 1 generous tablespoon of Coffeemate creamer. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your drink, I added 3 tsps.) Top off with a touch more ‘pumpkin milk’ then sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Because I'm sick, I added some canned whip cream to the top...it made me feel better!!!

Heart of Life is STILL Good...

This I choose to believe:


Blessings,

Carolee

Exactly...

Yummy Soup

I have been trying to cook more. So far so good! :-) This is a great soup recipe. I am using Canadian measurements for the soup size...but it is easily convertible to US. As it is not a cream soup, but is very good for you.

Very yummy

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Mushroom Soup

5 to 6 cups of sliced white mushrooms

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

2 medium onions

1 1/4 cup diced fresh broccoli

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp ground thyme

900 mL NN Brand Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

(This is a touch less than a quart, but if yours comes in a quart size, use it.)

1/4 chopped fresh chives

4 Tbsp fat-free sour cream

1 tsp pepper

salt to taste

Heat the olive oil on medium and add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 8-10 minutes.

Add broccoli, bay leaf, thyme, pepper, and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until veggies are complete tender, about 12-15 minutes. Blend the chives and sour cream together and set in the fridge.

Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup in a blender very well. Add the salt to taste.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream & chives on the top.

This is nice served with a chicken, Caesar salad.

Cheers,

Carolee

Summer time...finally

Summer has finally decided to show up in New Brunswick, Canada. Usually by now, I'm complaining about the heat and humidity. I even installed a new window in my diningroom so that I could put a 12,000 BTU air-conditioner in our livingroom/diningroom space to keep me cool and in a less murderess state.

This year we have hardly had it on! Even when I am cleaning....

And cleaning/organizing I am!!!

Why is it that when I clean, really clean...you know, the deep haul-everything-out-of-the- closets-and-reorganize type of cleaning...that my house gets dirtier! :-) I have almost finished my upstairs (split entry style house). Now that I have wiped-down, organized, and filled the back of my van with ten thousand little bags of things to take here and there, I can dust, vacuum, wash floors and be done with this level. Well, "finished" is a relative word. I need to have the carpets cleaned, and I still haven't finished painting my entryway!!!

Next, I will move onto the basement level. That is where organization is really needed. I HAVE to get at my storage areas and dejunk. I need to organize my school room and sell stuff I don't use and won't use again! I need to touch-up some painting, de-clutter the science closet, and, and, and....

Makes me tired just thinking about it!

Why does it never end? I seems to me that I do this every year! LOL

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My laptop took a turn for the worse three weeks ago, and I'm at a loss. It has all my pictures on it. It has my "port" for downloading my pictures. It has every blog, email address, etc. on it.

Now I have to use the desktop. I'm unfamiliar with it and I have to go buy one of those thingies to download pictures from my memory stick...thus no pictures until I do.

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But, it is sunny and breezy after WEEKS of rain when a bright cloud was quickly becoming the "new sun"....so I'll take it!

Cheers,

Carolee

Love of a Child....

What a moving song. Every once and a while my teens find a great one! Makes me cry for some reason.



Here are the lyrics if you want to read along....

There's a picture on my kitchen wall
Looks like Jesus and his friends involved
There's a party getting started in the yard
There's a couple getting steamy in the car parked in the drive
Was I too young to see this with my eyes?

By the pool last night, apparently
The chemicals weren't mixed properly
You hit your head and then forgot your name
And then you woke up at the bottom by the drain
And now your altitude and memory's a shame

What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I like to believe it was all about love for a child

And when the house was left in shambles
Who was there to handle all the broken bits of glass
Was it mom who put my dad out on his ass or the other way around
Well I'm far too old to care about that now

What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I'd like to believe it was all about love for a child

It's kinda nice to work the floor since the divorce
I've been enjoying both my Christmases and my birthday cakes
And taking drugs and making love at far too young an age
And they never check to see my grades
What a fool I'd be to start complaining now

What about taking this empty cup and filling it up
With a little bit more of innocence
I haven't had enough, it's probably because when you're young
It's okay to be easily ignored
I'd love to believe it's all about love for a child

It was all about love...