Pumpkin Lovin'

If I've said this once, I've said

this a thousand times.....

I LOVE FALL!

I can't wait until the pumpkins start to show up.

Whether it be pumpkins in the pumpkin patch,

home decor items showing up in the stores,
the taste of pumpkin flavored drinks or treats,
or simply the various scented pumpkin scented candles,

it makes no difference to me.

I love anything pumpkin.

I'm not much of a cappuccino drinker,

they are just too sickening sweet for me,

but you give me a good Latte and I'm all over it.

Since it's officially Fall I thought I would share a recipe for
Creamy Pumpkin Latte that I love to drink.

Latte.
It's such a fancy name isn't it?

It sounds like it's a time consuming drink to prepare.

But you know what?

It literally takes about 10 minute to mix together.

Oh, and you use canned pumpkin,

and the best part about making this Latte, besides the taste.....

there's no cooking required.

Really.

If you can make a cup of coffee, you can make this Pumpkin Latte.

It's a great warm drink to enjoy on a cool Fall day.

Mix it up and pour it into a cute pumpkin coffee mug.

This would make the perfect cup of coffee to enjoy after Thanksgiving dinner.

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Serving Size: 1

1 cup strong brewed coffee

2/3 cup Evaporated Milk (to make a low-fat version use 2% evaporated milk or low-fat milk)
         (I personally go all out and use the full fat version)

1/3 cup canned 100% Pure Pumpkin (found in baking aisle)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Whipped Cream (optional)

Combine brewed coffee, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in a 2 cup microwave safe measuring cup or small saucepan. Stir with a wire whisk until pumpkin is incorporated.  Heat until very hot. Pour into coffee mugs.

Add whipped cream and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice.

ENJOY!

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Time Well Spent

Time is such a precious commodity.

If we're not careful and take the time to slow

down and enjoy the little things / ones in life,
before you know it in a blink

of an eye time passes us by.

We love spending time with our precious Grandson.
It's hard to believe that it has been almost a year
since he has entered our lives.

I always have my camera ready to document every moment with him.

A couple of weekends ago our Grandson
and I spent a Saturday together. It was a

beautiful Fall day so I decided to take him to the pumpkin patch.

We picked out his very first pumpkin.
He held on to that pumpkin the whole time we were there.

Even on the way home he wasn't letting go of his pumpkin.

On Saturday he spent another beautiful Fall 

day with us while his parents were busy.

It was such perfect weather that we dug out

the little red wagon for him.

We attached an umbrella to keep the sun out of his eyes,

added a blanket to cushion his tush, and added a pillow in case he got sleepy.

It was his 1st time in a wagon and we weren't sure

if he would like it and try to crawl out or stand up.

He was the perfect little passenger.

He LOVED it!

We took a walk around the neighborhood

and saw a crow disguised as a scarecrow. If you look closely

you will see him peeking over the umbrella on the top left-hand side.

We even saw ghosts in trees!

Our Grandson was kicked back and enjoying the ride and scenery.

By the time we got to the big tall fluffy grass the fresh air was

starting to make him a little sleepy.

So he laid back and was taking in the scenery that way.

He looks like he is sleeping but he was just enjoying being laid back.

I looked down at him and he was just grinning.

We turned around and headed back home.

Once we got home he was content just to sit in the wagon

and watch Papa wash his truck.

It was precious time well spent.

Take time and enjoy the little things / ones in life,

you won't regret it.

That's it for this week.

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Kicked by A Kentucky Moscow Mule

In my anticipation of Fall

I have been on the look-out for a good Fall cocktail drink.

One thing I love to do is try different cocktail drinks.

I knew that I finally found one when

I came across this cocktail that

had all the makings of a good Fall cocktail.

Maple Apple Cider Kentucky Mule

It called for fresh Apple Cider, Maple Syrup,

Bourbon and Ginger Beer.

What speaks Fall more than those flavors,

beside Pumpkin Pie of course.

Ginger Beer?

Have you ever heard of Ginger Beer?

I hadn't until my co-worker mentioned that

his wife wanted him to pick up some Ginger beer

because she was sick with an upset stomach.

It makes sense, ginger is a great natural remedy

to help sooth an upset stomach.

I already had  most of the ingredients on hand.

I just had to purchase the Fresh Apple Cider and Ginger Beer.

And before you knew it I had whipped up this

wonderfully flavored Fall cocktail.

And to make it a special Fall cocktail,

how can you not put it in a chilled copper mug?

Besides, Moscow Mules call for a chilled copper mug.

Hubby's not a Bourbon lover but he sure liked this cocktail.😋

If you are going to make one of these cocktails,

you must use the Original Imported Crabbies Ginger Beer.

Don't sacrifice the taste by using ginger flavored beer, it is NOT the same.

It's a simple recipe that mixes up quickly.

Simply combine all ingredients together, stir and pour

into a chilled copper mug over crushed ice. Garnish with an
apple and lime slice. To give it that over the top taste,
throw in a cinnamon stick. Although this cocktail
tastes great without the cinnamon stick, it really does
give that extra kick to this cocktail.
Hubby was amazed that you can't even taste the alcohol in this drink.
He thinks I hit it out of the ballpark with this drink!
That speaks volumes coming from him who turns
his nose up at bourbon.
We don't mind being kicked by this kind of mule!

Cheers!

recipe adapted from:https://www.gastronomblog.com/.../the-maple-and-cider-kentucky-mule/

MAPLE APPLE CIDER KENTUCKY MULE

2 ounces Kentucky Bourbon

.75 ounces Pure Maple Syrup

.5 ounces Lime Juice

3 ounces Crabbies Original Ginger Beer

Combine all ingredients together and stir.

Pour into a chilled copper mug filled with crushed ice.

Garnish with an apple and lime slice.

Toss in a cinnamon stick.

Enjoy the flavors of Fall

Until Next Time,
Veronica

Scents Of Fall

We love the scents of Fall.

Not only do we open all of our doors and windows

to bring in all those wonderful aromas of Fall,

I also love to burn, or melt, Fall scented candles.

But my favorite way to fill our home

with the scents of Fall is to bake a batch of

homemade Pumpkin Ginger Molasses cookies.

To me, Fall indicates the kickoff to the beginning of the baking season.

I usually begin baking in Fall and continue until early Spring.

Once the weather starts turning warmer I don't bake much.

It's just another reason for me to love the coming of Fall

because I LOVE to bake.

These cookies are soft and chewy, and Oh So Good.

One bite of these cookies and they take you

down memory lane to Grandma's house.

I like to mix up a batch to bake and one to freeze.

Need to whip up a batch of cookies pronto?

I roll the dough into individual balls and place

them on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss them into the freezer.

Once the balls are frozen I toss them into a Ziploc freezer bag.

To bake, simply pull out a couple dozen frozen cookie balls

and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and let thaw while your oven is preheating.

Such a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of cookies.

There's nothing more down home and comforting than

a freshly baked batch of cookies.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Recipe adapted from: www.andersonandgrant.com

ENJOY!

Until Next Time,

Veronica

Dressing For Fall

The days are getting shorter

and the nights are getting cooler.

That can only mean one thing.

Fall is coming!
My favorite time of year.
Actually Fall is already here
I wrote this post up before Fall began.

That also means it's time to dig out the
fall clothes and boots.

I don't know about you but as I age I
still want to look stylish and chic even
if I am wearing casual clothing. I
don't want to turn into one of those women
who ends up looking frumpy and dumpy after I retire.

One thing I've noticed in Blogland is there
are very few 50+ women styling fashion.
Maybe it's because the clothing industry
caters more to the younger generations,
or maybe, we older women are afraid to
put ourselves out there for all to see.
I feel that the older I get the more confident
I become about my appearance.
I believe that age is an attitude, keep your's young.
We're like a fine wine, we get better with age!
Right?

So how do you know how to dress with the
younger generation fashions but still look age appropriate?

Follow along with me and I will show you

how by using a few basic pieces of clothing, accessories and footwear,

you too can create simple, easy and fun looks,

yet still look age appropriate, stylish and comfortable.

Do you love to wear plaid prints but aren't sure how to style them?
What speaks more casual than a plaid shirt?

Plaid shirts aren't just for men you know.
We women can wear plaid and still look
very feminine while wearing them.
It's all about how you style them that makes the difference.

Here are a few examples using the same plaid shirt,
tee-shirt and belt as the base pieces.

Start by choosing your favorite plaid shirt.

Next, choose one of the colors from the plaid shirt

and add a solid color shirt in that color.

Choose a second color from the plaid shirt

and use that solid color as your bottom color,

whether it be a pair of pants or skirt, it really doesn't matter.

Match your footwear color to your bottom half color.

Choose a third solid color from your plaid shirt and add that

color as your embellishment color. I added a tan scarf

that I loosely draped around my neck. This really made

the whole outfit pop and stand out.
I love to wear scarves because they
are like little bits of jewelry. They add
that finished look and pull everything together.

I have an hourglass figure.
If I am wearing a shirt that doesn't
flow over my curves, I will add a
belt to draw attention to my feminine curves.

This look took me less than 10 minutes total to put together.

This next look all I did was swap out my pants.

What about mixing prints together.

Is it possible?

You betcha!
Just use your second print in a small dose.

Swap out a different print and change your bottom color.

I laugh at people who say you can't mix prints.

Those were just a few simple ways to style a plaid shirt
using a few base pieces.

The possibilities are endless.

Until Next Time,

Veronica