Hey lovelies! How are you today? ♥ I can't believe it's weekend again since it feels like the week has gone so, so fast. But I'm really happy to have a couple of days to sleep in and rest so that I can get rid of this darn flu soon. Today, I've had time to create two new Halloween looks and I can't wait to show them to you all. I'm a couple of posts short of having all ten Halloween looks either posted or as a draft so I'm honestly super happy abut the October content this year.

In case you're not a Halloween person though, I have another more normal post for you:

Hey lovelies!

How are you today? ♥




Maple Latte

1 serving coffee
1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup
milk of your choice

Mix the ingredients together well, and top off with whipped cream if you want.
Enjoy!

Hello darlings!

How are you all? ♥

Hello loves!

How are you? ♥

Today has been a fantastic day despite yesterday's devastating news, we got lots of things done and I'm getting my drive finally back. I planned how I'm going to do our balcony for the summer the coming week, figured out some ways to make our place more neat, and also wrote down many outfit ideas. And as the weather is being amazing, tomorrow will definitely include running in the morning and some sunbathing in the afternoon before work.

And I will probably use a little bit of caffeine to help me out there. I don't drink my coffee black as I don't like it like that, so I usually drink tea, but lately I've been so excited with all these flavoured coffee drinks, which I create with this set:



Monin Flavoured Coffee Set. My mom bought me this about two months ago and I've been obsessed with it ever since. It includes five different flavours of syrups, and they can be used for like infinite number of drinks, I suppose.



The package itself comes with few instructions, so if you don't know how to start, you can seek help from there. Don't think you can make that pretty drinks at home? Well see my creation and think again. ;)



Hazelrock

30 ml Monin Hazelnut syrup
120 ml milk
1 coffee (50 ml), cold!

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes (I used wine glass, as it's the best I have).
Add Monin syrup and milk.
Gently pour cold coffee over mix until it forms layers.
Serve.

Sounds easy, right? Also, you can use any syrup here, depending what flavors you prefer.



And in the end, you should have something like this in hand. I usually mix it all up before drinking, as the syrup is in the bottom and all the coffee on the top. But before mixing, it has these beautiful layers. I totally love how this tastes, and could drink this so, so often. I also don't use as much syrup as the recipe, but rather like half of it or little less. It's a bit more healthier and not overly sweet.

If you'd like more recipe posts, let me know so in the comments! Also, if you have nice coffee recipes, hint them to me so I can try them out ♥

Now, time for some TV and videogames before sleep, and tomorrow I need to start the day early with a workout and all. Hopefully I have time to post for you tomorrow, but if I don't, it's because I'm spending time outside in the sun.

Have a lovely day!

Hello my lovelies!

How are you all? ♥

Today I was planning not to open my laptop at all, but I got something I couldn't resist sharing with you. With the holiday season just around the corner, and the Autumn already behind, I've noticed so many people posting about the American classic, Pumpkin Spice Latte. Even though there are already the whooping amount of two Starbucks coffee shops in the whole Finland, I haven't had the pleasure to test out the infamous tasty treat.

So, what's a girl to do when there's no proper place to buy a food/drink, but there's the growing anxiety to try it out anyway? Well, the girl finds a recipe and makes some at home. (and if you actually can get this from Tampere, Finland, please correct my ignorance and point me to the right direction!)

So, for those of you who also want to try this out - or maybe wanna save some money for more Christmas shopping - here is an affordable (nearly fool proof) recipe you can whip up with very basic ingredients:

I found the recipe here!

BrokeAss Gourmet's Pumpkin Spice Latte

3 tablespoons strong ground coffee
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
2/3 cup milk

And, if you are like me, and live in a culture where we don't have pumpkin pie spice regularly in our spice rack, here's how you can make your own:



Pumpkin Pie Spice (found here)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix the spices in a small bowl, and store in an airtight container.

Simple enough, right? Now that this is done, back to making the latte, shall we?





1. Brew the coffee with the water in a regular coffee maker, French press or drip cone.

2. While the coffee brews, stir the pumpkin pie spice into the honey or agave nectar until completely blended. Set aside.



3. Pour the cold milk into a microwave-safe bowl, the edges of which should come up a bit higher than the milk.

4. Keep the bowl slightly tilted to the side, so that the milk is gathered more towards one side. Using a wire whisk, quickly and vigorously whisk the milk in the bowl for about 2-2 1/2 minutes. If milk is not frothy after 2 1/2 minutes, continue whisking an additional 30-60 seconds. The milk should be very frothy at this point.

Note: this is the point where I personally screwed up. I didn't get the milk foamy enough, so it just got back to liquid when I put it on a microwave. I found this step easier with a clean (microwave proof) glass jar with a lid. Put the milk in the jar, close the lid tightly and shake it heavily for 30 seconds or more, just to get it thick enough. Then, take off the lid and and continue following the instructions.

5. Microwave the milk in the bowl on high for 8-10 seconds. It should puff into a high foam immediately.



6. To serve the latte, pour the hot coffee into a mug and stir in the honey/agave-spice mixture until completely dissolved. Top with the hot milk, spooning the thick foam on top. A dash of additional pumpkin pie spice or some ground cinnamon on top is a nice touch. Serve immediately.

Or do as I did and add a ridiculous amount of whipped cream and cover the not-so-successful milk foam to have more of a coffee shop kind of experience with it.



Last night I baked some brownies, so what better way to enjoy the latte than with a piece of brownie and an episode of one of my favorite TV series, Desperate Housewives. ♥

So, I hope you found this post helpful or fun, I have been wanting to taste this for years but only last night realized I could actually make my own. The best part: this doesn't contain the high fructose corn syrup that some claim is pretty bad for you, and those who know me, know that when I can, I at least try to pick the option with less artificial things in it.

The verdict: This was good enough to make another time, I loved the taste of it a lot. Is it even close to the infamous Starbucks one? I have no idea. What I can say that it smells heavenly, and brewing this baby can make your whole home smell adorable. I warmly recommend trying this out if you like coffee.

Have you tried making your own pumpkin spice latte? And, would you like to see more this kind of posts where I try to find easy, kind of healthy options for other classic treats? Let me know below in the comments ♥

Now, I'm off to try and wear off my caffeine rush by completing some DIY projects and washing the dishes and so (yes, I've found the right drug for the lack of energy it seems, haha).

Have a lovely day!

Blog ya later,

xoxo

Johanna