Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (and Tea!)


It’s that season again! 
The one where the shelves at your local grocery store are fully stocked with pumpkin flavored everything and we just couldn’t resist trying this recipe that we found on Pinterest. It’s no secret that just about everyone loves this drink at Starbucks but to be able to save some cash and make one at home is exceptionally magical, especially when you realize that those dollars you saved can go towards something more practical…like more scarves for fall!

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (and Tea)

Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (we used Vanilla Silk)
2 heaping tablespoons canned pumpkin puree (we used Libby’s)
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
brewed coffee (we used Starbucks Vanilla Coffee for the Keurig)

Optional Toppings:

whipped cream
ground nutmeg and/or cinnamon (we used both)


Directions:


Start by brewing your coffee but leave out any sweeteners until the very end.



Next, find a microwave safe bowl or something large with a spout (trust us on this one, you won’t want to waste any of this pumpkin goodness) and mix together your milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and sugar with a whisk.



Now pop your bowl into the microwave for 1-2 minutes until your mixture looks frothy.


Next, pour the mixture into two tall coffee mugs 
(or just one and save the rest for later).

Now, pour your coffee over the mixture and stir. 
If you like a sweeter coffee we suggest using more mixture rather than adding sweeteners.

Add your toppings and enjoy this lovely warm fall drink anytime and anywhere. 
We prefer chilly porches with black cats ;) 



For a slightly sweeter and less bitter take on this fall favorite try substituting coffee for tea. 
We tried this by using Red Rose Black Tea in place of the Starbucks Vanilla Coffee and we can report that it was delicious and warmed us up just as effectively.


Enjoy!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Back From the Dead

Well, it sure has been a while, hasn't it. We are still alive! I guess life got in the way of things and we just haven't had much time to update our blog. We have been cooking, of course, but we always seem to forget to document. Well Buns on the Run is making a comeback! 

This past week we decided to make dinner, dessert, and drinks! We have been in such a fall mood lately, so we decided to pick some recipes to go with it. All of these recipes we found on Pinterest, but we altered them a bit so I will give you our versions. 

Easy Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 pound cubed stew beef
4 cups beef stock
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
5-6 small potatoes
1 bag of sliced carrots
flour
cooking oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

First, season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. 
Put 2 cups of flour in a big Ziplock bag, add the beef cubes, and shake them around until they're all coated. Heat a large pot to about medium heat and add cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pot. 
Add the beef cubes and brown each side, but don't cook all the way through.


Remove the beef cubes from the pot and set aside in a bowl.
Prepare all your vegetables (peel, chop, etc.) and add the potatoes, onion, carrots, and garlic to the same pot we used before. You can add more oil if there's not enough left over.
Saute the vegetables for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.


Add the beef back into the pot with the vegetables, along with 4 cups of beef stock.
You're going to let this cook for about an hour.

Take photos with your friends while you're waiting!


After you make sure your beef and vegetables are cooked through, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix to thicken the stew (I added a little more to make it more gravy-like). Add salt and pepper to taste.


We have made beef stew before, which was similar to this, but the Easy Beef Stew recipe seemed to be a lot quicker than the stew we had made before. It was delicious. It had been a beautiful, chilly day and it was just the right thing to warm us up!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

1 box vanilla cake mix
14 oz pumpkin puree
1 cup water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 block cream cheese

Directions:


Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Mix everything except the cream cheese in a bowl. We would recommend using a whisk to get the clumps out. 
 

Pose with your bowl of muffin batter.

Spray a muffin tin and fill each section to about 3/4ths full. 
Cut up your cream cheese into little squares and push down into each muffin.


Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you stab it. :)



These muffins were so yummy. They were super moist and not too sweet. There was just enough pumpkin in it to taste it, but not overpower the muffin. The cream cheese gives it a nice savory aspect. I would definitely recommend these for thanksgiving if you don't feel like making a pumpkin pie!


Stay tuned for our next post to learn how to make a drink that will warm your bones and save you money!