Fall is in the air and although it's been a much colder season than most would like, winter is not officially here yet. Therefore, there’s still time to enjoy those spiced autumn beverages that we’ve all been craving since last fall. There are certain flavours, spices and seasonings that are heavily associated with the season of fall. Today, I will showcase two of my favourite hot beverage recipes that I believe make the season of fall bearable.
First up is a Pumpkin Smoothie recipe. Now many people may think that smoothies are more of summer drink and certainly don’t associate them with cooler temperatures. However, just because its cold outside doesn't mean you can’t enjoy that delicious puree of mysterious mixtures! Besides, anything with pumpkin in the title automatically screams two things, Halloween and Thanksgiving. The Pumpkin Smoothie is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t require half a ton of ingredients. It also only has 155 calories and is a good source of protein. If you’re a die-hard pumpkin fan than the Pumpkin Smoothie is just what you need to get through those dreary fall days.
Pumpkin Smoothie
Ingredients
1 can or 16 ounces of pumpkin puree
2 cups of milk
¼ cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Place your pumpkin puree in a tightly sealed freezer bag. Then proceed to freeze the puree for 24 hours.
2. Heat the bag of pumpkin puree for 2 minutes on high in the microwave.
3. Pour the milk into a blender. Then proceed to add the ground cinnamon, brown sugar and heated pumpkin puree. Blend until smooth and enjoy.
Sometimes the cool fall breeze brings on the desire to have a warmer beverage than a smoothie. One of the best drinks to warm you up is tea. While students are continuously locked in the debate of coffee versus tea, there is nothing more smoothing on a chilly fall day than a large glass of Hot Cranberry Tea. This delicious fall treat has a nice kick to it and is low in sodium.
Hot Cranberry Tea
Ingredients
3 ½ quarts of water
1 package or 12 ounces of cranberries
2 cups of white sugar
2 whole oranges, juiced
2 whole lemons, juiced
12 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
Directions
1. In a large pot combine the water and the cranberries
2. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium, simmer for 30 minutes
3. Add the sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
4. Cover and let ingredients soak for 1 hour. Serve warm.
On a cool fall day nothing beats a seasonal beverage. Whether your holding onto summer with a Pumpkin Smoothie or embracing the change with a Hot Cranberry Tea you’ll be looking at fall with open eyes. These two recipes are both easy, inexpensive and relatively quick to make. If you find yourself with time to spare this season fire up the blender and get a taste of fall.