Cozy Pumpkin Spice Recipes

With September comes fall, and you know what that means. Pumpkin s p i c e everything! I’m a huge pumpkin fan - not only for the flavour, but for the health benefits too. It’s incredible for your skin with a ton of Vitamin A, great for your immune system, and my dog loves it too! I’ve included some of my favourite fall drinks below - both hot and cold - and trust me, you’re going to want to try these! So. much. yum.

Pumpkin Oat Milk Cream Iced Coffee

For the coffee

• 1 Iced Nespresso pod (I like Freddo Delicato)

• Ice

For the oat milk cream

• 1/3 cup unsweetened oat milk of your choice

• 1 tbsp organic pumpkin puree (canned)

• 1/2 tsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

• Dash of fine Himalayan pink salt

Directions

1. Brew your cold brew or iced espresso as you like it. Some add maple syrup to their coffee, but I prefer it black, as the foam is sweet enough for me. Make sure it’s cold enough before you move onto your foam.

2. Place all of your cream ingredients into your milk frother and froth on the cold setting. I’m absolutely obsessed with my electric frother, because it works like a charm for hot or cold foam, and it’s sooo aesthetically pleasing!

3. Top your iced coffee with your cold pumpkin cream, and garnish with a little more pumpkin pie spice. Throw a straw in, and prepare to sip your new favourite drink!

Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Latte

Ingredients

• 1 Nespresso pod of your choice (brewed latte size)

• 1/2 cup oat milk

• 1.5 tbsp organic pumpkin puree (canned)

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Dash of Himalayan pink salt

Directions

1. Brew your espresso as usual, then place remaining ingredients into your milk frother on the hot setting.

2. Once frothed to your liking, top your espresso with your hot milk, and garnish with extra pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup oat milk

• 1 scoop Cookies and Cream or Vanilla protein powder (unflavoured if you like it less sweet)

• 1 frozen banana

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• Ice

Let me know if you try these recipes - I’d love to see your creations!

xo

Linnea

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Fresh Mint Mojito

My herb garden is up and running, and you know what that means… mojito season! I had a book club hangout on Zoom the other night, so it was the perfect opportunity to make a fresh “skinny” cocktail. It turned out so delicious that I thought I’d share it with you!

For 1 Cocktail…

Ingredients

• Handful of fresh mint (roughly 10 leaves)

• 1.5 tsp monkfruit sweetener

• 1 lime, cut into wedges (save 1 for garnish)

• 2 oz. New Wave Distilling Bride’s Tears (or clear liquor of your choice)

• Ice

• Sparkling water (SodaStream is where it’s at!)

Directions

1. Since we’re only making one cocktail, you can skip the cocktail shaker and make your drink directly in your glass. Muddle lime wedges, fresh mint, monkfruit sweetener and Bride’s Tears. If you wanted to add additional flavours to your Mojito, this is the step to do it! Fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries are delicious ideas.

2. Fill your glass with ice, and finish with sparkling water. Give your drink a good stir, garnish with lime, and you’re set! Cheers.

If you give this recipe a go, let me know! I’d love to see what you create.

xo

Linnea

Mediterranean Linguine

Once an Earls girl, always an Earls girl. Having worked there for over 5 years, one of my faaavourite dishes of all time is Mediterranean Linguine. I used to eat this pasta way more than I’d like to admit, so once I left the restaurant industry, I tried to master the craft of making it at home. And to this day, I still love to make it, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to share the recipe!

Even though I have the Earls cookbook, I actually prefer this version of the recipe better, if I do say so myself. Plus, this one has vino in it, so… is it even a competition? This recipe yields about 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 3 1/2 cups whole tomatoes (I use either Hunts Heirloom Tomatoes or San Marzano Tomatoes)

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes

• ¼ cup thinly sliced jarred roasted red peppers

• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

• 3/4 pound linguine

• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

• 1/2 cup chopped basil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon chili flakes

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet, and add a little bit of the garlic. Next, in your blender of choice, blend 2 cups of your whole tomatoes, the white wine and remaining garlic in a blender. Add your puree to the fragrant oil, and simmer until it becomes a thick sauce - about 5 minutes on medium-high heat (I like reducing it rather than adding a starch to thicken it)!

2. While that’s simmering, let’s boil some pasta! Because I like to save time, I actually use my SMEG kettle to boil water a little faster than the stove… it really does save time! Follow the directions of your favourite linguine, and some salt to your water, and cook until el dente - tender but firm.

3. Next, add the olives, tomatoes, peppers, parsley, basil, and balsamic vinegar to the sauce in the skillet over medium-high heat. Crush the remaining whole tomatoes with your hands, and add them to the sauce, along with the lemon zest, chili flakes, and half of the feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add your cooked pasta, and toss in sauce. Feel free to add reserved pasta water to the sauce if it’s too dry.

5. Finally, serve your pasta mounded high in a bowl, and top with remaining feta and parsley. Mangia! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

xo

Linnea

Healthy Spirulina Smoothie

I’ve always had a love of smoothies, dating back to my ill-equipped Magic Bullet days when it was the best smoothie blender on the market (my how times have changed)! To make them as satiating as possible, always make sure to include Kelly LeVeque’s Fab 4: greens, protein, healthy fat, and fibre. Also try to avoid fruit, but if you must include it, keep it to 1/4 to 1/2 cup per smoothie (I’m guilty of breaking this rule all the time). If you have those elements, there’s no reason this can’t be your entire meal!

I usually stick to a simple Banana Cacao Spinach smoothie, but lately, this recipe has been my go-to, and it’s hands-down my favourite smoothie of all time. The combination of flavours is so incredible!! Somehow the protein mixed with the sour lemon and raspberry just kicks it up 5 notches and bam... smoothie of your dreams. Here’s what you need:

• 1/2 cup or handful of frozen raspberries (this is key for the tartness)

• Optional 1/2 frozen banana (for creaminess; omit for lower sugar)

• 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach (or as much as you want)

• 1/2 lemon, squeezed

• 1 tbsp almond butter (your healthy fat)

• 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (your protein)

• 1 tbsp organic spirulina powder (extra greens with more vitamins, yay!)

• 1 tsp organic chia seeds (your fibre)

• 2 tbsp collagen

• 1/2 cup cold water

Blend everything up, top it off with your favourite toppings (I like chia, hemp, cacao and lavender), and you’re good to go! Let me know if you try this - I can’t get enough!

xo

Linnea

Grapefruit Margarita with a Twist

Now that the sunshine and heat has been sticking around for awhile now (hellooooo patio season!), I thought it’d be the perfect time to share a new cocktail recipe. I’ve always loved grapefruits, so it’s no surprise that I love them mixed in cocktails! This is one of the most refreshing cocktails I’ve ever made, so enjoy :)

Ingredients

For 2 cocktails

4 oz of your fave tequila

2 freshly squeezed grapefruits

1/2 oz simple syrup (optional)

Grapefruit sparkling water to top off the drink

Sprinkle of tajine spice

Sea salt flakes

Directions

Step 1:

Cut a grapefruit wedge to rim the circumference of the glasses, then roll them with sea salt flakes and tajine.

Step 2:

Combine ice, tequila, grapefruit juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake until the mixture is cold.

Step 3:

Fill your glasses with ice, then strain the mixture into the salted glass. Finish with a splash of grapefruit sparkling water, a sprinkle of tajine, and garnish with grapefruit slices. Give the drink a light stir and voila, enjoy!

xo

Linnea

My Favourite Green Smoothie

Smoothies have always been one of my favourite treats/meals/snacks/the works - so much so that I’m almost guaranteed to have one per day, depending on my other meals. Because I love my green smoothies so much, here’s one of my favourite recipes!

 Ingredients

• 1 handful of spinach

• 1 handful of frozen raspberries (for a little tart kick)

• 1/2 to 1 frozen banana (to make you happy and make the smoothie creamy)

• ½ lemon, squeezed (to make sure you absorb the iron in the spinach)

• 1/4 avocado (for healthy fat)

• 1 scoop of maca powder (for energy)

• 1 scoop of moringa powder (for extra dose of greens)

• 1 scoop Vital Proteins collagen powder

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions

Dump all the ingredients into a blender (liquid last) and blend!

Happy smoothie-making!

xo

Linnea

Homemade Hot Mocha

Homemade hot chocolate has always been a favourite treat of mine that both my dad and grandma are famous for making, and I love it especially during the holidays. But you know what makes it even better? Having it in the morning with a beautiful shot of caffeine mixed in. So. Damn. Good. Here’s my vegan twist on their old fashioned hot chocolate!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coconut palm sugar (or sugar of your choice)

• 1.5 tsp cocoa

• 1 nespresso pod (small shot) 

• Almond milk, frothed

Directions

1. Mix the sugar and cocoa together. Add a splash of almond milk, and form a paste with the mixture.

2. Once throroughly mixed, add your espresso shot to the paste, and stir until completely dissolved. In the meantime, froth your almond milk!

3. Top your chocolatey-espresso mixture with your frothed milk, garnish with your favourite marshmallows, and you’re set! Feels like a warm hug from Grandma, doesn’t it?!

xo

Linnea

Cranberry Rosé Fizz Cocktails

Good morning, happy Tuesday! Coming at you with a festive cranberry rosé fizz cocktail! It’s the perfect bevvy to serve at your holiday parties,  with a “splash” of cran and just a dash of H2O in there to give you some extra hydration (because let’s face it, we all need more of that)! Let’s get to the recipe.

Ingredients

Yield: 2 servings

• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce  

• 8 oz. rosé

• Sparkling water

• Ice cubes

• Frozen cranberries

• Rosemary sprigs

Directions

In a shaker, add the cranberry sauce, rosé and ice cubes, and give the mixture a vigorous shake.

Strain the mixture evenly between your glasses, and top each glass with sparkling water to give the cocktail a little fizz.

To chill the cocktail, garnish your drink with frozen cranberries, and some fresh rosemary for a festive touch.

Hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you try it; I’d love to see your creations. Happy holiday party-ing!

xo

Linnea

Superfood Breakfast Bowl

When it comes to breakfast, I'm very health conscious. I never skip breakfast, and on weekdays, I’m a creature of habit. I either have my favourite Superfood Spinach smoothie, or more recently, what I like to call a Superfood Breakfast Bowl. My coworker gave me a burcha recipe that I've adapted into this recipe, which is basically a chia pudding on steroids, with every bulk item you can think of. It's super filling, satisfying, vegan, gluten free, and so easy to make!

Here’s what you need for 5 servings throughout the week:

• 3/4 cup chia seeds

• 1/2 cup flax seeds

• 1/2 cup hemp seeds

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup cacao nibs

Toppings:

• 3 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (roughly 2/3 cups per serving)

• 2-3 fresh mangoes

• Dehydrated raspberries

• Lavender buds (optional)

• Cinnamon

• Coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice (optional)

Directions

1. For the dry ingredients, mix everything together in a large bowl.

2. Separate your mixture into 5 mason jars (about 3/4 cups cup per jar).

3. For the few that you’re eating in the next few days, pour 2/3 cups of almond milk into each. Give the mixture a stir, seal the jars and let them sit in the fridge overnight.

4. In the morning, give the mixture a stir, pour it into a bowl, and add a little more almond milk to break up the dense consistency. If you’d like to add extra nutrients like maca powder, turmeric, or protein powder etc. to your bowl, this is the time to do it!

5. Top your mixture with diced fresh mango, dehydrated raspberries (or fruit of your choice), lavender buds (for a nice floral kick) and cinnamon. Feel free to drizzle your bowl with coconut sugar if you want it a little sweeter; I find that the mango is just right for me!

And that really is it - easy peasy healthy breakfast that will help with bloat, and keep you full and energized until lunch time!

Xo

Linnea

Coconut Watermelon Cocktails

Summer has arrived, and it's no better time for a yummy cocktail, all while reaping the hydrating benefits of watermelon! This has been one of my favourite cocktails for quite a few years now, and I finally took the time to take some photos and share the recipe with all of you! Alright, I know you're thirsty, so here we go. 

Ingredients

• Yield: 2 servings
• 3 cups frozen ripe watermelon, diced
• 2.5 oz Coconut Ciroc
• 1/2 cup water (or coconut water, for extra flavour and electrolytes)
• Squeeze of lime

Directions

Pour the vodka, splash of water, and watermelon into a blender, or Nutribullet, if that's what you have on hand like me. Blend, and test out the consistency. If it's too runny, add more watermelon. If it's a little too frothy, it's up to you whether you'd like more vodka or water. I think you know my preference ;)

Nutribullet Pro 900 | Pitcher | Glasses (similar) | Coconut Ciroc | Coconut Water

Et voila! A delicious, hydrating cocktail that's low in sugar, and oh so delicious. It's definitely on repeat as one of my favourite summer cocktails. Let me know if you give it a try!

xo

Linnea

Lavender Lemon Cocktails

It's no secret that I have a major obsession with lavender scented things... and the same goes for lavender flavoured things. Ice cream, kombucha, tea, cookies, bread, cocktails... pretty much anything that has a hint of lavender in it, I will looove. 

And with the sunshine finally making an appearance, it's the perfect time to share my favourite homemade Lavender Lemon cocktail, just in time for patio season. Here we go!

Ingredients

• 1 oz. vodka
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed (I like it tangy, but do this to taste)
• 1 tsp. lavender lemon simple syrup
• 1 can homemade lemon sparkling water (or La Croix)
• Dried lavender, for garnish

Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker, pour 1 to 2 ounces of vodka (depending on what you need that day), followed by some lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup - the star of the show.
2. Add some ice to your shaker and give it a whirl.
3. Top your cocktail glass with your shaker creation, and finish with some lemon sparkling water for a little punch. Tip: if you'd like to add a hint of another flavour, top your cocktail with some mojito mint, and you're set! 

Cheers,

Linnea

Homemade Lavender Kombucha

As my housewarming present, my best friend Megan gave me the perfect gift - my very own kombucha set: scoby, organic cane sugar, black tea, a big jar... literally everything I needed to get my first homemade kombucha batch started. To make the gift even better, she gave me a full tutorial on how to make it the same day! Since then, I've been consuming homemade kombucha regularly, experimenting with different flavours and teas all the while.

If you're not familiar with what kombucha is, it's fermented, fizzy tea. The benefits are endless, as it helps with digestion, boosts your immune system, builds a strong gut, and has a load of b and c vitamins. And when you brew it at home, it couldn't be cheaper. Need I say more?

Since I've been brewing at home for about 8 months now (omg, where did the time go), I thought I'd take you along for a recipe and tutorial for homemade Lavender Kombucha. Here's what you need to get started:

• Large 1-2 gallon glass jar

• Coffee filters or cheesecloth

• Wooden spoon

• Rubber band

• Pitcher

• Strainer

• 4 Swing-top glass bottles

Let's begin by making a batch of original kombucha. You'll need to do this regardless of how you want to flavour it.

Ingredients

• 1 kombucha SCOBY (from a friend's previous batch or store bought)

• 1 gallon filtered water

• 10 organic black tea bags (make sure it's organic without additional flavours)

• 1.5 cups organic golden sugar

Instructions

1. Kombucha is made from bacteria and culture, so make sure you clean and sanitize everything with white vinegar to prevent any mishaps. To begin, boil approximately 1/2 a gallon of water to brew your black tea.

2. Once the water is boiled, pour it into your glass jar and steep the tea bags for at least 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add the sugar and stir well to dissolve.

3. Once the sugar has completely melted, add the remaining 1/2 gallon of cool water and let the mixture cool.

4. Once the tea has cooled completely, carefully place the scoby in the jar with all of the starter liquid that came with your SCOBY. If this is your first batch and you don't have much starter liquid, buy an original flavoured kombucha, and add half a bottle of it to the tea.

5. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or cheesecloth, and seal it with a rubber band. Place it in a dark, relatively warm spot, undisturbed by people or light.

6. And now we let the fermentation begin! Let your kombucha to brew for 1-2 weeks, depending on your preference. The longer you leave it, the stronger it will become.

7. After 1-2 weeks, your kombucha is ready. Carefully remove the scoby (I place mine in a sterilized bowl with some kombucha liquid for my next batch). If you want to leave your kombucha plain, this is the time to transfer your finished product to a pitcher, then swing-cap bottles. You can store it in the fridge for up to 1 month. If you'd like to do a second round of fermentation and flavouring, here's how to do that:

Ingredients for Lavender Kombucha

• 1.5 gallons homemade kombucha (made above)

• 1 cup dried lavender buds

• 8 organic black tea bags

• 1 cup golden sugar

• 1 gallon water

Instructions

1. Boil 1 gallon of water, transfer to a pitcher, and add the teabags and lavender buds.

2. Let the tea steep for roughly 10 minutes, and remove the teabags (not the lavender). Add your sugar, and stir until it's dissolved.

3. Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, combine your prepared kombucha with your lavender tea (you may need to do this in batches with various pitchers/vessels in your home). Once both mixtures are thoroughly combined, pour the mixture into swing-cap bottles, and let them sit in a dark, warm spot for about 3 days.

4. After 3 days, strain your kombucha into a pitcher, and pour the strained kombucha back into the swing-cap bottles (unless you want to strain the lavender out every time you drink it). Your bottles are now ready for refrigeration, and can be stored up to 1 month!

It seems like quite a few steps, but trust me, it's easier than you think. You're basically just making various batches of sweet tea, except the bacteria in the kombucha eats all the sugar up, making a drink that's OH SO good for you! And the best part? Kombucha makes for an incredible cocktail mix :) Interested in more kombucha recipes? Let me know which ones you'd like me to try!

xo

Linnea