Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup + Cold Brew Coffee Method | thepajamachef.com

My Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup recipe has been submitted for the Steviva Blogger Recipe Challenge. Product samples received in exchange for posting this recipe as part of the recipe challenge. #steviva #sweetandeasy

Pumpkin season. Just those two words make me superrr excited! I know, I know. Just like every other girl out there. #oops #sorrynotsorry But I’ve been a pumpkin (and pumpkin spice!) fan long before Starbucks made a fortune selling $6 sugar-laden pumpkin spice lattes. Though I love pumpkin spice lattes, iced coffees, and the like from a wide variety of chain and local coffee shops, I always have fun dabbling in similar coffee drinks at home. I don’t have an espresso maker (yet!) but my pumpkin spice creamer has been a fall staple the past few years. However, I think I’ve stumbled on something better.

Enter: Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup. I’ve made a simple pumpkin spice syrup before but something was missing… oh, that’s right: enough pumpkin! Not so in this coffee syrup. There’s half a cup of pumpkin puree in this syrup! Don’t be scared, guys… the puree melts together perfectly with the Nectevia Original and water to make a delicious syrup to stir into your coffee. For the “spice” part I added a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and also infused some fresh rosemary in the syrup as it cooled. Perfection!

Serving possibilities for this syrup are endless! I enjoyed my Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup with cold brew coffee and almond milk (because the weather this fall in Nashville has been a little more reminiscent of summer, ahem…). But I think it would also be great with some espresso and cream if you can make that happen in your life, or just regular coffee. Or chai! Or heck, it could even be great drizzled over pancakes or ice cream. Pumpkin ice cream plus pumpkin spice coffee syrup?? Ohhhh yes, please! (Now I’m starting to question the name of this recipe.)

No matter how you serve it, this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup is sure to make your fall a little tastier. Oh, and I did want to mention something real quick: I created this recipe as part of a recipe contest for Steviva. (If you want, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, and Instagram.) I don’t have much experience cooking and baking with stevia products but it has been so fun experimenting with them. I totally understand though that dietary needs and preferences can vary, so I did include some other sweetener options in the recipe below… but check out Nectevia Original if you can–it’s a great blend of stevia and blue agave and has 1/4 the calories, carbs and sugars of regular agave, or table sugar. I was impressed with it! Hope you enjoy!!

one year ago: Banana Espresso Chocolate Crumb Cake
two years ago: Coconut Oil Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
three years ago: Asian Turkey Meatballs with Carrot Rice
four years ago: Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheese
five years ago: No Bake Tropical Energy Bites
six years ago: Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
seven years ago: Pillow Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

Servings: approximately 8 ounces
Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup Nectevia Original
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2-1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I used a full tablespoon but some may prefer the spice to be a little less intense.)
2 sprigs rosemary

Directions:

Stir together Nectevia Original, water, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add rosemary, then continue to cook until mixture is bubbly but not quite boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4-5 minutes until mixture reduces and thickens. Remove from heat, and then let rest for 20 minutes to to continue to infuse rosemary. After 20 minutes, remove rosemary sprigs and discard.

Transfer syrup into a glass jar, cover, and store in the refrigerator. Syrup should keep one to two weeks.

I enjoy stirring a couple tablespoons of Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup stirred into cold brew coffee (method below!) and unsweetened almond milk. Adjust the amount of syrup to taste!

Notes: Nectevia Original is a liquid blend of stevia and blue agave. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute regular sugar or brown sugar, as well as other sweeteners like honey, agave, stevia, or maple syrup. I’ve made simple syrups with white sugar, brown sugar, and honey all with great results in the past. I’ve also done a combination of those sweeteners plus agave or maple syrup. Your choice!

Cold Brew Coffee

Servings: 32 ounces
Time: up to 24 hours
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup coffee, medium-grind is best
4 cups cold water

Directions:

Stir together coffee and cold water. I like to do this in a large measuring cup, but a jar or French press would work too.

This ratio of coffee to water is not super concentrated but you can increase the amount of coffee while keeping the water amount constant if desired.

Cover and let rest at least overnight, but optimally 12-24 hours. This can be done at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Strain mixture in one of the following ways:

pour into a French press and press as usual to strain.
a cheesecloth or coffee filter set inside a mesh sieve, with coffee draining into a measuring cup, jar, etc. You may need to strain coffee twice using this method to remove all grounds and silt.

I find it easiest to use my French press but either way works!

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Serve with milk, half and half, sweetener, etc. as desired.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Healthier Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

October 9, 2017October 7, 2017 Sarah

Comforting and homey, poppy seed chicken casserole is a classic–and for good reason! This makeover recipe is a *little* healthier thanks to a (simple) homemade cream of chicken soup and the addition of greek yogurt instead of all that sour cream.

Comforting and homey, poppy seed chicken casserole is a classic--and for good reason! This makeover recipe is a *little* healthier thanks to a (simple) homemade cream of chicken soup and the addition of greek yogurt instead of all that sour cream.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole wasn’t something I grew up with. In fact, I had already graduated from college the first time I remember eating it! My husband made it for me when we were dating. 🙂 What a guy, I know. In my recent quest for simplifying the dinner routine, I’ve been putting some easy meals on our menu plan that I can prep on the weekend and stick in the oven after getting home from work. Casseroles are an easy choice for this–but so many have tons of butter, weird gloppy cans of soup, and other things I prefer not to eat (regularly).

SO I decided to make-over this lovely little dish, healthify it per se. There are tons of recipes online–I didn’t use one in particular, just my memory and the plethora of versions on Allrecipes. Usually they call for some cooked chicken, sour cream, a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, poppy seeds, Ritz crackers, and butter. Good and all, but lots of sodium, MSG, and fat. Okay once in awhile but not all the time, please. Especially since I’ll be serving this to my cute little boy (and his daddy)! I know this isn’t the healthiest dinner–but it’s better than the original! And still pretty easy: I made a quick homemade condensed cream of chicken soup using simple pantry ingredients: butter, flour, chicken broth, milk, and seasoning… then I subbed some of the sour cream for greek yogurt, added herbs for color and flavor, and a bed of rice to bulk it up. We eat so many dinners with rice that this addition was only natural! I think quinoa, farro, or some other grain would be equally tasty.

Since this casserole doesn’t include any veggies, be sure to add some on the side. I steamed some frozen broccoli in the microwave, tbh. Part of me didn’t want to take pictures of this dish with my frozen broccoli since it’s pretty obvious (and do you see my leftover naan too? Had to fill up the plate somehow, ha!). BUT guys… this is #reallife. And there’s nothing wrong with frozen veggies! 🙂 Better frozen, than none at all, I say. Green beans, broccoli, carrots… all would be great here! Salad–whether fresh or bagged–would be great too. These days, making a salad from scratch is the last thing I want to do after work. I can’t tell you how many heads of lettuce I’ve tossed (and I hate that). I didn’t mean to digress into this–and this is for ME TOO–get your veggies as you can… frozen, fresh, canned. Enjoy! 🙂

Comforting and homey, poppy seed chicken casserole is a classic--and for good reason! This makeover recipe is a *little* healthier thanks to a (simple) homemade cream of chicken soup and the addition of greek yogurt instead of all that sour cream.

one year ago: Kale and Brown Rice Gratin
two years ago: Crockpot Barbacoa
three years ago: Baked Caramel Apple Mini Doughnuts
four years ago: Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup
five years ago: Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
six years ago: Pumpkin Spread
seven years ago: Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Healthier Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Servings: 8
Time: 60 minutes
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Ingredients:

for homemade condensed cream of chicken soup from A Pinch of Healthy

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk, slightly warmed or at room temperature if possible (I’ve used anything from whole to skim – it thickens best with whole but anything is fine, really!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper
dried herbs like oregano, basil, parsley, etc. if desired

for casserole

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
3 cups liquid – I used half chicken broth and half water
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken – use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or just bake/poach/cook some chicken
10 ounces greek yogurt
6 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
fresh or dried herbs, like rosemary, oregano, basil, etc. if desired
1 sleeve buttery crackers – like Ritz, approximately 32 crackers
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Begin by preparing rice according to package directions. I like to make rice with half chicken broth and half water for extra flavor.

Then, start making the homemade condensed cream of chicken soup. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute, stirring continually. Slowly pour in chicken broth and milk, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, cooking until mixture begins to thicken – about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic powder, pepper, and herbs. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish, or any similar size casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, greek yogurt, and prepared homemade cream of chicken soup. Stir together then mix in poppy seeds and herbs, if desired. I like to use a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and some oregano.

When rice is cooked, spread in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with chicken mixture.

In a small bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Enjoy!

Note:

Casserole can be prepared in advance. Just wait until you’re ready to bake to add the cracker topping.

Do you know how to make rest a reality? For Christians, Sabbath rest is what God calls us to and what He wants for us... but it's hard. This book is a great read on Sabbath rest--it is practical, encouraging, and challenging all in one! I highly recommend it! Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller

Reviews

Book Review: Rhythms of Rest

October 8, 2017October 7, 2017 Sarah

Do you know how to make rest a reality? For Christians, Sabbath rest is what God calls us to and what He wants for us… but it’s hard. This book, Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller, is a great read on Sabbath rest–it is practical, encouraging, and challenging all in one! I highly recommend it!

A description of the book from the publisher:

“This book breaks all your preconceived notions about Sabbath.”–Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker

This book is for anyone who is weary–who longs for rest but doesn’t know how to make it a reality. Shelly Miller, a sought-after mentor on Sabbath-keeping, shows how even busy people can implement a rhythm of rest into their lives–from small windows of time to a whole morning or day. With encouraging stories from people in different stages in life, Miller shares practical advice for not only finding physical refreshment but also restoring your soul. You will learn:

· Simple ways to be intentional about rest
· Ideas for tuning out distractions and tuning in to God
· How meals and other times with friends and family can be Sabbath experiences

Sabbath is a gift from God to be embraced, not a spiritual hoop to jump through. Discover how genuine rest is possible today.

“Shelly Miller writes from her soul–one that has been seekingrest in the midst of heavy transition and the busyness of life. What you learn will help you love God more deeply.”–Margaret Feinberg, author of Live Loved and Fight Back With Joy

As usual, my five point review:

When you think about the concept of Sabbath, what are your initial reactions? I don’t think American Christians practice Sabbath very well. I know I don’t–though I have tried to change routines of my week so that things like grocery shopping and cleaning don’t get pushed to Sundays after church. When I’ve talked to my friends about Sabbath, words that come up often include legalistic, difficult, rigid. What I love about Rhythms of Rest is that Shelly Miller encourages us, as Christians, to push back against these notions and embrace the rest of Sabbath through grace.
What exactly does that mean, embracing the rest of Sabbath through grace? Miller encourages flexibility and grace with the hows of Sabbath in your life. She doesn’t read the Bible as saying that we need to do x, y, and z to experience and practice Sabbath rest. As I am rereading that, I realize that could look to some as a misinterpretation of scripture… but I don’t think it is. The timing of your Sabbath can vary depending on your profession, family life, and weekly schedule. God isn’t legalistic and His call to rest may vary depending on your stage of life: caring for babies can’t stop on Sundays, after all. Those in ministry work on Sundays, so their day of rest should be a different day. The author gives lots of great examples of how you can rest in Sabbath, and also encourages you to seek God to see how He is calling you to do so.
The examples are one of the best parts of this book. Each chapter includes various stories and situations (many gleaned from the author’s Sabbath Society) about Sabbath rest, challenges, and suggestions. The suggestions are simple (move your chores to Saturday, make soup on Saturday to eat on Sunday, etc.) but they are powerful: great illustrations of how one act can set the stage for rest.
The end of the book has a section with questions for each chapter. I think these questions could be used in a variety of ways: a Bible study or small group (maybe even read some of the scripture passages in each chapter to enhance your discussion), personal journaling, family conversation… lots of options! Though Miller provides simple suggestions for change, these questions are not simple–many are deep and thought-provoking.
My one caution with the book has to do with how the author interprets the hows and whys of hard life situations, like miscarriage and illness. She shares so many personal stories from her own life (like her desire to move to London) and from her friends, acquaintances, and participants in her Sabbath Society. Her understanding and explanation of the situations can be a little harsh and perhaps(!) not entirely Biblical. At the very least, her views, to me, are not theologically sound and could be discouraging, triggering, or offensive to some people. I’m not saying she’s right or wrong–it’s hard to know without more information. But putting them in print seems a little iffy to me, and was my one hang up with the book. Overall though, I found Rhyhms of Rest to be encouraging and challenging. I would definitely recommend it to others.

To sum it up…

Following God’s call to Sabbath has become something I have felt more convicted about in recent years, especially since the birth of my son. My husband and I work full time so it’s hard to get everything done around the house AND spend quality time as a family on the weekend AND carve out space for the Lord. I’ve especially been thinking about how I want to model my faith for my son. I think practicing Sabbath and teaching rest is so important.

Recently I read an article about Sabbath that has GREAT suggestions for celebrating the Sabbath with kids. Many of them will have to wait until my son is older, but some are still doable now. I’m going to close with a quote included in that article that has really stuck with me.

“Did it ever occur to you, as a parent that between the birth and the age of twenty-one years there are three solid years of Sundays — an amount of time almost equal to the number of years given to an entire course of college training? The Creator has not laid upon parents the responsibilities of parenthood without giving them ample time and opportunity to discharge these obligations to Him, to themselves, and to their children.”

— Sylvanus Stall, D.D.

Things to think about! Even though the reality of implementing rest is challenging, it is so important! I’d love to hear your thoughts about Sabbath in the comments.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Menu Plans

Halloween Recipes for October!

September 30, 2017September 29, 2017 Sarah

Wow, it’s almost October! Do you celebrate Halloween? I have to admit, I’m not very into the holiday… just not my thing. I’m sure when my little man is old enough for trick or treating, I’ll be a little more interested in it. But for now, no thanks. Nevertheless, this month’s recipe roundup is full of yummy Halloween treats. So creative! Enjoy!

All The Desserts

Boo-tterscotch M&M Cookies – Kelly Lynn’s Sweets & Treats

Spooky chocolate chip spider cookies – Savory Moments

Candy Corn Pretzel Bites – The Pajama Chef

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies – The Cooking Actress

Under The Sea Snack Mix – Pies and Plots

White Chocolate-Raspberry Eyeball Cupcakes – The Spiffy Cookie

Pumpkin Chocolate Whoopie Cookies – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck

This month’s recipe round up was brought to you by:

Pin this to your meal planning board for easy access all month long!

When God Made You - a book review on thepajamachef.com #bloggingforbooks #bookreview

Reviews

Book Review: When God Made You

September 21, 2017September 20, 2017 Sarah

Read on to learn about a wonderful children’s book, When God Made You. I know we’ll read this over and over and over again to our little one! I received a complementary copy from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

A description of the book from the publisher:

YOU, you… God thinks about you.
God was thinking of you long before your debut.

From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.

Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God’s divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves.

‘Cause when God made YOU, somehow God knew
That the world needed someone exactly like you!

As usual, my five point review:

What a QUALITY book. Christian kids’ books are always a toss up in terms of quality and imagination… sometimes they try too hard to incorporate scripture and therefore lose their audience–but the quality of the story here is just great. Obviously from the title you can tell that it’s a faith-based story… but that doesn’t mean you lose anything. The story as well as the construction of the book means it’ll be appreciated and read for years to come.
What a BEAUTIFUL book. You’re always told to “not just a book by the cover.” But we’re human–we do. Oops! The illustrations in this book are gorgeous and really engaging with kids–you can find samples on the Amazon page (p.s. not an affiliate link). David Catrow did a great job! Even though my son doesn’t have the attention span (yet) to read/listen to every word on every page, he loves looking at the beautiful drawings. Pointing to the little girl dancing is his favorite so far.
What a FUN book. The rhymes, the illustrations, everything just draws you in. My son is one and while he loves books, whether he will enjoy reading a book that I won’t let him eat, wave in the air, or otherwise play with (aka anything that’s not a board book!) is a toss up. When we’ve read this book, he’s engaged and interested. Sure, we sometimes skip ahead a few pages to find his favorite pictures, but that’s to be expected. I’m just impressed that he stays engaged with as much of it as he does. Kudos to Matthew Paul Turner!
My only complaint about this book is how repetitive it is. Some parts seem almost word for word identical. I guess that’s the style though. A few of the rhymes seem awkward to read aloud too, but that’s not a huge deal for me.
All in all, this is a great book that families will enjoy reading again and again. It has a wonderful message and great illustrations. This would be a great gift–baby showers, birthdays, Christmas, you name it!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to for the chance to read this great book!