Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

To me, one of the quintessential treats for the fall season is the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte.  Call it cliche', but nothing welcomes fall quite like the first sip of this spicy drink.  It's seasonal and makes me want to jump in the air and click my heels whilst proclaiming "it's fall!"  Yes, I just used the word "whilst".  The problem with this delicious drink is a) it's too freaking expensive b) they add all these artificially flavored syrups and c) it tends to be too sweet for my liking.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and the result is delicious.

Machu Picchu Energy Bars

A couple of weeks ago I was contemplating where to book my annual trip and ideas like Thailand, Colombia, and an American road trip were all top contenders for the job.  After reading an article on Machu Picchu I promptly booked a ticket to Peru and started planning my adventure.  There are a lot of ways to get to Machu Picchu and I decided on a 5 day/ 4 night hike that is most assuredly going to kick my ass.  Several reviewers and sites said you should be sure to bring snacks to help maintain your energy and keep you alert along the way.  I came up with these energy bars to be a part of my snack inventory for the long and challenging road ahead.  They are delicious and healthy and I can see myself consuming them while lying on the floor of my tent in the fetal position contemplating why the hell I ever decided to do this to myself.  All jokes aside, I'm really looking forward to the trip and I'm sure the trip will be well worth the challenge of getting through it.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Fall is one of my favorite seasons both from a culinary standpoint and otherwise.  The crisp days, the warm colors, and the spicy flavors evoke an overall warmth that makes me truly enjoy this season.  It's been years since we've had a true fall in New York, and so far the weather this year has been perfect.

Incredible Olive Oil and Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread is like crack....no it's worse than crack because I can say no to crack but I can't refuse a slice of this delicious dessert.  I developed this recipe by making a bunch of changes to a basic recipe I found, and the result was that I ended up eating about 1/2 of it in one sitting.  Don't judge.  If it helps you/me feel less guilty then I'll mention that it uses olive oil instead of butter and half of the flour is whole wheat.

AMAZING S'mores Ice Cream

I saw a recipe for toasted marshmallow ice cream and I thought it would be amazing to go that extra step and turn it into a S'mores flavored treat.  The result is a creamy ice cream with the smoky flavor of toasted marshmallows, the crunch of crispy graham crackers, and a smooth ribbon of rich chocolate fudge.  I made this the other day with my friend Monika as my sous chef, and we watched some shark week while the ice cream was churning.  The perfect end to a day.  Thanks Monika!

My favorite thing to make!

Whenever anyone hears you're a chef they automatically ask you "what's your favorite thing to make?"  Read this post for the answer... (or just look at the above picture ;-)