Pumpkin spice latte made at home!
Happy Literary Friday and National Coffee Day, My Lovelies! This week I read How To Find Love In a Bookshop by Veronica Henry, but before I share my review, I want to share my recipe for making Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
1 T Pureed Pumpkin
1 T Vanilla Extract
3 t Maple Syrup
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1/8 t cake spice
1 c whole milk
(You will need a shot of espresso for later)
Procedure:
Whisk together above ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until mixed well. Heat until steam starts to rise, and continue to whisk frequently as the milk mixture heats-up.
Once mixture is warm, steamy, and frothy, turn off heat. Now it's time to make your espresso.
Now that your espresso is ready, add the milk mixture. Stir in sugar to taste.
This is an action shot!
I wanted to do a little taste comparison from my "competitor." Starbucks' PSL is sweeter than mine, but mine is spicier, and I could sweeten it more if I wanted with more sugar.
I love Starbucks' PSL but it's good to be able to make it at home sometimes.
Serves One!
NOTE: Cake spice is often used in coffee cake, and I think it mixes well with PSL. I use Penzeys cake spice. If you don't have any, just substitute pumpkin pie spice. But you must have pumpkin pie spice for the recipe to work! Also, make sure you use puréed pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling.
Now on to my book review....
According to Goodreads:
The enchanting story of a bookshop, its grieving owner, a supportive literary community, and the extraordinary power of books to heal the heart
Nightingale Books, nestled on the main street in an idyllic little village, is a dream come true for book lovers--a cozy haven and welcoming getaway for the literary-minded locals. But owner Emilia Nightingale is struggling to keep the shop open after her beloved father's death, and the temptation to sell is getting stronger. The property developers are circling, yet Emilia's loyal customers have become like family, and she can't imagine breaking the promise she made to her father to keep the store alive.
There's Sarah, owner of the stately Peasebrook Manor, who has used the bookshop as an escape in the past few years, but it now seems there's a very specific reason for all those frequent visits. Next is roguish Jackson, who, after making a complete mess of his marriage, now looks to Emilia for advice on books for the son he misses so much. And the forever shy Thomasina, who runs a pop-up restaurant for two in her tiny cottage--she has a crush on a man she met in the cookbook section, but can hardly dream of working up the courage to admit her true feelings.
Enter the world of Nightingale Books for a serving of romance, long-held secrets, and unexpected hopes for the future--and not just within the pages on the shelves. How to Find Love in a Bookshop is the delightful story of Emilia, the unforgettable cast of customers whose lives she has touched, and the books they all cherish.
My Review:
I saw this book in my local indie bookshop, and I just had to have it because I'm a sucker for books about bookshops. If I had all the money in the world, I'd build myself a little bookshop with a coffee/cake cafe attached and play all day! ;P
How To Find Love In a Bookshop starts out a little slow. The backstory at the beginning is about Emilia's father Julius and his whirlwind love affair with Emilia's impulsive mother, Rebecca. This is necessary to set-up Emilia's current predicament, and it also sheds some light on Julius's character. Next, several characters and their backstories are introduced; this novel is a collection of narratives surrounding Nightingale Books. Once all the stories are set-up, then the plot thickens and things move along quickly. (This book reminds me of the movie Love, Actually because of the loosely related stories.)
Briefly, the narratives include: a senior Oscar-winning actor whose long ago "fling" arranges a tell-all book signing at Nightingale Books; a young couple copes with parenthood and lifestyle change from London to the sleepy village of Peasebrook; a young man is torn because he's tasked with influencing Emilia to sell the shop, yet he yearns to be a better man and win back the love of his life; a shy home economics teacher is crushing on the village cheesemonger; the young lady of the manor is about to be married, and her close (male) friend who works for the estate is not happy; and Emilia has a crush on a musician who is totally out of her reach. My favorite thing about the book is that so many of the characters are flawed in an endearing way, and all learn and grow, becoming better people. That's what books are supposed to do: teach us something about ourselves and our world, enabling us to flourish.
If you enjoy books with an ensemble cast, several intersecting plot lines, and a little romance, then you will enjoy How To Find Love In a Bookshop. As this story builds to the Christmas season, it would be a wonderful companion to a hot drink, a warm fire, and a cozy chair by a Christmas tree!
Until next time...
Happy reading!
Ricki Jill
It sounds delightful, I will add it to my list! Have a lovely weekend RJ!
ReplyDeleteYummy coffee RJ. And, a perfect companion to this delightful book. It sounds really sweet and a good read...Happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recipe, sounds good. I like the book too and will look for it. I got my Faerie magazine yesterday and love it. I would not have known about it if I did not read your post. Thanks so much for posting about it.
ReplyDelete