The Aqua Owl

 Inspired by my neighbor Vicki, I decided to try and concoct my own version of this delicious latte. I made quite a mess of the kitchen... But what I came up with tasted very close to Starbucks.   Actually, I think mine was better!  :) Pumpkin Spice Latte Ingredients: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed) 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or allspice a few shakes of nutmeg Strong brewed coffee Milk (I used 1.5% cow's milk...but soy, almond or coconut milk would work too) Bring water to a boil in saucepan.  Add brown sugar and turn heat down to low.  Sugar should quickly dissolve, and then add the rest of the ingredients.  I let mine sit on the burner for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.  You could pour it through a cheesecloth/double paper towel, but I chose to leave mine "as is".  I poured my milk in a microwavable measuring cup ( I used 1/2 cup ) and nuked it for ...

Yesterday morning, after dropping the kids off at school, I went next door to my neighbor Vicki's house. She was serving homemade pumpkin spiced lattes, cinnamon strudel, and hosting a "Toddler Craft Swap". This is an idea she got from another blog, the rigneys.   Each activity needed to meet the following criteria: S elf-contained .  This way, you can just grab a bag and GO! (without having to add a number of supplies to the bag in order to make it useful.) T ransportable.   Yes, they will definitely be used at home, but I want to be able to grab a few bags to take to a restaurant, a waiting room, plane trips, car rides, etc. C onvenient .  None of the bags will have supplies that require major set-up  or  clean-up: (no paint, watercolors, liquids, sand, dirt, etc.) I nexpensive . I didn’t want anyone spending too much money on this project! Easy to Make:  I didn’t want anyone spending hours and hours and hours making their activity. Re-usa...