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I’m breaking out of my typical work from home articles today and going out on a limb.

I have a confession to make.

I am one of those pumpkin spice obsessed women.

How about you?  If you’ve got an obsession with all things pumpkiny, (new word?) then read on. If you’re not into fall and spices and bonfires and the sweet deliciousness of caramel apples and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, then I’m probably not your cup of pumpkin spice tea. Boo, you scrooge.  #Sorrynotsorry.

I’ve been adding fall scented essential oil blends to my diffuser, lighting lovely scented candles, decorating my home for fall and totally indulging in the season.  Sometimes, when you work from home, you’ve got to spice things up a bit. With pumpkin spice, of course.

This is my favorite go-to anytime snack (or breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for myself and my family. It’s quick, cheap, healthy, and is a multi-faceted recipe as you will see at the end.  If you’re looking to maximize your pumpkin spice potential in a healthy, inexpensive, and streamlined way, then this post is for you!

Here’s the dealio:

*Scroll to the end for a bonus use, and money saving tips!*

Prep time:

5-10 minutes, max.

Servings:

5 cups

Tools Used:

Blendtec Blender 

This thing is the BOMB! I use it several times a day for everything from smoothies to soup, nut butters to pesto, almond milk to bulletproof coffee, hummus, spreads, even mashed potatoes!  I used to make smoothies with a Ninja – but shakes, smoothies, and ice cream don’t turn out the perfect consistency that a Blendtec does.

Ingredients:

12 oz. of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

6 oz. of cold water

3/4 cup of canned pumpkin

3 Tablespoons of Collagen/Gelatin – My new favorite is grass-fed bovine gelatin from Perfect Supplement!

1/2 Teaspoon of Guar Gum

4 shakes of Stevia Extract

3 shakes of Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 shakes of sea salt

3 shakes of vanilla extract

6 ice cubes

Instructions:

Add each ingredient above in the order listed and select the Ice Cream/Milkshake button (90 seconds)

Nutritional information:

250 calories TOTAL for 5 cups (a full blender)

4 grams of fat TOTAL

26 grams of carbs TOTAL (mostly fiber from the pumpkin and guar gum)

32 grams of protein TOTAL

Other fun fall flavor alterations that won’t affect nutritional values:

A shake of liquid smoke

Caramel Extract in place of vanilla.

Maple Extract in place of vanilla.

Apple Extract in place of vanilla.

Rum Extract in place of vanilla.

Cinnamon Extract in place of vanilla.

Or….mix a few of the above extracts and concoct your own version! 

I LOVE the perfect fall combo of maple extract, a shake of liquid smoke, and cinnamon extract.

Guess what else you can do with this?  Use it as a face mask! 

• The almond milk will soothe your skin. 
• The cold water and ice will reduce puffiness.
• The Collagen/Gelatin and Guar Gum will provide the thickness needed to stay on your skin, plus, collagen is needed for new skin regeneration!
• The Stevia won’t hurt, but you can lick your lips. 🙂
• The Pumpkin Pie Spice will tighten and tone your pores.
• The sea salt provides trace minerals that many of us are lacking.
• The extract won’t hurt, but probably won’t help, UNLESS, you use a drop (not shakes, just ONE drop) of essential oils instead of the extract.
• Bonus – Add some manuka honey for scar treatment and overall nourishment and spot reduction for your skin!

Money Saving Tip: If you have an Aldi near you, you can get all of the main ingredients (except for collagen) for less money than Amazon.  That being said, sometimes it’s more convenient to buy from Amazon when you know what you need and you get 2-day free shipping with Prime.  You decide what’s best for you, but if the prices seem a bit steep, try Aldi or using coupons at your local grocery store.

I’m all for saving money!  In fact, I use an American Express card that gives me 6% cash back at ALL grocery stores (including Aldi now), that will save you even more. Or, you can use this AMEX card at some grocery stores to purchase Amazon gift cards. Then, you’re getting the 6% + fuel perks!  

Email me at makingitpaytostay@gmail.com with the subject line: “American Express?” and I’ll send you the details.  Just another tip to help you make it pay!