Do you love fall? Is it your favorite season of the year? Here is a list of must-dos before this fall season ends.
Build a campfire and cook yummy s’mores.
Bake some yummy pumpkin fall treats. (See recipe included at the bottom for vanilla chai pumpkin spice latte cupcakes.)
Grab your friends and take a fun fall photo shoot. This includes the Mountain Dew Skate Park at Kiwanis Park in Lewiston, the Blue Mountains in Asotin, and the old architecture in downtown Lewiston.
Read a good book…but you can’t read a good book without your trusty blanket.
Make some fun fall crafts. Glitter pumpkins are easy and decorative. Instruction is included at the bottom.
Go to your local cafe shop and get a festive fall drink. Popular fall drinks are lotus apple cider, pumpkin pie chai tea, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin cold brew, and an apple crisp macchiato.
Watch your favorite fall shows/movies. Some fall favorites are Gilmore Girls and It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. If you’re still feeling spooky, there’s Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus, Scream, Sleepy Hollow and Beetlejuice.
Make a fall simmer pot to make your house smell fantastic and festive.
Go to your local TJ Maxx and spend all your money on fall accessories.
Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes Recipe
Courtesy of Half-Baked Harvest
Ingredients:
One ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp chai tea powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
Two large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup heavy cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. whisk together flour, baking powder, chai tea powder, and spices in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one
at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.
4. Mix the dry ingredients in batches, alternating with milk until combined.
5. Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full of the batter.
6. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes
clean.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add
in the powdered sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream (or
milk) and beat until smooth and fluffy.
8. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them generously with the cinnamon brown
sugar frosting.
Glitter Pumpkins
Instructions:
1. Put down a layer of newspaper topped with a sheet of craft paper to protect the work
surface. Then, select pumpkins of various sizes and colors and decide which ones will
receive which color glitter.
2. Spray a pumpkin’s top and middle portion with spray adhesive. While the glue is still
wet, use a spoon to sprinkle glitter over the sticky surface of the pumpkin. Allow to dry.
Tip: Unless you want to glitter the stem, try not to spray it with adhesive. Cover it
with painter’s tape if necessary.
3. Pick up the pumpkin and shake off any glitter that didn’t fully adhere. Set the pumpkin
aside and fold the craft paper to funnel the excess glitter back into its original container.
4. Tip the pumpkin back on the craft paper to the side to apply spray
adhesive to the bottom. Spoon on glitter until the entire surface of the pumpkin is
covered. Allow the adhesive to dry, then shake off the remaining excess glitter.
