Pumpkin Spice Latte is a warm, invigorating drink, ideal for autumn days.
At first I was quite hesitant about this drink: the combination of coffee and pumpkin didn’t seem so attractive.

Actually, I had to change my mind. Pumpkin Spice Latte is such a delicious drink, with a unique taste.

From a winning Starbucks idea

If we can enjoy this delicious drink today, we have to thank Starbucks. In fact, it was the American coffee chain, founded in Seattle in 1971, that developed this recipe for the first time.

The history of this particular drink began in 2003, when the American giant decided to test some recipes based on coffee and particular ingredients, creating new combinations.
Subjected to a group of consumers, the combination that contains pumpkin and coffee receives several praise.

For this reason, Starbucks decides to continue with the development of the recipe, but it actually choosed to eliminate the pumpkin and it replaced this vegetable with aromas that recall its flavor.

As soon as it is distributed in Starbucks cafés, Pumpkin Spice Latte immediately becomes a hit.
Sold only during the autumn period (from September to November), this beverage becomes one of the flagship products of the American chain, and every year it is a sales record in the fall period.

Finally, in 2015 Starbucks decided to modify the original recipe, replacing the artificial flavours and colourings with the actual pumpkin, making the drink much healthier.
Pumpkin Spice Latte is also available in Starbucks cafés in Italy, usually from the end of September and throughout the autumn.

The ingredients to prepare Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 250 ml cold water
• 150 g brown sugar
• 50 g steamed and smoothied pumpkin
• half a cup of milk
• a cup of espresso coffee
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch ginger powder
• 1 pinch of nutmeg powder
• whipped cream (optional😋)

How to make a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte at home

First of all, let’s prepare the spicy syrup, which will give our Pumpkin Spice Latte an unmistakable taste.

So we put the 250 ml of water in a saucepan and add the cane sugar. We keep the medium heat down and keep stirring, so that the sugar melts.

When we reach the boil point, we add the steamed pumpkin and the spices (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg). Them we lower the heat to a minimum and let the aromatic syrup thicken: it will take about 10 minutes. After that, the syrup will have a dense and homogeneous consistency. Let’s put it out the flame and save it.

Now let’s make the espresso.

The ideal thing now would be to have an electric milk mount to heat the milk and form the froth 😍 I use the Aeroccino by Nespresso and I really like it! In two minutes a foam of milk is formed, wonderfully dense!

If we don’t have an electric milk mount, we can use a manual milk mount or simply heat the milk and … shake it😉.

At this point, we take a cup and put two tablespoons of spicy syrup, add the espresso coffee and finally the whipped milk. If we want a super pampering, we also add some whipped cream. Finally, garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

And here, our Pumpkin Spice Latte is ready to be enjoyed!
It is an ideal drink for autumn snacks, or to sip while watching a good movie, on the sofa under a cozy blanket 🥰.

Some more tips

According to my personal taste, this is the ideal combination of spices, but of course you can correct the doses of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to adapt the taste of the drink to your preferences.

If you want, you can also add a pinch of clove powder.
The drink does not need to be sweetened, as it already contains the spicy syrup.

This spicy syrup can be stored in a jar tightly closed and kept in the refrigerator.

As for the type of milk, the ideal is to use fresh whole milk. If we want to prepare a vegan Pumpkin Spice Milk, we can replace it with a vegetable milk.

This simple recipe allows us to prepare at home a Pumpkin Spice Latte like the Starbucks’ one, perfect to be enjoyed throughout the autumn.

By the way, while preparing this recipe, the house is filled with a unique, aromatic and enveloping scent!

See you soon,
Carol.

L'articolo Pumpkin Spice Latte: The Easy and Delicious Recipe proviene da Carol Pomme.

Last year, I started thinking about creating my blog.
You know, having my little space, where I could express myself at my best and give you more value. A place to share experiences and give advice.
I already had an Instagram profile and I loved it like, a lot. I loved having a community of people, interacting with them and creating interesting content. And I was ready to go to the next level.

The “only” problem was that I hadn’t a lot of experience about creating a site (read: none of it 😉 ). But that wasn’t enough to stop me. It was a challenge, and I was ready to take on it!

6 months of blogging: 7 lessons learned

Well, I’ve learned a lot! (PS Do you remember my first post?) I had to change my mind about specific things.
Also, I had to discover things- totally new to me. I used to think that blogging was all about writing. Actually, now I know that writing is the easy part. Having a blog is not simply writing a few articles a week, there’s so much more behind the scenes!

Ok, so here’s the 7 lessons that I’ve learned during my first 6 months of blogging. Enjoy!

You will learn a lot

That’s simply a fact. If you decide to start a blog, you’ll soon develop new skills.
In my case, I had to learn how to set up a blog, all on my own. I wanted to be independent and to control every aspect of my blog. The result is what you see today. It may not be perfect, but I am proud of it as I worked on everything, every little details…

A blog requires a lot of time

The amount you’ll spend on your blog is… well, not measurable! You will need time to learn, time to develop new skills, time to try and …fail! Ehi, don’t worry, you’ll win, eventually. But yes, it may be a long process.

Organization is everything

1 am and still working on the blog? Yes, that’s definitely me😂. It takes a while to find the perfect balance between private life and blogging time. Blogging time means doing online researches, writing articles, shooting picture, answering emails, … You will, of course, and then everything will be a bit easier. In order to be more organized, I’m using planners. Yes, more than one 😂. I have a daily planner, a monthly one and two notebooks to write down ideas, random things to do and so on. I am still using paper tools, but who knows, maybe one day I could try digital planners, I’ve heard great things about them!

You learn to be by yourself

When working on my blog, most of the time I’m home alone. Well, I have my two furry assistants you know, but they’re not very helpful LOL (you can check how they help me in my IG stories…). Be on your own is not always easy, but with some practice you find the perfect balance and you learn to be by yourself.

You understand who’s a real supporter, and who doesn’t

When my friends and family saw my blog, they congratulated me and told me some really kind words. Those are the people who are always there and always ready to support me. They were happy for me as they could see the struggles and passion I was putting into this new little project. And they were cheering on me. How did they show they support? They were reading my blog, sending me feedback, sharing it and so on. Each of them had their own way to show their support, but they were all there for me. I really could feel it.

However, that wasn’t the only reaction I got. Some people were definitely not cheering on me. Maybe they weren’t interested, or they were busy or whatever.
You learn that some people wish you much success, and some, simply, don’t. It’s a painful situation, I’ll admit it.
But the good news is that you learn a new thing: you don’t need everybody’s love and approval. You can be successful and do your own things. You just accept it.

Change isn’t scary

When I first designed my blog, I was completely in love with the theme. I thought that it would stay the same like, forever. But then, over the time, I realized that I had to make some changes, in order to improve the user’s experience. I was a bit reluctant, especially in the beginning. I worked so much on it, and then I had to change it? Well…yes. And now, I like my blog even more, as it’s more readable and more user-friendly.

Passion is everything

And last but not least: passion is everything. It really is. If you do something because you are driven by passion, you are going to succeed. Nothing will stop you. Yes, maybe there will be some slowdown moments, but you will overcome them.

Doing something not because of money, or because you want to please someone or because of competition. But doing something thanks to passion. That’s the only secret to really succeed. And no matter the results, if you love what you are doing, you are already the real winner.

I’ve learned so many things during these first 6 months of blogging, it’s insane! And as you can see, many of them aren’t directly related with the blogging world.

Before leaving you, I really want to say something: thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, because the last 6 months have been such an emotional roller coaster. And you were always here, reading the posts and supporting me. Knowing that you liked an article, found in the blog a useful item or the tips you were looking for, that’s the best reward.
So, again, many many thanks. I am so glad to have you here.
See you,

Carol

L'articolo 7 lessons I’ve learned during my first 6 months of blogging proviene da Carol Pomme.

Nowadays acne is a real issue for many of us. In fact, acne is not just for teenager, as some people experience it all their life. That’s because their skin is more acne-prone or for hormonal or stress-related reasons.

In addition, researches found out that wearing protective face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 might have a side effect: it can cause skin irritation. We call it “maskne”.

What is maskne?

Maskne (a word which combines “mask” and “acne”) is a side effect from wearing masks for an extended period of time and it consists in redness, irritation, itching and acne.
In fact, maskne is caused by the combination of several factors. First of all, our skin barrier is irritated by rubbing from the mask. In addition, when we are breathing for a long time with our masks on, trapped breath creates humidity. The combination of these factors leads to a breeding ground for skin problems.

Maskne may happen on your jawline, cheeks and nose, which is where your mask touches your skin.

How can you prevent it?

Nowadays maskne is a real issue, but luckily you can make some easy adjustments to your skincare routine in order to avoid it.

The first advice is simply to wash your face before and after wearing a face mask.

Before putting on your face mask, it’s important to wash your face using a gentle cleanser. Then, apply a moisturizer. Also, use non-comedogenic and oil-free options, so that they won’t clog your pores.
What are the best products for an irritated skin? Look for ingredients such as vitamin E, niacinamide, ceramides, squalene and glycerin.

During the day, avoid touching your face as much as possible.
Talking about makeup, it’s better to avoid foundation.
Also, stay away from face scrubs or anything that could irritate your face even more.

As face masks are becoming a regular part of our accessories, skin problems may occur. That’s why you should take great care of your face masks.
It’s very important to apply a beauty face mask to keep your skin moisturized.

If you’re wearing a cloth mask, you should wash it daily in the washing machine, so that it’s cleaned after each use. You should have a few masks so you can easily switch them out. This is important for your health, and for your skin.

If you’re using disposable masks, use a fresh one each day.

L'articolo Maskne: what is it and how to prevent it proviene da Carol Pomme.

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes. I like it because it’s healthy and very easy to make: my version of pancakes!
I love making pancakes on a Sunday morning and have a slow breakfast. Also, they are a great idea for a healthy snack in the afternoon.
If you make a lot of them, you simply reheat them the day after and they will be great! Another plus side? You only need 4 ingredients! Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

So, let’s have a look at the recipe to make healthy pancakes!

Healthy pancakes recipe

Ingredients:

Ingredients to make healthy pancakes, yet delicious!

– 130 gr all-purpose flour

– 2 eggs

– 200 gr milk (whole milk or skimmed milk, usually I use the second one)

– A teaspoonful of baking powder

Method

You will need two large bowls and a non-stick frying pan.
First of all, sift the flour, baking powder, milk and the two egg yolks in one of the bowls. Now beat until you have a smooth batter. Then, in the other bowl, whip egg whites until stiff. At this point, add the egg whites to the batter and mix gently.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. After a few minutes, add a ladle of batter. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then it’s ready to turn it over and cook the other side. Repeat the procedure until all the batter is used up. Your healthy pancakes are ready!

How to serve them? Well, there is a wide choice! You could have them with maple syrup and blueberries, that’s actually my favourite combo! Or you can have them with fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries or raspberries), Nutella, peanut butter, whipped cream, jam, honey, agave syrup, …
Great, all we have to do now is make our healthy pancakes and find the best combination!
Enjoy,

Carol

L'articolo Healthy pancakes recipe, with only 4 ingredients proviene da Carol Pomme.

1. Apply a face mask: let’s start with some self care! You can try a new face mask or make one at home, using the ingredients you have in your kitchen! There are so many awesome recipes for natural face mask, you will be able to find the perfect one for you, for sure. And once this sad moment will be over, you will be even more beautiful!

2. Start a new TV show: this is the perfect time to watch that interesting TV shows that’s been waiting for you! I’ve just found out that a new TV show, Self Made, is available on Netflix and I can’t wait to watch it. It talks about the true story of Madam C.J. Walker, who rises from poverty (her parents were slaves) to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire. What an inspiring story! Have you already watched it ?

3. Bake a cake: during our hectic everyday life, it’s really hard to find some time to calmly cook and enjoy the process. Let’s use this time to cook together with our family and let’s make the most of it! Let’s be inebriated by the scent of our delicious cake, let’s indulge in savoring the first slice. And we have to admit it, peacefully eating a cake with our loved one is a moment we should treasure.

4. Read a book: the Italian writer Umberto Eco says “he who does not read, at 70 years old will have lived only one life. He who reads, will have lived 5000 years”. That’s why you should take a comfy blanket, sit on your sofa and start reading a book. It may be a new one, it may be your favorite one, it doesn’t really matter. For an hour or so, you will be able to (safely) travel to a different place.

5. (Re)organize your closet: spring is here and the weather will soon be milder, so it’s the perfect time to clean your closet and declutter your wardrobe. If your closet is organized, it will be easier to find the clothes you need. Look at each item and decide if you want to keep it or not. In this case, you can donate it, sell it or throw it away.

6. Have an aperitif: this week, have an aperitif at home while listening to some music. Be creative with the menu! You could have alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, but the most important part of a great aperitif is tasty food 😉 Do you want some inspiration? Have some cheese, green and black olives, pizzas, potatoes chips, caprese salad (made with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil), cured meats, quiches and grilled vegetables. Yummy yummy! Are you alone at home? Call your friends on Skype and have an aperitif together!

And that’s it! Now you have a list of nice things to do while practicing social distancing this coming week. I’ve also made a template to make this “challenge” funnier. You will find it in my Instagram stories (@carolpomme). Use it as a to-do list to track your progress during the week: tick the different tasks as you accomplished them and publish the edited template on your stories. Don’t forget to tag me in your stories, so I can see them too!
Hope you like this idea, let’s stay home <3
Take care of you,

Carol

L'articolo Social distancing: a to-do list for the upcoming week proviene da Carol Pomme.

Turning 30 years old: some doubts

When I was a child, I considered everyone in their 30s to be ”old”, without appeal. Yes I know, I was so mean! Maybe that’s the reason why in the last few months, I was a bit concerned about turning 30 years old. Even more, I had some strange thoughts. A little voice inside my head was saying “At 30 years old, you should have done this and that…”. I was scared and anxious.

So, I started asking myself some questions, with the aim of realizing if I was truly satisfied. The process wasn’t an easy one and the major obstacle was created by the influences of our society. I am sure you have heard them too. Actually, I am sure we all hear those unkind comments, unfortunately. ”When do you get a boyfriend?”, “When are you getting married?” and also ” Why didn’t you guys ever have kids?”. There is no end to these questions unfortunately.But one thing is for sure: if you listen to this kind of people, you’ll soon enter a vicious cycle, a complete dead-end situation.

There is a right time for everything

Finally, I realized that yes, I am satisfied with my life. At this very moment, I don’t want to change anything. I will probably take some decisions in the future, but for now, I am fine like this. These are huge changes and I want to make wise choices. There’s a right time for everything, but this right time is different for every of us. We all run our own race, in our own time. We are all on time. Thanks to these thoughts, I was able to gain a new kind of understanding. After that, all the fear and anxiety vanished.

As I got closer to turning 30 years old,I was more relaxed. I am satisfied with myself and everything around me. Obviously, there are things that I’d like to improve and milestones I’d love to reach (so many of them!), but I accept it. Having 30 years old doesn’t mean arriving at the finishing line, it’s simply part of the journey.

Yours (a little wiser)

Carol

L'articolo Turning 30 years old proviene da Carol Pomme.

Less is more!

The first tip is pretty simple: avoid make-up. Probably we used a lot of it during the holidays, so a good idea is to go make-up free: a couple of days should be enough to have an healthier skin. Another good idea is using natural and organic skincare brands.

Get rid of acne 

Ok, indulging in delicious food was one of my favorite activities in the last few days (hum… weeks maybe) but now I can spot some new blackheads around my nose and on my chin. Definitely not happy about it. Purifying masks are the solution and a clay face mask may be perfect for you. There are several types of clay, including green (absorbent and anti-inflammatory), white (purifying and astringent) and pink (anti-inflammatory and anti-reddening).

The scrub

The scrub, our greatest friend. There are so many different types of scrub, so many textures! You can buy them, or you can prepare your scrub at home. If you choose this option, be careful! Some time ago, I decided to do it and I used coffee dregs: I heard they were good for the skin and wanted to give them a try. I put the blend on my legs and I massaged it. Well, after a few minutes I had a rapid heartbeat. Nothing to be alarmed about, but I won’t use coffee in my scrub again. Now my favorite ingredients are sugar and salt: you can mix them with olive oil to obtain a great homemade scrub. Don’t be too vigorous while rubbing it, especially on sensitive areas, such as the eye contour.

Puffy eyes

A great remedy to help you reducing puffy eyes comes from tea. You simply put two bags of tea in the fridge (or, if you are in a rush, put them in bowl with iced water) and then, once they are cold, you put them on your eyes for a few minutes. The bags under your eyes will tone down. For a stronger effect, try using green tea!

Get clean from the inside out

There are a few good practice that we can use on our daily life to help our skin after the holidays. Try to drink a lot: herbal tea (artichoke and dandelion are excellent ingredients), green tea or hot water with lemon are tasteful options. You can add some honey to sweeten your beverage. Eating a lot of vegetables and fruits is another good solution to stay hydrated. Seasonal vegetables for the month of January are cabbage, chicory, artichoke, fennel and leek, while some fruits in season are oranges, tangerines, kiwis, pears and apples. You could also eat wholegrain cereals, fish and white meat.
Another way to have your body – and your skin- back on track is sleeping enough: try to have 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Those are simple and effective ways to revitalize your skin back after the holiday season, I’m using them too and I can already see some results. Also, here there are a few products to moisturize, purifying and brighten your skin!

L'articolo Revitalize your skin after the Christmas holidays proviene da Carol Pomme.

Choose your goals wisely

Let’s face the truth: according to many studies, only a few percentage of people will be able to achieve their New Year’s goals. That’s not a great news, actually. But we must not be disheartened by these stats. The secret to succeed and reach our aim relies on a careful planning. 

So first of all, we have to choose doable and specific goals. Many times our resolutions fail because we choose the wrong ones: they are too vague or maybe they don’t mirror our real ambitions. It’s important to take some time to meditate on what we really want. Our goals should motivate us. Moreover, try to limit the number of goals: 3 is a fair number. In this case, less is more.

Reaching your goals requires planning

Now, let’s talk about the second step: create a plan. Many times our resolutions fail because we don’t know how to reach them, we don’t have a project and the goals seem to be so far away from us. That’s why at the end of January, when the first boost of motivation is almost at its end, our brain tells us “there is still plenty of time to reach the goals, don’t worry…”.
And this is partially correct, but the truth is that the clock is always ticking and in just a few moments the year will be over again. To avoid this, the solution is having smaller, intermediate objectives. Every time we reach them, our confidence gets an extra boost: reaching the bigger goal will be easier.

There are several reasons why it’s important to plan. Your goal is similar to a destination. If you know the map, it’s easier to follow the path and reach the final point.
Additionally, there are refreshment points along the way (intermediate goals) where you can rest and restore (extra confidence boost).

How to deal with faux pas

Fine, we have decided our final goals, we have chosen the intermediate ones and planned the road to go there. But what we should do when we step out of the line? No denying, it will happen. Our motivation may fail, or unexpected circumstances may happen. In this case the advice is pretty simple: be prepared to missteps. They will occur. It’s normal, it’s natural, it’s part of the journey. And what makes the difference, is our ability to face the difficulties. Gather your strength and get back on your way as soon as possible.

Tips in brief

• Choose the right goals
• Have intermediate goals
• Create a plan
• Be ready to deal with faux pas

Thanks to perseverance and commitment, you will be able to reach your goals! Have you already your next objectives? Good luck !

L'articolo New Year: time to reach your goals proviene da Carol Pomme.