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Ambitiously Cierra

Ambitiously Cierra

A lifestyle blog about finding balance within an ambitious life

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All Things Fall Coffee!

September 29, 2021 · In: Recipes

Happy National Coffee Day, Ambitious Fam! Fall is hands down my favorite time of year for coffee because, well, ALL THE PUMPKIN SPICE. I’m a sucker for the warm flavor combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger—especially in my morning cup. While over the years I have established a few tried and true fall coffee favorites, I love to try the new products (and recipes!) that the season has to offer.

Keep reading for all things fall coffee! 

On the go

Though my Nespresso machine gets a ton of use during the season (let’s be real–throughout the entire year), there are just some fall beverages that I can’t resist grabbing from coffee shops. The first is the Autumn Spiced Latte from Grounded Coffee Shop. The local shop has a great seasonal coffee menu, but I look forward to this particular latte every single year. SOOO much better than the traditional PSL (sorry not sorry). If you are a Northern Virginia local, I definitely recommend that you check them out! The owners are so friendly and they always have deliciously fresh baked pastries! If you are not local, head over to your favorite small coffee shop and check out their seasonal menus–I’m sure you’ll find a gem!

The other drink that I have to have on the road is the Iced Pumpkin Spice Dirty Chai from Starbucks. It used to be a menu item, but now I just customize my iced chai latte by adding a shot of espresso and some pumpkin flavor. Many people also seem to enjoy adding the pumpkin sweet cream cold foam on top as well. The addition is surely tasty, but for most trips, I opt to get the drink without the foam. 

Coffee Pods

On the fall days that I do make coffee at home, here are the Nespresso pods that I reach for:

Pumpkin Spice Cake— A 7.77 oz capsule with pumpkin spice notes. Perfect for the days that you want a quick no-fuss cup of coffee with creamer. 

Voltesso— A 1.35 oz mild and lightly sweet shot of espresso. I reach for this capsule when I’m experimenting with seasonal lattes. 

Chiaro— A 2.7 oz slightly intense double espresso shot. For when lattes need a little extra oomph. 

Seasonal Additions

Pumpkin Pie Spice— every coffee I make during fall is topped with pumpkin pie spice because WHY NOT. But seriously, it adds an extra touch of fall, enhances flavor, and there are studies that suggest a multitude of benefits to adding cinnamon (mixed into the pumpkin spice) to your morning cup.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup— My favorite pumpkin spice coffee syrup is hands down the Good and Gather brand from Target. I made sure to stock up super early in the season!

Maple Butter— I’m not quite sure who influenced me, but last year I discovered the joy of sweetening up my coffee with a bit of maple butter from Trader Joe’s. It also pairs nicely as a spread on waffles and on sweet/savory breakfast sandwiches. 

TJs Maple Oatmilk— I have so much love for the Maple oat beverage from Trader Joe’s. I was ecstatic to learn that they debuted a pumpkin flavor this year! Can’t wait to try it during Vlogtober this year! 

Silk Oat Creamer “The Maple and Brown Sugar One”— During the majority of the year, the Silk Oat Creamer “The Oatmeal Cookie One” is my coffee creamer of choice. However, the homie Breanna of thebreista and healthhustleandheart put me on to their new flavor–The Maple and Brown Sugar One! It is definitely fall in a cup and it takes me back to my childhood days of eating maple and brown sugar-flavored instant oatmeal. It pairs nicely with the pumpkin spice cake pod!

Recipes

Lately, my morning coffee has consisted of unmeasured pours of creamers, syrups, and pumpkin spice. In addition to my tried and true coffee recipe, I’m including a few new-to-me fall recipes that I want to try this year. Be on the lookout for a future YouTube video or Vlogtober taste test! 

Maple Cinnamon latte— Still one of my favorite lattes no matter what time of year, the maple cinnamon latte packs in all of the warm fall flavors.

Pumpkin Sp-Iced Tea Horchata— I saw this recipe on Tiktok and it looked delicious! They had me at pumpkin.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake Latte— A simple recipe straight from the Nespresso website, but I heard great things about it on YouTube!

Pumpkin Cold Foam— This recipe from Midwest Nice is sure to add a little razzle-dazzle on the few days that I decide to drink iced coffee at home!

Mugs

This year I have been enjoying my seasonal coffee in my fall mug designs from Ambitiously You! In honor of National Coffee Day, I announced on the Ambitiously You Instagram page that there is a flash sale going on until October 1st–no code necessary. Click here to shop the fall collections at a discount! 

Do you know of any fall coffee recipes or products recommendations that I should try out this year? Let me know in the comments! Happy sipping 🙂

By: AmbitiouslyCierra · In: Recipes · Tagged: 2021, Eats, Recipes, September

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If only everyday could start this sweet 😌☕️ If only everyday could start this sweet 😌☕️

#carette #parisdiaries #carettehotchocolate #chocolatchaud #ambitioustravels #travelvlogger #morningvibes #chocolate #frenchhotchocolate
🇫🇷 PARIS ITINERARY DAY 3 🇫🇷 🤤 BRUN 🇫🇷 PARIS ITINERARY DAY 3 🇫🇷

🤤 BRUNCH AT CARETTE—the famous Carette hot chocolate was on my must try list and it did not disappoint. Such a decadent experience! 

🛍️ SHOPPING AROUND MARAIS—We thrifted and shopped around for souvenirs. My favorite stop was Officine Universelle Buly 1803; a shop with apothecary vibes that had gorgeous combs and perfumes that I couldn’t leave behind. 

📸 VISIT THE COLONNES DE BUREN—a popular photo spot, the art installation was created in 1985 to enhance the courtyard of the Palais Royal. 

☕️ COFFEE BREAK AT CAFÉ KITSUNÉ—while I wasn’t a fan of their matcha, this cafe is nestled in beautiful outdoor space and is great for an afternoon pick me up.

🖼️ VISIT THE LOUVE—more on this in my next post! 

😍 CATCH A CLOSER LOOK AT THE EIFFEL TOWER—snapped this picture on our way to dinner. 

🍽️ DINNER AT LINETTE—delicious bistro with classic French cuisine. I had the duck confit which was perfection. Bonus: Linette puts you in the perfect location to see…

✨ THE EIFFLE TOWER AT NIGHT—y’all, the tower SPARKLES for 5 minutes at the top of every hour at night (until around midnight) and it is MAGICAL. It’s hard to describe the feeling but I tried to share it with my loved ones at home via FaceTime 🥹

Stay tuned for more on the Louve! 

#parisitinerary #paristrip #travelblogger #bucketlistadventures #ambitioustravel #monalisa #colonnesdeburen #carette #eiffeltoweratnight
With your friend in a foreign country, laughing ov With your friend in a foreign country, laughing over bread and cheese, as it starts to rain on the Grand Canal at the Versailles estate: la vie en rose 😌

Planning a visit to Versailles? Check out my feed posts for some tips ✨

#gardensofversailles #grandcanalversailles #lavieenrose #pov #magicmoments #france #bucketlistadventures #smallmomentsofcalm #laughterisgoodforthesoul #ambitioustravels #travelvlogger #parisdiaries #realistictravel #versaillestips
🌳 THE GARDENS OF VERSAILLES ⛲️ The Versail 🌳 THE GARDENS OF VERSAILLES ⛲️

The Versailles estate is MASSIVE and though we were there for hours, there was still so much more to explore that we didn’t make it to. Versailles was the only “big” thing that we had on the agenda for the day so we didn’t feel the pressure to rush off to another reservation. The garden is a beautiful experience that I recommend grabbing a map and visiting while you are there! 

Tips for when you visit the gardens: 

👟 WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES—there is so much walking involved with a trip to Versailles, and once you hit the gardens you’re walking on gravelly paths. Resist the urge to wear impractical shoes and go with sneakers instead. 

🧺 BRING SNACKS—While there is an area where you can purchase food, you are allowed to bring food in to eat at some of the garden’s designated picnic areas. We chose to picnic by the Grand Canal which gave us a great view of people on row boats (which you can rent if that’s your thing!) 

🎟️ CARTS AND “TRAINS”— In my last feed post, I mentioned that you should buy the passport to ensure that you have access to the whole estate. Before our visit, I didn’t realize that there was an option for a “Passport + Return by little train (34,50 €).” This gives you access to ride the “little train” (more like connected carts) back up to the estate after your wandering. When I say that it was a sight for sore eyes after all the walking we did 🙌🏾😭…I was willing to pay what ever it took to take us back (luckily, the train was only about 9€ a la carte). The train makes 3 stops at various locations on the grounds (including the estate of Trianon which we deemed was too far to get to by foot but heard it was worth while). Another good option if you are visiting with a group is to just rent a “small electric vehicle” (basically a golf cart—seats 6) so that you can explore the different areas of the estate with less fatigue. 

There are things hidden around every nook and cranny of Versailles. One last bonus tip is that if you’re visiting for the first time, spend some time on the website so that you have an idea of the absolutely want to see (there is just so much!).

I would love to visit again!
✨ INSIDE VERSAILLES ✨ Versailles was the acti ✨ INSIDE VERSAILLES ✨

Versailles was the activity day that I was looking forward to the most and it did not disappoint. I don’t think that I’ve seen anything more magnificent in my life. Every ornate detail left me in awe—it’s definitely worth seeing in person if you are planning a trip to Paris!

Here are a few tips for your trip inside the palace: 

✨ VISIT ON A WEEKDAY—it gets pretty crowded inside the palace. We went on a Thursday and there were plenty of time where I felt like I was just moving with the flow of the crowd. However, if you’re patient, you can find breaks in between the waves. I’ve been told that it’s much worse on the weekends/summer months so keep that in mind. 

✨ TO AUDIO GUIDE OR NOT TO AUDIO GUIDE—While you can visually consume the splendor of the palace, I kind of regret skipping out on the audio guide. There were some signs available, mostly in French and often hard to get to because of the crowds. If I were to visit again, I would pay 5€ for an audio guide which can be reserved after you purchase your ticket. I’m that person that likes to take my time in museums/historic places to learn. If that’s not your vibe, then skipping it might not be an issue. 

✨ PURCHASE THE PASSPORT TICKET—As much as I loved seeing all there was to see in the palace, pay the extra money for the passport ticket. For just 9€ more, you get access to the entire estate of Versailles (this includes the gardens which I will discuss in my next post)! 

There is sooo much to take and I would love to go back. Have you been to Versailles? Share your tips in the comments! 

#versaillespalace #versaillestips #visitversailles #chateauversailles #paristrip #france #lifestyleblogger #travelblogger
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