Happy fall to all! This edition of tips and tricks is dedicated to the wonderful season of fall. So, let’s get right to it.
Trick: Make Your Own Candy Corn
We all know candy corn is the Halloween snack, but did you know the main ingredients in candy corn consist of sugar, corn syrup and wax? A healthy alternative to the traditional candy corn — and a great party snack — is a candy corn fruit mix! All you need is a clear glass, bite-size sliced pineapple and oranges and low-fat whipped cream. Put the pineapple at the bottom of the glass and then layer with oranges and whipped cream on top. Now you have a homemade, healthy alternative to candy corn for you and any party guests! Enjoy!
Trick: The Skinny PSL
The PSL (pumpkin spice latte) is back for fall, and it is as addicting as it sounds. As college students, we all know that Starbucks can put quite the dent in your wallet. So, a smart thing to do is make the treat yourself! The following recipe below is the skinny version of the PSL, which won’t hurt your wallets or your waistline; it’s only 58 calories per serving!
You will need 1 ½ cups of fat free milk, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons of sugar, ¼ cup of espresso or coffee if you prefer and fat-free whipped cream. This recipe will make two servings, enough for you and a friend (or that cute boy from class).
To make: In a small pan, combine the milk, pumpkin butter and sugar. Cook this mixture on medium heat and stir. When it begins to boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Then, blend it with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour it into two mugs, add the hot espresso and top it off with fat-free whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.
Tip: Hit Up These Places for Fall Fun
Finally, what is fall without some pumpkin patch fun? Here are a few great and economical places to go near the C-U area for fall fun (think corn mazes, pumpkins and apple donuts):
The Great Pumpkin Patch (Arthur, IL), Curtis Orchard (Champaign, IL), Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch (Rantoul, IL) and Negangard Pumpkin Patch (Sidney, IL). All of these places are between 5-20 minutes from campus, and you can even catch the bus to a few of them. I hope you all enjoy the crisp weather and take advantage of all fall has to offer!
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