Coffee and Pumpkin Muffins

Yesterday was Tuesday. Tuesday's we {Erin and her babysitting kids and me and Reag} usually spend the day at my parents hanging out with my mom and siblings. My youngest sister Sara had a volleyball game yesterday afternoon - and my mom and Mallory coach her team - so even though we went over, Erin and I didn't stay long. We were feeling in a fall baking mood - particularly of the pumpkin variety - so we stopped by the store to get some pumpkin, cake
mix and cream cheese on the way home and headed back to Erin's house to make the simplest yet tastiest pumpkin treats possible.

Here's what you'll need:

1 can of pumpkin

1 box of spice cake mix

1 8oz block of cream cheese

5tbs of sugar 

Mix the pumpkin and cake mix together in one bowl

In a separate bowl melt the cream cheese down so it's easy to stir and mix it with the sugar. 

Pour the pumpkin mix into the muffin tin first and the put a dollop of cream cheese on top. Take a skewer or tooth pick and swirl the cream cheese into the top of the pumpkin mix. 

Pop in the oven at 350• and bake for 10-15 minutes. 

They are mouth watering and addicting. You can totally make these without adding the cream cheese swirl and they taste just as good- just not as "rich" if you know what I mean?

While we were there I had my very first ever hot coffee drink. You see, I've been on a slow road towards this new coffee drinker me. It's not something I ever imagined happening or something I tried to become, it's just turning out that way! When I was in high school you couldn't PAY me to drink coffee. Even the fancy starbucks drinks. Even the frappés! I just thought it was all bleh. Until our trip to Europe 2 years ago. We were severely jet lagged and at our first stop out of the airport Mark got a McDonald's frappé. I took a sip because I was desperate for caffeine an it was the first time I tasted something even remotely coffee related that I didn't totally hate. I've slowly started tasting more and more since then and now I LOVE all kinds of frapps. I drank them all summer long. Whenever I would get one this past summer I would seriously pause and think "who am I?!" I barely recognize my former coffee hating self. 

Anyways, now that the weather is turning colder I had been wondering if I should delve deeper into this coffee scene and try a hot beverage. Erin made herself a coffee yesterday and I had a taste. Umm- it was delish. So she made me a cup and I enjoyed every sip. Granted - it was instant coffee cappuccino that was already mixed with caramel - but baby steps people, baby steps. 

I'm not trying to force myself into becoming a coffee drinker, it's just evolving into something I can't control. And I'm not trying to resist it either. 

I fully expect to be drinking - and enjoying - a tall white chocolate mocha with 3 pumps of caramel {my mom and sisters favorite drink} by the the end of this winter. ; )