I am sipping the fruits of my labor, and they taste like pumpkin spice.

So.

Guys.

Guess what?

It's fall! And do you know what fall means?

PUMPKIN SPICE FLAVORED EVERYTHING.



Seriously. Google image search "pumpkin spice."
There are pumpkin spice flavored Hershey's kisses.
There is pumpkin spice flavored BEER.

This, in my opinion, is the best of things. The only problem? As usual, money. Do you know how much pumpkin spice lattes cost at Starbucks? Even QuikTrip (the poor Tulsanite's Starbucks) has raised its drink prices. And as dearly as I love the pumpkin spice flavored froyo at Cherry Berry, thirty-nine cents per ounce adds up quick.

So what is a pumpkin spice loving cheapskate to do?

Make it herself.

Obviously.

Someone (my guess is Frugally Sustainable, and even if it wasn't, let me just say that Facebook-friending her has about septupled by OMG-want-to-do-that list) posted this recipe on Facebook. The DDH and I experimented this weekend, and I thought I'd share our version.

We made pumpkin-spice flavored coffee because we were actually out of coffee on Saturday (it was the only ingredient we were missing!), but I've been bringing the milk mixture in and putting it in my normal coffee at work and that tastes fine, too.

We made this in a pitcher and it probably makes about twelve servings, depending on how big your mug is. ;-) I've provided the thirded (is that a word?) recipe in parentheses in case you have food commitment issues/don't want to drink this every day for a week.

3 cups milk (1 cup)
1 can pumpkin puree (1/3 to 1/2 can)
1 teaspoon nutmeg (scant 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon cloves (scant 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (though wouldn't fresh ginger be yum!) (scant 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (scant 3/4 teaspoon)
3 teaspoons vanilla (1 teaspoon)
6 tablespoons brown sugar (though our housemate has lent us some agave nectar to try next time) (2 teaspoons)
generous shake of garam masala (1/3 generous shake ^_~)

I dumped all the ingredients in a pitcher and had at it with the immersion blender so that I could just stick the lid on the pitcher and store the extra. Otherwise, put everything in a blender and blend well, then pour into your chosen container.

Mix pumpkin mixture with coffee to taste (so me, I like it about half and half; the DDH likes a spoonful or two in a mug of black coffee). It's also nice if you warm it up before adding it to your coffee. Top with whipped cream (cream + sugar to taste (though you could do unsweetened for this, really) + vanilla to taste beaten in a metal bowl with a hand beater) and cinnamon.

The mixture will settle if you leave it sitting around, so shake or stir briskly before pouring that second cup. And the third.

Sadly, I had no cream to whip. It was delicious anyway.