Mission Pumpkin: Pumpkin Spice Latte

My "mission: pumpkin" has been slow going, but still going nonetheless. A couple of weeks ago I made my first loaf of chocolate chip pumpkin bread. It was wonderful. I like to use a combination of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and all spice for a perfect spicy combination to go along with the pumpkin. The recipe I use is found on a post from this time last year.

This past weekend Dan and I were in NKY for the Kohrs wedding, a culminating event to a very long but eventful and exciting fall wedding season. It was a perfect fall weekend with warm temps during the day and cool temps at night. Saturday morning while Dan and his buddies prepared for the wedding (apparently playing video games is a necessity), a couple of the wives and I went shopping! We were meeting at Casey's house that morning and I couldn't drive by the Starbucks in Fort Thomas without stopping for coffee.

I've tried the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks before....a few years ago....and remember being quite unimpressed. I thought to myself, "People go crazy over these things, what's the big deal?" But on this particular day I thought I would give it another try. Afterall, it had been several years and my palatte for coffee and different flavors has changed quite a bit. I gave my order to the barista and patiently waited while my spicy expresso drink was being made just for me. I perked up when I heard "tall pumpkin spice latte for Maegan." I thanked the barista and walked back to the car and sat down inside before taking the first sip. I anticipated a not-so-pumpkiny-too-spicy kind of flavor. But to my surprise....it was really good! A great combination of pumpkin flavor and spice; and the steamed whole milk helped out too!

And now I think I've become one of "those" people. The kind that freak out and post all over Facebook on the day that comes every Fall, the day when Starbucks starts making annual their pumpkin spice lattes. Well....maybe not that extreme, but I can now call myself a fan of the pumpkin spice latte. I look forward to trying similar drinks at local coffee shops in Louisville, as well as continuing my search for pumpkiny goodness!