PUMPKIN coffee and muffins

One of my goals for today was to not leave my apartment.   : D

By that... I mean that I was looking forward to relaxing, drinking coffees, getting work done, packing for two upcoming trips, etc. etc.

It was FABULOUS having my mom in town for the past week and she helped out around my apartment a lot... but now I'm already thinking ahead to the upcoming conference and travels that need preparing for.

I'm definitely succeeding at my day's goal task-wise... but I did just venture outside.  : )

Mom made some delicious pumpkin latte concentrate for me to have - and it's deeeelicious. I now have some extra pumpkin puree to use and figured I would make pumpkin muffins to enjoy.

Low and behold... no eggs in the fridge.

I contemplated knocking on my neighbors' doors... asking to borrow a couple of eggs... huffing and puffing included if need-be... (kidding)... (get it?!?)... buuut this thought quickly passed and a short walk to the Punto store near my place won.

About 20 minutes later, with eggs purchased and in a bag, I found that the day had turned from gray and damp to sunny and lovely! ...There is a small celebration of sorts going on in town tonight (Notte Bianca) and there is already live music and a bounce-house in the small piazza down the street. I also followed a scurrying lizard to my door.

Take THAT daily goal! ...Now... back home and ready to make PUMPKIN MUFFINS!



PS... I have enjoyed two lattes today - both including Mom's pumpkin spice concoction.   : )

I'M MAKIN' LATTES!!!

THAT little guy above is a magic maker!

Ok... I know that I'm overly impressed and excited about this... but the first time I got this to work and actually made coffee, I stood in my kitchen... took a sip of my freshly made latte and said [out loud]... "Oh my God, I just made a latte!!"

I have never made coffee before. --And I really didn't know where to begin. I planned to move to Italy and spend a chunk of money on buying an espresso machine.

WELL... a returning teacher showed me the little contraption shown above... and for 20 euro, I'm impressed!

Apparently this percolator, as it's called, has been around for years. My mom used one before she got a drip coffee machine. Some people today still prefer a percolator over a drip or a French press. I wouldn't know enough to compare - but I am very happy with the percolator! ...Including it's reasonable price!

So... the first time I tried this... I did what the teacher told me... put water in the bottom part... ground coffee into the middle piece... then screwed on the top. Put it on the stove... and coffee should magically rise to the top part and be ready to pour... because as the water boils in the bottom, it rises through the coffee grinds and up into the top kettle through a middle tunnel.

My biggest problem... and why it didn't work at all for me the first time... was that I was not using my apartment's stove the correct way. There is a glass cover, which I kept down (whoops!)... apparently when I cook, I should life that up. Oooookay.

I tried again that afternoon, determined to at least get something to the top of the contraption. I did lift the cover to the stove this time and that was the trick. Low and behold... COFFEE came out when I poured!

Next, I put some milk into a mug and heated it in the microwave. I then tried using the little handheld frother that I picked up at Ikea for a few euro (YES!! best purchase ever)... put it in the milk for a bit but wasn't sure if anything was actually happening to the milk.

When I stopped the frother, foamy milk puffed up. Awesome! ...Put that into the other mug with coffee, a bit of sugar... and thus began the comments to myself! ...Quite in awe of myself and this little machine. ...And I have been everyday since. I even went to the CoOp store and bought decaf coffee so I can have an evening latte if I feel like it.   :D

Please don't judge how much coffee I'm drinking. I don't think it's that much... and it's such a comforting drink while I'm abroad (well no... just a very comforting drink in general to me now). So it's worth it. ...My goal, however, is to cut back on the sugar that I like to put inside each time.

Soooo... commence the latte making!

...Enjoying a decaf latte in the evening out of my Nonny's clown mug!...