Pumpkin Monday

The temps are going to reach 100 degrees today, on October 1st, so naturally all I can think about is fall. And pumpkins. I feel about pumpkins the way Buddy the Elf feels about sugar. There should be four major food groups: Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Ale, Pumpkin Soup, and Pumpkin Pancakes. Oh and Pumpkin Bread, And Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Spice Lattes....I could easily eat pumpkin something every single day from now until Christmas. That couldn't possibly be bad for me, right?

We started the pumpkin madness this weekend, though truth be told, I have been making pumpkin treats for a few weeks already. Thanks to Pinterest (of course) I found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes which Aaron whipped up for us. Yup, my man is a prize! He makes us pancakes! I always burn them, so really it might be slightly self motivated that he makes them, but I won't tell.

While he stirred and cooked and flipped I made a killer cream cheese topping since our syrup supply was weak. Here is something to know about me: unless I am baking I don't measure anything, and even then my measurements are sketchy at best. I can honestly say that failures are rare and people keep coming back for more, so there hasn't yet been incentive for change. Sorry.

I have measuring spoons, but they are an avenue to get brown sugar from bag to bowl and nothing more. So very literally take my measurements with a heaping grain of salt, because I did not level anything off here. Scared? Don't be! People eat my food and live to tell the tale regularly.

Claire's Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Heaping spoonful of room temperature cream cheese (aprox 1 cup)
3 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1-2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 cup milk

Combine all the ingredients except the water in a saucepan on medium and stir until the cream cheese has melted. It is thick, so add milk until it thins to the consistency you want for your pancakes.You don't actually have to make it over the stove, but we liked ours warm and gooey. As it cools it sets up a little, which is nice, too. It makes a good spread or frosting. Which reminds me that I have some in my fridge that would be amazing on raisin toast. Ours was kind of like a nice thick chocolate sauce or caramel consistency.

Oh my gosh. Caramel Sauce...Okay, gotta go now I have an idea!