Pumpkin Spiced Coffee (with pumpkin from Grandpa's garden!)

It was about 40 degrees out yesterday morning and all I could think about was pumpkin and apples.  I swear the feeling of summer changing to fall is the best feeling ever.  I think I'm on fall overload this year because I haven't felt this feeling in about 3 years.  (Believe it or not, Hawaii doesn't have a fall season). 

I wanted to spice up our morning coffee yesterday, so I dug through the cupboards and found a jar of pumpkin that I got from my Grandma's and who knows how old it is, but it's canned so it will basically last forever.  I'm determined to add pumpkin to everything this fall so I started by making a nice pumpkin syrup for my coffee.  It's way healthier than the fake flavored creamers in the store and delicious!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Syrup for Coffee

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

3 TBS canned pumpkin

a dash of pure maple syrup (I don't think you need this, but I felt like pouring some in.)

Directions:

Pour sugar and water into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves, make sure not to boil.

Add spices and pumpkin and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. I added the syrup towards the end. 

Strain through a mesh strainer, pour a spoon full of the syrup in your morning cup of coffee and add milk to your liking.  Yum!