My Fakeccino

Now, I love a good, hot drink as much as anybody, but I don't always have time (or money) to stop and buy one.  Especially when I'm at work.  As I've undoubtedly complained about before, I am chained (once, literally!) to my desk for ten hours every day.  It gets downright frigid in my office during the winter and I can't turn the heater on because I work in a very dusty office.  I can't wear gloves because I need to use my keyboard and calculator all day.  My solution to the problem?  Hot drinks.

I've got a little Melita two-travel mug coffee maker on my desk.  I never make coffee in it.  I've forgotten how much coffee I'm supposed to use in it.  I either make instant coffee (thank you Starbucks VIA and Tasters Choice) or hot tea (again, yum).  During the really cold days, I can drink up to four or five hot drinks a day and even though I use a variety of different teas it gets to be a little boring.

My cheap, easy solution?  A fakeccino!  I keep milk in the mini-fridge in my desk in a plastic water bottle (I tried leaving a half-gallon in there but the power went out one time and... it was nasty the next day).  All you have to do to make the fakeccino is shake up the milk (it works best if the small bottle is half-full) vigorously for about twenty seconds and pour over your brewed tea or coffee.  For a little extra "special", I sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa over my drink.  It's easy, nice, and much cheaper than buying drinks all the time (plus, it's lower in calories since I use 2% milk and artificial sweetner).

The fakeccino  also makes a great mid-day treat.

So, I'm not always spot-on with the cinnamon.  See the nice layer of foamy milk on top?  Yum!

I had to restrain myself - wanted to take a sip before I snapped the picture!

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt

After reading The Food Librarian's "30 Days of Bundt Cakes" (found here - seriously, check her out, she's awesome), I decided to put my rarely-used (read: never used) bundt pan and make the Libby's Sourt Cream Pumpkin Bundt.

Mine didn't turn out quite as pretty, but I'm happy to say the struesel stayed where it was supposed to.

You'll have to forgive the crappy lighting - I've had my phone for over a year and I'm still learning how to use it.

It fell apart because it was still warm (breakage occured at the struesel layer) - I should have let it cool longer, but as you may know, I have zero patience.  It smelled wonderful and I had to have a slice.

Here's the recipe - Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt

JT said it needed a little more "pumpkin" flavor to compete with the struesel, so I think next time I make it, I'll throw in some pumpkin pie spice along with the cinnamon (in addition, not as a substitute).

Tomorrow (or Sunday) we'll try an apple spice cake and then I've got to make the banana bread I've been promising JT for weeks.

LSU/'Bama game tomorrow.... I can't wait!