Initial Thought: “Boy, these muffins sure are small…”
Marketing Reassurance Provided by Packaging: “Just the right size!  Not too big and not too small.  Little Debbie Muffins are the perfect size to eat at home or take along.”
Actual Flavor: rich pumpkin flavor, although it could’ve been improved by being just a little more moist (…but what do you really expect out of pre-packaged snacks???)
Afterthoughts: Primarily due to their size, these are more snack muffins than they are breakfast muffins, which I guess could be assumed seeing as they were made by one of the biggest snack cake companies in the world!  The flavor wasn’t too bad, but I’d have to eat a couple of these to fill up for breakfast and that’d still end up being a pretty high calorie breakfast…

Found At: Wal-Mart, Publix
Flavor Rush: Like any ‘nog, T.G. Lee’s pumpkin eggnog is very thick and creamy, and although the pumpkin flavor itself doesn’t assault you like a bad movie that people keep flocking to the theaters to see anyways.  It’s almost as if the pumpkin lingers back, waiting to introduce itself when the time is just right.  When enjoyed with a fresh (out of the wrapper) pumpkin muffin like I had, it made for a quite enjoyable pumpkin breakfast!
Best Enjoyed: in front of a roaring fire, with the quaint smell of homemade pumpkin pie wafting in from the kitchen after a delicious Thanksgiving feast

Caloric Side Note: If you’re wondering just how many calories are in a glass of this splendid holiday beverage, you probably shouldn’t be drinking it!  They say that the delicious eatings of the winter holidays lead many people to pack on some serious pounds and at 200 calories for a 1/2 cup serving of this yummy ‘nog, chugging down the better portion of a bottle with breakfast will pretty much do in your caloric limits for the day.

Of course, you should still drink up and enjoy anyways because:
A) it’s delicious!
B) it’s pumpkin-y delicious!!
C) New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner and you don’t want to come to the table empty handed!!!

Thoughts: “I’ll show those cocky punks at Starbucks! I’ll make my own pumpkin spice latte – how tough can it be?!”
Afterthoughts: “…maybe this is something better left to trained, over-charging professionals…”
Construction Note: Instead of simply using hot water, I followed the alternate instructions on the side of the can and used hot milk in its place. For what it’s worth, this is normally how I make hot chocolate, too.
Flavor: Sort of pumpkin-y, but it pains me to admit that the $4 Starbucks creation was probably better … which surprised me because I thought with the whipped cream and cinnamon I really brought something worthy to the table! It was ok, but nothing spectacular.
Side Note: Shortly after spotting this product, I also found a Limited Edition Pumpkin-Flavored Coffee Mate coffee mix-in, too, but seeing as I’m not a coffee drinker, I figured I’d be better off going with this one instead.
Verdict: You win this battle, Starbucks, but thankfully since I don’t really drink coffee all that much anyways, it doesn’t really matter!

Epilogue: While I really couldn’t care less about coffee, per se, I have been known to be a bit of a sucker for hot chocolate. That said, I disappointingly have yet to find any pumpkin-flavored hot chocolate mix to try, so if you happen to come across some, please do e-mail me with where you found it and I’ll see if I can hunt down a sample of my own here in sunny Florida!

Yes, we do occasionally drink hot chocolate here in Florida – it’s not blazingly hot all year long…

In the Wind: Sometimes in times like these when it seems like all of the pumpkin-based foods to be purchased have been, all you can do is light a candle like this and take solace in the idea that new foodstuffs will eventually present themselves when the time is right. Until then, just sit back, relax, and take a deep breath as the soothing scents of pumpkin and assorted fall spices wafts through the air, whisking away your problems like leaves falling from a tree…
Buy Your Own At: Wal-Mart (air freshener section, not candle section)