Hello, my name is Emily, and I'm an addict.

"And on the eighth  day, God created coffee."

Ok,  I'm not a crazy addict. I just have a bit of a caffeine problem... When I was little, I adored the scent of my mother's steaming morning coffee and would always try a sip, only to crinkle my nose and pretend that it tasted good. She drank it black, no sugar. And to a four year old, that's an intense way to be introduced to the stuff. As I got older, and persevered through the bitterness, I started to acquire a taste for the dark liquid. I started drinking it because I liked it. And now....without a couple cups in the a.m. I go through the day in a fog, feeling like a zombie with eyes on fire. It's been years since I've experienced a caffeine buzz, or remember what it's like. Now, I drink it to feel more human, without it I am grumpy, tired, and walk around squinting my eyes because they feel like they are going to burn out of my head...and because it still tastes so good!

And now, I am going to be an enabler. Forgive me.
 I have a recipe to share with all of my caffeine dependent, bloggy friends, I found it in the food section of my local newspaper. Super easy, reasonably cheap. Serves about four.

Winter Spice cafe' latte

• 3/4 cup of ground coffee
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more, depending on your taste)
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened condensed milk
• whipped cream

Mix the cinnamon and the ground coffee together. Brew coffee as usual - I use a french press most of the time, but the brewing method isn't specific.

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a large coffee pot or a 1 1/2 quart pitcher. Add freshly brewed coffee and stir until thoroughly blended.

Pour into eclectic cafe' mugs and top with whipped cream. Sprinkle some extra cinnamon on top if you feel really fancy. Serve immediately.

I suppose you could also turn this into a frappacino-like drink if you were to let the brew cool then add to a blender filled with around 2c. ice cubes and a splash of milk or cream. Then top it with whatever decadence you desire.

I made this last night and it tasted like a coffee house concoction. That is to say, pretty darn good. REALLY rich though, and VERY sweet. Definitely a dessert type of drink. Feel free to play around with coffee::sweetened milk ratios, as well as different spices like nutmegs or cloves. I  think I'd use more coffee and less milk next time.

Let me know if you try it!