Spiced pumpkin cream cheese muffins

The allure of the freshly made pumpkin puree peering at me from the fridge this morning was so appealing that despite being completely gaga because Oliver woke us up at 4:58am (thanks again, Daylight Savings), I simply had to make muffins. Cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream cheese and a chopped plum went into the mix and the result was a pan of fragrant, hearty, autumnal treats; they were perfect for breakfast on a cold day.

I'm terribly behind on all things kitchen but am meeting a friend out for lunch today, need to make it by Ol's school book fair, must walk the dog, and am hearing Barbara Kingsolver speak tonight (love her!) so sadly, I'm not sure today will be the grand time o' make-up cooking I'd hoped. The sausage casings I bought in Chicago beckon as do a bunch of rainbow lacinato kale and a large bowl of cranberry beans. At least I managed to shell those yesterday. More later I hope!