Photo found on BHG.com.
Since it’s October, I though I’d share a few of my favorite pumpkin things.
Fear not, I have not jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon.
Pumpkin spice lattes are NOT among my favorite things. If PSLs are your thing, I’m happy that you are happy.
However, I’ve tried the PSLs at Starbucks and the smell made me gag, while one sip brought me close to heaving. I’ve tried the same coffee drink made by two different local coffee shops — from scratch using quality ingredients — and while they didn’t make me want to retch, they were still odd and unsettling. I think I’ll stick with regular coffee.
That said, there are some good pumpkin things that need to be shared:
Salted caramel pumpkin buns. Grace made these a couple of weeks and holy hell are they GOOD.
Pumpkin in my oatmeal. Yum. Instead of sugar, I usually add some unsweetened applesauce. My breakfast just got that much more fabulous.
Pumpkin cheesecake. I’ve been making this recipe for 20-ish years. Once a year at Thanksgiving and that’s it. Not because it’s a difficult dessert to put together, but because for us, it signifies a special occasion and we’re content to let the dessert remain elusive and rare.
Still, it’s possible to go too far with pumpkin. Here’s a list of my favorite awful pumpkin-flavored things. I’ve tried a few of them and they are truly vile.
It’s decorative gourd season, motherfuckers. Every time I read this, I laugh almost to the point of wheezing. (FYI,LOTS of foul language.)
Also from the same website, if you mourn the end of pumpkin season, you’ll understand how this blogger feels.
Let’s talk about pumpkin. What are your thoughts on it?
I love pumpkin in baked goods. Cookies, breads, muffins, pastry. The. End.
Pumpkin in pasta, other dinner foods and pumpkin spice in any manner of drinks makes me want to hurl. I was already tired of PUMPKIN EVERYTHING by Oct 1st. I think they started featuring it everywhere the week after 4th of July.
When my kids were little we didn’t carve pumpkins. We painted them and then after Halloween we set them out in the flower beds as a treat for the squirrels.
Pumpkin pie is good. Pumpkin quick bread or muffins are good. Pumpkin spices don’t belong in anything else, at least if I’m going to consume it.
And I really don’t care for pumpkin as a vegetable.
avoid it all costs…
I am a pumpkin aficionado. Not really sure when or why it started, but I will partake of many pumpkin goods in the next few months.
Pumpkin JoJos at Trader Joes are very yummy. As are the pumpkin streusel muffins at Costco. I bought 2 of the Libby pumpkin bread kits to make as well.
Pumpkin pie, custard, bread, bread pudding - wonderful. Not so big on P as a vegetable and I’ve never had pumpkin pasta. Pumpkin seeds are quite delightful. Pumpkin soup is good enough.
Yes to pumpkin desserts and pastries. Can’t say that I’ve had anything savory pumpkin, but I love squash so I’d probably like it, although the idea of pumpkin soup kind of skeeves me out.
I haven’t tried the ol’ pumpkin spice latte and I don’t intend to. I wonder how much pumpkin flavor is actually in it. Isn’t it more a spice latte? Actual pumpkin in coffee sounds gross.
The “decorative gourd season” link is FABULOUS and expresses my general feelings toward fall. I think.
I’m sorry, I can’t even think about pumpkin spice when I already found my true holiday love last week while grocery shopping. That’s right, the eggnog is already on the shelves! (In the interest of not waddling across the half marathon finish line, I passed. I may not be so strong this week…)
(Also: I make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies tonight. Eh. They’ll probably go to work. I’m not that impressed.)
Pumpkin as a vegetable is similar to winter squashes. Actually, it IS a winter squash, so as long as you leave the pumpkin spice out of it, you’re good. It pairs wonderfully with sage - one of my favorite dishes is a baked pasta with squash, cheese, bacon & sage. Serious comfort food. Apple pie for dessert and you’re set.
Becky, that sounds wonderful. Do you have an easily-accessible recipe to share with the class?
I love pumpkin (but not in coffee). Hey! I could have, but did not start this comment with “Like you” because diversity is the spice of life even if pumpkin pie is the spice of fall. I have a recipe for you … WHAT? I’ll email it and then you can share it with the class if you want. XOXO Thank you for the link to that post about motherf#@king shellacked gourds. OMG! I laughed so hard!
I like the flavor of pumpkin but it is so starchy it really overwhelms a lot of things when it is added to them. I think that is why pumpkin spice lattes can be gross.
Love, love pumpkin spiced anything in October. Then that all goes away around November 5th when peppermint starts to take over. It’s my version of seasonal affective disorder — tastebuds tailored to the season
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I accept pumpkin in baked goods and soups. But that is all. I am checking out your links because IT IS FRIDAY and time for me to LAUGH.