It's Pumpkin Time!
Last night I stopped at my local grocery on my way home from work, and there, outside the front door, was a huge pile of jolly pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Ah, pumpkins. While I can resist chocolate desserts and candies most days, pumpkin desserts get to me every time. So, since October is nearly here, I’m declaring it pumpkin time in my home.
I’ll have to admit I only rarely do anything with actual whole pumpkins. Truthfully, I find them just too messy and hard to cut up. But give me a can of pumpkin puree and I’m all set. Last fall it was very difficult, because there was some kind of pumpkin puree shortage, and for much of the fall I couldn’t even get any canned pumpkin. So, I’ve decided that today I’m going to stock up on enough pumpkin to get through the next few months.
I’m not a huge fan of traditional pies, so don’t make pumpkin pie. Instead, my absolute favorite pumpkin desserts to make are pumpkin flan and pumpkin bread. And while I don’t eat a lot of ice cream in the colder months, from sometime in October through early December I will indulge once in awhile in Edy’s pumpkin ice cream. To me, this ice cream tastes exactly like pumpkin pie filling.
I tend not to think of pumpkin for anything but desserts, but a couple years ago a friend made pumpkin-peanut butter soup for me. When she told me about it, I thought it sounded horrible, and couldn’t understand why she called it her favorite comfort food. Well, after one taste, I could understand why; just delicious. I’ve managed to lose her recipe, but have found all kinds of alternatives on the web, and am looking forward to giving one of them a try tomorrow. In the process of looking for a new soup recipe, I discovered all a multitude of pumpkin stew and curry recipes, and may just give one of them a try as well.
Are you a pumpkin fan? If so, what are some of your favorite things to make — or eat — from pumpkins?
And while I know the animation techniques are horribly dated in compared to today, October, for me, means at least one viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin. LinnieGayl[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
I’m not a cooked pumpkin fan but I do love seeing the decorated jack o’lanterns on people’s front porches or in windows.
Missie, interesting about fresh pumpkin tasting “raw.” I’ve never heard of pumpkin cake, so will add that to my recipes to investigate.
I love pumpkin, too — and also “It’s the Great Pumpkin.” ;-)
I’m looking forward to getting a couple of pumpkins and carving them — it may be juvenile, but it is fun. :-)
I’m a big pumpkin pie fan, myself — I make a sugar-free version that folks don’t realize is sugar-free. I’ve also made pumpkin cake and some pumpkin muffins. I’ve never had pumpkin in a savory dish, though — your soup sounds interesting.
When I was a young girl, my mom (from whom I learned my love of cooking and baking and also my sense of adventure with cooking and baking) and I tried cooking with a whole pumpkin. It took us all afternoon, as I recall, sorting out the seeds (which we cleaned up and toasted in the oven) and then getting the rest of the pulp. The toasted seeds were DELICIOUS, but the pie…well, when one is used to the taste of canned pumpkin puree, fresh pumpkin just seems to have a kind of “raw” taste or something.