Pumpkins

Pumpkins have always meant joy to me. I remember being a little kid and going to the pumpkin patch to pick out my annual Halloween pumpkin. I even remember a photo that my family had of me and my father at a pumpkin patch; I was about two and was sitting on top of a giant pumpkin with a huge smile on my face. I am not sure what attracts me to this gourd/fruit/symbol, but I really love pumpkins. Even in my leanest years, I have always bought at least one pumpkin for myself. And, now that I live in a cold climate again, my pumpkins keep for a long time. Most of the pumpkins I get don't rot all winter long. What can I say, I really truly love pumkins and all of their symbolism. I also enjoy a good pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin seeds. I am entirely pumpkin-whipped.

Be they orange,

white,

or green,

all pumpkins are loved equally.

Mmmmmmm, pumkin pie...... I baked a pumpkin pie yesterday and my home still smells good today. Healthy, fun, and yummy all rolled into one.

It's the Great Pumpkin, and Snoopy, too! Snoopy and pumpkins, how could you go wrong?

And, of course, I couldn't omit every little girl's dream pupmkin, Cinderella's coach. I have a collection of these. I am such a pumpkin geek. Bibbity, bobbity, BOO!

Seasonal Joy

October is my favorite month and autumn is my favorite season. The air feels fresher and smells like fallen leaves. The trees are beautiful, displaying their last glory before the cold grey of winter. Pumpkins are everywhere, especially in my home. Pumpkin pie and honeycrisp apples are a daily treat. A fresh sunny day in autumn energizes me.

If you have never had a honeycrisp apple, I urge you to try one. It is possibly the most refreshing apple ever created. They last a long time, too. They are eating apples, and I would never ever waste them in a pie or an apple crisp. They are perfectly balanced in flavor and need no addition of fat, cinnamon or crust.