Its own season
Pumpkins were plentiful at this shop near the Outer Banks, North Carolina, September 2013
“Oh how we love pumpkin season. You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right? Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin…. We anxiously anticipate it every year.” ~Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer
Full disclosure: I don’t care for eating anything pumpkin-flavored. I know many people who do, however, and I love the scents and sights related to this gorgeous gourd. So I felt it would be appropriate to post a paean to the pumpkin.
If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s (and btw, I told Jeff that a non-negotiable consideration in choosing a place to retire is whether there is a Trader Joe’s nearby) you know that TJ’s loves pumpkins as much as they describe in the quote above. You can get endless pumpkin-flavored treats there: pies, pancake mixes, cakes, cookies, coffee, even the unadorned pumpkins themselves, in a variety of styles and sizes.
But, luckily for the world, pumpkins (which are thought to be native to North America) are easy to grow, and are now found almost everywhere except Antarctica. Mma Ramotswe, the charming and indefatigable protagonist of Alexander McCall Smith’s delightful series, waxes eloquent about the joys and comforts of pumpkins in her home country of Botswana. A visit with Mma Ramotswe is almost enough to convince me to try eating pumpkin once in awhile, since I trust her judgment; she also has a tremendous appreciation of TEA!
Anyway, my point (and I do have one) is that pumpkin popularity is widespread and here to stay. Chances are you have at least one thing that is pumpkin-related in your home every fall. For me, it’s pumpkin scented hand soaps from Bath and Body Works, and pumpkin-flavored coffees and treats for those in our family who love them.
How about you? Are you a pumpkin lover? Do you enjoy them in various forms during the October, November and December holidays? Share your favorites and traditions– even recipes, if you like. The pumpkin lovers among us will thank you!
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: Autumn, baking, fall, festivities, gourd, halloween, holiday decorating, holiday treats, jack-o-lanterns, nutrition, orange, pumkins, seasonal, vine
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia!
Although I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, I did order a spiced pumpkin latte yesterday, just to celebrate pumpkin season. 😄
How was it? I don’t think I’d be much of a latte person nowadays. At one time I thought black coffee tasted horrible, but now that’s the only way I drink it, straight and strong, with no milk or sugar. Now that my tastes are trained away from sugar, I actually like it that way. But it will never be tea!
I feel that now I’ve had my one celebratory pumpkin latte for the season, and don’t need another! I think it’s the nostalgia over the season that causes me to order such a thing. Similar to Shamrock shakes near St. Patrick’s Day. I had one a couple of years ago, and they are almost yucky.
Assuming they are green, they even SOUND yucky!