It’s that time of year again. My favorite time of year. It’s autumn!
The air takes on that crisp quality (such a break from summer’s humidity); the leaves are turning and changing the skyline with little bursts of color; I’m finally in the mood to cook with my crock pot again and pumpkin mania has begun!
Maybe I don’t go ga-ga over every pumpkin spiced snack and drink that’s dominating the store shelves this time of year, but I am a bit of a pumpkin nut.
So when Ivan and I took a trip to the farmers’ market last weekend and I spotted the most perfect dinner table centerpiece, I grabbed it and stuffed it in my bag next to that delectable scoop of water buffalo cheese and the box of apple cider doughnuts. (Have I mentioned that the farmers’ market is awesome?)
We weren’t entirely sure what our new centerpiece was, aside from a plant that resembled adorably, miniature pumpkins. They were almost too perfect: vividly orange and glossy, like plastic. Yet, they were plants.
They were clearly not pumpkins or any other type of gourd, since they were growing on a stalk instead of a vine. When we got home and cut one open, we were still no closer to guessing what they were (aside from white inside).
Finally I found the answer online. (Thank goodness for them Interwebs!) We had just bought some ornamental eggplants. Who’d’ve thunk it?
The pumpkin madness doesn’t end with bulbous orange eggplants, though.
I’ve happily whipped together some spicy, pumpkin-coconut soup and chocolate chip, pumpkin dessert bars with fudge frosting.
We have large pumpkins in our hallway and miniature ones inside.
Know who else loves pumpkins? The dogs!
Well… One of the dogs is indifferent to the wee pumpkins. The other enjoys a pumpkin snack.
I’m thinking it might be time for me to start making pumpkin puppy biscuits.
4 responses to “Pumpkin Everything!”
This is absolutely fantastic. The photographs are excellent and the dogs are simply adorable. I’ve never seen an ornamental egg plant before but shall now be on the look out. It’s that time of year when everything looks so sumptuous.
Thank you! 🙂
These dogs are too cute! I never knew a dog that liked pumpkin before, I’d never be able to talk my dog into it. I enjoy this time of the year and have been thinking about pumpkin bread….
Thank you! I’ll have to make some pumpkin biscuits and see how much they REALLY like pumpkin 😉
Though, they are both fans of sweet potatoes!