Round Robin Challenge: The Pumpkin Hunter

For the Round Robin Photo Challenge: Fun Foods, I was thinking about showing you the fun I've had recently taking my dad to restaurants that serve something a bit out of the ordinary. I may still do that - but first, I want to return to the subject of my annual obsession. For me, the months around October are all about the pumpkin. It's my absolute Achilles' heel this time of year. I'm working to lose weight, but then I see it: the sign at the register or the sign on the table:

Maybe the sign is for pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, or pumpkin smoothies. It hardly matters. It could be Pumpkin Anything, almost. I almost certainly want it. This is why it's only almost:

Fortunately for me, I hate coffee, even if it's a pumpkin-infused latte or frappuccino. (But did you know that Starbuck's will do a hot pumpkin drink without the coffee? It's called a pumpkin steamer. They'll also mix the pumpkin with hot chocolate!)

And I have no interest in ever trying beer...

 ...even if it's a seasonal Harvest Pumpkin beer.

That leaves many, many other pumpkin foods to try, if I look diligently for them Over the years I've had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin-cranberry bread, several kinds each of pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin pie, pumpkin yogurt (Greek and regular), pumpkin or pumpkin-cranberry muffins...

pumpkin tarts, and I'm sure I'm forgetting several other delicious variations.  I go looking for the stuff, stopping in at Starbuck's, which I seldom visit otherwise, and prowling the aisles at Safeway or Alberson's or Trader Joe's. I think half the fun is in the hunt for new Pumpkin Anythings to try.

But you know, I'm trying to re-lose some weight here after being derailed by a knee injury last December. I shouldn't be having pumpkin anything. The maker of a particular brand of pie totally has my number:

It says right on the box: "We know you want this pie." Yes. Yes, I do. But last night I settled for this instead:

I want so much to like this. It should be like butternut squash or something, right? But I even added cinnamon, and I still failed to finish a small portion. And tonight I gave the tea another chance:

You know what? It just doesn't cut it. Pumpkin I don't have to feel guilty about is seldom pumpkin worth ingesting. Darn it!  I'd much rather have another taste of this:

I photographed - and ate! - that one in 2009. My pumpkin obsession - and pumpkin photography - goes back to at least 2005.

Karen

Now let's check out the other Robins' fun foods!

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as of October 5th, 2013, 12:34 AM MST

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