Fall has finally arrived, bringing with it a plethora of yummy foods and excuse to cook like I\u2019m in New England (even though temperatures are still hovering in the 80s in Southwest Florida). And anyone who knows me knows that I love pumpkin. So October, needless to say, is a great time for me: Not only is it my birthday month, but all things pumpkin-related make their way onto supermarket shelves and produce stands.<\/p>\n
My pumpkin streak began with a trip to Sarasota\u2019s Fresh Market recently, where I picked up pumpkin butter (which I spooned over cheese blintzes, yum<\/em>), pumpkin pie, pumpkin waffle mix and a fresh-from-the-bakery pumpkin roll. Then I picked up a quart (OK, or two) of McClain\u2019s famous pumpkin-flavored homemade ice cream\u2014it\u2019s seasonal and it\u2019s my favorite. (Have it with a piece of pumpkin pie and you\u2019ll swear you\u2019ve died and gone to pumpkin heaven.)<\/p>\n And pumpkin can be savory, too\u2014try it with some whole-wheat penne pasta mixed with a garlic, oil, rosemary, cream and some red pepper flakes (Martha Stewart has a great recipe right here<\/a>). And if you\u2019re looking for a pumpkin beverage to wash everything down, well, Blue Moon has got you covered: Their pumpkin-flavored ale is one of my favorite fall libations.<\/p>\n Now, by this point you\u2019re probably wondering about the health benefits of all these pumpkin-y treats, and I\u2019ve got you covered there, too: While I certainly wouldn\u2019t recommend overdoing the sweets\u2014or the ale\u2014a recent article in The Washington Post <\/em>confirmed that pumpkin is, indeed, a superfood, meaning that it contains tons of vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy and hearty. So go ahead and enjoy pumpkin season while it lasts\u2014and if you have any great pumpkin recipes to share, please do so in the comments!<\/p>\n – Judi Gallagher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fall has finally arrived, bringing with it a plethora of yummy foods and excuse to cook like I\u2019m in New … <\/p>\n