I have previously posted about one of the aspects of living in South Florida is the lack of traditional “seasons”. In many parts of the country, this is the time of crisp fall mornings with smoke wafting from at least some houses and brilliant colors are seen as the leaves change. Treks are often made to pumpkin patches to pick out decorations as either just pumpkins or to create jack-o-lanterns and perhaps homemade pies, bread, etc., While I appreciate the decorative characteristics, other than roasted pumpkin seeds, neither Hubby nor I care for the taste of these famous gourds. I know it’s strange and I have friends and relatives who welcome the array of pumpkin-flavored items. I will admit my former mother-in-law did make a pumpkin chiffon pie that was mild in flavor so that when combined with graham cracker crust and the meringue topping, it was enjoyable. And a neighbor from another time did a pumpkin cheesecake that was also mild enough for us.

We actually eat pumpkins seeds routinely either as a snack or in a salad. We made a couple of attempts roasting our own and fairly quickly decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Since I don’t do any of the pumpkin items I  don’t know how many people bother with true “made from scratch”. If one goes by the many cans stocked in the grocery store, I assume most people opt for that approach. And speaking of real pumpkins, I saw a post on Facebook the other day that said if you are in an area with chickens, rather than tossing out jack-o-lanterns, give them to someone with chickens. Apparently they don’t even need to be cut up, as the chickens will peck away at them. I don’t know if it’s true, however, it does sound reasonable.