The Peculiar Pumpkin

Did you hear about the gigantic pumpkin that was weighed in at Half Moon Bay this past Monday?  It tipped the scales at 1,658 pounds!  Now that's one plump pumpkin!  Pumpkins are a peculiar fruit.  Don't you think?

Last year I watch this documentary called Lords of the Gourd.  It was both fascinating and bizarre.  These people spent about 6 months out of the year and thousands of dollars to grow these gigantic pumpkins.  It was crazy!  They talked about how they could practically watch them grow and some of the farmers got so attached that they actually wept when it was time to harvest them.  Eccentric folk, but I suppose you'd have be in order to fully commit yourself to growing the giant gourd.

   

The documentary also featured pumpkin boat racing.  That's right.  There are actually communities (east coast) that hold annual events where competitors hallow out there huge pumpkins, hookup them up to boat engines and race them around a lake.  Who knew that sizable squash could actually be used for transportation purposes? 

I don't know of any other produce on the planet that comes in so many different shapes, sizes, colors or has so many different uses quite like the pumpkin.  From home decor and flotation devices to bubble bath and medication, the pumpkin is a versatile fruit indeed.  It's also found in many dishes, both sweet and savory.  It can be used in sweet treats such as pies, muffins, breads, smoothies and ice cream, but also as a key ingredient in main dishes like pasta.

   

If you couldn't tell by now, I like pumpkins.  I like to grow them, I like to cook & bake with them and I like decorating my house with them during the holiday season.  And there are so many different varieties to chose from.  That's why each year when fall arrives, and it's time to find the perfect pumpkin, I tend to lean towards the more unusual looking ones.  Now, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the traditional orange jack-o-lantern type, but once you realize how many varities exist and are available these days, why would you want to limit your selection to just one type?

As you can clearly see from the photo at the top of the page, pumpkins come in many different shapes, sizes and colors.  Two of my favorites include the Queensland Blue (jade color) and the Cinderella (low to the ground with deep ridges).

         

Martha Stewart Magazine describes these two types of pumpkins:

Queensland Blue' is an Australian squash with jade-green skin and smooth deep-orange flesh, whose high sugar content makes it perfect for pumpkin pie. Packed with vitamin A, winter squash is versatile and nutritious.

French pumpkins, such as the elegant 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes,' dubbed the Cinderella pumpkin, tend to be low to the ground and often display deeply ridged lobes.

For more information on the different types of pumpkins, check out Martha Stewart's article from 2008, A Palette of Pumpkins.  And for some yummy pumpkin recipes, stop by on Tasty Tuesday.  Until then, have a great weekend and if you haven't already, go find the perfect pumpkin!

Quality Time With Kids

I remember when I was a young child how exciting this time of year was: the pumpkins, costumes, candy, etc…  Just because I’m all grown up now doesn’t mean that I can’t relive that experience again.  And one of the ways to do this is to have some fun with the kids.

There are so many opportunities this month for fun with the little ones.  Even if you don’t have any children of your own, you most likely know some children that you could muster up some good times with.  It doesn’t even require spending a lot of money to put a smile on a child’s face.  All it takes is a little bit of imagination and your time.

This past weekend I spent an afternoon of fun with my niece and nephew, Julia and Jack.  We spent the afternoon making Halloween ornaments and a Halloween tree for the ornaments to hang on.  This took very little money.  I was able to purchase the craft supplies and buckets, which functioned as gift bags, for about $6 per child.  I topped off the gifts with some candy from the dollar store.  Not only were the kids excited to receive their “surprise”, but the real fun came when I spent the afternoon with them working on the craft projects.

        

When it comes to children, it is not about the money.  What’s important to them is spending quality time with an adult and having some fun.  The possibilities for fun fall activities are endless.  You could go for a walk and collect leaves, pick out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, make some Halloween sugar cookies, rent a fun Halloween movie to watch together or read them a spooky story.  The point is to simply take some time out of your busy schedule, whether it be one hour or a whole day, and plan a fun activity for a child you know.

 THIS WEEK’S THOUGHTFUL MISSION

Take some time out of your busy schedule and plan a fun fall activity with a child you know.

You’ll Be A Better Person for It!