Why I’ll Never Lose Weight In The Fall
Autumn is my favorite season of all. I’d like to pretend it’s the cool weather, the changing leaves, or activities like hayrides and sorgum mazes.
But it’s not. It’s totally the food.
I know fall is around the corner because all of my favorite Pumpkin flavored items are popping up around my favorite food locations. Panera Bread has their Pumpkin muffins sitting out on the warming platter. Starbucks is finally selling their Pumpkin Spice Latte – which I think may be one of the tastiest coffee drinks I’ve ever had. And the best of all – Blue Moon is selling their fall Harvest Moon Pumpkin ale which is my favorite beer OF ALL TIME.
(Sidenote: I was trying to link to the actual beer at the Blue Moon site but they ask for your age TWICE before getting to that section. Are pr0n sites protected? Probably not.)
And let’s not forget the items people cook this time of year that have Pumpkin in them. Pumpkin bread, Pumpkin pie (my favorite made by MrZ’s grandfather) and that Pumpkin dip stuff that you use Ginger snaps in. One of MrZ’s aunts makes that stuff and it is like CRACK it is so addictive. I don’t even ever want to SEE the recipe because if I learn how to make it – all hope that I get back to my pre-AndyZ weight would be lost.
(Ha. Like the only thing holding me back is not knowing the recipe. The whole “I don’t cook” wouldn’t be an issue at all.)
So – the leaves will be changing soon and cooler weather is already here. If you need me, I’ll be in the corner eating enough pumkin goods that I’ll surely be gaining 15lbs a week until Christmas.
Hand me a napkin.
Oh, it’s just a can of pumpkin and cream cheese, made with lite, it’s not too bad
That’s not cooking 
My favorite is pumpkin soup that’s just a little spicy, with a dollop of dilled sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds on top!
Hi, my name is Katie, food is my favorite topic (besides babies, sex, booze, cameras, etc)
Starbucks has the pumpkin spice latte right now??? guess where we are going today!!
Hi, Zoot! Happy Friday! Ok, ok, so I KNOW you say you don’t cook, but this one is SO easy! AND OMG you will LOVE it!! I swear it is simple to make and sinfully delicious!
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Have a good weekend!
I know nothing of this pumpkin dip. I’m actually not a big fan of pumpkin-flavored stuff — maybe I just haven’t had the right treat yet — but I am all about fall food. Halloween! Thanksgiving! Christmas! Chocolate! Turkey! Mac ‘n’ cheese!
I should just buy bigger pants right now.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes are my FAVORITE! Yeah. I’ve never heard of pumpkin dip and ginger snaps. I’ll have to try it. I’m all about pumpkin flavored items.
I’ve been reading for awhile and I would have never guessed my first comment would be about pumpkin but here it goes…
I too have a love for all things pumpkin. About 5 years ago my husband and I lived in the “Pumpkin Capital of the World”, Morton, IL (we live in St. Louis, MO now). It’s where Libby’s cans like 80% of the their canned pumpkin and the town has a yearly pumpkin festival where you can get…you guessed it, pumpkin flavored everything. Pumpkin ice cream, cheesecake, pie, cookies, donuts, pancakes, fudge, chili, etc. (I personally don’t think the chili tastes like pumpkin but I eat it anyway). It is so wonderful and takes place next weekend! Morton is a long way from where you live but now you have a reason to visit.
As a result of all this pumpkin I won’t be losing my baby weight either…my son was born around the same time as AndyZ (May 15th). So, now that I’ve officially de-lurked, congrats! He is adorable as are your other kids.
I’m not so much with the Pumpkin anything.
The Christmas Fudge? That’s my problem.
oh, zoot. i’m the same way. i love all things pumpkin and autumn is my favorite season too. but also because of football, cooler weather, sweaters, corduroy, etc.
too bad it’s still 87 degrees here in dc. sigh.
Jackie I was just going to write about Morton. I just moved from the Peoria area to Cedar Rapids and am missing the Pumpkin festival this year. Pumpkin ice cream, pancakes, butter, donuts..it’s all so yummy.
ME TOO!! I just got a flyer in the mail yesterday for the local pumpkin farm (aka my FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH) and it had a 50% coupon for their famous homemade cider donuts.
CANNOT WAIT… I will also be chubbier by Christmas. Here’s to fall!!
I am a huge fan of all things pumpkin! How about if I share a dip recipe that is sugar free?
PUMPKIN FLUFF
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 4 serving box sugar free/fat free vanilla or cheesecake pudding
1 8 oz Cool Whip Free (or Lite)
1 tsp or tbsp pumpkin pie spice (depends on your taste)
Mix together and refrigerate. Serve as a dip with graham cracker sticks or animal crackers or ginger snaps. I have also spread it on graham crackers for a faux crust.
Also my all time favorite pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese frosting recipe. You can also pour it into loaf pans and make pumpkin loaves or muffin tins and make pumpkin muffins. It’s a very versatile recipe.
PUMPKIN SHEETCAKE
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil***
4 eggs, lightly beaten***
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
FROSTING
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons milk
chopped nuts
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch baking pan (I use a extra large cake pan). Bake at 350F for 35 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.
For frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add enough milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake. Sprinkle with nuts.
***to make a healthier version, you can use 1 cup of natural applesauce instead of the oil and replace the eggs with 8 egg whites.
Oh, yes. The pumpkin. Bring it, baby.
Oh, I love this time of year, too.
Pumpkin curry!! Yeah! It is a specialty from Manoj’s province of Kerala and I LOVE making it for him. But good gravy, have you ever tried to peel a pumpkin? Harder than you would think!
Local state fair has pumpkin fudge. YUM!
Ooh, state fair food… (goes into Homer-like trance)
Why I won’t lose weight in autumn: Halloween candy
Why I won’t lose weight in winter: Christmas goodies
Why I won’t lose weight in spring: Easter candy
Why I won’t lose weight in summer: Already too hot to get sweatier by exercising
I can always come up with an excuse. I REALLY miss being pregnant this fall/winter, cause I used the “I’m pregnant” to quiet the “you’re eating MORE candy corns?!” looks I got regularly.
Hubby used to drink the seasonal Sam Addams beers. Do you like those too? The Oktoberfest one is out now I think.
SO FUNNY YOU SAID THIS: I had to be at work this morning by 6:30 (ARGH), and to reward myself, I stopped at Starbucks. When I saw they had the PSL (as us seasoned drinkers refer to it), I did a cartwheel and then sang a song about pumpkins.
Okay, so I did the “happy food dance”, but whatever.
On the heatlhy side, did you see that they’re now serving nutrious breakfasts? And by nutrious, I don’t mean “poundcake”?
I’m in love with Fall, too. Deeply. For many of the same food related reasons (Pumpkin Spice Lattes!!!!!, Carmel Apples!!, Mulled Wine!!!), but also? Because it reminds me of going back to school and getting new backpacks and folders and pencils and WOW! I need to get my ass to office depot stat!
I love pumpkin stuff. Desserts especially, even though I’m not usually into sweets. Fall is my favorite season. If it weren’t for the spider invasion that takes over Indiana this time of year I’d be in heaven.
Ditto the Paula Deen receipe!
I make that like every week in the fall for football Sunday parties we have.
My favorite pumpkin recipe. It’s EASY & makes a lot of cookies.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1c shortening
2 eggs
2 c. pumpkin
2 t. vanilla
3 c. sugar
5 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. each cinnamon & nutmeg (I add some ginger & ground cloves too)
2 c. chocolate chips
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices in a bowl. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening & sugar together. Add eggs & beat until smooth. Add pumpkin & vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture. Mix well. Add chocolate chips.
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. (close together as they don’t spread out much)
Bake 15 minutes at 325. (They are best when slightly undercooked, do not brown)
YUM.
Greeeeeaaaaaat! Now, as soon as I’m done writing this comment, I’ll be opening up a Google searchbox and typing: PUMPKIN DIP GINGER SNAPS
Love from,
Someone who never knew that existed, but is about to get even bigger from the knowledge of it
Ummm, pumpkin dip!?! I never even knew such ambrosia existed. I must have some!
These people and their recipes! Pure evil. For once, I’m glad I don’t cook. Or mix.
OMG, I LOVES the pumpkin! Starbucks Pumpkin Scone? With the icing? Nom nom!
Do you have Au Bon Pains? They have the BESTEST pumpkin soup. DIE.
Mmmm, I love pumpkin nut muffins and chocolate-crusted pumpkin cheesecake.
I have NOT SEEN the Pumpkin Ale in the store yet. But, now I must go look.
Also? I love Dairy Queen soft serve pumpkin ice cream. OH! OH! And, once? I was at McDonalds and they had pumpkin pie. SO, SO YUMMY.
Yes, the air is cooling and I’m starting to get the urge to start baking. I always have to make a pumpkin roll. Pumpkin sponge cake rolled up with a cream cheese icing in it and covered in powdered sugar. So good. Look at that picture! How do you not want some?
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32372
*goes off checking for cream cheese to make it this weekend*
I’ve tried the specialty beers, but my palate must not be all that cultivated…I can’t ever tell much of a difference. Still, the names of some of them literally make my mouth water.
Thanks for this post. I have just got back from a week in Wales visiting my mother where it rained most of the time and I caught a bad cold after getting wet though walking in the mountains ( cough, cough, snif). In my absence the weather has turned in London and there is a definate tang of Autumn/Fall in the air which made me feel sad. But … Halloween, woolly tights, jumping leaf piles in the park and Guy Fawlkes night is just around the corner and this year. If you recomend it I might just try a pumpkin spiced latte. I’m conservative about sweet, syrupy stuff in my coffee
Here’s a good way to enjoy delicious pumpkin with less calories than regular cake prep. Take a box of spice cake (or carrot) and add a can of pumpkin. Do not add eggs, oil or any other listed ingredients on the box. Bake as directed. YUMMY! And not as bad for you as regular cake would be had you added all those other ingredients. Notice I’m not saying it’s healthy per se, just not as bad
hilarious! my best girl-friend is obSESSED with pumpkin. She even wants an orange ford edge because it sorta LOOKS like a pumpkin. hmm. sorry i had to out her teh crazy on your site.
enjoy fall!