Friends, I have a problem. A very delicious problem…

I’ve said before that I absolutely love this time of year, and not simply due to the presents and the giving of thanks and the Christmas decorations and the presents, but more importantly because this is the time when the diners and restaurants and other assorted eateries of our nation break free from their usual tenants to bring us some of the most delectable dishes this side of Halloween! And no, I’m not referring to dirt cake and gummy zombies and all of the other crypt-related snacks that tend to find their place at the kiddie table…

Granted, the kids might still be interested in carving this treat, but only with the proper adult supervision, of course.

And just between you and me, those kiddies can have their jack ‘o lanterns as long as I still get to keep those slimy innards that most are far too quick to discard in a crumpled mess of newspaper after their carving job has been completed! Well, let me rephrase that – I don’t personally want all of that icky stuff, but hand it off to someone a bit more experienced in the kitchen and give me a call when dinner’s on. What can I say? I love me some pumpkin!

Maybe it’s because pumpkin is a seasonal treat that only graces my plate between the months of September and November, or maybe it’s because my Mom simply raised me with a superior palate, but either way, anyone who’s spent a meal or more around me this time of year knows that there’s no such thing as too much pumpkin – at least not in my vicinity. Pumpkin for breakfast (pancakes), pumpkin for dinner (soup), and of course, a late-night pumpkin snack to help me off to slumberland (cookies, eggnog, pie – oh, the list goes on…). You wouldn’t believe the kinds of dreams you have when you’re as hopped up on pumpkin as I get this time of year!

…but just as a hint, think Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, only with way more orange and about 150% less Veruca Salt…

I’ll admit that I tend to get more than my usual share of odd looks when indulging in my pumpkin-y bliss, but anyone who’s truly been will vouch that when you find yourself up to your elbows in pumpkin French toast topped with two perfectly-square pumpkin butter pats and smothered in a rich, pumpkin syrup, you don’t really care what other people think…about pretty much anything. It’s times like these when it’s best to just sit back, take it all in, and become one with the pumpkin – kind of like zen, only you’re not really able to chant because your mouth is full of pumpkin the entire time!

And with that said, while I’d love to stay here and chat with you about pumpkin donuts and pumpkin coffee and pumpkin ice cream parfaits, but according to Mr. Calendar we’ve only got a few days left before my beloved pumpkin is swept to the wayside for candy canes and gingerbread and all sorts of other non-pumpkin-y nonsense. So take it from me, a real life pumpkin aficionado, on this cool, autumn afternoon – when life hands you pumpkins, you eat them and you eat them fast because this offer is good for a limited time only and when Pumpkin Season ’08 is still another ten months away, that’s not an offer that you can afford to pass up…

Seriously – what are you waiting for?! iHOP, Dunkin’ Donuts, Cold Stone, even Wal-Mart, for pumpkin’s sake – they’ve all got what ails ‘ya, so get out there and indulge while you still can! No worries that I’ll still be here when you get back – to the tune of holiday carols, we can go into pumpkin detox together…