Bear & Honey

I’ve always been surprised that I’m not an Autumn baby, because it is my favorite time of year.   My heart skips a beat on the first day that pumpkins are displayed at grocery stores and farmer’s markets.

This picture is an actual candid reaction my friend S.C. got on the first day Whole Foods put pumpkins in front of the store a couple of years ago.  I jumped out of the car, ran up to the pile, and hugged one before turning around and *click* he got a picture. <— This is some genuine pumpkin glee right here.

It was with similar glee, then, that I approached Halloween and the start of November this year.   I was really excited to decorate our front door for the kids, especially because we’re new to the neighborhood and haven’t met many people yet.   We had a great turnout and my jack-o-lantern was a hit.   He’s a cannibal:

Earlier this week, a few coworkers and I organized Pumpkin Palooza!  Several of us brought in all sorts of pumpkin treats.  We had ice cream, muffins, cupcakes, and pie.  I wanted to make sure we had a pumpkin pie there, since it seems the obvious choice, but I also wanted to try something I’d never done before.  Behold,  my Pumpkin Meringue Pie:

I used a graham cracker crust and made a meringue to put on top of the pie.  I wasn’t quite sure how it would turn out since I’d never had a pumpkin pie with a meringue, but it went over really well.   I liked that it was a little lighter than most pumpkin pies, and the graham cracker crust added a little spice to it.

There is still one piece of it leftover in the office fridge, so I’m going to break with convention and eat some pie for breakfast.

What is your favorite thing to do with a pumpkin?