• Tuesday-What'sUP October 13 - 07:49 am

It's that time of year for pumpkin shopping. First you have to decide how many you need and then what size will be best. Ashley Byykkonen won't have to do either, since she has plenty of pumpkins lined up on the picnic table, just waiting to be turned into Jack-o-Lanterns, pumpkin pie and maybe even some feed for the deer. Another good fall harvest fruit is that crisp looking apple just waiting to be plucked from its perch. If you restrain yourself from biting into it and collect a few more, you can whip up some applesauce or an apple pie. I don't know about you, but all this pie talk is making me hungry!

I left a small pumpkin outside last fall for the critters and was rewarded with pumpkn vines this spring. Yesterday after the first frost I harvested a dozen small baking pumpkins and a few miniatures, and I also have them lined up on a picnic table. I have a picture of my Dad with his fall squash harvest from 20 years ago. From a small backyard plot he grew a pile of various winter squashes three feet high and as wide as the driveway.

Yum! you bet. Can't pick which I like best.

Jussi Appleseed must have been a busy guy in the Yoop way back. I remember everyone having an apple tree in their yard when I grew up in the Calumet/Laurium area.

Does anyone know if pumpkins are native to America,or were they brought here? And if they are native what part of the country were they growing?

A pumpkin vine began taking over our garden early this summer. When asked, my husband responded "God planted it!". Twenty seven pumpkins later! :) Last year he tried pumpkin beer. Think this years crop will go to bread!

Mom used to make wonderful apple pies from apples gathered along the edge of the mine ruins behind their house. She would cut away bruised parts and worms. We didn't know then that this meant the apples were "organic" but what great pies!

from Mensa's list of "new words":
CATERPALLOR: the color you turn after you discover the worm in the fruit you were eating.

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico, dating back over 7000 years to 5500 B.C. Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians. Pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets, too. They also brought seeds back to Europe, where they quickly became popular. Just like today, early settlers used pumpkins in a wide variety of recipes, from desserts to stews and soups. In addition to cooking with pumpkins, they also dried the shells and cut strips to weave into mats.

Of course, I like them best in a pie, with just a hint of cinnamon and a little whipped creme on top; YUM YUM!!!!!!

Yummy...pumpkin pie pumpkins.
One of the things that I miss here in Indiana...is that in Michigan, we lived near two apple orchards. How I miss going to the apple orchards in the fall...and gathering apples and pumpkins for making pies...and enjoying warm apple cider fresh from the apple press.

Yummy! I can't wait to have fresh pumpkin pie. Fall is one of my favorite times of year.

I can remember playing outside as a kid and not stopping for lunch.......there were plenty of apple trees around.

As for pumpkin beer - was it any good? I brew my own beer and for some reason Pumpkin just isn't sounding good right now.

The pumpkin beer was not terrible, but my husband said he would probably not make it again. Was a terrible amount of work to prep the pumpkin and he did not get much for all his effort. Mild taste.

Pumpkins are great! I love making pies, carving jack-o-lanterns, and roasting pumpkin seeds, have been known to take a very long time looking for the perfect carving pumpkin, and picked up the name "home for wayward pumpkins" one year when I brought all of the sad leftover pumpkins home from the Houghton Walmart one Halloween. One of these days I'm going to plant myself some pumpkins.

Between the pumpkins and all this talk of apples too, apple crisp, apple cider, I'm getting hungry!

From Marija: "CATERPALLOR: the color you turn after you discover the worm in the fruit you were eating." I think you meant, the color you turn when you discover HALF of the worm in the apple you were eating. (Adds protein?)

What's worse than finding a worm in your apple?
Finding half a worm!!