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By Suzette Strauss, Resident Yes, it's that time of year when we look toward the change of seasons and what is more special than the smells of the fall season, specifically pumpkin spices. ese usually contain primarily cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, but allspice is also welcomed. I'm such a pumpkin fan, so I thought I'd like to see if SDV is home to others who share my love of this practical and nutritious member of the gourd family. I sent out a Community Blast asking for feedback and my phone was "blowing up" with responses. I also got some face-to-face and phone call results. ank you all so much. When I was a kid, we carved pumpkins and saved the seeds for my mom to salt and put them in the oven, then we would admire our jack-o'-lanterns while snacking on the roasted seeds. It was many years before I discovered shelled pumpkin seeds, a.k.a. kernels, one of my husband's favorite foods. Did you know that Morton, Illinois is known as the "Pumpkin Capital of the World" and, at the local Libby's processing plant, 85% of the world's canned pumpkin begins its global journey? I wonder how much Costco buys. I was not surprised that the number one pumpkin favorite was— Pumpkin Pie! is happens to be my personal favorite. I like to add whipped cream by the gobs and even toss a slice in my morning meal replacement shake for a treat, occasionally. Here are the results from our SDV community: 1. Pumpkin Pie 2. Pumpkin Bread 3. Pumpkin Spice Latte 4. Pumpkin Cookies and Muffins 5. Pumpkin Cup Cakes, Scones, Seeds, and ai Pumpkin Curry I was also told by several that though they didn't care for pumpkin as food, they still loved the pumpkin spice smells, décor, and/or jack-o'-lanterns. I must mention a twist on the pumpkin pie revealed by our resident, DiAnne Mangis. She calls it Pumpkin Praline Pie. It is described as having a pecan pie as the bottom layer and pumpkin pie as the top. Wow! I wonder if I just bought the two pies and stacked them if anyone would notice… or I could invert the pumpkin pie and call it a Double-Crusted Pumpkin Praline Surprise. Some other twists were cream cheese filling in the muffins and cream cheese spread on top of the bread, as well as unsalted pumpkin seeds on chocolate oatmeal for breakfast. We sure know how to live, don't we? Whatever suits your fancy, enjoy it to your heart's content! Pumpkin Mania 12 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | OCTOBER 2025