Pumpkin Palooza Coffee Date!
Happy Pumpkin Palooza! Oh… what’s that, you ask? WELL. Pumpkin Palooza is a fall festival that begins on September 1st, and ends on Thanksgiving. You can think of Thanksgiving dinner as a sort of “closing ceremony” to Pumpkin Palooza. On September 1st (the opening ceremony) the house is decorated for fall, a special pumpkin breakfast is served, and the fall holiday mugs make their first appearance of the year. If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of this festival, it could be because the only people who currently celebrate it are my sister and myself (and our families… grudgingly.) But I’m here to spread the word! Get out your decorations, find a great pumpkin waffle recipe, and start sipping your coffee/tea/hot chocolate from a festive pumpkin mug. I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the September Ultimate Coffee Date! If we were having coffee together, I would tell you that while Florida is a disaster area, Covid-wise, at least I’ll be looking snazzy in my favorite pumpkin mask! When I unpacked my box of fall decorations, I didn’t know whether to cheer or scream when I saw this mask. When I packed it away last year, I really didn’t think we would still be wearing them now. But… here we are! I’m glad I didn’t throw it away. Another thing I would tell you for this pumpkin-themed coffee date is a baking tip. I read this on another blog years ago- to get the right amount of flavor, always DOUBLE the amount of pumpkin spice called for in a recipe, and add a pinch of cloves. I did that with my favorite waffle recipe from Minimalist Baker. I highly recommend this recipe! The only weird thing is that it doesn’t call for salt. So I add it, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Always use salt in baked goods! And double the pumpkin spice. If we were having coffee together, I would ask how you feel about fall. Here in Florida, “fall” is more an idea than a season. Our temperatures will remain in the 90s through October. The leaves don’t change color, and we can’t go apple picking. But I still love the idea of all those things! I love hearing other people’s descriptions of fall up north and seeing pictures of fall scenes. So tell me… do you love fall? Are you having fall-like weather yet? Pumpkin spice… yes or no?