Pumpkin is Here! Pumpkin is Here!

Sound the trumpets! Alert the news!   It's fall!  It's fall!  And that means only one thing!  Pumpkin, pumpkin and more pumpkin!  I am happy to say that I have already had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte!  Yep, still 95 degrees out and I had a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte with half the pumps!    I may have been sweating a little (or a lot!) but it was soooo good!  And now,  I can officially start up the oven and start making batch after batch of pumpkin bread.  We make so many loaves that we lose count.  My husband and oldest LOVE pumpkin bread so we often freeze several loaves so that we can enjoy it any time of the year.  

  Are you as obsessed with pumpkin as I am?  We were at Trader Joe's, my other obsession, and I spotted so many pumpkin items.  I about lost it!  I was hopping from one item to the next, trying hard to hide my squeals of delight!  We initially went in to pick up a Pumpkin Caramel Kringle.  Yep, you heard correctly- pumpkin and caramel!  But upon entering the door we were greeted my a cheerful employee and a sampling of Pumpkin Joe-Joe's.  Why yes, don't mind if I do!  Heaven, they were pure heaven.  My husband, who is a bit picky and is sometimes too embarrassed to take a sample, surprisingly helped himself to one and then proceeded immediately to the display and put, not one, but two, boxes of Pumpkin Joe-Joe's in our cart.  Score!!!!  It was going to be an awesome pumpkin shopping day at the local Trader Joe's!

 Here are just a few of the other pumpkin items I was able to quickly snap a picture of.  My husband was embarrassed, to say the least, as I excitedly located and took a picture of these 21 items.   My goal is to return soon and see how many more pumpkin items I can find.  Like finding Happy the Horse for the kids, only for big people.  Our TJ hides a cute stuffed horse, named Happy, for kids to find.  Once they do, and tell an employee, they get to pick out a lollipop.  Why not hand out pumpkin lollipops and pumpkin stickers for adults who can successfully locate all the pumpkin items?  Our cashier told us that durning the next 2 months of the holiday season they will put out over 400 seasonal items.  Oh how I wish I was a millionaire and could try all 400!  But trying as many pumpkin items as I can will do just nicely!   Just nicely indeed! 

Pumpkin Caramel Kringle, $7.99

Ok, if you have not tried the Danish Kringle, you must!  You really, really must!  We first learned about the almond kringle last year.  These flat little beauties sell out so fast!  In fact, they may be selling the last one as you read this!  What are you waiting for? And why am I telling you?  You're going to beat me there and buy the last one.  Please, save me one!

They freeze really well for up to 6 months. So buy one or two.  Eat one right now and freeze the other until Thanksgiving!

Read more about the O & H Danish Bakery of Racine, Wisconsin and all of their delicious Kringle flavors.  Should I move there?  According to their website, "each Kringle takes 3 full days to make, resulting in 36 delicate layers for a truly flaky and flavorful pastry."  Yes, maybe I should!

Pumpkin Joe-Joe's, $2.99

Oh my goodness!  Seriously, if you love pumpkin, you are going to LOVE these cookies.  There's so much rich pumpkiney goodness that you won't be able to eat more then 2 at a time (well, maybe just one more).  I know, because I tried!  My husband must be keeping count of how many are in the box each night because he asked me if I had eaten 2.  Yes!  Yes, I did!  Do you have a problem with that?  Don't tell, but after taking what is left of our box out to take this picture, I noticed that some of the heavenly pumpkin cream was lying in the empty plastic container.  I might have used my finger (I was tempted to use my tongue) to scoop it up.  It was so sad just sitting there all alone.  It needed me!  Does he keep track of that too?  I think not! 😉

Organic Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark, $3.99

Um.... this bark is DELICIOUS! I mean, dream about your next piece, delicious!   It has just the right amount of pumpkin spice, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds and sea salt.  I'm totally in love.  I may or may not be going back to Trader Joe's to load up on some more!  This small-batch granola is produced by a supplier in Vermont.  "It is made with oats, almonds, quinoa, cornflakes, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin purée, Vermont maple syrup, coconut oil, and pumpkin season spices. It’s pressed flat and baked, then generously spread with rich dark chocolate (66% cacao), and topped with maple-sea salt-seasoned pumpkin seeds".  Need I say more!

Look how pretty it is on a pumpkin plate to be served to Thanksgiving guests while they wait for the turkey.  Turkey!  Who needs turkey when you have all these yummy pumpkin items from Trader Joe's? Save a turkey, eat more pumpkin!


Now for the other items I spotted on this trip to TJ. Let us know in the comments below if you've tried any of them and what you think.

Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix and Pumpkin Butter

Country Pumpkin Spice Granola Cereal, $2.49

Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix and Glutten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix

We also bought a box of the Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix.  We will be trying it this weekend and letting you know.

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn 

Pumpkin Spice Scone Mix

Pumpkin Spice Coffee 

Pumpkin Tortilla Chips 

Pumpkin Soup Crackers

Pumpkin Rolls

Pumpkin Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Marble Mousse, Pumpkin Waffles and Pumpkin Ginger Ice Cream Cones

Assorted Belgian Chocolate Pumpkins

Updated: September 26, 2017

Here are 11 more glorious pumpkin products spotted on todays TJ trip!  Which ones have you tried?

Bought this pumpkin spice almond beverage.  I have tried it cold, hot and in coffee.  It was good all 3 ways!  My favorite was in my coffee.

How cool are these pumpkin trees??? Wouldn't they look so good on a Thanksgiving table!

They were giving samples of this pumpkin butternut squash bisque and it was really good. It's not too thick and not too runny, with just a hint of pumpkin flavor.  This bisque screams fall! I think I would serve it in a bread bowl.

This cream cheese would be so good on the pumpkin bagels!  Yum!

I was so excited to try these caramels!  I mean, what's not to like? Pumpkin. Dark Chocolate. Hawaiian Sea Salt.  How could these go wrong?  And now that I've tried them, I just don't know.  I am not a picky eater. I love bold flavors.  I think I like these, but am not sure that others will.  These caramels have a very strong, earthy flavor.  They remind me of something but I just can't put my taste bud on it.  The caramel is more of a runny caramel then a chewy caramel. The chocolate is good and thick.  I never really tasted any pumpkin.  I love sea salt and I love sea salt with caramel but this may be a bit too much (quantity) for some people.  Overall, I would eat these again if someone offered me one but I probably won't buy them again.  There are too many other products I still have left to try at Trader Joes.

What pumpkin items have you spotted at Trader Joe's?  Share your finds and what you think about them in the comments below.  

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