One Single Can

My friends, it is pumpkin season.  I love pumpkin.  I love pumpkin breads, cakes, cookies, spice lattes (soy of course), spice teas, etc.  I even love to munch on the seeds which are quite healthy provided you don't add tons of oil and salt.  I just don't like pumpkin pie.  Call me odd if you will; you won't be the first.

This year I seem to be learning how to use pumpkin in all new ways.  For instance, at the Pet Expo at Arlington Race Track this year, a fellow daschsund-person gave the weenie-slimming advice of adding canned pumpkin to our dogs' food.  We opted to leave the kibble alone as our poochies produce enough "#2" as it is.  I've also heard that canned pumpkin is good for upset dog tummies.  For the same reason as stated before, we usually stick to the rice method of soothing the aching bellies.  But, it's a very dog-friendly food.

When I heard this next tip, I just had to try it to see if it really worked.  Tip: Instead of adding eggs, oil, milk, butter, water, or whatever else a cake mix might call for, just add one 15 oz can of pumpkin and bake as directed.  You're not supposed to be able to taste the pumpkin in the final product or tell that it's high in fiber and low in fat.  Anyone I told this method to gave the "yea right" face.

I blended a vegan-friendly devil's food cake mix with one can of pumpkin.  I managed to fill 18 cupcake papers with the batter.  The batter was delicious and only vaguely pumpkiny.  Twenty minutes later out came the moistest devil's food cupcakes I have ever eaten!  You would never know all those ingredients were omitted and replaced by pumpkin.  I highly suggest having a party and tricking all your guests.  Better yet, trick your children and then tell them they've just eaten a vegetable.  Mwahaha!

I might have to eat another one for breakfast tomorrow morning.