Pumpkin Project

I have a dilemma.  I love pumpkin.  Fall and winter are my favorite seasons.  Part of it is because it is cooler.  Part is all the holidays.  But a big part is the flavors of those holidays.  Pumpkins, cranberries, mint, apple.  These are awesome things.  And I look forward to the time of year when these things are readily available.  Starbucks' pumpkin spice frappachinos and mochas.  Pumpkin muffins from Bagelheads or Perkins or Bob Evans or wherever.  I also love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Target (try them, seriously).  And, possibly the greatest pumpkin inspired dish ever - the pumpkin cheesecake.  Cheesecake Factory's in incredible.  So is California Pizza Kitchen's.  I haven't had a bad one, honestly.  And, to make that even better, lots of ice cream manufacturers have come up with pumpkin pie cheesecake ice cream (Ben & Jerry's, Edy's, Publix).

So, can you see my problem?  There isn't a thing on that list that I can have any more.  I am crushed.  This is a worse blow than losing birthday cake or Super Bowl pizza or July 4 cheeseburgers.  I'm serious.  The very thought of having to go through the Fall without pumpkin flavored awesomeness is seriously bumming me out.  I don't want to look at this last stretch of the year with dread.  I want to finish the year strong, hit the 100 pound mark, and still have some pumpkin stuff.

So, this is where I am asking you - my faithful friends and readers - to help me out.  Can you help me come up with some pumpkin menu items that WILL work for me?  Feel free to put them in the comments section on this post.  I read all of those.  And then, as I experiment with them, I will post my results on this blog.  I'll even give you credit.

Here are some helpful guidelines.  First of all - here are some foods that I can't have involving pumpkin.  So don't post recipes for those.  It won't help.

• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin cookies
• Pumpkin bread
• Pumpkin cheesecake
• Pumpkin ravioli
• Pumpkin bagels
• Pumpkin mixed drinks
• Pumpkin ice cream

I have tried to do some rudimentary searches and have found some stuff that might be worth trying.  I found a pumpkin chili, stuffed pumpkin, pumpkin soup, and baked pumpkin.  Aarti - the next Food Network Star winner - also has a pumpkin oatmeal recipe that I want to try.  (Even though I'm avoiding oatmeal as a starch, I thought it could be a great breakfast on Thanksgiving.)  I want to try something like a pumpkin yogurt or yogurt dip or frozen yogurt.  If you have read this post, you should know my guidelines.  I appreciate your help.  This could be fun - and TASTY!