Ever since the fall weather came I have had a perpetual craving for pumpkin items- bread, cake, bars, pie. It just seems that fall food should include pumpkin. Last week (was it just last week?) we made pumpkin bars while my mom was here for a church get-together. We only took half the pan (it was a big recipe) and you can imagine the rest of the pan did not last long in our house.
But it also fed a bit of my craving, making it ever so slightly stronger. When we were invited over to a friend’s house last night, I was excited to have the chance to once again indulge my craving and make a big pan of pumpkin bars with yummy cream cheese frosting.
Come to find out a few hours (and two bars) later that P had to work late and we would have to postpone dinner. Since the only recipe I have makes this enormous pan of bars, (I know how halve recipes, I just didn’t feel that the situation warranted it, okay?) here I was, stuck with a cookie-sheet full of nice, fluffy, creamy pumpkin bars.
Do you know how painfully easy it is to eat one of those things? They are squishy, and can be eaten comfortably in two or three bites. They don’t taste too rich or filling, and one could even rationalize that the pumpkin is somewhat healthy.
So I eyed this pan of bars, fully aware that if I were to indulge and eat half of the pan (as I figured I was capable of) I would be victim to a lot of teasing from the late-night worker upon his return home. Then, I told myself, all I would have to do is to simply put the bars in another container. Arrange them artfully in a smaller pan in preparation for tomorrow’s get-together. I could snitch to my heart’s content and no one would be the wiser.
But I held myself back from this tactic- it would be too easy to eat way more than would be medically advisable. So, there they sat, taunting me, in the original pan. I stayed clear of the kitchen intentionally, knowing that a mere glance at the treat would draw me near.
When P finally arrived at 11, he was delighted to find desert waiting. Being a good husband he didn’t even mention the 6 empty spots. But then, group mentality set in and there was free-for-all. Who would know how much either one ate? Needless to say there are few bars left this morning, and I am quite fearful of the coming winter. Lots of time to be inside and bake and lots of events demanding baked goods. If I come out on the other side 30 pounds heavier I don’t even have a baby to blame it on. This could get ugly.
3 comments:
Yummmm. Were these pumpkin bars made from your huge pumpkin patch? I would still love to see a picture of Ryan in a Charlie Brown costume next to your biggest pumpkin.
No, it was from a can...but it was Libby's...we only ended up salvaging a couple of pumpkins from that enormous patch because of these sapsucking bugs that ate nearly everything. It was really sad. I had forgotten I did not post much on that! Anyway, the canned pumpkin is still good and a bit easier than cooking down a whole pumpkin!
I'm inspired again. I think I'll find a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake. Now that would be decadent, don't you think? I just bought a few can of Libby's a couple weeks ago. Made some bread but was mildly disappointed in the recipe. Have to try again!
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