October 26th is National Pumpkin Day and if you're anything like me, you love pumpkin. Whether it be pumpkin flavors or carving pumpkins, I'm all for it. That being said, I want you all to be able to celebrate with me.
First, let's talk about activities.
I love pumpkin carving, despite being seriously lacking in physical art skills, and it's an easy and fun activity for a big or small group of people. Another possibility is drawing on small pumpkins with Sharpies. If you prefer less mess this is absolutely the way to go.
Stop by whichever grocery store you frequent, grab a few pumpkins of your choice, and get creative!
Another activity that I love is going to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch, so why not make the plan and go on the 26th? I try to go at least once every fall just to get into the spirit and be able to walk around in a comfy sweater. There are a few options in Lexington for where you can go and each has its own special draws. I love walking around and smelling the warm apple cider and apple cider donuts, and getting to buy pumpkins somewhere local is always a plus. Some orchards also have animals that are great for keeping kids entertained and having fun as well as hayrides or mini rollercoasters. Although it may be less pumpkin-centered, it's still fun no matter what age. A couple in Lexington that I've been to are Evan's Orchard and Cider Mill and Eckert's Orchard, both were great experiences!
After activities come my favorite aspect of pumpkin, pumpkin flavored food.
For me, as soon as there's a slight chill in the air I'm ready to bake pumpkin bread. The great thing about pumpkin bread too is that you can choose add-ins to personalize it to your taste. Whether that's throwing in chocolate chips so the kids will eat it or adding in walnuts for a little crunch, it'll be good with anything. My family has always used the Paula Deen recipe for pumpkin bread which calls for add-ins, but we have always made it plain.
Pumpkin food is also rampant in Trader Joe's right now, they have biscotti, squash and pumpkin pasta sauce, even mochi! I've tried their pasta sauces and one of my favorites was the harvest medley they put out this fall. I even found pumpkin-shaped pasta noodles recently at HomeGoods if you want to go all out. There's also the classic Pillsbury sugar cookies that have shapes on them based on the season, although they aren't pumpkin flavored the jack-o-lantern ones are a perfect sweet treat to pair with a Halloween movie.
My final recommendation is a pumpkin drink, specifically coffee. I enjoy the pumpkin cream cold brews from Starbucks or if you want to make it at home you can mix milk with a little pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. If you aren't a fan of coffee, try a pumpkin chai tea latte, it still has a great fall flavor and if it ends up being warm you can get it over ice. A lot of local coffee shops like Old School Coffee and Chocolate Holler have their own specialty pumpkin coffees that are great for a fall day.
Even if you end up doing something small, I hope you have a little something to treat yourself or your family on the 26th this year!
Let us know how you celebrate!