Way too much information.

There are several things I could post about. Since my last post I have celebrated my 35th birthday and my friend, Lara, tells me that according to astrology our life cycles every 7 years. So I am at the beginning of my 5th cycle and all I have to say about that is, "Thank goodness" by the stars I should be starting something new and different! But I celebrated in Moab with my family and it was so fun.

Isn't this picture so cute? Don't be surprised if you see it on a Christmas card sometime soon. And I do have one quick story to tell from that trip. On my birthday morning, Eric said to Annie, "We should go out to eat for mom's birthday. What does she like to eat?" After contemplating this for a minute, she responded, "She likes lettuce and water." Finn overheard this and quickly concurred, "Yeah, that is what she eats." So even though my kids think I am a rabbit, we enjoyed a fabulous, meat-filled meal at "Pasta Jay's" in Moab. But that isn't what I wanted to post about.I could also post about another incredibly fun trip I took to Texas with these ladies to visit some dear friends- one being my college roommate, Kj- the one to the left of me, who I haven't seen for 8 years. We of course ate way too much, laughed way too much and stayed up way too late. But isn't that the definition of a fun trip?!? But that isn't what inspired this post either. This is what inspired this post:
Pumpkin Pie. I absolutely love pumpkin pie, even more than I love lettuce and water. It is hands down my favorite dessert. I would take pumpkin pie over cake on my birthday anytime. (In fact I bought some and took it down to Moab with us just in case we couldn't find any in Moab.) I hope they serve pumpkin pie at my funeral. And because of this people tend to think that I love all things pumpkin. But that is far from the truth. I am a pumpkin pie purist. I don't like pumpkin rolls or pumpkin bread and don't get me started on pumpkin cookies. I mean I will eat all these things if they are in front of me because kind-hearted, thoughtful people will make then for me thinking I must love them because I love pumpkin pie. But to my tastes, they just don't compete.

All this came to mind tonight when I was making and tasting a pumpkin pie bar recipe I found online. And sometimes I even forget my love for pure, unadulterated pumpkin pie when I see a recipe like this and try it thinking it will fulfill my pumpkin pie need. But after I made it and tasted it, I was again disappointed. I can't put my finger on it. It was just lacking something. In fact after I tasted it I went back and checked the recipe to make sure I hadn't left anything out. The only thing I left out was the bourbon it called for and since it was Sunday and I didn't want to break the sabbath and the Word of Wisdom together, I didn't go out and get it. Although I have broken both these commandments separately. Which reminds me I don't think I have posted the story about when I bought beer and it was discovered by my kids in my downstairs fridge. Now that is a good story, but it will have to wait for another post!

I don't know why I feel so passionate about sharing my thoughts about pumpkin pie in a post, but it just felt like the right time and sometimes timing is everything. So as I continued to dwell on my love of pumpkin pie, I came to a few more conclusions. I am a pumpkin pie snob. I don't like just any pumpkin pie. It generally has to be homemade, with a homemade crust and fresh whipped cream. ABSOLUTELY NO COOL WHIP! I know that was a bit harsh, but this point cannot be over-emphasized. You might as well put a dollup of cow manure on it if you're going to put Cool Whip on it. There are a few stores/restaurants I will accept pumpkin pie from. Marie Callendars and Costco make the grade, but very few others do. And those $4.99 pies you see on tables at grocery stores... well I wouldn't feed those to my worst enemy or to the dogs. And if you're my daughter, Annie, that is one and the same! And I can somewhat handle when someone tries to doctor up a basic pumpkin pie recipe like having a gingersnap crust or adding a layer of chocolate to the pie. (Truth be told I ate a whole pumpkin cheesecake from Costco when I was pregnant with Suzie so I guess I can "handle" some slight alterations better than others!) But honestly my very favorite pumpkin pie is the one my mom makes and it has been way too long since I have had one of her pies. So maybe this whole post was just a round-about way to say I really miss my mom. I think I just had a break-through because I'm getting a little misty-eyed as I type this. So mom, when you read this- know I miss you and love you. (You too, dad. And when I want to pontificate about the virtues of Wheat Chex I'll be sure to give you a shout-out.) I think I just discovered the missing ingredient, besides bourbon, in those pumpkin bars-love. (Collective "Awwwwww.")

I know I have expressed some pretty harsh opinions about pumpkin pie and I apologize in advance for anyone who plans on serving me something pumpkin this season. I've probably scared the kind-hearted, thoughtfulness right out of you. But know it is more of a manifestation of a need for my mother rather than a reflection of your pumpkin -making abilities. And the more I think about it I do think pumpkin waffles with cinnamon syrup are amazing and Pumkpin spice cremes from Starbucks are definitely worth the risk of someone thinking you are breaking the Word of Wisdom by coming out of their coffee shop with those cool cups.

Did I really just do a whole post on pumpkin pie? I know Julie, I know. I'm a nerd and I didn't even have any notes for this post.