e's Favorite Things: Pumpkin Cream Cheese

I am not a fan of Halloween. Halloween and New Year's Eve are my two least favorite "holidays" of the year. I don't actually mind little kids getting dressed up and going trick-or-treating, and I will have some candy here in case any city-dwelling children make their way around my 'hood. But I myself hate figuring out a costume, I don't like the scary movies that always play around this time of year, I refuse to go in a haunted house after a bad experience when I was a kid--you get the picture. But there is one reason, and one reason only, for me to get excited when October rolls around. It means Einstein Bros. is going to bust out its most excellent pumpkin cream cheese again. And it means I am going to make my husband go buy as many tubs of it as he can find across Chicago so that I have a supply I can freeze and use for the next several months.

We already made our first rounds this year, and I have nearly 25 containers already. Last year I had thirty and they only lasted me until January. So I think we're going to have to go get another supply before they are taken from the shelves.

This is the best cream cheese that exists on the earth, and the thing is, I don't even usually like pumpkin-flavored stuff. You need to try it to see what I'm talking about, because it rocks. And on top of the taste, it's one of the reduced fat offerings! If you want to see if there's an Einstein Bros near you, click here. The lame thing is that they don't even promote it (nor do they even mention they carry it) on their web site?!? Bad marketers!

Sometimes the employees would seem annoyed when we would buy out their location's entire supply. That makes no sense to me, why would you be mad that someone is buying your products? If you don't want me to hoard it, then make it available year-round! Why can't they? Why do onion and garlic cream cheeses get to stink up everyone's breath for 365 days a year, yet the much better pumpkin variety is only available for a matter of weeks? I demand justice!

Inspired by our annual quest to secure my beloved "shmear," my husband carved three pumpkins this year. I'm not sure if you can see, but the one on the far left has green bell pepper slices sticking out for Shrek-like ears, and red bell peppers are used for the tongues on both that one and the one dedicated to my dog.


Pretty good, no?

We also roasted all of the pumpkin seeds that we dug out during the carving process, so that's been another pumpkin-related food I've enjoyed recently. And before we know it, it will be time for pumpkin pie (which I can only stomach if there is a TON, and I do mean a ton, of whipped cream on my slice) around the holidays!

- e