Let's Talk with Diane A.S. Stuckart
Ode to a Pumpkin
October 9, 2025
I have an embarrassing confessionāwell, more like three confessionsāto make regarding pumpkins. The first is that while I knew tomatoes were fruit, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I learned pumpkins are actually veggies. Sigh. I guess that’s why they make such great pies.
Fortunately, this new knowledge does not take away from the fact that pumpkins are the premier symbol of autumn. Round and glowing like a lantern plucked from the earth, the pumpkin carries the warmth of golden fields and the crisp whisper of October air (well, unless you live in Florida, like me!). Whether piled high in harvest displays or carved into grinning faces, a pumpkinās deep and cheerful orange hue feels like a splash of sunshine, reminding us that even as the October days shorten, there is brightness to be found in the month.
Here is my second pumpkin confession. I have all sorts of decorative Jack O lanterns and pumpkins, plenty to cover the entire month of October and through Thanksgiving. Some are plastic, others ceramic, still others squishy cloth, and others burnished metal. I even have a pair of awesome feline Jack O Lantern step sitters that my sister made for me years ago. My trick with the JOLs Is that I switch them around the day after Halloween so that only the bare side shows, and they look like garden variety pumpkins. Two months for the price of one!
My final confession regarding my favorite gourd. Much as I adore pumpkin pie I have never actually baked one. And we’re talking a lot of 
Halloweens and Thanksgivings where I had the chance to and never did so. I depend on our friendly neighborhood grocery store which makes a pretty decent pie. If I have to carry it off anywhere, I just pop it in a fancy ceramic pie pan (preferably one with a pumpkin pie recipe written on it) and there you go. Secret safe.
So what’s your feeling on pumpkins? Are you a pie maker or a pie eater or do you prefer to skip the pumpkin altogether?
Leave a comment below with your thoughts on pumpkins and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a Kindle version of Who’s Behind the Door.
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Diane A.S. Stuckart ā¢ Tags: Diane AS Stuckart, Jack O lantern, Let's Talk, Ode to a Pumpkin, pumpkin pie | 13 Comments
I’m not really a fan of pumpkin foods.
Not really a big fan of Pumpkin and Pumpkin Spice foods but love a good pumpkin š custard with no cinnamon
Love to bake pumpkin pies, and, I love to eat them as well!!!
Hi Diane! I’m a pumpkin eater for pies but I love making pumpkin soup. Two for one from me!
Welcome back to the blog-o-sphere, Diane! I love pumpkins. They are such a warm and yet earthy shade of orange. I am a big fan of pumpkin pie. In former years, I enjoyed making them from scratch with fresh spices. I recently downloaded a Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe from FB and bought all the ingredients. Now I need to find time to make it! I enjoy seeing carved pumpkins, but carving pumpkins was a skill I never perfected. I always feared I’d end up cutting off a finger or two…
I don’t bake but love to eat pumpkin pie. I found out recently in January, you can buy pumpkin pie all year round. So every week I buy the pie and cut it into 7 slices. So I have dessert everyday of the week. I decorate with plastic pumpkins I have had since childhood
I like to eat pie
I absolutely love pumpkin pie! I don’t bake so I have never made one but did make a dump cake once with pumpkin and it was delicious. When we had kids in the house we carved pumpkins. I was terrible at it! But my husband was pretty good at it and the kids loved it. I also love pumpkin bread and anything pumpkin spice (including candles) so this is really my season!
The first few years of marriage I made pumpkin pie from scratch. Even tried a real pumpkin once. Forget it. Buy the canned stuff! But now with so many already made pies available I buy our pumpkin pies and no one complains.
I’m not a big pumpkin fan. It’s amazing how these days there seems to be pumpkin in everything.
I can’t eat sugar or dairy, so that lets out pumpkin pie from my options; however, I do love a good pumpkin soup – add some coconut milk and seasonings… mmmmmm!
I love pumpkin pie, especially the big one from Costco. And I make a light pumpkin mousse. And pumpkin muffins are good, so I guess you could say Iām a fan.
Hello First time here. I love your blog. Sweet and simple. I am a pumpkin pie eater and a sweet potato pie baker. Growing my mom would mix them but I haven’t had one in years. Yum!