ALONG COMES MARY

We have officially entered the well-awaited time of the year: Pumpkin Spice Everything. In just a few weeks, October will be upon us. I’ll have another candle on my birthday cake and we’ll be planning our Halloween costumes.

One thing is certain in the fall: We are bombarded by PUMPKIN flavored everything. Since I’ve not done a gluten-free dedicated post in a bit, here we go…..

Pumpkin Spice at Trader Joe’s

I was taken aback at the infestation, in a good way, of the pumpkin spice fun that’s taken over in the stores. Especially at Trader Joe’s. Yet, how do you think this gal felt that so many items she hoped to share with her significant other were not going to happen since the top ingredient is usually WHEAT?? Even some we thought were safe, like a to die for box of Pumpkin Spice Caramel Truffles. Nope. They contain a common tidbit of glucose syrup, which, alas, sometimes (like in this case) contains wheat.

I wanted to give up. It was very discouraging to be reading labels of decadent treats you can’t bring home. Luckily, with Mike by my side, I prevailed and found MANY mouth-watering items us gluten-free freaks can have. Like this:

Pumpkin Spice and Everything (Gluten-free) Nice

I was so shocked. Pumpkin Pancake Mix, gluten-free, and under five bucks. Back in 2009, when I first had to go gluten-free, I never would have envisioned baking mixes like this. We bought it, but I have yet to try it. I was glad to read that the instructions are simply that of a usual pancake mix, and you don’t need too many ingredients:

After some investigating, I found that all of these following pumpkin-spice treats are gluten-free:

Real pumpkins (classy move!)
Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal (with “rich pumpkin flavor”)
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin spice chai
Pumpkin seed brittle
Pumpkin butter
Organic pumpkin (in a can)
Pumpkin spice coffee
Pumpkin cream cheese
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin yogurt
Pumpkin spice tea

Pumpkin Libations

I also tried a Pumpkin Hard Cider, which was a fun treat I enjoyed last year. While hard ales just are not my thing, this one from the ACE brand is awesome and not too sweet. Very smooth, with a hint of that pumpkin spice lingering after your sip is long over.

It goes perfectly on its own, or as a companion to a light meal….

Another favorite I look forward to is TJ’s seasonal coffees. While I usually buy a tin or 2 of the Pumpkin Spice blend (try it with almond milk, vanilla or hazelnut creamers!), it’s the Winter’s Blend coffee, coming soon, that always gets me. It reminds me of my first Christmas out on my own in the real world. This was a coffee my parents would not have bought, so being on my own, loving the rich, warm flavors and aroma, you can figure this was MY blend all winter long! 😉

What Fall foods do you look forward to buying? I am always on the lookout, so please share if you’re in the know! xo