Motive: redemption
Level of Success: SUPERB!
Explanation: What can I say – after this little pumpkin anomaly, I just didn’t feel right ending the weekend without posting something a bit more representative of the pumpkin legacy … especially when posts these days have been few and far between as it is!  That said, with the calendar being about as far away from the traditional fall pumpkin season as possible, it took a bit of creativity to come up with a pumpkin dessert this time of year…
Recipe: While I was actually intending to create the pumpkin cheesecake brownie recipe found on the back of the No Bake Jell-O box, not reading the directions thorough - *ahem* – lead me to create something slightly different, but I like to think just as tasty!
Contents: While the recipe called for two No Bake Jell-O products – one box of the pumpkin pie mix and one box of the cheesecake mix – I accidentally picked up a tub of that Kraft Ready-To-Eat cheesecake filling instead, which was a bit tricky come construction time because I actually only had about half of the crust that I needed (both boxes would come with crust, but I only had one), but making it in a smaller pan ended up resolving that one rather easily.  As for the filling, first I simply added a layer of the cheesecake over the crust, then mixed some more of the cheesecake into the pumpkin pie mix before adding a layer of that.  The final consistency was in no way what I would consider brownie-like (this was a fork-required treat), but the flavor still rang true nonetheless.
Final Judgment: The soup was way too warm for a hot Floridian weekend in late spring, but this dessert, on the other hand, being cool and somewhat light was just the opposite.  Granted, I’m not sure if you can actually find the Jell-O pumpkin pie mix in stores this time of year (mine was leftover from last fall), but if you can, here’s a simple way to indulge in a sweet, pumpkin-y treat when anything warmer would be uncivilized!

Ahhh, the best part about cooking - licking the bowl!

Spanish-to-English Translation: Pumpkin Soup with Ginger
Where?: natural/organic section of my local Publix
Whim?: Yeah, pretty much.  Obviously I don’t really expect to find much pumpkin-y goodness on the shelves this time of year and I actually almost passed over this one, too.
Actual Reaction: Not what I was expecting…
Elaboration: Ever wonder what it would be like to liquefy a pumpkin pie and serve it beside a sandwich?!  Well, that’s pretty much what this sporadic lunchtime attempted treat tasted like … which is too bad because it sounded and actually smelled pretty good.  Great fragrance, but quite heavy and a bit strong … at least for this particular meal.
Caveat: For what it’s worth, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel on this soup just yet because part of me thinks that the atmosphere and setting itself may have played a factor in its demise.  Think about it: pumpkin pie and its likeness are generally considered comfort foods to help us through the cold and unrelenting winters … and even here in Florida, there’s still a definite difference in temperatures between then and now!  Plus, me thinks that the grilled ham and cheese sandwich that it was accompanying wasn’t exactly doing it any favors, either.
Verdict On-Hold: Fortunately, Nueva Cocina Sopa De Calabaza con Jengibre (try saying that three times fast!) came in a packet big enough for many servings, so I’ve tucked the remainder safely away and I’ll do my best to revisit this intriguing pumpkin option later on this fall when the weather is a bit more crisp and blustery, if you know what I mean…