Initial Thoughts: Is this the pumpkin redemption that Wal-Mart has been looking for, ever since they tried to pass this moist cake off as Pumpkin Cake last year?  Could it be that some chef at Wal-Mart HQ read that very blog post and thus vowed to step up his game and lead his company to deliver a pumpkin product that actually tastes like pumpkin in 2009?!
One Bite Later: Ok, maybe not…
Two Bites Later: Has anyone in the home offices there in Bentonville, Arkansas actually ever tasted pumpkin?
Sigh … Two Slices Later: So it’s another swing and a miss for Wally World, which is too bad because just like its predecessor, this one still has the moistness factor down pat!  And it’s not even that this new variety is completely flavorless – I can definitely taste the cream cheese, but aside from that attractive swirl, I’m still not seeing any real resemblance to pumpkin and sorry guys, but when it’s the first word in the name of your product, it kind of needs to be noticeable when somebody takes a bite!  The cream cheese was great, the hint of brown sugar streusel on the top was a nice touch, but no pumpkin.
Forward Encouragement: Maybe next year guys – just keep your eye on the ball and your feet planted firmly in the pumpkin patch!  Likewise, if you want to have someone take you out between now and next fall and show you what a pumpkin patch actually is, it might not be a bad idea.  I’m just saying…

Thought Process: After a long streak of less than exceptional pumpkin products this season, it seemed necessary to skip ahead to something that I knew wouldn’t suck.
History: I’ve actually enjoyed Edy’s seasonal offerings for a number of years – they also do a great peppermint ice cream at Christmastime that I really like, but for now we’ll just have to savor in the perfection of this autumnal treat.  And in fact, I had originally planned on blogging about this one last year, but time managed to get the best of me and when I finally got around to it, they’d already cleared the shelves in preparation for that aforementioned peppermint variety.  So needless to say, don’t wait around for this one!
Actual Flavor: rich, but not overpowering; actually tastes like a pumpkin dessert, as opposed to a dessert featuring a hint of pumpkin
Special Feature: Topped with the amazing Smucker’s Pumpkin Spice Topping, this is easily the best pumpkin-based bowl of ice cream you will ever eat.
Recommendation?: Hell yeah!  Whether you’re looking for something to go along with grandma’s fresh-baked pumpkin pie or even just a cool dessert for a relaxing evening around the fire, Edy’s has got the cure for what ails ya with this special, pumpkin-y treat.

Origin: Walmart
Surprise Coupled with Intrigue: after encountering a similar batch at Walmart’s primary competitor, two in one week did seem a bit odd, yes…
So, How’d They Stack Up: No contest – aside from being “technically orange,” that was pretty much the only similarity to pumpkin that I could find.  The had a very vague cinnamon aftertaste to them, but whoever labeled these as Pumpkin Spice obviously never actually tasted them.
Furthermore…: It makes me wonder what some of their other Gourmet Candy Corn varieties actually taste like, seeing as these were part of a bigger display that also featured such extravagantly sounding flavors as Blackberry Cobbler, Creme Brulee, and Apple Cider. Surely these guys couldn’t have an entire line of flavorless “gourmet” candy corn, now could they???
Final Verdict: If you’re looking for quality, head to Target … and that pretty much applies to almost anything…

Origin: Wal-Mart Super Center (bakery)
Visual Note: looks like it was made about 60 years ago
Taste-ual Note: also tastes like it was made about 60 years ago
Why It Sucked: I don’t know if I’ve ever had a pumpkin pie with a full crust (i.e. overtop, too), but that’s only the shell of the problem (pun intended!). The pumpkin inside was kind of bitter, almost what you would expect from a pie that was made frozen and then shipped from several states away, as Wal-Mart has a tendency to do.
Recommendation: Spend your $0.58 elsewhere and just pick-up a Hostess apple pie or something instead. It may not be pumpkin-y, but honestly this version was a stretch anyways…

Pumpkin Precursor: Clearly I haven’t done enough exploring of the housewares section of Wal-Mart!
Discovery Found: Surprisingly enough, I stumbled across this little gem completely by accident while visiting my sister’s new home.  It’s nice to see that my little pumpkin addiction has rubbed off on her…
Scent: Overbearing, but granted that’s probably because I was dumb enough to just open the bottle and take a big, old sniff without prejudice!  As an afterthought, though – it wasn’t too bad, and carried much better than any of the candles that I’ve ever tried.
Bargain?: For $2.96, I don’t really see how it couldn’t be.

My Thoughts: If I’m only able to try one pumpkin cheesecake this season, then it’s just gotta be Sara Lee – nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee…
Ingredients for Success: 1 part awesome cheesecake, 1 part awesome pumpkin pie, 1cup of Sara Lee’s enthusiasm for making superior baked goods
Flavor: The only way this could’ve possibly been any better would be if I had thought to drizzle a little of that Smucker’s Pumpkin Spice Topping over top … and I might just do that with my next piece tomorrow!  Simply put, this cheesecake is a pumpkin dessert at its finest – a nice and heavy, but still smooth (not dry), and every single bite was infused with a wonderful pumpkin spice flavor.  Heavenly…
Value: Sara Lee also gets a bonus star for not only producing a delicious pumpkin cheesecake, but also an affordable cheesecake.  I picked up this baby at Wal-Mart for a mere $5.99, which compared to the whopping $17.99 that Target wanted for a Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake that I saw the other day, is quite the sweet bargain!

Cake or Bread?: They call it cake, however note that I picked it up off the shelf because it looked like what I truly think pumpkin bread should look like.
How Should Pumpkin Bread Look?: Soft & very moist, with a shiny, pumpkin-y “sheen” across the top.
How Should Pumpkin Bread Taste?: Well, in the abridged version – better than this.
Elaboration: While Wal-Mart’s cake/bread had the consistency that I’ve been searching for in a good pumpkin cake/bread item, it just didn’t taste like pumpkin and not for nothing, but that’s a pretty important part of what we’re looking for around here!  I really wanted this one to work, but true to Wal-Mart form, looks can often be deceiving.  Upon opening the container, the entire batch as a whole did have a very faint scent of pumpkin, but one bite and they could’ve just called it really moist, but no one distinct flavor cake/bread.

Forethoughts: If there’s anyone who knows how to encapsulate the tranquil, harmonious smells of the autumn harvest into candle form, it’s gotta be Paula Deen, everyone’s favorite Food Network Grandma, right?  Otherwise why was I willing to pay half again the price for this stinkin’ candle?!
Actual Smell: Much sweeter than the previous candle, probably because Paula Deen’s version actually had cake in the title.  It’s definitely a much different aroma, along the lines of what one would expect when baking cookies – maybe a pie – but ultimately, still good times with regards to this aroma!
Bonus!: I think nearly as enticing as the advertised scent itself was the fact that this candle also came along with a recipe from one Paula Deen for the very cake that this candle was designed to mimic.  It might take a few weeks for me to get around to making this one because a few of the ingredients aren’t exactly readily available in our kitchen at home (i.e. dark rum, whipping cream for the filling), but this might prove to be a good dessert to whip up sometime around Thanksgiving in between Christmas specials – I’ll keep ya posted…

Agility Note: Despite having to “make” this myself (via mix), prep time was a breeze at only maybe 5 minutes total from dry mix to oven-ready.
Taste: Nice flavor, although I’m trying to figure out how I could’ve possibly done anything different because I distinctly remember this bread being more moist when prepared in years past.
Recipe Side Note: In addition to the simple, 5-minute bread and muffin instructions on the back of the box, this one also features a rather yummy looking recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins on the side of the box that I think I might just have to try here one of these weekends! From the picture, they look like they’re intended to be similar to the bigger, almost coffee-cake-like muffins that you buy from the bakery, so stay tuned for more as that develops…

Surprise to Find a New Brand of Pumpkin-Based Pudding Stuffs Right Out of the Blue: very!
Texture & Consistency: definitely leans towards the pie filling portion of the label, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing
Flavor: By far the closest thing to eating actual pumpkin pie in non pie form that I’ve eaten all season, Kozy Shack’s limited edition treasure was definitely a diamond in the rough!  This stuff was very rich and creamy and flavorful, almost what I would expect eating a homemade pumpkin pie filling would taste like.  That said, it’s almost too thick to serve as actual pudding, per se – that’s how I sampled it and it was pretty tasty, but my curious side does have to wonder how it would fare if baked into a pie for 40 minutes, as instructed on the outside of the tub.
Final Verdict: If you’re tired of choking down pumpkin-based wanna-bes for the last month and a half, and if you can find it (I found mine at Wal-Mart, but this is the first time I’d noticed it…), then you’re in for a real treat – prepare to get Kozy!