Excitement: Wow – I’ve always heard great things, but I’ve never actually seen any of the famous Entenmann’s pumpkin products around my local grocers’ snacking sections, so this one was sure to be a real treat!

Hindsight: You know, maybe it’s just a lot harder to make a decent loaf of prepackaged pumpkin bread than most people give companies credit for…

Exposé: Upon opening the box, its innards smelled somewhat “spicy,” and I couldn’t help but notice its sheen bore the consistency of angel food cake.  My first bite confirmed that Entenmann’s is most definitely getting its money’s worth out of the sugar that they pour into each loaf of this stuff, but alas yet again … it doesn’t actually taste like PUMPKIN!!!  The closest I’ll give you is applesauce that desperately wants to taste like pumpkin, with a few assorted spices to make it stand out, but nowhere near the bar that Bob Evans has set for us in the pumpkin bread arena.

A New Hope: I do see on their website where they also offer something by the name of an Iced Pumpkin Cake, and honest to goodness, I was actually hoping that this was it when I first discovered it on the shelf, so nonetheless I’m still curious to hold out and see what that alternate creation has in comparison to bring to the table.  Unfortunately, it took me four years to even find this lackluster loaf of pumpkin, so while I certainly won’t be holding my breath or anything, I suppose you’ve got to hold onto something.

Why Do I Keep Buying Stuff From The Walmart Bakery???: At this point, that’s a perfectly valid question…

The Justifications: Not only is this version sugar free, but it also boasts on its label that it just so happens to be “New & Improved!” so, I mean, you never know, right?!

Sometimes You DO Know…: So no surprises here – just like its predecessors, while having a faint whiff of pumpkin upon opening its container, inside you’ll find nothing more than a loaf of orange bread masquerading itself as a pumpkin product.  On the upside, it was still technically edible even despite being sugar-free … which I mention in vague redemption simply because my previous experience with sugar-free baked goods tends to teeter between horrible and “Bleecchh – you’re not actually going to feed this to people, are you?!”

Verdict: If you’re looking for a miscellaneous bread/cake product, and you happen to be diabetic or just hates the sugars, then this prepackaged loaf from Walmart might very well be right up your alley.  You just might want to scratch the word pumpkin off of that label on the container before you serve it, though – you know, just so you don’t confuse anybody…

Holy cow – look who finally decided to start putting their pumpkin stuff out!

And here I thought that the great take of seven new items from Target a couple of weeks ago was pretty impressive, but this?!  It may have resulted in some curious glances from the cashier as I was checking out, but this is almost certainly the best collection that I’ve ever brought home from Walmart – definitely looking forward to some of the new baking that is now slated for the first part of November!

The List:

• Pillsbury Pumpkin Caramel Delight Cake Mix
• Air Wick Pumpkin Spice Scented Candle
• Krusteaz Pumpkin Pie Bar Supreme Mix
• Walmart Bakery Sugar-Free Sliced Pumpkin Creme Cake
• Entenmann’s Pumpkin Loaf Cake
• Country Crock Pumpkin Spice Spread
• Borden Pumpkin Pie Spice Egg Nog
• Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix
• JELL-O No Bake Pumpkin Style Pie Dessert Mix

Familial Acceptance: You know you’ve finally leveled up when not only do your relatives stop giving you a hard time about that weird pumpkin obsession of yours, but in fact even fuel the fires themselves from time to time with exciting new discoveries such as these!  Thanks, Christina…

Taste: The flavor is most definitely dry, and it goes quick, as one would generally expect from a marshmallow, however that initial taste does bear a distinct taste of pumpkin, which then seems to fade into more of a cinnamon aftertaste once the marshmallow has dissolved.  Admittedly, it took me a handful of eating these one by one to really taste it, and squinting was involved, but again – they’re marshmallows … how often do you even eat flavors other than plain?!

Speaking of an Open Fire: In consideration for all of the grilling that I’ve up to over the last couple of months, please rest assured in knowing that there will most definitely be a Pumpkin S’Mores post coming here eventually!  The time to stock up on graham crackers and pumpkin chocolate bars is now…

P.S. Also, hot chocolate.  Definitely gonna need to try these in some hot chocolate!

Blown Away-ed-ness: I’ve been searching for a delicious pumpkin hot chocolate mix for many a year, and now that I’ve found it, my cold and lonely winter nights shall never be the same again…

The Experience: True to the words on the label, Stephen’s is quite possibly the richest and creamiest hot chocolate that I’ve ever enjoyed, and I haven’t even tried making it completely with milk yet like I normally make hot chocolate!  I will profess to hitting it with a dash of pumpkin milk, and although the flavor on its own certainly didn’t need it, the resulting blessed union was nothing short of spectacular.  Seriously, this stuff is like warm, chocolate pumpkin bliss in your mug, so if you’re fortunate enough to find a canister in the aisle of your local grocer, put it in your cart … immediately!!!

An Anecdote to Fade Out By: Although it doesn’t exactly get terribly cold down here in Florida, save for maybe in January and even then, we’re certainly not battling snow or ice or any of that other winter weather nonsense that our friends to the north have grown accustomed to, I can still picture myself curling up in my favorite easy chair with an oversized mug of this delectable pumpkin treat and a good book, perfectly content to spend the afternoon swashbuckling pirates or battling orcs in my imagination while I nurse my warm mug of liquid pumpkin comfort…

Color: a nice, attractive golden orange – not nearly as dark as the last one of these that I tried
Fragrance: like a sweet pumpkin puree
Taste: I really enjoyed this one, and even though the maple wasn’t really distinct, if anything I think it served to add just a hint of sweetness and that ended up working really well.  I was a little concerned just from the name that the maple flavor would overwhelm or even just compete with the pumpkin, but instead it actually complimented the flavor nicely.
Where to Find It: Not with the jellys, but actually over in the bakery section on one of the racks with all of the pre-made cakes and breads and stuff that always look really good, but end up tasting like sweetened cardboard.

Disclaimer: I know that they don’t technically have any similarities to pumpkin aside from their shape, but I don’t care because aside from pumpkin, peanut butter is probably one of my favorite flavors of all-time!
Reese’s Fandom: Part of the fun of holiday candy for me is seeing what new shapes each of the classics are transformed into, whether we’re talking about Peeps or even something that people actually want to eat, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Sure, these pumpkins taste just the same as the eggs around Easter, the hearts for Valentine’s Day, and the trees for Christmas, but somehow they always manage to wind up in my candy dish just the same…
Ponderings: What would pumpkin-flavored peanut butter taste like, anyways???

Having been completely and totally hooked by the recent incredible fundraising efforts of the Mario Marathon, it seemed only appropriate to pick up a new Mario game to keep my wife and I entertained during the upcoming 4th of July weekend.  We ended up picking out Super Mario Galaxy, so I’m sure you can imagine my amusement when we got to the level that pitted our hero toe to toe with these Goombas Disguised as Pumpkins!!!

And just in case that wasn’t enough, you can always get the keychain, too…

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.