Holidays are always fun, but I've been taking them to another level by reading (and writing) academic books about them. So here's a brief overview of the history of Halloween as far as I understand it:
Ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on the eve of November 1. It was a time when spirits were said to travel into the land of the living.
As is the case with many of our holidays, the Roman Catholic Church moved the holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day to November 1 and 2 to accommodate/reinterpret/replace/assimilate the Celtic festivities. It retained many of its supernatural elements and was said to be a night for witches and fairies. (Fairies were not the cutesy type we think of. They were mischievous, almost evil creatures, and people had to refer to them as "the good people" so they wouldn't offend them.)
In the late nineteenth century, Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the United States. After the turn of the twentieth century, Halloween was an evening for fortune telling, pranks, and vandalism.
In the 1930s, trick-or-treating began as an alternative to vandalism, and it grew after World War II. It amazes me that so many of our Halloween traditions are comparatively young!
Once the July holidays are over, there's not another major holiday until Halloween. To accommodate the dearth of festivities, I officially start the Halloween season in mid-September. But at that point, I've already been looking for autumnal candy to review for months. (My first Halloween review went up in July this year!)
Because of that, and because a lot of Halloween products are on store shelves in August, I often associate Halloween things with late summer. And the time of year doesn't seem very spooky.
But then by the time late October gets here, it really does have a bit of a spooky feel, and I can get why the Celts made it time for Samhain. (In truth, however, ancient Ireland probably feels pretty different from modern-day Utah at this time of year.
At this time of year, with the impending snow and darkness, I value trails more than at any other time. (The exception might be February/March/April, when there's been a hiatus.) Over just the course of a week, a lot of the trees lost their leaves. It is sad.
Good old default Wild Rose. Actually, this might be the Chukar Loop portion.
After work on Thursday, I ran on the trails behind This Is the Place. It's fun to see the park from above. Even though the location is convenient, I rarely go on those trails. There are a seemingly infinite number of trails, but I think few are meant to be trails, and they tend to be pretty steep. There's just been so much traffic that it's worn paths. I went up one steep trail that I'm pretty sure wasn't an official trail. It was OK.
Saturday was my last day of work at This Is the Place because it's slowing down for the season. It was the last day of Little Haunts, so I wore my old Fred Flintstone costume, which was especially fitting when we brought out Alice the dragon/dinosaur. There was an end-of-year party, and then I ran up the nearby trails again. This time, I ended up going up the trail where we had to bring handcarts down on that strange June day earlier this year. I felt like everything had come full circle: the end of the season, remembering everything that happened this year, the green of June replaced by the reds and browns of October.
This is where most of the handcarts parked when we had to rescue them four months ago.
Today I taught an elders quorum lesson using Peter M. Johnson's talk "Power to Overcome the Adversary." During conference, I was thinking that I should quit wasting time by looking at Twitter feeds (I don't have my own account, but I look at others), but then that talk specifically called out Twitter as a distraction. So I feel like the last three weeks have been a bit more productive without frequently refreshing a Twitter feed. In my lesson, I encouraged people to share how they can feel discouraged. For example, in a YSA context, I'm like a loaf of moldy bread—I've hit my expiration date, and it's time to toss me out. (It was said with a smile, so don't worry about me.) But then I didn't have enough time to talk in depth about some of the solutions. Oh well.
Then tonight my family carved pumpkins. I carved two, one I got from work and a green one my family bought.
I've seen a lot of cartoons that use green jack-o'-lanterns. Is that a thing? Carving the green pumpkin was really difficult. It didn't have a stem, which meant I couldn't pull the lid off. I had to carve the face without emptying the inside. Eventually I got the lid off, but I can't get it back in. It was surprisingly challenging. But I liked the green and orange flesh, and it smelled like a cucumber.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to my next two days off before I start at Sundance again. It's not my favorite job. But happiness is a state of mind, so I'm trying to remain optimistic.
***
In news relevant to pumpkinundation roundup, I was shocked to learn this week that Last Course is closed forever! In truth though, their ice cream flavors were unique, but they weren't especially great. I loved the pumpkin snickerdoodle and key lime pie, but the turkey cranberry, candied yam, malted milk eggs, and cotton candy Pop Rocks were subpar.
Pumpkin Pie Larabars are fruits and nuts smashed together with some pumpkin and spices. They're fine. 6/10.
Some of my favorite finds are pumpkin versions of products I have never heard of, like this Bobo's Pumpkin Spice Oat Bar. I liked the spices of this, but the bar was like a soft brick of oats. Kind of weird. 6/10.
Pumpkin Pie Kit Kats came out two years ago, and I got them then, but I didn't have them again until now. I like them, even though they taste artificial. My family has discovered where I put them, so I doubt they'll last until Halloween. 7/10.
A friend made these apple cider donuts, which we had with both ginger and cinnamon seasoning. They were great! But I don't like the idea of making donuts myself because I don't know what to do with the oil afterwards. 8/10.
I was glad the friend had Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ginger Brew, because I had seen it but didn't want to buy it. I haven't had soda since 2015, and I can't decide whether this is soda, though I only had a few sips. It mostly tasted like ginger. I didn't taste the pumpkin, but it did remind me of something I might have at Thanksgiving or Christmas. 7/10.
I put milk to the fill line of this Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Kodiak Cakes Muffin, and then I added some more milk, but it still seemed a little dry. It's still good though; I was worried they had quit making these. 7/10.
Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts have been a favorite of mine since 2013. They're like the Brown Sugar and Cinnamon variety, only better, with actual pumpkin! 9/10.
Some friends shared this Riveridge Pumpkin Spice Apple Cider. Apple cider is great, and the pumpkin spice only enhanced it. 8/10.
I was invited to this gathering because they had pumpkin custard (made in a Dutch oven) and thought of me. I liked it. 8/10.
Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Pie Toaster Pastries are different from Pop-Tarts, but they're equally enjoyable. 9/10.
Before it got cold last week, I picked the remainder of green tomatoes from our fledgling garden before they froze.
Then this week, I made them into a green tomato upside down cake.
I did enjoy this cake. I usually make it with plums, so the tomatoes weren't as good, but they also weren't bad. Also, I usually make it with butter, but I only had margarine, so that wasn't as good either.
It fills me with joy to use fruit from our own yard. Now we have a drawer full of apples from our own tree that we have to use.
This Halloween season, I wanted to go to a pumpkin patch. I was happy when my ward went to Cross E Ranch on Monday, because they have a pumpkin patch. I didn't get any pumpkins or wander in the patch, but I did walk through it, thereby fulfilling my goal. I also held a cat, went through a corn maze, saw kittens, and played in corn. I don't care about solving problems in a corn maze. It's all about the atmosphere.
Tuesday was my day off, so I did my requisite North Canyon run, which wasn't as pretty this time, but it's always lovely. Annoyingly, my Fitbit Ionic GPS wasn't working at all. My last model (Fitbit Surge) was less fancy, but it wasn't as glitchy.
On a whim that evening, I decided to go see the new Addams Family movie. I didn't like it at first, but it got better. I'm a fan of the original 1960s series, and I appreciated the tributes the movie made to it, such as the growling polar bear rug. (I think they should have had the pet lion running backwards, since that gag was repeated ad nauseam on the show.) There were some great gags and lines. I also like that the characters look like the original Charles Addams drawings. But I was hoping it would actually be a Halloween movie instead of just a spooky movie. 7/10.
On Wednesday morning, I heard Jimmy meowing. He was looking out the window at another cat (evidently named Bruce) sitting on our patio. Our last cat, Jenny, would get all poofy and start making hostile noises whenever she saw another cat, so it's weird to me that Jimmy is so calm when he sees other cats. When we adopted him two years ago, he was living in a room full of cats, and I wonder if he misses cat companionship. I thought about opening the door to see what would happen, but I didn't want to scare Bruce away.
That evening I took another trail run on the Wild Rose Trail. There are few things in life more satisfying than autumn evening trail runs.
On Thursday, I got to portray Alice the Dragon at work. I put on a giant "dragon" costume, which has a head that moves and roars. It's really heavy and difficult. My watch thought I was biking because I was holding on to handles (to move the head) and my heart rate was up. It's kind of fun, but I don't think I'm very good at it. I'm just focused on not dying (it's heavy, awkward, and hard to see). I didn't expect to go to college just to wear a giant dragon costume, but here I am.
Last week I complained about the horrible "Halloween" music they play, and it only gets worse. They have these awful kids' songs that sound like they're from the eighties. One of them has annoying music and even more annoying high-pitched cackling. The lyrics go something like this:
Happy hour of six, there was a little witch.
Happy hour of seven, she goes into the kitchen.
Happy hour of eight, she puts out all the plates.
Happy hour of nine, she makes a batter fine.
Happy hour of ten, she puts some berries in.
Happy hour of eleven, she bakes it in the oven. Cooks some carrots and some meat, twelve o'clock it's time to eat!
Those lyrics are asinine! "Happy hour of nine" is the only one that rhymes, and it's an awkward rhyme at that. And it's not even Halloweeny. Anyone can make a pot roast with a berry dessert. And combined with the annoying music and cackling, it's a horrendous song.
On Friday night, I was invited to go to Pumpkin Nights at the fairground. The website made it sound like you needed to prepurchase tickets online. But when we got there, the prepurchase line was long, while there was literally no wait to buy tickets on site. What's the point of that?
They had various (fake) jack-o-lanterns placed in elaborate themed scenes. There was a Hogwarts theme, a Dia de los Muertos theme, an underwater theme,
a pirate theme,
a spider theme,
a Chinese theme,
and an enchanted forest.
It was fun, but definitely not worth the $20 admission. It would be worth half that. It was like a county fair with some elaborate displays.
***
The people I went with were disparaging the pumpkin food trend. But, as you know, I love it. I hope this food fad lasts forever. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it!
I was pleasantly surprised by the Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Spice Waffles. "Gluten Free" doesn't always bode well, but these were good enough for me to eat without any topping. I could see the bits of quinoa spread throughout. 7/10.
I had a Cross E Ranch Apple Cider Donut, which wasn't very appley, but it was still enjoyable. 8/10.
At the ranch, I also had a Millie's Sweets Shop Caramel Apple. I opted for the simplest, cheapest, and lowest-calorie option. Just what you'd expect. 8/10.
I can't remember whether this Parsons' Bakery Pumpkin Donut was a "pumpkin donut" or a "pumpkin spice donut"—but I have a suspicion that it was just the spices and no pumpkin. It wasn't orange, and I didn't taste any pumpkin. Boring! 6/10.
I used my Pumpkin Lovers' Cookbook to make Seared Pumpkin and Onion Grilled Cheese. It's easy. Just cut up pumpkin (that's the hardest part) and onion, cook them in a pan, then put them on a sandwich with cheese and grill it. Simple but tasty. 8/10.
I'm not a huge fan of most caramel corn; it's too crunchy. But I really appreciate Boom Chicka Pop, including Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Candy Corn Flavored Drizzled Kettle Corn. It's sweet but not excessively so, and it doesn't have that annoying crunch of caramel corn. The candy corn version is pretty sweet but not excessively so. (I really appreciate Boom Chicka Pop for having one of the few Fourth of July products this past summer.) 8/10.
I didn't like the Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Pumpkin Spice Drizzled Kettle Corn as much. Butter was the dominant flavor. I know it's weird to complain about butter-flavored popcorn, but I don't like that. It's still good though. (Neither fall flavor is as good as the patriotic one was.) 7/10.
Jimmy was also interested in Sunbelt Bakery Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars. (Isn't he adorable?) These bars aren't terribly pumpkiny, but they're good enough that I look forward to buying them every year. 7/10.
I like to get the Thomas' Pumpkin Spice English Muffins and put savory foods on them (this time more pumpkin grilled cheese), because I obviously get enough sugar. I first had them in 2013. I'm not big on English muffins, but these are my favorite. 8/10.
On one of the last warm days, I had a Bahama Buck's Caramel Apple Sno. It's just apple shaved ice with caramel on it. Simple, but it works. 8/10.
Franz Pumpkin Spice Bagels aren't as good as their Thomas' cousins (they taste overly floury), but they're fine. 6/10.
My lips have been dry this week, so I've been using this Pumpkin Pie ChapStick I got two years ago. I don't like using ChapStick; I don't like the way it feels. The flavor is a typical fake pumpkin spice flavor. (I can't believe that's a thing.) 6/10.
When I got this Normal Ice Cream Count Chocula Ah Ah! Composed Cone, the chocolate ice cream machine wasn't working, so I had to get it with Butterfinger ice cream. I didn't much care for the berry topping that was supposed to resemble blood (I assume). And trying to eat cereal and ice cream at the same time hurt my mouth. 6/10.
For years I have ranted about how good Caramel Apple Sugar Babies are. I still consider them the best Halloween candy. But I'm bumping them down a point because some of them are harder to chew than the others. 9/10.
This is the first time I've had Nature's Bakery Fig Bars. They have a surprising amount of added sugar in them. But I liked it. 7/10.
I've had Trader Joe's Pumpkin O's every year since 2016. They're a pleasant cereal, if not terribly pumpkiny. But I love the whimsy of Trader Joe's: "Round like pumpkins (rounder, actually) and fun like jack-o-lanterns (maybe more fun, since you can eat them), Trader Joe's Pumpkin O's are the cereal sibling to the original Joe's O's. The pumpkin wizards whipped these up with a stroke of their pumpkin-shaped wands, and because pumpkin-shaped wands are challenging and difficult to control, the wizards were only able to conjure up enough of these O's for pumpkin season. If pumpkin is your passion, and cereal is your cause for celebration, Pumpkin O's are for you. Hold on to this box, lest the pumpkin goblins grab them all." We need a Trader Joe's in Davis County! 7/10.
Last Course Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Ice Cream is better than cinnamon ants. The pumpkin is strong, as is the cinnamon. 9/10.
The Last Course Pumpkin Whoopie Pie has pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with frosting in the middle. It's hard to mess up pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but the frosting wasn't great. 7/10.
The "pumpkin" in Bear Naked Pumpkin Spice Granola is pumpkin seeds. I'm fine with that, but the granola is just OK. 6/10.
This Sweet Tooth Fairy Pumpkin Cake Bite is the first item I have had from that bakery. They were sold out of the other products I might have bought. It was tasty, but it seemed steep to spend more than a dollar on a product I could eat in one bite. 8/10.
This Trader Joe's Autumnal Harvest Soup is a tomato-based soup with pumpkin and squash. It was better than I expected. 7/10.
It was overkill to get this Baskin-Robbins Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream in a waffle cone, but I'm worrying about it more than is rational. The ice cream is good but not exceptional. 7/10.
Trader Joe's Pumpkin Greek Nonfat Yogurt is fine as far as Greek yogurt goes. 6/10.
We have had apple cake from an old Melville recipe for years, but we lost the recipe. But my mom found a similar recipe online. My mom made this using the apples we picked. 9/10.
The cake was for a family gathering, but two of my cousins are celiacs, so I got Baker Josef's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Baking Mix. The texture is definitely different from wheat bread, but it's still tasty and enjoyable. 8/10.
I haven't been overly impressed with Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows, so I thought I'd try Great Value Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows instead. They're not very flavorful, mostly just marshmallow. 5/10.
