R.W. KNUDSEN SPARKLING PUMPKIN SPICE JUICE BLEND

Welcome to day 30 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza!

This is, thankfully, the last day of Pumpkinpalooza.  I thought it would be nice to celebrate with a little bubbly, so I broke out the R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Pumpkin Spice Juice Blend, a pumpkin spice-flavored apple and pumpkin juice blend:

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Made from sparkling filtered water, apple and pumpkin juice, and natural flavor, this seemed like it would be a delightful fall beverage, perhaps something fun for the kids on the Thanksgiving table:

IMG_1714I was wrong.  This sparkling juice was putrid.  I couldn’t take more than one sip, and even that was pushing it given the smell of this stuff.  It appears to me that although it lends a lovely orange color to the drink, pumpkin juice is not a desirable addition to an otherwise refreshing beverage.  As I poured the remainder of the bottle down the sink and sprayed the area with Lysol to mask the unpleasant smell, I was thankful that I did not spring for pumpkin beer this month.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Pumpkinpalooza.  Here’s a toast to a wonderful autumn as we gently ease into the holiday season.

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Rating:  0 pumpkins (out of 5)

MCDONALD’S PUMPKIN & CREAM PIE

Welcome to day 29 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza!

Today I tried a McDonald’s Pumpkin & Cream Pie.  This little hand pie intrigued me.  I saw a sign at the drive through that said simply “try our new pumpkin & cream pies.”  It looked as if it had been printed on someone’s computer.  No graphics, no logo, just a black and white mandate to try the pumpkin & cream pie.  So I did.

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I assumed it was a fried pie, but the generic box it came in said the pie was “baked to perfection.”

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And here is the perfect little pie:

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The filling consists of a pumpkin layer and a cream cheese (of sorts) layer:

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As best I can tell, this signature pie is new this year, and I think it may only be available in select markets.  If you happen to see a sign saying “try our new pumpkin & cream pie,” do so. This little pie was surprisingly delicious.  The two layers combined to produce a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake-like filling surrounded by tender flaky crust.  It was lightly spiced and not overly sweet.  I was sad when it was gone.  It was 89 cents’ worth of pumpkin joy.

Rating:  5 pumpkins (out of 5)