Pumpkin Shortage is Real

Today I discovered the pumpkin shortage is real!

It has been reported that heavy rains have so damaged the pumpkin fields that even big companies such as Nestle, which owns Libby’s pumpkin, will not pack any more pumpkin this year.

Heeding the dire warnings of the pumpkin shortage, I headed out to my local Food Lion to find the shelf space usually reserved for canned pumpkin as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard!  Visions of a bountiful Thanksgiving table minus the traditional pumpkin pies and pumpkin breads swam through my head.

Hurrying on to my favorite Kroger, I was rewarded with a find of 7 large cans of the Kroger brand pumpkin and 6 small cans of Libby’s. Believe me, I was tempted to buy every can and hoard it for my Christmas pies too, but I limited my purchase to just two large cans and one small.

 I always give our neighbors my homemade pumpkin and banana breads for Christmas but this year they may get more banana than pumpkin! As much as I wanted to empty Kroger’s pumpkin shelf, I realized being greedy would not be a very good way to start the holiday season. 

If you miss out on finding any pumpkin, try butternut squash. It is a good substitute and of course, sweet potato makes a great pie too! Have a little pumpkin but not enough? Stretch it out by adding  the butternut squash or sweet potatoes to it.  With the help of a little cinnamon and a few other spices, you’ll hardly taste the difference.

I will be especially grateful for pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Whether the pumpkin shortage is real or a marketing ploy, I hope you are all able to find as much pumpkin as you need!

CDC Reports Smoking Down but Only Slightly

The CDC reports smoking down for 2008 but only slightly according to the Nov. 19 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

20.6 percent of Americans were current smokers in 2008 compared to 20.9 percent in 2004.

“It’s too soon to say whether we’re going in the wrong direction or not, but we’re not making the progress we could and should,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He added that progress would be made if more states took steps like imposing public smoking bans and providing smoking cessation services.

Thursday, Nov. 19, marks the 34th annual Great American Smokeout. Even though the CDC reports smoking down, all smokers are encouraged to butt out at least for one day.

FDA Announces Snacks on Racks, Inc Recall

The FDA has announced that Snacks on Racks, Inc. is recalling products from their line of Gourmet Snacks Packs because they may contain undeclared milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, egg, sulfites or wheat. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, sulfites, soy or wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Gourmet Snack Packs are sold in the U.S. to food service establishments at hospitals, colleges, universities and corporate cafeterias and kiosks. Gourmet Snack Packs are not sold to convenient stores, gas stations, grocery or mass market retailers.

The Parkville, Missouri company is urging anyone who purchased the snack packs to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

  -    PRODUCT IMPACTED BY THE RECALL:

Product Name	Product Weight
Roasted No Salt Almonds	4 oz.
Roasted Salted Almonds	4 oz.
Autumn Mix	5 oz.
Autumn Peanut Mix	5 oz.
Boston Baked Beans	5 oz.
Candy Corn	5 oz.
Caramel Apple Pie Mix	5 oz.
Cherry Slices	5 oz.
Cherry Sour Balls	5 oz.
Chewy Sprees®	5 oz.
Chocolate Almonds	5 oz.
Chocolate Banana Chips	4 oz.
Chocolate Bridge Mix	5 oz.
Milk Chocolate Coffee Beans	5 oz.
Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans	5 oz.
Double Dipped Peanuts	4 oz.
Chocolate Maltballs	3.5 oz.
Chocolate Pretzels	2.5 oz.
Chocolate Raisins	5 oz.
Cinnaberry Breakfast Blend	3 oz.
Cinnamon Bears	5 oz.
Confetti	4 oz.
Dark Chocolate Maltballs	3.5 oz.
Deluxe Mixed Nuts	4 oz.
Energy Mix	4 oz.
Garlic Club Mix	3 oz.
Grape Sour Balls	5 oz.
Gummi Apple O’s	4 oz.
Gummi Bears	5 oz.
Gummi Peach O’s	4 oz.
Gummi Strawberries	5 oz.
Gummi Worms	4 oz.
Halloween JuJu Pumpkins	5 oz.
2008 Red & Green Sour Balls	5 oz.
Honey Cheddar Mix	2 oz.
Honey Roasted Peanuts	5 oz.
Hot Tamales®	5 oz.
Lemon Drops	5 oz.
Lemonheads®	5 oz.
Mike N Ike®	5 oz.
Mini Red Swedish Fish®	5 oz.
Mini Assorted Swedish Fish®	5 oz.
Natures Harvest	4 oz.
Nik Naks	2 oz.
No Sugar Added Chocolate Raisins	5 oz.
Orange Cranberry Trail Mix	4 oz.
Orange Slices	5 oz.
Peanut Caramel Clusters	4 oz.
Peanut Clusters	4 oz.
Peanut Colada	4 oz.
Select Peanut Mix	4 oz.
Sugar Free Chocolate Peanuts	4 oz.
Salted Cashews	4 oz.
Salted VA Peanuts	4 oz.
Sesame Sensation	3 oz.
Assorted Sour Balls	5 oz.
Sour Bears	5 oz.
Gummi Sour Worms	4 oz.
Soy Energizer Mix	4 oz.
Sour Patch Cherries®	4 oz.
Sour Patch Watermelon®	4 oz.
Sour Patch Kids®	4 oz.
Spicy Club Mix	3 oz.
Strawberry Field Trail Mix	3 oz.
Sunflower Seeds R/S	5 oz.
Toffee Mixed Nuts	4 oz.
Toffee Pecans	4 oz.
Yogurt Almonds	5 oz.
Yogurt Cranberries	5 oz.
Yogurt Pretzels	2.5 oz.
Yogurt Raisins	5 oz.
2008 Holiday Red/Green Pretzel Balls	5 oz.

 Complete information on the Snacks on Racks, Inc recall can be found on the Food and Drug Administration website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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