Pumpkin Dump

    I have had a weakness for sweets throughout my life.  Luckily, Joan is an excellent cook and baker and keeps me well supplied with sweet delicacies.  However since she has been away, I find myself craving rich desserts and since I am too ashamed of my cravings to buy solutions at the grocery, I have been suffering.  

    In the midst of one of my cravings, I thought I would just make myself something.  I remembered a very rich dessert I had once down in Indiana called “Pumpkin Dump” and I figured that might just satisfy my sweet tooth.  I checked out the recipe from the internet then started looking around for ingredients in the pantry.  I found a small can of condensed milk--check, we had bags of frozen pumpkin in the freezer--check, butter--check, eggs--check, and sugar --check, all were on hand.  All that I needed was a box of white cake mix.  So I loaded Skye into the truck and we drove down to the grocery.

    Once back home I started making my Pumpkin Dump.  The recipe made a lot--a 9 X 13 inch pan was required.  I got it all prepared and popped it into the oven.  When it was done a delicious pumpkiny smell filled the house, but I patiently made myself wait until after I had finished my meal before I started spooning out a bowlful of the Pumpkin Dump.

    Even though I am a certified sweet tooth, the pumpkin dump was just way over the top.  It was so sweet it made me shudder.  I forced myself to finish the bowl, but I felt icky.  I really hate wasting food, but despite that, I vowed not to eat any more of the pumpkin dump, and I took to out to the compost pile and dumped it, scattering some compost over it so as not to attract animals.

    Well, it did unfortunately attract an animal.  Later in the day when I was wrestling with our dog Skye, I got close to his mouth, and what did I smell?   Yep, pumpkin.   Skye had obviously sniffed out the dumped pumpkin dump in the compost pile.  

    Skye doesn’t spend much time outside, but her discovery motivated her to enjoy the great outdoors more.  Now every time she goes out, I have to keep an eye on her so that she doesn’t head for the compost pile.  I have even started to call her “Pumpkin.”

You can see my photo-realistic paintings at:  www.davidmarchant.ca