Magical Land

Shall we continue our journey through the Magical Land of the Foods of Fall?  I think we should.  A staple in most people’s diet (unless you are anti-carb…how dare you) is bread.  We all eat, enjoy and love bread.  And if you don’t, and you don’t have a gluten allergy, then you are just kidding yourself.  Bread is a mainstay and just an amazing overall food.  Last week, I ran across a new sliced bread that I have never before seen.  Not only had I never seen it but, it was also Limited Edition and featured Pumpkins.  Before thinking any further, I ran towards the package – pretty silly at 7am Sunday morning at Publix – and picked one up.  In another split second, this Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread Pumpkin Spice, was in my cart and on my mind.

I thought of this bread through my remaining Publix trip as well as we trip to Whole Foods.  When I finally got home, I rushed through putting away all groceries and tore into the package.  I took the pieces out and examined them long enough for a photo before placing them in the toaster.  I found the pieces to be a little bit smaller than normal sliced bread, with an apparent cinnamon swirl and ‘pieces’ of pumpkin.  As this bread warmed in the toaster, the smell of cinnamon filled the kitchen.  Once they popped, I grabbed them and waited mere seconds before taking my first bite.

Now, I do not like crust on bread when I am having a sandwich.  Not at all.  But, for this piece of bread, I ate it with the crust on.  My first few bites left my mouth in a bit of a pickle, wondering where the pumpkin was.  While the brief visit in the toasted brought out all the cinnamon flavors, the pumpkin flavor was, for the most part, missing.  As I continued to eat the first slice, I really could not find the pumpkin at all.  Even in the pumpkin pieces area, the flavor was just not really there.

I proceeded on to eat the second piece and, while the pumpkin was not the main flavor, it was a bit more noticeable.  The pumpkin flavor, tasted of nutmeg and brown sugar with only a touch of true pumpkin flavor.  Again, to anyone who has never tried plain old pumpkin, this is a good thing.  The flavor we associate with pumpkin, was most more noticeable in the second piece.  Later in the day, I tried another piece…this time without the toaster.  While this piece was still good, the pieces in the toaster were much better.  Heating the slice provides your mouth with the extra crunch and warmth of flavor.

I would not really call this bread Pumpkin Spice but, rather Cinnamon-Nutmeg-Small-Little-Tiny-Bit-O-Pumpkin Spice.  That is not to say that I did not like this.  No, not at all…I really liked this bread.  But, it was also really not too much of a Pumpkin Spice flavor.  At $2.99 (on sale) price for 16oz of bread, it is a pretty good deal.  I will have no problem whatsoever finishing this bread but, at the same time, I know that if I was blindfolded, I would not know that this was Pumpkin.  With full bellies and a semi-satisfied pallet, we march on as we continue our journey through this Magical Land we call Fall.