Hello, faithful followers (who are we kidding - we're the only ones who read this, aren't we?). Apologies for letting Emma hog the spotlight this last week - must be all that pumpkin beer I've been drinking!

In truth, I was at a party this last Friday where not one, but two invitees showed up with different pumpkin six-packs! I've been on my girlfriend Jennifer to pick me up a case of this stuff, but she isn't a drinker and doesn't condone my alcoholic tendencies. In any case, the folks in question (Nechama and Brendan) quickly became my heroes for the evening.

Nechama showed up with the infamous Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale. The case and bottle are enticing, with fall colors and a gleefully grinning, pumpkin-headed scarecrow that seems to be a foreshadowing of all the mischief you are about to get into.

Now, perhaps it's because I'm not a beer person, or perhaps this beer really was just rebranded Michelob, but it tasted just like the bottles of Budweiser that I have rejected time and again. I tried to imagine a rich undertone of carmel, and maybe there was an aftertaste of clove, but I passed the bottle off after less than half because it was, to me, just another disgusting bottle of beer.

Brendan showed up later with what I think might have been Shipyard's Pumpkin Lager, but, honestly, I had graduated from beer hours ago and don't much remember it, save for that pungently, repulsively beery flavor.

The next two pumpkin treats were pleasant surprises - the pumpkin gelato from The G-Spot in Scottsdale, which I had last year and which is incredibly, almost unbearably rich. It is smooth, creamy and cool, overwhelmingly pungent and delicious as it melts on your tongue. It's lusciousness tempts you to eat an entire scoop: I was too full to put up a fight.

The second was another frozen delight: Great Pumpkin frozen yogurt from Mojo Yogurt in Tempe. As I approached, I could only imagine that they had created such a concoction. Lo and behold! Without so much as a taste-test, I loaded my cup. Then came the long, arduous decision of toppings. Graham cracker crust was a straightforward decision. Since this was my lunch, and I couldn't imagine the spiraling pile of pastel orange was exactly nutritionally valuable, I threw on some sliced almonds and strawberries.

The yogurt, to me, was one of the best pumpkin treats I've had in a while. Sweet, but not too much so - it tastes like liquefied pumpkin cheesecake, and is just a bit tart. I would have had the same problem as with the gelato had it not been for the refreshing coolness of the strawberries, which tempered the flavor of the yogurt. Pumpkin is delicious, no doubt (we're maintaining a blog about it!), but it's one of those flavors that you can't consume endlessly. At least not in one sitting. ;)