It's a sad fact of life that most pumpkin products out there are rather nutritionally devoid of anything good for me, despite the health benefits of the garden pumpkin itself. I justify eating these things in a) the name of science and b) because it's October! Unfortunately, I know it won't stop until after New Year's has passed.

With that said, I broke down and purchased some Einstein's Pumpkin Bagel Poppers. This is the sort of stuff that I would regularly never eat. Last year, I came to the realization that the Einstein's pumpkin bagel, which was probably my only hope for some "healthy pumpkin snackage," was actually quite bland (and also, that bagels are probably the worst snack item out there).

The poppers, however, did not disappoint, at least flavor-wise. They were coated in pumpkin shmear, which is a pumpkiny cream-cheese frosting. In the picture posted in the window, it clung to the outside of the pumpkin bagel balls as if they had been iced, like miniature birthday cakes. In the 110-degree reality of Arizona, however, they were sticky, sugary messes that I felt embarassed to eat in front of anyone. The corn syrup had puddled at the bottom of the cup and separated from the cream, a bizarre and unappetizing orange slurry.

Despite these issues, the poppers were edible and a bit addictive. I can say that I won't be having them again, but I would recommend them to someone who might enjoy them in a somewhat cooler climate.