Days are getting shorter in this part of the world – a peculiar sign of the change of season. Or the expression of a cruel Mother Nature’s plan.

When I was a kid, days in proximity of the Autumn Equinox would hit me with a gloomy mood and raise one big question: “How on earth is this possible?”.

This is possible because the rotation axis of the Earth is tilted. Such a tilt determines a different exposure to heat and light of different portions of the Earth within a year.

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Still there? I have no intention to bore you with all the questions I came up during my childhood, my point here is to stress on the fact that Science explains everything about the change of seasons and many other things but can’t explain me why PUMPKIN is now EVERYWHERE.

I mean, not why it is growing at this precise moment of the year but WHY it is on FB, Pinterest, and why 98% of food bloggers create palatable pumpkin-ish recipes I have never heard about before.

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I made my plan to shop for pumpkin ASAP even though I hate pumpkin and feel sick if I swallow a teaspoon of its pulp. Let’s call it “power of suggestion”. Are social media trends able to guide my thoughts and even taste?

Possibly. Indeed, this year I’m persuaded I like pumpkin.

Sure, I conceived the idea to go against the tide and ignore the buzz around it. But then I realized that going against the tide would be just a conventional act of resistance for my overwhelming “food curiosity”. So I will follow the trend and be on a pumpkin roll. Oh yeah.

Here is a selection of pumpkin-based recipe that I believe I can eat without getting sick:

Please let me know if I’m forgetting something and if you would like me to test a particular recipe.

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Before I join the craze of the moment, I linger a bit longer on my energy bites, made by less popular ingredients, quite remarkably good though, such as creamed Tahini and dried apricots. These bites have been my favorite snack throughout the past week (until I finished them). Did you know dried apricots contain 3 times the protein of the fresh ones and are an excellent source of iron?

I didn’t know either but I suspected. Its beautiful color is a clear indication of beauty and health. It’s again orange… just like pumpkin, the color of a Fall coming along with new trends, obsessions and – probably – new questions to answer.

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Dried Apricots and Tahini Energy Balls

Prep Time10 minutes
Servings: 10 -12 balls

Ingredients

  • 15 dried apricots
  • 1 cup Scottish oats
  • 3 Tbsp tahini creamed
  • 2 Tbsp mix seeds pumpkin, sesame, flax seeds
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp greek yogurt

Instructions

  • In a food processor blend together two tablespons of tahini butter and apricot.
  • In a medium bowl stir well the dried ingredients and the tahini apricot mix.
  • Stir in the yogurt until incorporated. Add the honey and more tahini if needed.
  • Shape the mixture into balls and place the balls onto parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. You can keep the balls in the fridge in a sealed container for 6-7 days.

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  1. I love that the Earth’s rotation explains our obsession with pumpkin. Who would have thought?! A few of the blogs I read actually started posting pumpkin recipes over a month ago!

    I had no idea that apricots were so high in protein either. I am learning all sorts of new things by reading your blog! 😉 They look delicious.

  2. Love these gorgeous looking, healthy energy balls with a twist.
    Was so nice to read this post, do agree with you – sometimes all these pumpkin recipes for autumn are a bit overwhelming 🙂