Christine Esposito, Associate Editor08.30.16
In Charles Schulz’s 1966 animated classic, “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,” Linus waits for a mystical creature (much like Santa Claus) called the Great Pumpkin to make his once a year ascent from pumpkin patch.
What a difference 50 years makes, Linus.
Today, this special squash makes appearances everywhere from Starbucks to the spa, and not just on Halloween night. Pumpkin is king all Autumn-long. But the great pumpkin surge seems to have begun even earlier this year.
Dunkin Donuts, for example, planned to have its lineup of pumpkin coffees brewing this week. That means I can spill a pumpkin spice latte on my white jeans before I pack them away on Labor Day.
While pumpkin flavor is revered in the culinary realm, there are beauty benefits to harvest too.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Denver recently announced its trio of experiences incorporating the great gourd. The Flavors of Fall Package ($320, available between Sept. 1, 2016 and Nov. 30, 2016) includes a 50-minute aromatherapy massage, 50-minute Pumpkin Enzyme Facial and a Pumpkin Spice Pedicure. Spa goers are served a warm pumpkin latte cocktail and are given complimentary Sanitas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask to take home too.
According to experts, pumpkin is packed with fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids that boost cell turnover and brighten and smooth the skin.
And don't’ forget the seeds. I like mine sautéed in butter and tossed with sea salt, but experts say they can benefit acne sufferers. And that’s something I’ll need to keep in mind come Halloween, when I find myself stealking Snickers, Krackel bars and Reece’s peanut butter cups from my kids trick-or-treat buckets after they go to sleep.
What a difference 50 years makes, Linus.
Today, this special squash makes appearances everywhere from Starbucks to the spa, and not just on Halloween night. Pumpkin is king all Autumn-long. But the great pumpkin surge seems to have begun even earlier this year.
Dunkin Donuts, for example, planned to have its lineup of pumpkin coffees brewing this week. That means I can spill a pumpkin spice latte on my white jeans before I pack them away on Labor Day.
While pumpkin flavor is revered in the culinary realm, there are beauty benefits to harvest too.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Denver recently announced its trio of experiences incorporating the great gourd. The Flavors of Fall Package ($320, available between Sept. 1, 2016 and Nov. 30, 2016) includes a 50-minute aromatherapy massage, 50-minute Pumpkin Enzyme Facial and a Pumpkin Spice Pedicure. Spa goers are served a warm pumpkin latte cocktail and are given complimentary Sanitas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask to take home too.
According to experts, pumpkin is packed with fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids that boost cell turnover and brighten and smooth the skin.
And don't’ forget the seeds. I like mine sautéed in butter and tossed with sea salt, but experts say they can benefit acne sufferers. And that’s something I’ll need to keep in mind come Halloween, when I find myself stealking Snickers, Krackel bars and Reece’s peanut butter cups from my kids trick-or-treat buckets after they go to sleep.