I'm crazy about pumpkin. I would eat most anything pumpkin-flavored at any time. Since I must wait until autumn to get my pumpkin fix, I take full advantage of pumpkin's presence this time of year.  

Here are three recipes for my current pumpkin favorites. I use unsweetened store-bought pumpkin puree, but homemade puree works, too.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Makes 1 serving

3/4 cups Hood Milk
1/2 cup plain 1-minute oatmeal, uncooked
1/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar, molasses, or pure maple syrup

In a medium microwavable bowl, combine milk, oatmeal, pumpkin and cinnamon. Stir well. Microwave on HIGH for 60 to 90 seconds, stopping to stir once. Remove from microwave and stir in brown sugar.

Serving suggestion: Stir in ¼ cup raisins with the brown sugar.

Creamy Pumpkin Dip
Makes about 1 ¼ cups

1/2 cup Hood Lowfat Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

Place cottage cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestion: Serve with graham crackers or pretzels for dipping.

Pumpkin Pudding
Makes 4 servings

1 package (1 ounce) instant vanilla pudding, regular or sugar-free
1 3/4 cup Hood Milk , or 1 ½ cups Hood Milk + ¼ cup Hood Light Cream
3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

In a large mixing bowl, beat pudding mix with milk or a mixture of milk and cream, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves for 2 minutes. Transfer to a small serving dish or to four small ramekins.  Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes before eating.

Serving suggestion: Make parfaits by layering with fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt and low-fat granola.