This post sort of flies in the face of the fact that there is a shortage of pumpkin. We should be looking for other desserts. And it's true, at the Giant the other day, I saw just one little pumpkin pie in a sea of sweet potato pies.

There was a shelf of canned pumpkin, and I have to admit I grabbed a can. Even though I didn't necessarily need it. Just in case.

Is that wrong?

Anyway, since it's Dinner Together day on the eve of the biggest dinner we all usually have together each year, and we're clearly all going to try to eat pumpkin, I thought I'd leave you with some pumpkin recipes that don't even need the oven. That kids can even help with, which might possibly keep them from trashing the living room you just cleaned up for guests.

This peerless pumpkin pie from the Parenthood.com community sounds good, and is braces-friendly.

Libby's has a super-quick pumpkin pudding.

Or how about no-bake cheesecake pumpkin pie?

And if they looove chocolate with their pumpkin, here's something I haven't seen much of -- a vegan chocolate pumpkin pie.

(Associated Press photo)