U is for Unfrosted Pop Tarts

 When thinking about what to write about for the letter U, the only thing that came to mind was ugli fruit. That was something I might actually be able to find at the grocery store, but I wasn't sure I had time to go. So I did a little googling to see what else I could come up with. In a Quora forum, I found this list from N.M. to the question, "What is a fruit or vegetable that starts with the letter U?"

1. Unfrosted Pop-Tarts

2. Ultimate Brownies

3. Utah Scones

4. Umpqua Oats

5. Upside-down cakes

I'm not sure if N.M. understood the question the same way I did, but who am I to judge? Let's go down the list and see what we can figure out.

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1. There are three kinds of unfrosted Pop-Tarts: strawberry, blueberry, and brown sugar cinnamon. Well, two of these contain fruit, even if it's in a small amount, so I guess that Unfrosted Pop-Tarts could count for the question. Now I want a Pop-Tart. I haven't had one in a long time and the unfrosted ones are my favorites.

2. I think brownies are stretch, but I guess they could be made with applesauce or pumpkin to replace some of the fat or with cherries. So I generously give N. M. this one. Now I want brownies, too.

3. I didn't know what a Utah scone was, so I had to educate myself. They are deep fried dough served with honey, butter, and powdered sugar. Sounds like a doughnut or beignet to me and could be served with jam or jelly or maybe some strawberries on the side, I guess. The jury is still out as to whether this one fits the criteria for a fruit or vegetable beginning with U, but now I have a sudden urge to go to Utah.

4. I didn't know what Umpqua oats were, either. Umpqua is a brand name for oats sold either in cups or packets. Many of the flavors contain fruit, so I'm going to let N.M. have this one. I wonder if Umpqua oats are better than Quaker. Now, I want to do a taste test.

5. Upside down cake: This one is definitely a winner. Upside down cake can be made with many different kinds of fruit with pineapple being my favorite. However, the last time I made a pineapple, upside down cake, I forgot the salt and it wasn't very good. Who knew that leaving the salt out could make such a difference, but it did. N.M. has gotten me thinking. I need to bake another pineapple upside down cake to make up for the last one I made.  

It's a good thing that N.M.'s list wasn't longer. Who knows what else I'd be craving?