Stumbling upon a heartwarming incident restores our faith in humanity. An adorable incident recently took place in Florida, which includes little triplets, a garbage truck driver, and lots of melting in between. After watching a viral video posted by the kids’ mother, city officials arranged something special for them.

The Viral Video

Captioning “Just for grins,” mom Carla Wierenicz posted an old video on Instagram, which showed a garbage truck driver running up to her three-year-old triplets and hugging and airlifting them. Tony Parker, the driver from the City of Orlando garbage collection, used to arrive in front of the Wierenicz household to collect the trash and found three little tawny-haired kids waiting for him. He used to play with the triplets for a while before leaving for the next house. But, four years ago, he stopped coming by as his route changed, leaving the children heartbroken. Luckily, city officials took notice of the viral video and scheduled a special stopover for Parker so that the now seven-year-old triplets could meet their favorite garbage man once again.

The Adorable Reunion

Tony Parker was like a childhood hero for those Orlando triplets who met him for the first time four years ago. They met Parker and befriended him instantly. After city officials took the initiative to change Parker’s route for old times’ sake, the four friends got a chance to relive their happy times together. The triplets did everything they used to do, like climbing inside the truck and honking the horn, racing down with Parker to the end of the street, etc. Parker also brought them City of Orlando t-shirts and toy dump trucks while the triplets gifted him the drawings they made for him. The man who picks up garbage for a living got to pick up joy, love, and sweet memories that day.

Autumn is the season to store freshly harvested or canned pumpkins at your will. But sometimes, a few tins of canned pumpkin end up gathering dust in the kitchen cupboard post-Thanksgiving. If you’re already bored with those pies, bread, and pastries, here are a few unique and delicious ways to use up your extra tins of canned pumpkin.

Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

Canned pumpkin can be the perfect ingredient for your smoothie with its smooth and creamy texture. Just blitz the pumpkin puree with almond butter, vanilla protein powder, banana, and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice. It can even beat the seasonal milkshake from your favorite dessert spot!

Pumpkin Alfredo

We often add whatever veggies we can grab to pasta dishes without a second thought. So, why be shy about pumpkins? Canned pumpkin can be the star of your next pasta dish! To whip up the Pumpkin Alfredo sauce, add pumpkin puree and heavy whipping cream to butter-sautéed garlic and simmer until slightly thickened. Then add seasonings, dried herbs, and cheese. Toss cooked fettuccine in the sauce and your delicious pasta is ready, loaded with immunity-boosting beta-carotene. So don’t think twice before grabbing a second helping!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

There’s no secret that oatmeal is an ultra-healthy and uber-satisfying breakfast. You can make your go-to morning oatmeal even better by mixing one tablespoon or two canned pumpkins in it. Then finish it with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of aromatic pumpkin pie spice. Along with the benefit of added fiber, the pumpkin puree will thicken your oatmeal to a custardy consistency while giving it a vibrant orange hue.

Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Chili is not at all silly! Rather, adding canned pumpkin to one of the most seasonal meals can make it the official fall-favorite dish. The soft velvety texture and earthy nutty flavor imparted by pureed pumpkin perfectly complement the hearty richness of this dish. Along with the goodness of tomatoes and power-packed beans, the added health benefits of pumpkin will satisfy both your taste buds and body.

Canned Pumpkin as a Baking Alternative

This one is a quick and healthy tip for all the bakers out there! Pumpkin can work as a great plant-based substitute for your baking essentials like eggs, butter, and oil. 1 egg is equal to ¼ cup of pumpkin puree. 1 tablespoon of butter or oil is equal to the same amount of pumpkin puree. So, next time if you’re out of your ingredients and running short of time, let a tin of canned pumpkin come to your rescue!