Pumpkin Pie Baked in a Pumpkin

It works! You really can make a pie in a pumpkin. The trick is knowing whether your pumpkin is ripe, because one of mine was a lot riper than the other. However, I have no idea how you judge this without cutting open the pumpkin. The ripe one was a lot easier to cut into, so I suppose it must have felt a little softer from the outside? It was darker too. I found them at Wal-Mart in the fruit section...make sure you don't try this with a carving pumpkin. They're too big and too watery.

Here's what I did:

Cut open two pie pumpkins and scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. You won't be able to get all of the stringy stuff - at least I couldn't - but get as much as you can. I roasted the seeds with salt and pepper, but that requires a lot of washing and picking off slimy pumpkin guts, so if you're going for speed, just toss the seeds.

Next, put some butter (a tablespoon or so) in each of the pumpkins and stick them in the oven at 350 (without the tops). Put them on a cookie sheet, because stuff will ooze out the bottom. Bake them for about an hour.

Take one of the pumpkins and peel off the skin. This should be easy to do; if not, stick it back in and cook it longer. Cut the pumpkin flesh into chunks, then put it in a bowl and beat it with a mixer. I strained mine, but that took forever and I'm not sure that it really did anything. Add two eggs, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup brown sugar (substitute maple syrup if you're going for an authentic pilgrim experience, because they didn't have sugar when they first arrived). Beat until combined.

Pour the mixture into the other pumpkin until it's about 80% of the way full. You can use the extra to make a traditional pumpkin pie, or pour it into small glass or ceramic dishes and bake them like custards. Put the top on the pumpkin, slightly askew, and stick it back in the oven. Bake at 400 until the filling is set (pudding vs. soupy consistency), which took about an hour for mine.

Peel the skin from the pumpkin and slice it into wedges. Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. If you don't like squash, you won't like the pumpkin flesh, but I thought it was great. It tastes just like acorn squash except maybe a little bit sweeter.

Allison's Favorite Show

We got rid of cable, then we got rid of Netflix, but I just can't survive without some kind of TV. I'd like to think that I'm intellectual enough to live on books and conversation alone, and maybe the occasional documentary from the library, but I'm not. Sometimes, my brain just needs to stew in its own juices for 23 minutes or so while I lounge and stare. My new favorite show is Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home on Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/watch/233291/julia-and-jacques-cooking-at-home-roast-chicken). Hulu is free - although I think there are additional shows available if you pay - and the picture quality (on my laptop) is just as good as Netflix. I think if you buy an internet-ready TV you can watch Hulu on that too.
We watched The Miracle Maker, a claymation film about the life of Jesus, at KIDS church last night on Hulu too...because I didn't have time (okay, I didn't make time) to prepare a whole lesson. We did play a game that the kids liked - I put each word of their memory verse (Matthew 6:21) on a balloon, and they took turns finding the next word and popping that balloon. Simon was the best popper.
I did a search for "Christian" to find other suitable movies for church night, and I couldn't figure out why it pulled up a bunch of episodes of Project Runway (which I love but is definitely not church night material). Turns out there's a guy named Christian in one of the seasons of the show. Aha.

Matthew 6:21 - For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Pumpkin Pie in a Pumpkin

I'm supposed to be planning a First Thanksgiving lesson for our homeschool group, and I'm desperately trying to find ideas. This one came courtesy of my grandpa, and it looks like the perfect blend of messy, gross, authentic, and delicious. Pumpkin pie baked inside a pumpkin? That is cool. Check this out: http://www.forkandbottle.com/cooking/recipes/pumpkin_pie_in_a_pumpkin.htm.

Other ideas:

Make our own pin and ring game: http://www.nativetech.org/games/ring&pin.html

Make our own pilgrim hats: http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/make_a_pilgrim_bonnet.htm

Read (fictional) letters from pilgrims and the Wampanoag: http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/letters.asp

Do some kind of activity that re-enacts the journey on the Mayflower (climb into our "boat" and ...?)

Have the older kids act out a pilgrim/Thanksgiving-related skit for the younger kids?

Modern-day devotional about giving thanks?

This is a lot of pressure. Homeschool moms are very creative and good at teaching and not easily entertained. Eek.

Allison's Favorite Pasta Dinner

1 bag frozen cheese-filled tortellini or ravioli
1 jar spaghetti sauce (homemade, Ragu, whatever)
2 chicken brats - in the lunch & breakfast meat section by the regular brats
Shredded mozzarella

Spray a 9x13 pan with vegetable oil. Dump in the tortellini (frozen) and the sauce. Slice brats and layer on top. Sprinkle on mozzarella. I like to do this part in the morning so all I have to do at night is put it in the oven. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so, until bubbly. Serve with garlic bread and ignore the children when they say they don't like it.

For some variety, try it with ground beef or mixed vegetables - or just plain. Yummy.