pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins

So much seasonal activity in this house that blogging has taken a back seat......much to my dismay. Even if no one really noticed my absence, I missed my outlet!

There has been much of this going on:

....and since I made all the costumes save the baby's, much of my extra time has been spent behind the sewing machine. Not all bad, but busy :)

One of the delights of Halloween/Harvest/Fall time is the many things we find to do with pumpkins. While most people do a lot of this:

soon Halloween comes to a close. The jack-o-lanterns begin to rot and cave in on themselves.....especially living in the desert where we are! Pumpkins soon go on clearance in stores and the pumpkin patches close for the season.

But, do not dismay......buy up as many of those pumpkins as you can! I have found that the "pie pumpkins" which are on the small side (smaller usually means sweeter) are still found in abundance at the grocery store. We went to a pumpkin patch that was nearly sold out and everything was on clearance. I spent $6 and bought 6 pie pumpkins and 4 acorn squash.

Now in this day and age of convenience it IS quite easy to go to the store and pick up a can of Libby's for a seasonal recipe or 2. But I am implore you.....this year try something new! Roast the pumpkins yourself, puree them and put it in the freezer for later use. There have been some moments in the past in the spring or even summer when I have had a craving for my FAVORITE pumpkin muffin. But, because they are not in season, you will not find a single store with a can of Libby's on their shelves! If you freeze fresh pumpkin you can use it in recipes all year long.....and tastes SO MUCH better than canned, believe me!

The process is so EASY. Do not be afraid of it!

1. Use a sharp knife and cut the entire pumpkin in half. Using a metal spoon as a scraper (or the scrapers they sell in the stores for carving pumpkins) scrape out the insides including the strings and the seeds. Sadly, I can not eat pumpkins seeds. They make me violently ill. But if you like roasted seeds *SO YUMMY* now is the time to collect them! Discard the insides.

2. In a shallow pan, put about a quarter inch of water.....I use a cookie sheet. Lay both sides of the pumpkin face-down in the water. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, until it is easily poked with a fork.

This is what it looks like when it is done:

3. Allow the pumpkin to cool a bit and then scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard the skin. Put pumpkin flesh in your blender or food processor with about 1/2 cup of water. This just helps it get very smooth. Puree for about 2 minutes until it is smooth and free of lumps.

4. I measure the puree into 1 cup portions. You want to divide it up because you will not want to thaw the whole batch to just get a few cups. Put them into labeled Ziploc freezer bags (Ziploc truly is the best. The bargain brands really tend to leak!).

Now I have a lot of fresh pumpkin ready for use whenever I need it! Fresh, pureed pumpkins will stay fresh for about 5 days in your refrigerator in a sealed container or as much as 6 months in your freezer!!!

I need to share the EASIEST pumpkin muffin recipe that is only 50 calories per serving :) Next blog :)