One Pumpkin Down

I have no Grocery Bag to offer for this Thanksgiving week.

We are, however, down one pumpkin on our porch.  This means that we are currently feasting on all things pumpkin.  If you are like us and have a few (uncarved) pumpkins surviving from Halloween that need to disappear before the Christmas freeze, DON'T do what I have done every other year and throw them away!  This year I decided that the beta carotene in our large gourd friends was too good to waste.  So, this weekend we carved and cooked up one of our pumpkins, and we now have a pile of delicious seeds, a fridge full of puree and a feast of pumpkin goodies to enjoy.

If you are a pumpkin roasting novice like me, be reassured that there isn't much to it.  Also be reassured that although people will tell you to roast small pie pumpkins, ours was a large field pumpkin and it turned out just fine.

For a great tutorial on how to make your own pumpkin puree, start here at The Pioneer Woman.

Next, here is a list of the recipes we have enjoyed with our pumpkin puree so far:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes by Cookie and Kate

Photo and recipe at Cookie and Kate

Pumpkin Smoothie by Ree Drummond

Photo and recipe at The Pioneer Woman

Pepitas by Ree Drummond

Photo and recipe at The Pioneer Woman

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread by Make It Do

Photo and recipe at Make It Do

and of course

Pureed pumpkin baby food with rice cereal by Queen B for Baby Bear

We still have plenty of pumpkin puree in our freezer.  Here are a few more recipes that I can't wait to try:

Pumpkin Chili with Cocoa by Food and Whine

Pumpkin Lasagna by Real Simple Magazine

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gingersnaps by Finding Joy in My Kitchen

(Except I'll substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato!)

What a treat!  May your pumpkins be as loved and as delicious as ours have been.