This blog is dedicated to Sarah Foran who lived and loved life with all her heart and to all my children and grandchildren. I hope they all know how very much they are loved.
I usually start with a receipe then add a story. Today will be a combination and I warn you it is a little long but it has to be that way.
Today is Thanksgiving and I cheated. I bought pumpkin pie filling instead of making mine from scratch. If you have read my previous blogs, you know that I am recovering from heart surgery a few months ago. What you DON'T know is my husband was involved in an accident a few weeks ago and is now in a wheelchair. The craziness that surrounds our holidays is not so much this year but the celebration is still important, so I am using canned pumpkin and we are doing our shopping online. I would like to say the shopping will be in front of a nice fire in the fireplace but it is in the 70's so it will probably be at the kitchen table.
For those of you who have never made your pumpkin from scrach, here is how you do it and keep reading to find out why I am showing a squash instead of a pumpkin in my picture. It is Sarah's secret which I finally get to share with you all!
How to go from Jack-O-Lantern to a pie:
1. Scrape the seeds and attached strings out of your split pumpkin. Top to bottom instead of straight around the middle. (I have my reasons for top to bottom and you will see that in a bit). Don't throw those seeds away! You can roast them for a healthy treat and I will share that with you in a bit too. Be patient! You are in Nana's kitchen and this is a place to relax.
2. Heat the oven to 400ºF. Place the two halves cut side down in a baking dish and roast for about an hour or until very soft inside. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Scrape up all the flesh inside the pumpkin, leaving only an empty shell or rind behind. If there is a lot of thick flesh that is too hard to be scraped up, then the pumpkin needs to roast a little longer. Put back in for five minutes at a time.
4. Put all that scraped up pumpkin in a food processor or use a potato masher and puree (or mash) until smooth. Refrigerate immediately; this will last for a few days in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer, well-sealed. When you take it out to use it you will probably notice some water separation. Make sure to drain this water away before using it in a recipe.
The picture you see is of a Cushaw squash. It was Sarah's favorite squash to use in making a holiday pie. She still made pumpkin pie but this was her favorite and mine.It works perfectly fine when you have roasted pumpkin too but this is what I promise to fix for Christmas this year.
Cushaw Squash Pie
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2 cups prepared squash puree
(the green striped gourd that grows in teardrop shape)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3 eggs
1 teaspoonful vanilla flavoring
12 oz cream/evaporated milk
pastry for a single pie crust
Combine cushaw puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and beat lightly to mix well. Stir in the milk slowly until smooth. Pour into the pie shell and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick, broom straw or knife will come out clean when it is done. Cool before serving. Great chilled or at room temperature.
Roasting the seeds:place seeds without strings (no need to wash them) on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle salt and roast at 375 until golden brown. You can bake them on the top rack while the pie bakes on the bottom!
Finding the real you
I read a story once about how we are like jack-o-lanterns. God picks us just as we are, He puts His hands on us and chooses us then He scoops out all the junk (seeds and strings) and puts a light in us for all to see. The problem I have with that is a jack-o-lantern does not last very long... perhaps a few days or even only a few hours. God did not mean for our light to only last a short time. Inside you is an amazing light and if you choose to hide it, you will be like a pumpkin still left on the vine. You will dry up and never really know what is it like to be part of a celebration. When God picks you, don't just let your light shine for a few days. Give love a lifetime to grow. No candles or batteries are needed. Just a willingness to love and forgive as we are loved and forgiven.
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
That is so much better than a jack-o-lantern! You are the real thing.
Love,
Nana
