Monday 13 October 2008

Today's goal

Once the Resident Fan Boy has finished with this morning's pancakes, I will reclaim and clean the kitchen (which should take about 45 minutes), then embark upon creating the pastry for my famous pumpkin pie. (Last year's is shown.) This year's challenges: 1) our blender (our last surviving mechanical wedding gift --- RIP) died while I was trying to make pumpkin pie for last week's house-guest. Pumpkin pie made with an electric beater simply doesn't cut it. This means I am using the new blender for the first time. On Thanksgiving. Is this wise? 2) The Resident Fan Boy and elder daughter went out yesterday to procure whipping cream, as our supermarket will be closed for today's holiday. There is none to be had, neither in spray can, nor whip-it-yourself form. (Also, the half-decent vanilla ice cream is sold out.) They plan to re-check the convenience stores today, on the basis of a vague promise from a shady proprietor. So we face the prospect of pumpkin pie sans whipped cream. Younger daughter is in despair.

I blame this on the coming Aries full moon which hits full strength tomorrow. On Election Day. God save us.

Anyhow, with some trepidation, I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian lurkers. Say "hello" to me sometime, will you?

4 comments:

Jane Henry said...

Happy (belated) Canadian Thanksgiving.

I have three pumpkins grown by no 3 daughter for a competition at school. These are not endemic to our isles normally, so I haven't a clue how to cook them. Is pumpkin pie easy to make??? I think I may have attempted pumpkin soup once...

Persephone said...

Pumpkin pie is as easy as...well, pie! If you're going to use real pumpkin (which I recommend, as most canned pumpkin, at least in Canada, is 90% squash), it's a little labour-intensive, so what I do is reduce the refrigerated jack o'lanterns on All Saints' Day (or as not long after as I can manage): So, you peel the pumpkin. (I just chop the flesh into cubes and slice the outer skin from the cubes.) Obviously, you discard or roast the seeds, depending on how you feel about seeds, and don't use any goopy bits. Then you steam the pumpkin, cool it, mash it, and freeze it. I freeze it in baggies containing about a cup and a half each of mashed pumpkin, because that's what the recipe calls for. For the filling, two eggs, 2/3's of a cup sugar (I use a little less), teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each of allspice, nutmeg, and ginger, the mashed pumpkin, 1 cup skim milk powder, 3/4 cup hot water (I use a little less), 1/4 cup evaporated milk. I put the ingredients in the previous order into the blender, blending with each addition. Into the 9-inch pie shell, into a 450 degree (230 Celsius) oven for 10 minutes, then 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree(180 C.) oven. Cool. Serve with whipped cream and/or ice cream.

Jane Henry said...

ooh thanks for that!!xxx

Persephone said...

Let me know if it works for you! This is my family's favourite.