P is for Pumpkin

Pumpkins are for more than carving.
The beautiful orange color means it is full of health promoting phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Here is a super easy way to start using pumpkin in your cooking- given to me by my friend Connie.
Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes
1 package of spice cake mix
1 package of Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 8 ounce cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg


To make:
Heat oven to 350.
Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin.
Mix well.
Spoon into 24 paper lined muffin cups.
 Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg. 
Spoon over batter.
Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Cool completely.


It is super easy to cook pumpkins. First select a pumpkin good for baking or cooking not carving.
Pumpkins for cooking have thick sides while pumpkins for carving have thin sides.

Cut the pumpkin in half. Place in a baking dish cut side down. Add some water. Bake in an oven set to 300-350 until it is soft. Warning do not try the lazy way of not cutting the squash or pumpkin..the shell will just get really really hard.

Here are pictures of some pumpkins and squash we grew and cooking pumpkins.

Punkin Poem inspired song by Ted Jacobs

"When the Frost is on the Punkin" by James Whitcomb Riley 1853-1916

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,	5
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—	10
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—	15
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;	20
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps	25
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—	30
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock. On the Friday October 16 I played the song inspired by this poem on Pitter Patter Clang & Clatter by Ted Jacobs from his album "Days Gone By: Songs of the American Poets." Kyouck = sound a turkey makes, say it loud it is as much fun to say as gobble gobble