Just Like the Pilgrims.

We're having a big Thanksgiving dinner here on Thursday and I've been so loving planning it!!! I can't even tell you how many lists I've made. It's a bit ridiculous. Kimberly and I went shopping yesterday and, my goodness, it's no wonder they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here--they don't have any of the right ingredients!!!! How do they survive?? No mini-marshmallows, no cool whip, no cans of cranberry sauce, no ready-made graham cracker crusts (or graham crackers for that matter), no corn syrup, no canned pumpkin... the pilgrims didn't have these things so I suppose I'll manage. This is definitely going to be an experimental Thanksgiving. I don't feel like any of my recipes will be made without at least one substitution.

I decided to buy a pumpkin and cook it myself. Of course, when I woke up this morning our heat, hot water and oven all weren't working. So... I washed the pumpkin, cut off the peel, chopped it to pieces and boiled it. Then I squished the water out of it and forced it through a colander with a wooden spoon. Yes, it's true, I made my very own pumpkin smoosh. No food processor or anything. Just a wooden spoon and a colander. Oh yeah, I totally could have made it as a pioneer. Well, actually, maybe not really. I must say, that was a lot of work for just 2 and a half cups of pumpkin (don't worry, that is enough to make one loaf of pumpkin bread and a pumpkin pie)... at least I know I don't NEED canned pumpkin! I'm so self-reliant.

(Good thing I had all that experience making baby food this summer... it was my inspiration.)