how to make your own pumpkin puree

Playdate at a pumpkin patch: $7

Wrong pumpkins selected before she found the right one: 4

Oven temperature to roast a pumpkin and help warm our chilly house: 375 degrees F

Watching my daughter find such joy in turning her pumpkin into something delicious: Priceless


Last week the kids and I met up with a few other families at a local pumpkin patch for a hayride, a walk through a straw maze and a pumpkin patch. We had fun, although my daughter becomes so quiet around other kids it's hard to tell what she's thinking. She got to pick out a small pumpkin which was perfect because the small ones are best to cook with and I promised her we'd make something yummy out of her find. She's developing such an eager desire for helping me cook; I love getting to share my time in the kitchen with her.

And now I'll share our creation with you (Part 1 of 2)...

First, let's roast those pumpkins. Not as easy as picking up a can of pumpkin at the grocery store, but worth the learning experience for me and my baby and the upgrade in flavor of your chosen pumpkin dish.

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. (I used a 13x9 pan.)


2. Cut the pumpkin in half and cut out the stem section and remove the stringy pulp and seeds. I used an ice cream scoop for this and it worked wonderfully. I'd also recommend a serrated knife for cutting the pumpkin for a little more stabilization.


3. Place the two halves face down in your baking pan and cover with foil.


4. Bake in the oven for about 1½ hours for a smaller pumpkin, or until tender.


5. Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it.


Tomorrow I'll continue this pumpkin adventure with what we made with our pumpkin puree. You won't want to miss it.