I will

show you how to make pumpkin puree. With pictures even, if we're lucky enough to have the cooperation of my faithful (ahem, cough-cough-sputter) computer and trusty (acchkk, cough, ahem) dial-up. (we ARE really out in the country folks. they phone company guys shake their head and laugh silently when I ask them when we will be able to get DSL so I don't have to shell out the $500 down and $99+tax+fcc fees+youknowwhatImeancharges=broke-country-girl- blogger. sigh) But I digress. Where were we? Oh yes. Pumpkins.

Here we go.

1. Pick pumpkins (small sugar pumpkins work the best for baking/cooking - about 2-4lbs a piece)

2. give pumpkin to toddler as he's screaming he wants a 'pupmipikin'

3. pick up said pumpkin 5 times as toddler drops it from the barn to the house

4. figure if a little dirt don't hurt, then neither can some bruises. Right?

5. set pumpkins on counter and get distracted (for like, a week.)

6. get out the food processor (I tried this in the blender - it doesn't work as well)

7. cut pumpkins in half horizontally (as they're sitting on their bottoms, slice them across - from left to right. Make sense? sometimes I don't even understand me...)

8. scoop out the stuff - I use a colander to dump the innards into (cuz I wanna save the seeds)

9. find a microwaveable bowl w/cover if possible - place pumpkin halves open-side down and zap them for like, 15-20 min. when they are 'knife-tender' (whatever that means) they are ready.

10. use an ice cream scoop (or, whatever old ugly spoon you happen to grab) to gently, uniformly scoop out the orange flesh.

11. put it into a food processor

12. let toddler push buttons

13. let out a yell when you realize you haven't put the little lid-thingie on it and pumpkin puree splatters all over your kitchen

14. clean up mess (or, get distracted, for half an hour and repeat the five most dangerous words in the english language; "maybe it will go away")

15. pour pumpkin puree into quart ziploc freezer baggies - don't bother to measure - it's more fun this way. Flatten onto cookie sheet and throw the cookie sheet into freezer (so it freezes flat, thereby making the most of your freezer space (thanks Mom-In-Law, for that tip!) and clean up your mess. Or, if you're lucky enough to have an almost-teenager, recruit (read: bribe) them to do it.

16. seperate the men from the boys, OOPS, I meant the pulp from the seeds. Wash. Dry. Drizzle with a wee bit of vegetable oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast low temp (say...275*) for about 75 minutes? Depends on how 'well done' you like your seeds.

Enjoy!