The first day the big pumpkin display was outside the grocery store I was excited to bring the kids. Snapped a few cute “pumpkin stack, hay bale, & kid” pics and entertained myself watching the boys pick the perfect pumpkin to bring home.

Of course I said they could each pick one. Then we ended up with 4. Then the next week another 2. And now I believe we’re up to 8. And who would have thought the kids would fight over where to place them? Yep, full blown tantrums because one wants the pumpkin family all together and the other wants each pumpkin nicely spaced out.

But we’re oh so thankful. Yes, today and everyday, we are thankful and grateful there are so many uses for all those pumpkins! We can make pumpkin soup, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin smoothies, etc. and luckily pumpkin is very healthy!

Joking aside, Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers today! I hope you are celebrating amongst the company of loved ones as we are reminded of so many blessings to be thankful for.

And in case you’re wondering what to do with your pumpkins, here is an easy recipe to make your own pumpkin puree. Try adding your own homemade version of pumpkin puree to soups, muffins, and sides this fall.

Enjoy,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Pumpkin Puree

Smaller pumpkins work better for making the puree than larger ones.

Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. (Save the seeds to roast later too)

Place pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet face down and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. They should be nice and light golden brown when done.

Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces. Add the chunks into a blender or food processor, or simply mash it up with a potato masher.

Pulse the pumpkin until smooth. You can either use this immediately in whatever pumpkin recipe you’d like, or store it in the freezer for later use.

To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into ziplock bags.