Simply, Happily Living

Pumpkin Pie...year round!

When we started subscribing to the CSA three summers ago, they included a pumpkin in one of our fall baskets.  Not a carving pumpkin, an actual pie pumpkin.  They also included a bunch of winter squash, which I was equally confused by.  Fortunately for me, our weekly email also included directions on what to do with these things.  The directions for how to prepare the pumpkin for pie seemed easy enough:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash pumpkin and remove stem.  Cut in half and remove seeds.  Place cut side down in baking dish filled with 1/8 in ch water.  Bake in conventional oven for about 1 hour or until soft to the touch.  Cool.  Scoop out flesh and puree. 

I could do that!  And so, we had our first pumpkin pie made with an actual pumpkin, instead of a can of Libby's from the grocery store.  

I was so excited about this (yes, it was that good), that I decided to grow pumpkins in our small townhouse garden the following year.  I had a trellis so I could use the space as well as possible and send the vines up, instead of sprawling all over my small space.  I learned about which blossom was male and which was female and how to recreate pumpkin sex sans bees so that I was sure of getting something out of my plants.  I was, however, blindsided by powdery mildew, a nasty fungus that kills curcurbits.  I did end up with three small sugar pumpkins that were roasted and pureed to be used for pumpkin pie.

The puree ended up frozen when the fridge got too full last fall, and pulled out only today.  Yes, I know it is June (nearly July), but really, when is pumpkin pie a bad idea?  My three wee pumpkins turned into a lovely pie, nearly 9 months later.  

So, now you know.  It is really quite easy to get a pie out of an actual pumpkin.  You can usually only find them in your grocery stores when they are in season, which is, of course, in the fall.  You can also get them at your local farmer's markets, or if you are feeling like it, grow your own. The puree freezes quite well for later use if you come across a pumpkin in the store before you are ready to make pie and can be used for muffins, cake, or even smoothies if you wish.  

I am always surprised at how much knowledge we have lost.  Making a pie with a pie pumpkin is fairly simple, though a bit more time consuming, but most people have no idea how to go about it.  My mother didn't, even though the pie recipe I always use is hers.  So, this year, whenever you find one, try a pie from a pumpkin instead of a can.  Or freeze the pumpkin, and have pie year round! :)

Here's the pie recipe I use: Pumpkin Pie  

Lack of packing tape

Trying to write daily is kicking my ass.  Well, that and my kid sleeping badly and thus me sleeping badly.  Hard to feel motivated to write something, anything, when your thought process consists of "coffee." and "huh?"

Motivation and creativity are both rather low, and I am feeling mommy boring.  Like my conversations consist of nothing more than talk about my kids or my house.  Whoopie!  Or other people and their kids. LOL  

Today is filled with lots of errand as we get ready to leave for the weekend.  Now, you would think that this stage manager would be prepared with all manner of office supplies at her fingertips.  But, somehow, the packing tape has gone missing.  Again. I can find all other manner of tape.  But that does not help me package up the jam I made and send it off today.  

So, I am faced with several choices....

1. get ready, go out to get tape, come home, package up boxes and go out again to the post office.

2. get ready, put all things that need to be shipped into car, buy packing tape, package in car and go to post office.

3.  get ready, go out and buy packing tape, come home and give up, hunt for chocolate to eat while kiddo and i watch movies.

I am leaning toward #2...just so I only have to go out one time today. 3 is the most appealing, but does not get us ready to leave tomorrow morning, wash clothes, pack or do the dishes.

Again, I ask, where are my house elves?

p.s. once upon a time I said I was going to do that Grace in Small Things thing...and I dropped the ball.  I chalk it up to crappy weather and cranky me.  But here's some for today: 26/365

1. kiddo sleeping better last night, and less kicking of me.

2. flowers from my slightly crazy neighbor.

3. a friend surviving being hit by a car while riding his bike.

4. bits of sunshine.

5. really yummy matzoh ball soup.

School

Thoughts here have been about school.  Whether or not to put B in school, whether to homeschool, whether to use a curriculum...blah blah blah.  It gets involved very fast.  So far, the things I have come up with are this:  I do not believe I am patient enough to homeschool without some sort of curriculum, B is not an unschooler, B is more social than I am, and needs more interaction than I think homeschooling will give here, even with planned group things.  Now, given that she is 3...these may or may not actually be the case.  I don't know.  

So, the plan as of now is this.  I am going to get a preschool/K curriculum/activity set - whatever you want to call it, and we are going to do that, and focus on academic basics.  B is starting to want to learn to read - but I need some guidance on how to help her learn without boring her - or drilling her.  Then next time the school fairs come around, I will be going to them.  I plan on looking at what is out there, and what we can get into, and putting her name in for Kindergarten lottery.  From there, we'll see.  If we get in somewhere that we like, then she will go there.  If not, then we will likely homeschool through K and try again for first grade.  The public schools near us aren't awesome, and I don't want to send her there.  

We are also continuing our gym classes this summer, and probably this fall.  And if we can find a good one, will add in a dance class. She would love that.  

All in all, it is a big and difficult task to figure out schooling here.  I wish greatly that I lived in the house I grew up in and she could walk to the elementary school I went to.  It was a great school and the walk was about 10 minutes max.  

For now, this will do.

Drive by...

I know there is a lot of catching up to do, but I need to mention this, as time is running short.

I don't talk a lot about being infertile on this blog.  I blogged a lot about that in other places, and ranted and yelled and swore a blue streak.  

To make a long story short, Miss B was born 4 years after we started trying to get pregnant.  She was conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF).  It is a long, unpleasant and painful process - and to add insult to injury, it is crazee expensive, and not covered by any insurance that I have ever had.  When I was trying to figure out how to pay for an IVF, Korin and several of our online cohorts bought ad space on MDC, and got donations.  They raised nearly $700 dollars for my IVF, all of which went toward the $3600 in meds I needed.  

Now, Korin is back at the starting gates.  Having also conceived her daughter via IVF, she has started trying to have a second baby.  And guess what?  Still crazee expensive and still not covered.  Our friend Lesley has arranged a raffle to help raise money to help Korin out, here.  For the knitters out there, that is some wonderfully nice yarn.  For those who don't give a crap about yarn - just donate. :)  

Whoosh

And another few days gone.  And still no blog.

Wonder where it went.

Hmm....

Had a lovely, but kind of long day today.  It was good, but now, despite my extra cups of coffee this afternoon, am very tired and wish to veg.  

Grace for today (ish):25/365

1. a kid who shakes off being sad with a hollered "Now I happy!"

2. tickling said kiddo

3. reuniting with old friends and finding you are still friends

4. people you can be blunt and honest with, even about the sucky stuff

5. kiddo liking your old friends, and telling them so.