With Love...: The Death of A Pumpkin

So, my mum has gone ahead and decided to bring Canadian Thanksgiving to England, and that is what I am thankful for this year. I've always liked Thanksgiving, family getting together, pretty autumn colours, and my favourite...sweet potatoes! This year I decided to take on the pumpkin pie, and what a task it was.

I helped cook alot of the dinner. I cannot say how many times I constantly stirred until boiled and thickened. It was nice to know I added to the dinner, that I helped make the delicious food. Apperently, holiday dinners here are eaten here at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, so weird! And my stomach was well confused to.
I also made a few flower arrangements with flowers from the garden. I thought they turned out really nice and was very proud of my handy work. I basically felt very achieved this Thanksgiving.
Tinned pumpkin seems to not exist in this country, so I had to make my own pumpkin puree. I really enjoyed gutting the pumpkin, cutting it in half seemed so weird, but cool to see it a different way then usual. The kitchen smelt of Halloween, and brought memories of carving pumpkins with my Dad, something we always did together and something that made me very happy. Him trying to keep me from chopping my fingers off, pulling the guts out (making horrible noises and squishing it as I did), carving out the usual Jack O'Latern face then cooking the seeds on the fireplace as a special treat for us.

Thinking of Halloween, which is definitely high up in my favourite holidays. Many memories of elementary school and days dedicated to Halloween games, eating too much sugar, not so haunted houses, and costume parades. And in the night, facing the cold weather walking door to door, being smart knowing which houses give out full size chocolate bars, carrying heavy Unicef boxes full of change around our necks,being scared by decorations and neighbours hidden well in their decorations, parents standing in the street with a wagon full of our loot and transportation for when we grew tired. Of course this is when we were very young, as we grew other, we grew smarter, going to the rich houses, with most people in the area with the shortest driveways and going late so we are the last trick or treater and get the last of the goody bowl dumped into our already heavy bags.

Arriving home, pouring out a full pillowcase of sugary goodness, sorting candy into what to keep and what to donate to those children that couldn't go out on the spookest night of the year, with a little push from our parents not wanting us to be on a sugar high for several months. In the end, we were still left with plenty of candy, which I wouldn't finish even by Easter, and a toothbrush or too handed out by a cheeky dentist wanting to prevent cavities.

I know it is a little early for Halloween reminiscing, the memories were just to happy not to share. And its just a little reminder that it is coming, so get your costume ready!
So, a few thoughts to get your mind going, What are you thankful for this year? And, what was the strangest thing you got Trick or Treating?
Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin before dissection

Cut in half

Gutted!

Chopped and ready to steam

Pumpkin brain. I did save the seed and cooked them, yummy!

A poor picture of me and the pumpkin goo

Pumpkin puree! And there was leftovers, just need a recipe to use it in now

And pie! I was going to have more pictures, but it was very rushed to make it. It turned out delicious. Family and friends liked it, a new food for them!