Baking a Pumpkin
When they were small, October’s arrival would trigger the question of when I was baking a pumpkin. This dish was a fun and creative way to get them in the mood for Halloween. It also got them to eat a vegetable that was good for them and be happy about it!
Growing up, the only uses for pumpkin I knew about was for pie or jack o’lanterns. I didn’t think there was much else you could do with them and certainly not make savory dishes with them. That view changed when my Nana gifted me with a subscription to Taste Of Home magazine. There were recipes from all over the country made by regular people cooking at home. One of those recipes was for beef stew. What made it stand out was that it involved cooking it in a pumpkin. This was a whole new thought to me but my husband had already broadened my food horizons. With two veggie picky kids, baking a pumpking full of stew certainly couldn’t hurt.
The first time I made it was a family affair. The kids scooped the pumpkin guts while I made the stew. In went the stew, and into the oven it all went. This was all done in the spirit of a surprise Halloween dinner for Daddy. When we served it in all its pumpkin glory, Rick was surprised, the kids were excited and the stew was delicious!
Now that it is just Rick and I, I haven’t made this special dish in a very long time. That changed this year. A smaller pumpkin caught my eye and I thought “I can scale this down”. When Rick got home and asked for dinner, I stated, “I’m baking a pumpkin”. He knew what that meant! Dinner is quieter with just us now. The stew is still delicious!
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