Marilyn and I have been eating out a ton and we are sick of it. Why do we eat out so often? Great question. Its because after almost five years of marriage and two years of parenting we are still terrible cooks.
We need to learn, its a must because it will save us money and make us healthier. Not to mention Marilyn's aspirations to go on the TV show Master Chef. So here we go:
Round 1- Pumpkin Pie
Its October and you can't go to the grocery store without seeing lots of bins full with pumpkins. I have a video with Claire in one of them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sML12LnhDPY Anytime I've ever made a pumpkin related dish I've used canned pumpkin pie filling. Its always been tasty so I never wondered what real, fresh pumpkin would taste like. After all, pumpkins are just for jack-o-lanterns...right? Wrong! So here is a quick look at fresh pumpkin pie. Make it, eat it, and the pie will speak for itself.
You may notice I'm wearing a very small apron. Its my daughter's. I couldn't find the old average joe apron so I used the one I had.
Lets take a look at the ingredients:
1 Sugar Pumpkin...(it may also be labeled "pie pumpkin")
1 9 inch pie crust ...(I've tried making my own pie crusts and the store bought ones are always better)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
12 oz evaporated milk
Lets begin with the pumpkin. Grab a sharp knife and cut that thing in half. Clear all the goop and seeds out. Don't forget to cut the stem off. Then put it flat side down on a cookie sheet covered in foil. Cook it at 325 F. for about half an hour. You want it to be soft when you poke it with a knife.
While the pumpkin is cooking grab a mixing bowl and put on your favorite baking song. I'm thinking "Beat It" by Michael Jackson," especially considering we've gotta beat a few eggs.
Crack those two eggs first thing and get to beating them in the bowl. Now add the brown sugar- beat it. Add the salt- beat it. Add the flour- beat it. Add the pumpkin pie spice- beat it. Add the evaporated milk- beat it. Because "no one wants to be defeated."
Now we wait because our pumpkin probably isn't done just yet.
When its done let it cool a bit and then use a fork to get all the pumpkin insides separated from the pumpkin outer peel. It should come out fairly easily. If you're having a hard time and it isn't soft throw it back in the oven until it is soft.
Put the good, soft, pumpkin insides in a bowl and start mashing. If you have a food processor now would be a good time to use it. I, being an average joe cook, do not have one, so I worked it into a puree with a fork and a potato masher. Note: Puree basically means its been blended, mashed, and mixed up.
When you have a good puree, take a two cups of it and add them to your mixing bowl. Mix it up good or you can still beat it if your baking power song is still going. When its good and mixed pour the mixture into your pre-made pie crust. Put some foil around the crust because otherwise it will burn crispy. Bake it at 400 F for about 40 minutes. When you have about 10 minutes left pull the foil off the crust. Do the fork trick(poke the pie in the middle) if it comes out clean you're all done. Pull it out and let it cool.
Here is the finished product. I lost a few pieces of the crust taking off the foil so be careful when you take it off.
You will be tempted to eat the pie tonight while its warm but its better after a night in the fridge with a little whipped cream on top. It doesn't look perfect but it tastes good. This pie was made by an average joe cook.
Enjoy
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