Pumpkin Pie, Gluten Free

So, today, I used my sugar pumpkin to make a gluten free pie. Making a pumpkin pie from scratch is a lot easier than you would think. And,  you get to decide what ingredients to use in it. Start with one of those little “sugar” pumpkins available in grocery stores this time of year.

To get a pumpkin ready for using in recipes, cut it in about 8 pieces, scrape out the seeds and goo inside. Spray the pieces with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil. Place another piece of aluminum foil over the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Remove from oven and let cool.

When the pumpkin pieces are cooled, peel off the rind. At this point,  you can freeze the pieces. I put about half of my pumpkin in the freezer in zip lock bags for another day. Out of the other half, I made a pie and a savory vegetable dish.  For this post, I am talking about the pie.

Measure out about 2 1/4 cups of the cooked pumpkin. Put it in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add 3 eggs, 1/2  cup of milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix well with an electric mixer or a whisk.  Pour into an uncooked pie crust.

For my pie, I used Mixes From The Heartland Pie Crust Mix. I used 1 cup of the mix, 1/4 cup of butter,1 egg, and 1 tsp of vinegar. Mix well, and form the dough into a ball. Place on a piece of plastic wrap, put another piece of plastic wrap on top, and roll out very thin. Place the pie crust in a pie dish, trim the edges, and then press with a fork to form a decorative edge. Pour in your pie filling, and bake for about 1 hour in a 400 degree oven. Serve plain or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. MMMMMMMMMM…………..

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Mother of the Bride

After months of looking in stores and online, I finally found a dress I liked–it was the color I wanted, the size I needed, a good price. So, I ordered it from BestBridalPrices.com. And held my breathe, hoping like crazy they would deliver it. It arrived yesterday, and I LOVE this dress. It fits me so well, except for needing some alteration on the sleeves and bodice, which can be done with no problem.

The wedding isn’t until February, so I still have plenty of time to find the right underwear, shoes, jewelry, jacket, and bag to go with the dress. I am soooo relieved about getting the dress, though. And Mr. Fabgrandma said “You are going to be the second prettiest woman at the wedding!”

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The Haul From Flagstaff

I found a lot of gluten free goodness in Flagstaff today:

From New Frontiers Grocery Store:

From Basha:

And from the CorK ‘n Bottle on Beaver Street, gluten free beer:

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Amelia In Her Curtain Dress

You remember I bought an antique curtain panel and made it into a dress for Amelia, my newest granddaughter?

Well, look at this gorgeous photo I got today:

She is just so dang cute!

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The Help

I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This is a novel set in Mississippi in the early 1960’s, and is a story about the relationships between white women and their colored maids. I never thought much about those relationships, until I started reading this book. As a girl who grew up in the south, I can certainly relate to the story.

While we weren’t “high society”, far from it, we had a maid because Mama had to go to work to help support the family. Lena lived up the road from us, in a house much better than ours. She came to our house Monday through Friday to take care of the five of us kids, clean the house, do the laundry and ironing, and cook dinner. I don’t know how much she was paid, but I can tell you it probably wasn’t enough. She was always polite and deferential to my mother. She was pretty tough on us kids, and wielded a pretty mean hickory switch.

While the maids in The Help were treated badly, it was accepted in those times. I truly understand why they were willing to risk everything to get their story told. Kathryn Stockett tells the story well—I read the entire book in three days. While I think anyone would enjoy reading it, The Help will be especially appreciated by those of you who grew up southern in the 1950’s and 60’s.

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Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Last month when we went down to Prescott for FabGrandpa’s visit to the VA, we ate at a little Mexican restaurant there. We tried their Shrimp Stuffed Avocados and boy were they ever good!  I told FabGrandpa that I would try to re-create them at home.

Here is the version I came up with, and it is pretty darn close!  This recipe makes enough for 4 servings for appetizers or 2 servings for dinner.

2 ripe avocados

1 lime

1 lb uncooked shrimp

2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or olive oil

chipotle pepper

pico de gallo (store bought or make your own. I used ready made from the produce section of the grocery store)

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and peel. For two dinner servings, put 2 avocado halves in each bowl. For appetizer servings, put one avocado half in each bowl. Roll the lime around on the counter to soften it up, slice off one end, and squeeze the juice over the avocado halves.

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