Baked Pumpkin Dinner

Hello there!  Wow, I have an excellent dinner idea for you that is just about one of the best I've tried in a very, very long time!  While we were visiting our family last week, we also celebrated a special young lady's 14th birthday.  She requested to have her favorite dinner prepared and it was called, "Dinner In A Pumpkin".  Now, I must give credit to the one who shared it with me. Thank You, my sweet, bestestestest friend and sister (ITL)Tammy for an excellent dinner, fun and laughter along with puttin' up with our 'hurricane', :)!! 

  We enjoyed it so much that I wanted to make it this week for my family here at home. I just know you're going to love it as much as we did!  I wasn't planning to post on this recipe, but I've had a few requests to share it, so here it is.

Start with :

• 1  5-6# pumpkin
• 2 #'s ground chuck/turkey
• 2-3 cloves garlic/minced
• 1 green bell pepper/chop't
• 1/2 yellow onion/chop't
• 3 C cooked, brown rice, cook as directed
  
• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 C fresh mushrooms
• 1 can cream of chicken(recipe below)

Here is our gorgeous pumpkin along with some ingredients

clean your pumpkin good and save the seeds for roasting later

making the roux for the home made cream of chicken

browned meat with garlic, peppers, mushrooms, soy sauce, onions, brown sugar, salt & pepper and homemade cream of chicken and the cooked brown rice

cleaned out pumpkin, it looks so nice

pour the meat into the pumpkin 

place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and put into the heated oven

Mmmm.....it looks delicious and the outer skin is browned while the inside is tender and ready to scoop out

Serve with your favorite veggies; the yellow is part of the actual pumpkin..very soft in texture, similar to vermicelli pasta

Directions:
*start your rice 1st
*while it's cooking, clean out your pumpkin/set the insides and seeds aside
*after that, begin cooking your meat, drain and return to skillet. Add the chopt peppers, soy sauce, mushrooms, onions, brown sugar, garlic, S & P; stir and allow to simmer until veg are tender
*While meat is simmering, continue to stir rice and,
*begin your roux mixture for the homemade cream of chicken
****Cream of Chicken Recipe****

• 2 T real butter
• 3 T flour-I used wheat flour
• 1 C chicken broth-I used organic 
• 1 C milk
• S & P to taste

In saucepan, heat the butter on medium till it sizzles.  Add the flour, S & P.  Stir with a whisk till it begins to thicken. Slowly pour in, the broth and then the milk, stirring well and constantly.  It will slowly begin to thicken. You may need to turn up the heat.  When it is as thick as white country gravy, turn off heat and set aside.  No need to cover, you'll be using it in a moment.   

*Preheat oven to 350
*In large pot, place 3 cups of the cooked rice, all the meat mixture and the cream of chicken.  Blend thoroughly, but DON'T OVER STIR. You'll make your rice mushy and that won't be tasty. Save the extra rice for later.
*Place your pumpkin on a sturdy cookie sheet. Pour the meat and rice mixture into the pumpkin. Remember to put the 'LID' on it. 
*Set the whole pumpkin into your oven on the lowest rack. 
*Bake on 350 for 1 1/2 hours (- or +, depending on your oven)
*When done, remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. 
*Scoop out meat and also lots of the pumpkin, serve with your favorite veggies, bread and drink.

Enjoy~Kimi

Enjoying this warm weather together

It is always nice to get together with friends. Especially when the weather warms up and all the kids can get outside. I love to make homemade pancakes and waffles from freshly ground wheat. I know that may sound weird, but they really taste so much better than the other flour. So, Christy and I got together and made some breakfast for us all! Now between us we have 13 children. Not all of them were here this particular day...that is really ok. But we did have a great time and enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Now you know homeschoolers...we do accomplish our studies...here we all are in the kitchen. Time for some fun! Ashley and Christy hard at work! Hee-hee! Love you guys!

A little syrup - homemade!! MMmmmmm...good!

Everyone in the kitchen around my little farm table that Bridget gave me...it just fits me! Thanks Bridget...wish you were here too! And Tammy, and Christy B, and Tammy A, and my Mom, and Von, and Michelle, Andrea, Marsha....

Jesse and Garrett preparing their plates.

Emily, Micaylah, Katelin, Ashley, Christy, Austin, Jesse & Garrett. Me(taking pic).We all sat down and had a nice breakfast of freshly milled, homemade pancakes, waffles, and sausages. Complete with homemade syrup. There was a few pancakes left so we sent them home to Bob and Micheal. (Christy's husband and son). Hope they liked them!

Camille and Ashley are catching up on conversation.

Here's a new 'do' for ya! Turned out pretty Camille :)

Another day on the dirt mound...Jesse and Austin

Jacob is driving this half track, front end loader...big guy!

Emily is holding Dusti, Micaylah and Katelin are keeping Laci still. What sweet friends

We ended the afternoon with some soccer ball and running.

Christy and I got to sit on the patio watching them run and play and talk a while. It was a very nice day...I am looking forward to doing it again soon. Now she is not my neighbor any longer...she is my friend. God has a way of bringing special people into our lives.

Favorite Reads & Yummie Treats (Day 17)

Most of the time we are pretty much a 'healthy food' family. Most of the time. B-U-T, we are in the month of December and we do enjoy having a variety of goodies to choose from. Sooooo...Even though I prefer NOT to use refrigerated type biscuits, I made this little treat for the kids and they just loved it...so did I! It is so simple too!

Here's the recipe:

• 1 can Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls (frig dept @ grocer)
• 1/2 pkg cream cheese
• 3 T real butter
• 1 C confection sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla

*Lay cinnamon rolls on stone or cookie sheet, CUT INTO FOURTHS, this is an important part because it makes it more fun for the kids and you don't really eat as much as you would if they were whole. Then you can put extra icing on the top and that is what really counts! Right!! Bake as directed on pkg. *While they're baking, place cream cheese, butter & vanilla in medium sized bowl. Using hand mixer, blend well. (until softened) Add sugar and blend until smooth. *When rolls are finished baking, immediately spread the icing over them and serve with hot cocoa or coffee. Enjoy!!

We just finished, 'The Long Winter', by Laura Ingalls Wilder and have started 'Little Town on the Prairie'. I get done with my breakfast a little faster than them and so I will read to the children while they finish theirs. It's one of the ways we like to start our mornings. It's just part of our December days.