Pumpkin Eater

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater

Had a wife and couldn't keep her

Put her in a pumpkin shell

And there he kept her very well.

Well, there's a nursery rhyme for ya.
Disturbs my feminist nature, it does.
"Keeping" a wife in a pumpkin shell?
Can't be good for her or her self-esteem.

hahaha

Black Friday for me wasn't black.
I cleaned the house, getting it ready for all those Christmas decorations.

I listened to Christmas music on the radio.

And thought about Peter and his wife.
The nursery rhyme thing came about while I was baking pumpkins.

I asked my husband--who was it that kept his wife in a pumpkin shell?
He couldn't remember.
I asked my daughter--what is that nursery rhyme where someone keeps his wife in a pumpkin shell?
She had never heard of it and thought I was making it up as I went along.
Google saves me again!
It was Peter! The pumpkin eater and bad husband, Peter!

I finally did something with those little pie pumpkins I picked up at the store weeks ago.
I had planned to do a little casserole in each, using them like individual serving dishes.
I ultimately decided it was a waste of a perfectly good eating pumpkin.
So I baked them instead.
I froze it to use for pies and bread and muffins later on.
Except for one bag, which I'll use on Sunday to make pumpkin lentils.

Here is an easy way to bake those little pie pumpkins for freezing.

Freezing Fresh Pumpkin for Pumpkin Eaters
(or to use old timey words "Putting Pumpkin By")

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and orange goo.
(Wash seeds and roast separately; requires cooler oven.)
Cut in half again.

Put in roasting pan, skin side down.

Pour a little water around the pumpkins, covering the bottom of the pan.

Cover and bake until soft.

A 350 degree oven takes a little over an hour.

After they are done and cooled just enough to hold,

Scrape the pumpkin flesh out with a spoon and put into a bowl.

(No need to puree or get out your food processor--the flesh will be VERY soft.)

Then freeze in 1 cup portions.

(I used ziplock freezer bags.)

Now about those pumpkin shells....

After baking, take them over to Paula's.
Because Paula has a plan for Peter,
her husband.

Paula, Paula, the pumpkin eater.

Had a hubby and couldn't keep 'em.
Put him in a pumpkin shell
And there she kept him very well.

Much better...