pumpkin stuff

This year we went to the pumpkin patch with Atlas' preschool class. We came home with four pumpkins and a craving for some yummy pumpkin bread. 

We used one of our pumpkin patch selections and one that was given to us to start our baking project.

Atlas did some real helping with scooping and sorting seeds, and some pretend helping with an empty spice container.

The seeds turned out great. After drying them (then peeling them from the paper towel and rewashing and drying them without paper towel) we sprayed them with olive oil cooking spray and used Trader Joe's everyday spice grinder before roasting them. Yum!

Unfortunately I can't say the same for the pumpkin. One was too yellow and had an odd texture when it cooked. It probably wouldn't have hurt us, but I tried a little once it was cooked and decided not to eat it. The rest of the pumpkin flesh went in the blender, but when I tapped my spoon on the edge, the blender chipped, leaving tiny glass shards in the puree. Thus we resorted to Libby's.

I modified a coffeecake recipe to include the pumpkin, and it turned out rich, moist, and delicious. All's well that ends well, right?