The Great Pumpkin Transformation part 1

ok, ok. The title is really cheesey, like a kid's book. It's the first non-monochromatic thing that came into my head! But pumpkins ARE cheesey (um...) !

Pumpkins are so magical. They can go from a big, pretty, bland, grainy fruit (vegetable??) to a luscious, rustic, rich and tasteful pie, not to mention their other 10000 uses- soup bowls, muffins, pumpkin leather, seeds, pancakes... shall I go on?
So, finally we got a pie-pumkin today for a bit over $1. YAY PUMPKIN! finally!

so picturesque. so fall. so pumpkiny.

So, first things' first: you hack that baby in half!

"No! Don't stab a knife thru me and scoop out my guts and then bake my flesh into a pie! I beg you!"

Not gonna work, Mr. Pumpkin! You're too delicious.
Once you chop him into half, you scoop his guts out (Save them for pumpkin seeds!!) 

Ever notice how a pumpkin has skin, meat, and guts?

Next, you chop it into 16th's, wrap them in tinfoil and bake for 2 hours at 350F.
Then you take it out, peel the pieces and puree them!

"Why are we making babyfood?"

Then, you do whatever you want with it! Pie, soup, muffins, cookies, squares, butters, babyfood, cupcakes petfood, whoopie pies and more- just stir it into your fave recipe!

Some Pumpkin Recipes:
soup: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pumpkin-soup/detail.aspx
muffins: http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/promise-keeper-pumpkin-eater/
butters: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/fruits/r/pumpkinbutter.htm
whoopie pies: http://www.marthastewart.com/search/apachesolr_search/pumpkin%20whoopie
cookies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-cookies/detail.aspx
squares: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2009/10/crunchy-pumpkin-squares.html
cupcakes: http://www.joyofbaking.com/cupcakes/PumpkinCupcakes.html
*best for last:* PIE: http://www.marthastewart.com/338540/pumpkin-pie

Now, go get 'yerself a punkin an' make 'yerself sumpin yummay!