December 15, 2023
Well we are half way through the last month of 2023. As time continues to fly, some mid-month outtakes. First, the tremendous pumpkin that the teenager picked out for Halloween, preserved nicely in the cold Western New York temperatures on the porch, would need to be processed. I needed the Read more…
November 8, 2023
Out with the apple and in with the pumpkin! It is that time of autumn when the pumpkins have served their decorative purpose and can now finish out their lives as sweet and savory treats. The first pumpkin I processed was the yellow one, so that orange hue is not Read more…
November 23, 2022
And just like that, it is that time of year… the first frost, a final storing of the light jacket for more insulating outwear, kids with hat head at school, the sneaking melody of holly jolly subtly sandwiched in-between the in-between. And it is time to process Halloween’s pumpkins… because Read more…
November 24, 2021
I really enjoy traditional Thanksgiving dishes. So last minute, I decided I’d go hard for my family’s Thanksgiving get-together. For easy reference for years to come, the collected recipes of my most favorite vegan holiday eats. Process the Pumpkin Pumpkin Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare heavy-bottom casserole pans by filling Read more…
March 1, 2021
When I was told that school was closing and I’d be teaching remote back in November, I grabbed the essentials from the classroom–the classroom pumpkin and acorn squash that had the heart in it, part of the seasonal display table. I wasn’t going to let the pandemic mess with my Read more…
November 21, 2020
Every November I look forward to my annual chocolate chip pumpkin cupcakes… made from the classroom pumpkin and shared at a harvest celebration with my students. It would be the 11th year of my carrying out this tradition. The pumpkin sat in waiting in my classroom. So when it was Read more…
November 17, 2019
It’s time for my annual pumpkin processing. This year I do not have half as much pumpkin as I usually have, just a small one in classroom and a small one outside my apartment door. Nevertheless I cannot make my 11th year of classroom pumpkin cupcakes without this lazy day Read more…
November 20, 2018
This is my 9th year teaching… and my 9th year transforming the classroom pumpkins in Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. I’m a creature of ritual. And this ritual starts with my enthusiasm for Autumn and… pumpkins. For home, for the classroom, for those worthy enough to give a pumpkin to. I’m Read more…
November 20, 2017
This is how I look when I wake up… next to a pretty large pumpkin I would go on to process. I used my head for scale, though I kind of have a big head. Processing pumpkin is one of my favorite seasonal rituals. The mind boggles with pumpkin opportunities… Read more…
November 22, 2015
Every year I take home the pumpkins in my classroom and turn them into cupcakes, highlighting the delicious circle of life. After baking the different pumpkin varieties until tender, I scoop out the flesh… …and blend away in the food processor. Ok, so I processed one of the pumpkins from the porch Read more…
November 20, 2014
Every year, my classroom blog becomes my food blog. They spent October and most of November on Hercules. Now it is time for the 4th annual Harvest Festival Pumpkin-Cupcake transformation. It is time they turned into cupcakes already! After some roasting and pureeing, they became cupcake batter along with a pile of Read more…
November 24, 2013
Processing my pumpkins marks the unofficial start of the holiday season! The first one to get roasted is my classroom pumpkin. I usually make cupcakes from the puree. The kids get excited about it… and I like showing them that vegan baked goods can knock their socks off. It’s a win-win. Read more…
December 9, 2012
It was time to say goodbye to the beautiful pumpkins that graced my home and classroom for weeks. I really love this part. Opening ’em up, pulling their stringy innards and seeds from their packed, dense flesh with my bare hands, I imagine the procedure is akin to butchering. Processing Read more…
November 21, 2011
Processing pumpkins is fool-proof. Make a sloppy cut around your pumpkin and scoop out its innards. What a delightfully slimy feel the pumpkin’s stringy fibers have. Overcook in an oven until tender flesh takes an easy puncture. Scoop to the back of the skin and puree and you’re done! I Read more…
November 22, 2010
Two little pumpkins have sat on my desk at work since I thought “Pumpkins! Already?!” Now Halloween is long gone and Thanksgiving is upon us. I brought those cute little pumpkins home today to help me bake up some seasonal cupcakes for my grade’s Thanksgiving Feast, the first of the Read more…