Mini-Pumpkin Pies-Cooking with Spencer

Chef-in-Training, Spencer

Today is Thanksgiving, and Spencer is making Mini-Pumpkin Pies.

Spencer is a good cook, and this recipe is "kid-friendly."
All recipe information is taken from the Libby's recipe on the can
or from http://libbyspumpkinpie.com/

Recipe:

Follow the recipe on the can of pumpkin or the pumpkin pie mix.

The recipes do vary on each can depending if you have just pure pumpkin or the mix with other ingredients already added.

• 3/4 cup  granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon  ground cloves
• 2  large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) 100% Pure Pumpkin, I used Libby's
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.)  Evaporated Milk

Note

This is the traditional LIBBY'S® pumpkin pie recipe for a single pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin canned puree labels since 1950.

This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface.

Cut 4-5 inch circles with a round cookie cutter.

Place the circles of dough in a muffin tin that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

We made leaves and pumpkins with the pie crust "scraps".

Beat eggs in large bowl.

Stir in pumpkin.

A little story about Libby's:

90% of the pumpkins grown in the United States are farmed within a 80 mile radius of Peoria, Illinois. The town of Morton, close to Peoria, is claimed to be the Pumpkin Capital of the World.

Gradually stir in evaporated milk and  sugar-spice mixture.

Pour into pie shells.

We colored our leaves and pumpkins with food coloring diluted with water.

It brought out the "artist" in us.

A fun Fact:

Libby's processes 500,000 pumpkins a day

During the harvest, the factory can process 500,000 pumpkins a day into cans.

Place the cut out pie crust toppings on the pie filling.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350° F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Chef Spencer, Grandma, and Graham

Times have changed since the original pumpkin pie was served.

The tradition of eating pumpkin at Thanksgiving came from the Pilgrims, who settled in New England.The custom was to serve the pumpkin with its head and seeds removed. The cavity was used to fill it with milk, honey and spices. It was then baked until tender.

Taken from :http://libbyspumpkinpie.com/libbys-pumpkin-pie-story/

Family Photos

Thanksgiving 

 Aiden,(5), Dane (11), Duncan (13), Ceci (7 months), Spencer (9), Graham (5), Camden (almost 3)

I love my family!

 Evie and Ceci

Grandma and Duncan

Spencer's 9th Birthday Photos

Aiden, Duncan, and Dane

Ready to celebrate by playing laser tag.

More celebrating at Spencer's favorite Japanese restaurant.

New roller blades.

Happy Birthday!

And, it was Dad's birthday this month.

Just look at that cheesecake Evie made for Kevin.
Happy Birthday to You!

Veggie Turkey- Cooking with my Grandsons

(photo from Pinterest)

Today is Thanksgiving
and I have much to be thankful for.

God has blessed me
and given me a wonderful husband, great children, and precious grandchildren.

I gathered my young chefs, and we assembled the veggie tray for our 

Thanksgiving Dinner.

We modified a vegetable turkey idea I found on Pinterest.

We used red and green leaf lettuce,

 red and orange and yellow and green bell peppers,

green onions, baby carrots, celery,

cucumber, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, and black olives.

The red and green lettuce leaves go around the edge of the platter for the feathers.

Wash the vegetables and start to arrange them on a large platter.

Layer the celery, green onions, and carrots on top of the lettuce.

(Use your imagination!)

Brothers, ages 5 and 13. 

Cousins, Aiden age 5 and Dane age 11.
They make a great team!

Keep building the turkey by adding celery legs.

Add the colorful pepper slices on the veggies.

Then place cucumber slices in the center to form the turkey breast.

Cut the yellow squash to make the head and add olive eyes
and a red pepper wattle.
Arrange the cherry tomatoes around the head.

A Vegetable Turkey ready to dip into your favorite sour cream dip!

Chefs Dane, Aiden, And Duncan!

Bon Appetit!

Cooking with Liz and the Kids- Thanksgiving Nutter Butter Acorns

Nutter Butter Acorns

This was the year we made a road trip to see my daughter, Evie,  and her family for Thanksgiving.

Doug and I hitched a ride with Garret and Liz and our two grandsons and made the 500 mile drive to celebrate Thanksgiving and all of our blessings.

For the record, this was probably one of my favorite Thanksgivings of all.

I have so much to be thankful for,
 and my children and grand kids were all together to mark the occasion.

We were actually together for a week, and I am thankful for that time.

 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
I Thessalonians 5:18

My daughter-in-law, Liz, came up with this first blog to do with all of the kids.
This was pinned on Pinterest several times with each cooks variation.

It turned out great and was kid-friendly.
It also afforded the cooks to sample the ingredients along the way.

 The ingredients are simple:
Hershey Kisses, Nutter Butter Bites, Chocolate Chips, and 
Chocolate Frosting to glue them all together.
(You can also use peanut butter or butterscotch chips for the top
instead of chocolate chips.)

 The boys like to make snacks and this one is perfect for Thanksgiving.

 Liz is helping Camden unwrap the Hershey Kisses while Graham looks on.

 This is a team effort.
Cooking is fun!

 The Hershey Kiss is glued with the frosting onto one side of the Nutter Butter cookie,
and the chocolate chip is glued to the other side.
Simple and simply delicious!

 Dane (11), Liz (?), Duncan (13), Spencer (9)
Aiden (5), Camden (2, almost 3), and Graham (5)

This is the finished product with Graham's Thanksgiving
decoration he made at school.
Beautiful!