Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree {And what to do with it}

If all you’re doing with your pumpkins is carving them, you’re doing yourself a disservice! Making your own pumpkin puree is super simple and saves you from using the BPA-lined cans of puree (for convenience sake while still staying safe, there are a few brands who make boxed puree, check out this one and this one).

We went to the pumpkin patch in October to pick out our pumpkins and came home with a variety of pumpkins and squashes. There is nothing wrong with buying your pumpkins from the grocery store or Walmart, I buy them from those places as well, but I always try to buy local when I can.

Plus, going to the pumpkin patch is a lot of fun! And there are cute photo ops!

Once you have your pumpkin, wash it really well and cut it in half, from the stem down. 

Scoop out all of the seeds and guts. Set the seeds aside to roast later. Cover each half of the pumpkin with foil and set on a cookie sheet, foil side up. Place the cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 325 degrees. Bake for about an hour, or until the flesh is tender and is easily pierced by a fork. Once the pumpkins cool, scoop out the pumpkin flesh (or just peel away the skin) and puree in a food processor.

Now you’re all ready to make pumpkin goodness galore! Here are a few paleo pumpkin recipes to try with your fresh puree:

I tried to choose recipes with simple ingredients for anyone who is not on a paleo diet, but wants to try some of these recipes anyway. Besides coconut flour and almond flour, most of the ingredients for these recipes should be things you already buy or have stocked in your pantry!

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? The holidays are the perfect time to make both tried and true recipes and new ones that will wow your family and guests. Don’t you agree? I hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving!

Fall Adventures {So Far}

There is a lot to be said for fall in the Ozarks. I would go as far as to say that the Ozarks are never as beautiful as they are in the fall. It’s already well established that fall is my favorite, but I think that many would agree that we hit the jackpot when fall comes to the Ozarks. Cool, crisp weather, bright blue skies, and a rush of color that hits you in the face and makes you hold your breath. Fall in the Ozarks is also full of lots and lots of fun activities and events. We’ve hit up a few of those already, including the Arkansas Apple Festival in Lincoln, Arkansas, and the Hollister Grape and Fall Festival in Hollister, MO.

This was our second year to attend the Arkansas Apple Festival, and this year we made it early enough to see the parade. Tractor after tractor caught Young Master Gray’s eye, but the excitement wore him completely out! He didn’t stay awake long enough to sit on one, but we took this photo to show him when he woke up. Just like last year, we made a stop at Apple Town on the way in to check out their selection of fresh apples, cider and canned jams, jellies, pickles and more. Last year the pumpkins were the draw for Young Master Gray, but this year he was taken by the large wheel that he could easily spin.

After we took in the festival, we drove around Washington County with Jeremy’s mom as our guide, showing us different places relatives had lived, worked and played. Our drive eventually brought us to Siloam Springs where we had lunch at Sweetwater Tavern, the restaurant inside the Inn at the Springs. I ordered a bowl of vegetable soup which ended up being vegetable beef soup (heavy on the beef), but it was still pretty good.

The following weekend we made the trek up to Branson, MO to revisit the place where we had gathered five years earlier on the same day in celebration of Jeremy’s late grandmother’s 85th birthday. That day happened to be Jeremy’s birthday as well. The day was bright and the company was splendid. We lunched at the Dobyn’s Dining Room located in the Keeter Center on the College of the Ozarks campus, which boasts farm-to-table fare that is brought to you completely by students, from the food they grow on campus to the servers. I enjoyed the most amazing fall-appropriate salad topped with butternut squash and served with pumpkin vinagrette. The Keeter Center also boasts a lodge that was ranked in the top five of college-owned hotels by Travel+Leisure magazine.

Young Master Gray became a little bit confused when three of the four men he calls “papaw” were gathered around the same table! After lunch (and some photo ops and a good bit of visiting) we headed over to downtown Hollister for their Grape and Fall Festival. I had seen a sign for the festival on our way into Branson so we decided to check it out. If the theme of the Apple Festival was tractors, then the theme of this day was trucks. Young Master Gray was able to climb into the cab of two different fire engines, one old, one new. Even in a day where he got to see three “papaws” and a choo-choo, this was the highlight of the day.

We also saw a few animals including goats, rabbits, ducks, geese and a horse. Young Master Gray did NOT want out of his stroller when we got to the
goat pin, but he did decide to get out to see the ducks and rabbits.

While we were walking through the festival, a train from the Branson Scenic Railway came rolling through.

It was an altogether lovely fall day (even if it did get hot in the afternoon), and I am glad we took the detour.

Next up on our tour de fall, we plan to visit the pumpkin patch and take a train ride on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad to see some fall foliage. What fall adventures have you taken so far? What is on your bucket list for the season?