A Pie in the Sky

I really love baking and I think I'm not too bad at it. Cookies? Check. Cakes? I've made a few good ones. Brownies/Squares/Slices? Can do. Pie? Ugh.

Maybe it's hereditary. My mom hates baking pie and turns out, I do too.

To all my Canadian friends and family, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And that is why I was forced to bake a pumpkin pie.

We decided to have some of our friends over for a Thanksgiving dinner. For some of them, it was their very first Thanksgiving. So naturally, I had to make all the traditional foods. Plus, I LOVE pumpkin pie. Eating it. Not making it.

New Zealand grocery stores do not carry pre-made pie crusts or canned pie filling. Probably a good thing as it forces us to get back to scratch and eat more whole foods. However, have I mentioned yet how I feel about making pie?

Below is my step by step recipe for making pumpkin pie from scratch.

*Please note: Directions may not be exact.

Step 1 - Gather a pumpkin and various other ingredients apparently required to make pumpkin pie filling. Yes, that white thing is a pumpkin. They don't make them orange in NZ. Weird, I know.

Step 2 - Cut up the pumpkin with your dull knives that cost $20. This will take approximately FOREVER. Kick yourself for not buying the pumpkin that was already cut up just because it saved you $1.50.

Step 3 - Scoop out the guts. Relatively painless. Decide whether or not you care about saving and roasting the pumpkin seeds. (If you are wondering, I decided it was too much work).

Step 4 - Bake the pumpkin. Again, this will take approximately FOREVER.

Step 5 - Take a break during pumpkin baking to plant your new herbs and lettuce mix. Yum.

Step 6 - Puree cooked pumpkin in your borrowed food processor. Thank you, Jamie and Laura.

Step 7 - Add required other stuff to the puree. Have a mild panic attack because the mixture is super runny. Re-read recipe and breathe easier once you see it is supposed to be runny.

Step 8 - Make a pie crust which you are pretty sure is not going to turn out due to the fact you have tried a couple times before and are not good at making pie crust. Sigh sadly as your suspicions are confirmed and you have to deal with crumbly pie crust that falls apart.

Pour pie filling into sad pie crust.

Step 9 - Bake again. This time for almost FOREVER but not quite. Smile at your efforts, because even though it doesn't look that pretty, at least it resembles a pumpkin pie.

Step 10 - Have Thanksgiving Dinner with friends!

Step 11 - Eat your piece of pumpkin pie that actually tastes delicious!!! Hurray! Happy Thanksgiving!