Friday, October 28, 2011

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good: French Fridays with Dorie

I'm a little slow today getting my post up.  Thursday afternoons are crazy-crazy for us because that's when my kids all have EVMCO rehearsal.  I usually have to be creative for Thursday night dinners because soon after I get the kids home, I have to rush off for my rehearsal and by the time I get home at 10:30pm, I'm not in the mood to do much ... even blog.  This morning I had to rush off to the dental office to have some work done and after lunch, I fell asleep on the couch for a little while.  Going to the dentist really takes it out of me.  And I'm extra unhappy with the dental office with week for numerous reasons, but we won't go into those details .. it's just a stressful place to hang-out.

On to better things....

This week's FFWD recipe was pumpkin stuffed with everything good.  I was excited to make this recipe for numerous reasons ... it could easily be done vegetarian style, it was very festive, and I'd never tried stuffing a pumpkin before this week.

The kids & I headed out for our Monday morning shopping trip this week to find a 3-lb pumpkin that Dorie recommended.  Jack-o-lantern pumpkins are close to 10-lbs at Wal-Mart and they looked too big for my oven so we grabbed a couple pie pumpkins.  A couple days later, my mom called me to let me know that she had found smaller pumpkins at Trader Joe's and she had purchased one for me.  I picked up my smaller Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin from my mom that afternoon and since Hubby was hanging out at home, I sent him out back to do the dirty business ... cleaning out the pumpkin.

I stuffed my pumpkin with a whole loaf of bread, lots of sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and over a cup of heavy cream.  I replaced the lid onto my pumpkin and let it bake for several hours.  Within 30 minutes of the pumpkin baking, my home smelled heavenly!  It was wonderful & I felt very festive!!



Everyone in my family tried the pumpkin.  My husband went back for 2nd's, but he wasn't interested in leftovers.  My 8-yr old liked the pumpkin part, but not the cheesy-bread part.  My younger two kids seemed to like everything and my youngest woke up the next morning wanting more for breakfast.  I loved the stuffing-bread part, but the pumpkin had a bitter taste.  I'm not sure if it needed something (salt & pepper didn't help) or if it comes with the territory of Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins.



If you'd like to try something similar, I'd recommend checking-out what other Doristas used to stuff their pumpkin with and get some additional ideas because it could be stuffed with a variety of things and seasonings.  Have fun!



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12 comments:

Kathy said...

You certainly are busy...that's what happens when your raising a family. I'm glad everyone liked this pumpkin...we all thought it was delicious, too! Your pumpkin looks wonderful...baked to perfection!

Kris' Kitchen said...

I love your photos...I usually do think they are pretty terrific. I ate it for lunch again today I think the leftovers are good...no bitter taste, but the bacon is a strong flavor in mine.

Christy said...

Terrific Photos! Pumpkin looks great, and hope you have a better week at the dentist or preferably not at the dentist next week!

HAppy French Friday!

Adriana said...

Yay for this being a hit at your home! I hope you get some time to unwind soon. Have a great Halloween with the brood!

Cher Rockwell said...

Things do get crazy sometimes with everything going on, don't they? My girls certainly keep me hopping. (Totally understand the need for a nap)
Love the photos! It is nice when everyone finds something to like with what's on the table.

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear about your stressful day, but as a mom of 3 active ones myself, I could really use a clone to help me be everywhere sometimes! My pumpkin (or squash) was very sweet, so the bitterness of yours might be due to the variety of pumpkin you were using? Anyway, glad you tried making this and that your family liked it - in various degrees, just like my brood :-).

cherryl said...

You sure were festive baking that beautiful bread stuffed pumpkin... and where was your festivity tonight???? No trunk-or-treat? It was fun, we always get a huge turn out, missed you and Harry Potter though. :)
Seriously, your pictures are beautiful, will you come give me lessons? or just your camera, ha ha.

Romwe Online said...

food temptation! warm and delicious, thanks for sharing, inspiring work
romwe street fashion blog, pay a visit? Kisses

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

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Tasty Appetite

Anonymous said...

We really loved this one and there are just so many ways to play with it. I wonder if there is a difference with the pumpkins because I used a small pie pumpkin and the flesh was actually quite tasty, not bitter at all. But happy to hear that you enjoyed it and even better that your kids liked it too.

Anonymous said...

I think it was the jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Mine was kind of like that too, not really bitter, but pretty bland and no seasoning really helped the pumpkin part... :) Yours looked good though, and its a bonus that your little one woke up wanting more! That doesnt always happen!

Jora said...

I'm impressed you all tried the pumpkin, and it sure looks tasty! I used a pie pumpkin and the flesh was actually pretty good, I think they might be sweeter.

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