thanksgiving thumbkin pumpkins

It never fails. Whenever I make pumpkin pie, I always have a little bit of squash and pie crust dough left over. I save the squash for muffins, but there’s not much I can do with the dough.

This year my daughter suggested we make thumbkin pumpkins with the leftover ingredients. She made them in school earlier this week and thinks they’re the perfect excuse for eating lots of whipped cream.

We rolled up the leftover dough and divided it into several 1-inch-sized balls. Then she took her thumb and made a little well in the middle.

thumpkin pumpkin recipe

Since I start with plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, I had to add some sugar and spice to my squash:

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
2 1/2 T brown sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
small pinch of ground cloves

thumpkin pumpkin recipe

We spooned a small amount of squash into the thumb imprints. Then we baked these on a foil-lined cookie sheet along with the pie.

thumpkin pumpkin recipe

They turned out great. Personally, I’d add more pumpkin, but I’ve got a whole pie. These are really for my daughter, so as long as she’s happy, I’m happy. She ate them with a very generous dollop of whipped cream.

halloween crochet fun!

Halloween is in just a few days. Do you need a quick, fun and spooky crochet project? Here are some of my favorites.

crochet pumpkin amigurumi

julie-k tiny crochet pumpkin

crochet spider amigurumi

julie-k tiny crochet spider

glow in the dark ghost

julie-k glow-in-the-dark ghost

undead dolls

undead gang from Creepy Cute Crochet

Are you making anything for Halloween? Share in the comments!

pattern: tiny crochet pumpkin

crochet pumpkin amigurumi

On Monday I mentioned that I had been playing around with variations on the Tiny Crochet Ball pattern. Hmmm… it’s October. Is it any surprise that I’m making pumpkins? Here’s how you can, too.

Using Tiny Crochet Ball pattern:

Pumpkin
Magic ring, R1-2: brown yarn
R3-R11: orange yarn
R12: brown yarn

Stem
R1: using brown yarn, chain 5
R2: sc in second bump from hook, sc in next three bumps*

Finishing
Break yarn and tie a knot. Using a darning needle, attach the stem at the top and bring the ends down through the bottom. Squinch the ball until it’s pumpkin shaped and tie a knot to hold the shape. Bury the ends inside the pumpkin.

*Go into the bumps on the back of the chain, not the stitches on the front of the chain.

Enjoy!

my creative space

pumpkin pie

Today my creative space is filled with food. It’s Thanksgiving in the United States and we’re spending it at home — just the three of us. I made stuffing and sweet potatoes earlier in the week. All that’s left to do is the turkey and the pumpkin pie.

Ever since we moved to Nebraska, I’ve made homemade pumpkin pie for the holiday. I’ve always wanted to make pie from an actual pumpkin, but could never find one at the grocery store. I figured if canned was good enough for Martha, it was good enough for me.

This year I saw a pie pumpkin in the produce department and knew I had to try it! It was easy to bake and puree, just like any other squash. I’m using the recipe that came with the pumpkin. I hope it turns out as good as Martha’s!

pumpkin pie

My daughter is super excited to have some pumpkin pie because she made one this week, too. Don’t you just love preschool crafts? It even has whipped cream!

For more yummy creative spaces, visit Kirsty’s blog. (I can’t guarantee that they’ll be as yummy as pie, but they are always beautiful!)