Dinner in a Pumpkin

This meal is a fun way to send your trick-or-treaters out in to the cold with full tummies. My mom made it for me every Halloween and now I make it for my family. It's a fun, nutritious way to start the festivities. Plus, if the kids get to pick out, gut and decorate the pumpkin, they will be more likely to give it a try.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 small to medium pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

11/2-2 lbs hamburger

2 Tbsp brown sugar

4 oz  can of sliced mushrooms (drained)

1 can cream of chicken soup

11/2 cup cooked rice

18 oz can sliced water chestnuts (drained)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut a hole in the top of pumpkin (do this at a slight angle tilted toward the stem. If you cut straight down, your cap will fall in while baking)  and remove seeds and fibers. If you wish, draw a face on the outside of the pumpkin with a black sharpie (the pumpkin shrivels when it bakes, so scary faces work best). Brown meat and onions, drain off drippings. Mix all ingredients in the pumpkin and cook at 350⁰ until the pumpkin is soft (usually 1 to 2 hours). Make sure when you serve it that you scrape some pumpkin off the sides for each serving. It's yummy!

Taste the '80's

If decades had flavors, the 1980's would taste like these marshmallow brownies. They were at every picnic, party and family gathering of my childhood. I ate (and stole) as many as I could every time Mom made a batch. The flavors are simple and the texture is really really chewy. They are not sophisticated by any means, but I love them none the less. Besides, how often do you get to use a jelly roll pan to bake brownies? Seize the chance!

 

Mom’s Brownies

2 cubes butter (room temperature)

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

11/2 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Marshmallows (enough to spread on top)

Icing:

¼ cup melted butter

2 Tbsp cocoa

2 Tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla

11/2 cups powdered sugar

Dash of salt

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, flour, vanilla and eggs in a bowl until smooth. Pour batter on a greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.  Bake at 350⁰ for 25 minutes. Remove brownies from oven and turn off the heat. Immediately layer marshmallows on top and place in the still warm oven until the marshmallows begin to look puffy (watch carefully so as not to overcook). Remove from the oven and spread the marshmallows with a spatula until the brownies are evenly coated. Add icing on top and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.