You may recall that I used a bunch of pie pumpkins in my Thanksgiving table setting and on my kitchen island fall display. Soon after Thanksgiving, I roasted those pumpkins and froze the flesh – with the knowledge that I’d be making pumpkin soup for Christmas.

This recipe serves eight, so you will only need 2 small pumpkins, but since I had five to work with, I more than doubled the recipe.

For the garnish I used THESE sweet and spicy pepitas, but toasted pepitas (readily found at Trader Joe’s) work just as well.

Pumpkin and Chipotle Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
5 cups fresh (*recipe below) or canned pumpkin puree
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Heat a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add oil and then sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the chipotles and cumin. Stir to combine.

Add pumpkin puree, broth, and half-and-half. Simmer until heated through. Transfer, in batches, to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the pot.

Cover and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with pepitas sprinkled on top.

Serves 8

Oh, and check out the beautiful individual covered pomegranate soup tureens I received from my darling family on Christmas morning! We used them for our soup later that afternoon! LOVE them! An extra big bowl of thanks to my sweet Marissa for all the trouble she went to gathering them from various bay area Williams-Sonoma stores, after she found out that they were sold-out online! xoxoox

* Roasted Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each squash in half.  Scrape out seeds and strings with a large spoon and discard. Coat flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay halves cut side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning halfway through, until golden brown on both sides, about 30 minutes.

Use a large spoon to scrape out all the flesh and then discard the skins.  May be frozen for up to 4 months.

I found this recipe in an issue of Bon Appétit three or four years ago and tucked it away. When I stumbled upon it right after Thanksgiving, I knew it would be a perfect side for the pork roast I planned to serve on Christmas Eve. Not only because the flavors would compliment the pork so well, but also because I had a kabocha squash and a butternut squash laying around that I had used in my Thanksgiving table decor. I’d also used several pie pumpkins in the decor that I’d already roasted and frozen for use in a pumpkin soup I planned to serve. It is so gratifying when you can use such gorgeous vegetables twice… first to decorate and then to eat!

Just as with yesterday’s post, this dish my also be prepared a full day in advance. Assemble completely in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking.

Roasted and Maple Glazed Squash and Parsnips

2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled kabocha squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups 1/3-inch cubes peeled parsnips (about 12 ounces)
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup coarsely chopped Marcona almonds

Butter a 13-x-9-x-2-inch glass baking dish. Combine the kabocha and butternut squash and parsnips in large bowl. Melt the butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour over the squash mixture and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake covered 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the almonds before serving.

Serves 8

Ready to make your pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving? Yeah, sorry I didn’t get this recipe up before the big feast. But maybe you will need to make a pumpkin pie for Christmas, in which case, this is perfect timing!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1  1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Pie
3 eggs, lightly beaten
15-ounce can pumpkin purée
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toffee Topping
1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted, chopped
1/4 cup toffee bits

Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Crust: Pulse the flour sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is coarse crumbs. Add the yolk, pulse to combine. With the machine running, quickly add just enough of the ice water until a dough is about to form. If the mixture is still a bit dry, add more water as needed.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll out dough and line a 10-inch, deep-dish pie plate with dough. Crimp edges.

Take the 3 lightly beaten eggs for the pie filling; dip a pastry brush into the eggs and brush the dough lightly with the egg. Place the egg washed crust into the freezer to firm, for 10 minutes.

Move rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover pie shell with foil and top with pie weights. Bake 5 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes, until surface starts to look dry by not browned. Place on cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Pie: In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugars, flour, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice and pepper. Add cream, juice, bourbon and vanilla. Whisk to blend. Whisk the beaten eggs into pumpkin mixture until blended and smooth.

Pour into pie shell. Bake until filling firms up and puffs slightly at sides, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. As soon as the pie goes into the oven, put together the toffee topping.

Toffee Topping: In a small bowl stir together pecans and toffee bits. Once the pie has baked for an hour, sprinkle toffee mixture over surface and return to oven to finish baking.

Cool pie on rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before slicing and serving.

Whipped Cream Topping:  Whip the cream in large bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and spice and whip to firm peaks. Top each slice of pie with a dollop of cream.

Serves 8 to 10

Everyone has their favorite way to eat up their leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I’d guess that a good old turkey sandwich would be the hands-down winner for most of us. I like my sandwich one way and one way only – on white bread that is slathered in Miracle Whip with sliced turkey breast only. I don’t eat any of the leftover sides, I just relish that sandwich and I am as happy as can be. If I haven’t remembered to purchase a jar of Miracle Whip before Thanksgiving so that it is ready to be cracked open on the Friday after… well, someone (someone who is not me!) is going to the store to get me my Miracle Whip! Mayo will not do! I buy the smallest jar because this is the only thing I ever use it for, leftover turkey sandwiches.

Connor, on the other hand, makes a sandwich that looks like this…

He’s got the required white bread, but tops it with turkey (white or dark), then spoons on the gravy and the stuffing, tops that with the other slice of bread and heats it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Interesting, but not to my taste.  Marissa also must have the breast only and tops her’s with cranberry sauce and eats some stuffing and maybe some gravy on the side.  Finally there is Dave, he will eat it all and will eat it any and every way, sandwich or a full redo of the Thanksgiving plate.

After a couple or three sandwiches, I am through with the turkey, then it is time to remake it into an entirely different meal, such as this lasagna. Now this is how you get rid of leftover turkey!

Five-Cheese Turkey Lasagna

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or mild turkey Italian sausage
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups finely peeled and minced onions
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup peeled and minced carrot
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig of fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups diced cooked turkey breast

Lasagna
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese8 ounces grated provolone8 ounces grated mozzarella
8 ounces grated Asiago
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Turkey and Sausage Red Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano1 package no-cook lasagna noodles

Turkey and Turkey Sausage Red Sauce:  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the sausage, use a spatula to break up and cooked until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the garlic and tomatoes, continue to cook for 3 minutes. Fill one of the tomato cans about 3/4 full with water. Whisk the tomato paste into the water and add to the pan.

Stir in the thyme, bay leaves, basil sprig, oregano, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.  Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and basil sprig; stir in the diced cooked turkey, cover and let sit for 15 minutes before using. Makes about 8 cups of sauce.

Lasagna:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, Asiago, egg, milk, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 2 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of a  13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1/4 of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over the sauce. Cover with 1/4 of the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the cheese filling evenly over the noodles. Repeat the above process with the remaining ingredients. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet that is covered in foil to catch any drips or spills. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 8 to 10

This is how it always begins… the bird goes into the oven…

My Dad always brings the Beaujolais Nouveau!

Anticipation – potato bread rolls! A Hopkins’ Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition!

All five burners are a blazing!

Marissa and I take some time out to make some velvet pumpkins. Aren’t her’s so pretty?!?

Lorie arrives with the appetizers – to everyone’s delight! So delicious – Parmesan Crackers with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, Rosemary and Feta…

… and Pesto with Goat Cheese. I need to get this recipe!  Thank you, Lorie – we devoured every last one. Served them with our new favorite drink – Elote’s De Lujo Margarita

Game time – Yes, that is Marissa’s pink game piece – filled with all six pies, in the winning spot.

Marissa’s cute tights and boots :-)

Dinner Time!!!

While the turkey rests, we begin with a steaming bowl of Butternut Squash Soup with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Sage.

Next up – Brussels Sprout Salad

Loading up at the buffet.

Stuffing…

Green Onion Mashed Potatoes and Watercress Sweet Potatoes…

Of course we have pilgrims and place-cards! We are civilized, after all!

Marissa’s plate…

… and my plate. Another great Thanksgiving day with so much to be thankful for!

All photos by Marissa Lynn Hopkins

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and delicious Thanksgiving. Hope it is a special day spent with your friends and loved ones.

Today, I offer you a last minute dessert idea for Thanksgiving. I originally made this apple crisp last week in my “Thanksgiving Leftovers” cooking class at Les Gourmettes. While I was making it, I was telling the students about the remarkable De Lujo Margarita and giving them the recipe for it. As I am going about these two tasks, measuring out the ingredients for the apple crisp and reciting the ingredients for the margarita, it dawns on me that it would be amazing to blend the two… and that is how this Margarita Apple and Oatmeal Crisp was born! A sweet and happy little marriage.

If you would rather make the original apple crisp, then use 1 1/2 cups of water in place of the first 6 ingredients in the recipe (the 3/4 cup water through the 1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier).  And be careful to keep an eye out for the ingredients that are marked “divided”.  Those ingredients are used in both the apple and the crisp parts of the recipe, so be extra mindful while reading and measuring.

Margarita Apple and Oatmeal Crisp

3/4 cup water
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Añejo tequila
1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier

1  1/2 cups brown sugar, divided in half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1  1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, divided
2  1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into wedges
1  1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the water, lemon and orange juices, vanilla extract, tequila, Grand Marnier,  3/4 cup of the brown sugar, the melted butter, 2 tablespoons of the flour, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg, whisk until smooth. Add the apples and toss to mix well.

Lightly butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish and pour the apple mixture in the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, oatmeal, and the room temperature butter. Using your fingers, work the mixture together until it resembles a coarse crumb-like mixture.

Sprinkle the oatmeal topping over the top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Serves 12

Before we get to today’s timely tip, I want to remind you that if you need help with a Thanksgiving timeline, CLICK HERE.  And if you are looking for Thanksgiving recipes – go to the “Complete Recipe Index” over there on the left and scroll down to the red “Holidays” section and then scroll down to “Thanksgiving” where there are more than 30 Thanksgiving recipes awaiting you.

Weekly Tip #7

I know that at least some of you are hosting Thanksgiving in 3 days and that you are stressing.  One of the major stresses is, “How am I going to get everything done?!?” The reason this is a common stress is because many of us, including me, don’t seem to be able to delegate tasks. Even though several guests and family members have offered to help – it is hard to begin to even know where to start delegating when all the burners are blazing, timers are going off, and your mind is racing.  It seems as though it is just easier to do everything yourself. The solution to this common problem? Decide today what you can have people do for you when crunch time comes.

Make a list of non-cooking tasks – the last thing you need is more bodies in the kitchen. And make sure everything needed to complete those tasks is in plain sight, otherwise you’ll get stressed telling people what drawer or cupboard to find things in, or end up dropping what you’re doing and getting it yourself.

Here are just a few ideas of tasks to delegate, I’m certain they will help you think of so many more:

Someone can easily deal with drinks; opening the wine or making coffee or pouring the ice water in the goblets.

Another person can light the candles, turn on music, and turn off the television,  just before sit-down time.

Since a couple of guests (or a particular husband) always seem to straggle or suddenly need to use the restroom, appoint one outgoing guest to give a five-minute warning that the food is going to be hot on the table and have them herd everyone into the dining room.

DO NOT save all the cleaning for after the meal!  DO NOT sit down to dinner with the roasting pan soaking in the sink! Get that calming person who you would most like to talk to, while you are cooking, help you clean as you go.  And of course, since you know that you’ve already made some of the recipes days before or earlier on Thanksgiving morning, those dishes are already clean and back in the cupboards, right?! Please tell me I am right – this is essential!

And when you have all the “thought-out tasks” covered, ask the next people who volunteer, if you can take a rain-check on their help and if they could be there for you at the dreaded cleanup time. Then turn on some fun music, poor some more wine, and use those people as your cleanup crew…

Designate one as a runner to bring the dishes in from the table. Another person to transfer leftovers into containers. The rest can help load the dishwasher and wash and dry the more delicate dishes. Again, be prepared with food-storage containers, aprons, dish towels, sponges, and rubber gloves.

Relax, serve dessert, be thankful for – another wonderful meal, wonderful family and  friends, a somewhat stress-free day, and a clean kitchen!

Turkey!?! Is it too early to begin worrying and wondering what you’re going to do with your leftover turkey?  Since Thanksgiving is one week from today, I don’t think so.  After turkey sandwiches,  I think leftover turkey works best treated with a Mexican or a Western flair, so that’s what I’ve provided for you today.

Barbecued Turkey and Spinach Quesadillas

8 whole-wheat and/or flour tortillas (8-inch)
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cooked leftover turkey
1/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 green onions, white and green portions, thinly sliced
16 large fresh spinach leaves, stemmed
6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place 4 tortillas on a work surface; cover with Monterey Jack cheese. Combine the turkey and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Scatter the mixture evenly over the cheese, along with the parsley and green onions. Lay spinach leaves flat over entire surface to cover.  Sprinkle with cheddar.

Place a second tortilla over each,  press down to help ingredients hold together.

Heat a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Place a quesadilla in the skillet and cook, pressing down with a large spatula and turning once, until the cheese melts and the tortillas brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve hot.

Makes 16 wedges

If you are hosting and you need help – then you need my “Thanksgiving Planning Guide and Sample Timeline” which I first posted 2 years ago. CLICK HERE to take you to that helpful page. Plus, today I have a special Thanksgiving bonus.  I found the most adorable vintage place cards on Pottery Barn’s website. CLICK HERE to download the place cards.

Here is a sample of just one of the 16 images. They have both horizontal and vertical images – so cute!  I’ll be using them this year, for sure.

And if you need ideas for Thanksgiving recipes, you can always look over there on the left, click on “Complete Recipe Index”, scroll down to “Holidays” and find “Thanksgiving” – viola- recipes galore!

Oh, and Happy Veterans Day, in the words of Oprah, “Today we honor all of the veterans who have given us the freedoms we enjoy today. Thank you for your sacrifice, dedication and hard work. We salute you.”  Happy 11/11/11, in the words of my dad, “It won’t happen again for 100 years.” No kidding, Dad?!?

If this soup doesn’t scream “AUTUMN” to you, I don’t know what does! You can find the pre-cut butternut squash at Costco and Trader Joe’s. Pictured below is one whole fresh butternut and a 2-pound package from Costco.

Roasted Butternut and Apple Bisque with Fall Spiced Crème Fraîche

1  1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
4  1/2 pounds butternut squash, each cut lengthwise in half and seeded or 4 pounds pre-cut butternut squash cubes
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth

Spiced Crème Fraîche
1 cup chilled crème fraîche
1/8 teaspoon each; ground allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
Fresh chives or thyme leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.

Divide apples, squash, (cut side up) and onions between the baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil. Toss onions and apples to coat with oil.  If using the precut squash, just toss the squash cubes with the apples and onions on the baking sheets.

In a small bowl; mix brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle spice mixture over vegetables.  Place in preheated oven and roast 1 hour or until very tender and golden, rotating pans 30 minutes into the roasting time. Remove from oven.

If using the whole fresh squash, when the halves are cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh from squash halves and transfer to a medium bowl.

In blender on low speed, blend half of the roasted squash, onions, and apples with about 3 cups of the chicken broth until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large pot. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining vegetables, apples, and broth and add to the pot.

Heat to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover pot and simmer 5 minutes.

Spiced Crème Fraîche:  Place the crème fraîche in a small bowl and mix in the spices.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Dollop with crème fraîche. Garnish with chives or thyme and a few grinds of black pepper and serve.

Serves 10 to 12

When beating the eggs for your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie or any other custard pie, brush a little of the beaten egg over the pie shell and set it in the freezer for 10 minutes. This helps seal the crust and keeps it crisp.

This makes me want to get busy and BAKE! How about you?

Since standing on my feet in the kitchen for long periods of time is out of the mix at the present time, how about a holiday craft? Now, I already told you in the first installment of Crafts 101, I am not a crafty person… not by a long shot.  In fact, for this particular craft I needed professional help. Recently, Peggy and I took a class from the very talented Cindy and Lin Sue of Sweet-Stops on how to make these luxurious fabric pumpkins, which are perfect from the first day of fall, all the way through Thanksgiving. Now that’s some bang for your buck! And when I say “buck” -  I literally mean about one dollar! Depending on the fabric you use, or if you use scrapes you already have on hand, these beautiful pumpkins may cost no more than that. If you’ve seen them in boutiques, you already know they go for anywhere from $20 to $40 each! That’s just crazy talk!

Not that it’s all fun and games, the hardest part is hunting for and gathering up the pumpkins stems. But, it can be done. In fact, just yesterday, I was shopping at Food City for an upcoming cooking class with a southwest menu. While in the produce section, as I passed the bin of pumpkins, I found 4 detached stems pushed off into the corner of the bin. I asked the produce-man if I could have them and he looked at me with a questioning face and just shook his head yes. Score! Plus, I save the stems from large squash and pumpkins I purchase, so I’ve already got quite a collection. Get busy and start your collection the next time you’re in the market.

Photo courtesy of Sweet-Stops

Although I’m calling them “Velvet” Pumpkins, any fabric that you love, will do. In fact, I think chenille makes THE most lovely pumpkins of all!  And upholstery fabric … absolutely too die for! I even made one out of scraps from a burlap coffee sack. I can’t show it to you though because it’s a gift and I don’t want the recipient to see it before I give it to her. :-)

Photo courtesy of Sweet-Stops

I purchased the pinto beans, in bulk, at Food City. They were only 49 cents a pound and it took 3.25 pounds to make 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small pumpkin. That’s right, less than $1.75 for all three gorgeous home-made creations!

Velvet Pumpkins

Velvet, or any fabric of your choice
Needle and thread (thread does not need to match fabric, it will not be seen)
Dried pinto beans
Thick rubber bands
Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive (available at craft stores, such as Hobby Lobby or Micheal’s)
Pumpkin stems
Silk leaves or other trimmings (optional)
Ribbon (optional)

Cut the velvet into circles; 16-inch diameter for large, 12-inch diameter for medium, and 10-inch diameter for small.

Thread the needle and double the thread, about the length of your arm. Tie a knot at the end, leaving about a 2-inch tail.

About 1/2-inch from the edge of the fabric, on the “bad side” begin stitching. Space the stitches about 1/3 to 1/2-inch apart, which will make it easier to gather later. Once you’ve gone all the way around the circle, gently pull on each end of the thread to gather, leaving about a 2-inch opening in your newly formed pouch.

Use a funnel (or a rolled piece of paper made into a funnel) to fill the pouch with pinto beans. Do not overfill the pouch, you want your pumpkin to be slightly floppy like a soft bean bag, not rock hard.

Now, pull on each end of the thread (leaving the needle attached) and tie into a knot.

With the needle end, stitch the top in a crisscross pattern to completely enclose and secure the pouch. Trim off the ends of the thread.

Pick out a pumpkin stem from your stash and dab the flat end of the stem with a small dollop of the adhesive. Center the stem over the stitching and secure the stem onto the pouch with 2 rubber bands, as shown.  If you would like to slip in a silk leaf, this would be the time to do so. Allow to dry for at least one hour.

Carefully remove the rubber bands and add a bow, if desired. Isn’t it gorgeous? Good job!

OK, if you don’t have time to gather stems, go to the craft store for the adhesive, and the grocery store for pinto beans… how about this idea…. I saw this on the web – Pure Genius!

Recycle or purchase a pair of fancy lace nylons and fit them over a white pumpkin, it’s that easy! Wowza!!!