In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I would depart from usual topics and address the time honored tradition of Pumpkin Pie! Our family recipe has passed through several generations now and is still a winner with the next generations. We have made a concession to modern times and switched to using canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie MIX). If you want to cut up, cook down and puree your Halloween pumpkin, that works just as well.

This recipe is very simple, but it does take a long time to bake. We typically make the pies the day before so there isn't a crisis with oven capacity and turkey cooking times.

Moms' (and Nanas') Pumpkin Pie

1 Pie shell (I used unbaked, but a 5-10 prebake will give a crisper shell if desired)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1-2/3 cups milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

dash allspice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Mix together: sugar, salt, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice)

2. Beat in eggs to mixture above; add sugar and spices to eggs

3. Beat in milk

4. Add pumpkin

5. Add pie mixture to shell

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees for duration of baking time, which can be anywhere from 35 - 60 minutes, depending on the custard and oven properties. A pie in 'done' when a knife inserted into the middle of the pie comes out clean (meaning no custard residue sticks to the knife). Tip: Whipped cream topping hides any unsightly knife scars on the surface of the pie. :-)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I made a 'fun' scarf for my Mother, using a combination of lovely textured yarn and a novelty yarn. These interesting yarns made a large impact in past years, although you see less of them around these days. That said, an accent yarn used judiciously can create an impactful wearable art piece. My Mother and I were driving south to a Carolina beach vacation, and twice, when we were at stops en route, she received offers to sell the scarf on the spot!

Today I am thinking about cowls and neckwarmers -- a very big trend this year and a wonderful knitting project and gift idea. They offer warmth and luxury, but a great alternative to a traditional scarf when you don't want the extra bulk of the scarf under your coat. Although warmwear, a cowl can incorporate into an outfit, making it a truly versatile accessory. I've just finished one for myself and sold out of all my existing neckwarmer-cowl items. So we're working on some more projects and expect them to be ready shortly!

This project is baby alpaca, a luxury fiber in a rich wine colors.

Hello and Welcome to the KnittenKaboodle BLOG! Shortly this BLOG will be linked to the www.knittenkaboodle.com website.


The website is a new venture that seemed to flow rather organically as a next step once a I was bitten by the knitting bug and began getting very productive. By day I am an financial manager-executive/accounting type and spend a large part of my life working, working, and more working. All work and no play, and all that. Then I wandered into a lovely yarn shop in my town (Forever Yarn in Doylestown, PA) and was amazed at all the wonderful items on display and the soft and lovely yarns. I signed up for a beginner knitting class and made two scarves and then made a coat. Nothing like jumping in with both feet! The classic over-achiever takes on a hobby!

The other thing I discovered was the community of others in town that also share the fun and camaraderie at the shop. And let me tell you, some of these people are amazing in their ability to create!

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll continue to add more as the days and weeks go on. I'd love to hear any of your 'first knitting' stories.