entry #3: rocky horror pumpkin pie

Dear Diary...

What an exciting weekend! I'm writing this the Monday after because I was so busy!

Saturday was filled with so much fun. Despite a bit of rainy weather, my boyfriend and I went to the pumpkin patch! Originally, we were thinking of skipping it, but the one we went to had a brewery nearby that we wanted to get lunch from, so we thought why not! And I'm glad we did. The pumpkin patch we went to had so many cute animals like goats, sheep, ducks, and even kittens! While we were there we also picked up two pumpkins, which we used to make pumpkin pie (keep reading to see the process). Lunch was yummy too, we got some chicken wings covered in chipotle sauce and pickles.

Later that night, I went out with my boyfriend's mom and aunt to see Rocky Horror Picture Show! I've heard about it but have never actually see it until the other night. And it was so much fun! It was a small, intimate room with tables and chairs and they played the movie on a big screen. We also got goodie bags filled with things like confetti, newspaper, and glowsticks to use for some audience participation. There was a costume contest and so many people were dressed up as the characters or just in beautiful outfits inspired by the show! The show itself was an...experience to say the least haha. I really enjoyed it, but I feel like trying to explain it is impossible. It definitely felt ahead of its time. If you like musicals, queer media, or just weird horror b movies, I highly recommend checking it out!

Anyways, after that came Sunday where my boyfriend and I made homemade pumpkin pie! Due to allergies, we had to make it gluten-free, but it was so good! Below are the recipes I followed:

• For how to roast our pumpkin and make puree, we used: The Pioneer Woman: Make your own pumpkin puree
• For the pie crust and filling, we used: Mama Knows Gluten Free: Easy gluten-free pumpkin pie

First thing we did was roast our pumpkin. We had gotten two small ones from the pumpkin patch, but actually only ended up using half of one! We cut it open and used a spoon and knife to scoop out all the seeds and guts.

Next we put it in the oven to roast for about 45 minutes. While it was in there, we started work on the crust. The dough was pretty easy to make. The secret to making it gluten-free and still good? Gluten-free cinnamon Chex cereal! Thank you Mama Knows Gluten Free recipe. Once that was done, we put it in the fridge to cool. When the pumpkin was done, we could peel the skin off really easily, and then we threw it in the blender with a little bit of water to mash it all up!

After that, we could finally start on the filling! Definitely the easiest part, as we just threw in the ingredients one at a time and whisked it all together. It smelled sooo good. All the different spices and the pumpkin. We knew if it tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be an amazing pie.

With the dough cooled, we were able to press it into a pie dish. It was very crumbly so I was worried I had done something wrong. When it came out of the oven it was a bit hard and still crumbly, but it tasted good so I don't even care! We baked the crust for a few minutes before adding the filling, and then the long wait for the pie began. But it was worth it! It came out looking amazing and tasted sooo good! We probably could've waited a bit longer for it to cool but we were so excited we ate it when it was still a bit warm.

Overall, an amazing pie I would definitely make again and again! Using our own pumpkin definitely added another hour or so to prep time, but honestly it made the experience feel more fun and...authentic I guess? Something about going to the pumpkin patch, picking out the perfect pumpkin, and then bringing it back home to gut yourself really makes the whole process feel even more rewarding. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably get enough ingredients to make two pies since one half sort of went to waste. Then I could share some more slices with friends and family!

Well, it was a super exciting weekend for me, and now I can start to get hyped for Halloween! Still don't know what I'll dress as, but I'm a cosplayer—I'm sure I have something in my closet! Thanks for reading today's entry, I hope you enjoyed the process of me making pie!

Love,

Claire