Pumpkin Foolery

I am such an idiot.

Before you disagree with me, let me tell you what I did.

It’s holiday time, which means pie time. And one of my favorite recipes is Pumpkin Pecan pie. I’m not such a big fan of pumpkin pie, but love pecan pie, so this recipe helps me get both!

But I also decided to branch out this season. I bought a pie pumpkin for my pie. Found instructions online for my pumpkin and set about making the pie. I also got one 14 oz. can of pumpkin, in case my real pumpkin didn’t make enough. I needed 30 oz. (or two cans) for my two pies.

Everything worked out perfectly. I pureed my steamed pumpkin and set about measuring it. It measured out to just over three cups. So I picked up my can of pumpkin, and this it what the back said: “serving size: ½ Cup. Servings per can: 3 ½.”

What happened next is quite bizarre. I thought something like this, “Okay, so one can has six cups of pumpkin in it. That means I need this can with my pumpkin, because my three cups plus this three cups will be six cups.”

Um…okay, so math is not my forte. Nor is logic. Reason. Anything rational.

Around the time I dumped the can into my bowl and added the egg and condensed milk, I realized that one can only had three cups, not six. Which meant my three cups of pumpkin equaled one 14 oz. can.

I spazzed! I ruined my pie! Now I had twice as much pumpkin as I needed!

Great, I thought. Four pies. Guess we’ll freeze some for Christmas.

I dumped in another egg and made a plan to go to the store and get another can of condensed milk. Then I put the whole bowl in the fridge to sit while I stewed in frustration.

And then all of the sudden it occurred to me. (See how my brain is always a little behind?) One 14 oz. can of pumpkin, which equals approximately 3 cups of pumpkin, was never going to be enough. I needed two cans of pumpkin. Or 6 cups of pumpkin, or one pumpkin pie and one can of pumpkin.

I had done it right after all.

So after all that fretting, I made my pumpkin pies. Though with two eggs instead of one.