Summary

Chapter 16 is titled “Smashing Pumpkins, October.” Barbara expresses her belief that people have forgotten that a pumpkin is actually a food that can be eaten. She was happy to see a food section filled with pumpkin recipes, but angry when each began with canned pumpkin. Her family had one get-together before Thanksgiving and another on the appropriate day. She and her father faced the daunting task of trying to cut a hole in the top of a Queensland Blue pumpkin so she could scoop out the seeds and cook the pumpkin whole. Her plan was to make pumpkin soup and to use the pumpkin as a tureen. Barbara cautions the cook who plans a similar showcase event to be careful not to scrape too much of the flesh from inside the pumpkin and not to over bake it. Her creation collapsed when she...