Heart to Table: Pumpkin/Squash No-Crust Pie
This October, our theme is "Gathering Wisely, Giving Warmly." October is the month when the world slows down just enough for us to notice what we've gathered. The gardens are quieter, the evenings cooler, and the pace of life shifts from summer's hurry to autumn's thoughtful rhythm. It invites us to look at what remains in our cupboards, in our budgets, and in our energy, and ask how we can use it with care.
At Crossfire Ministries, we believe food is more than a list of ingredients. Food can offer comfort. It can help stretch a household budget. It can bring people back to the table. And a simple fall dessert, shared with friends and neighbors, can do all three.
This month's Heart to Table recipe, Pumpkin/Squash No-Crust Pie, is a cozy, low-cost treat made from everyday ingredients. We've also added a second recipe, a Black Bean and Lentil Super Soup, for a warm pantry meal to go with it.
The Heart Behind It
Thrift is not about living without. It is about living with intention.
Pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, and a few warm spices. Blended together and poured into two pans, they become sixteen servings, with no crust to roll out. The recipe even welcomes any other stewed winter squash in place of the pumpkin. Gathering wisely doesn't always mean storing up more. Sometimes it means taking stock of what we already have, even an acorn squash we don't know how to use, and recognizing its worth.
This is part of the heart behind Crossfire's no-cost grocery store. Guests are welcomed into a grocery environment where they can choose the food their families need most. That dignity of choice matters because every household knows its own table best, and because worth was never something to be earned or rationed in the first place.
From heart to table, simple food can become an offering of care.
A Devotional Thought
“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” - Proverbs 15:16
October asks a quiet question: what do we already have? The world often tells us we need more. Proverbs offers a different measure. A little, held with reverence for God, carries more peace than abundance held in turmoil. Wisdom often looks like creativity. It looks like turning what's on hand into something that nourishes, and finding comfort in simple foods that warm both body and spirit.
A no-crust pie is a small picture of that truth. It asks for no perfection and no fancy technique, just a few ingredients and a table with room for one more. Hospitality doesn't require a perfect spread. And when we give from what we've gathered, we take part in a beautiful truth: God multiplies generosity in ways we cannot measure.
In a world that often feels uncertain, small acts of stewardship become steady lights. Even in trying times, we are held, provided for, and invited to care for one another.
—RECIPE—
Pumpkin/Squash No-Crust Pie
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 60 minutes
SERVINGS: 16 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (or any other stewed winter squash) (May use 28 oz can of pumpkin puree)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour or Bisquick
1 can evaporated milk
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor. (Can do in two batches)
Pour into 2 greased pie pans.
Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
A Simple Kitchen Note:
This recipe fills two pie pans and makes 16 servings, which makes it a natural fit for a potluck, a small group, or a gathering of neighbors. The batter can be blended in two batches if your blender or food processor is small.
The recipe works with pumpkin puree or any other stewed winter squash, and a 28 oz can of pumpkin puree is an easy option. Let the pies cool completely before cutting and serving.
Swap and Share Saturdays: Gather, Give, and Grow
Host a Swap and Share Gathering. Invite friends, neighbors, or your small group to bring gently used items they no longer need, such as books, clothes, kitchen tools, and toys. Set up a casual swap table. No money changes hands, just generosity and gratitude.
Pair the swap with a simple fall-themed potluck:
Apple Crisp and Coffee
Soup Night with Homemade Bread
No-Crust Pumpkin/Squash Pie and Tea by the Fire
Encourage guests to bring a dish made from seasonal produce or pantry staples. Keep it cozy, low-cost, and welcoming. Hospitality doesn't require perfection, just presence. A warm bowl of soup and a listening ear can be more nourishing than a fancy spread.
Three More Ways to Gather Wisely and Give Warmly
Use What You Have Week: Set aside one week to cook entirely from your pantry, freezer, and garden. It's a spiritual exercise in contentment and creativity. You may discover forgotten ingredients, new recipes, or a deeper appreciation for daily provision.
Blessings Bags: Gather small items such as travel toiletries, granola bars, socks, and handwritten notes. Keep a few bags in your car or entryway. They are simple to assemble and powerful to give. Whether handed to someone in need or shared with a neighbor, they carry a message: You are seen. You are loved.
Gratitude Inventory: Instead of listing what is missing, write down what is already present. Include physical items, relationships, answered prayers, and quiet mercies. This practice transforms scarcity into sufficiency and turns your home into a sanctuary of thanksgiving.
From Heart to Table
At Crossfire, we know many families are doing careful math every week. Groceries, rent, utilities, gas, school supplies, and medical bills can all press at the same time.
That is why no-cost groceries, clothing, and care matter.
Every shopping visit is meant to offer more than food. It is meant to offer hospitality, dignity, and practical compassion. Guests choose what their households need, and those choices help bring food from heart to table.
If you or someone you know could use support, Crossfire Ministries welcomes guests with care and dignity.
If you would like to help, your generosity helps provide no-cost groceries, clothing, and care for neighbors in tight places. Find out how you can help our neighbors in tight places by giving at https://www.crossfireministries.org/donate
