HELOISE Reader seeks recipe for pumpkin soup

Dear Heloise: Could you please give me a recipe for pumpkin soup? I had some a couple of years ago around Thanksgiving, and it was delicious. Rob Landin, Via E-mail
Pumpkin soup says "pull up a chair and have a sip." Here's the recipe from my latest book, "In the Kitchen With Heloise," and I'd be happy to share it with you. You will need:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon mace
3 pounds pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
1 pound new potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups water
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, thyme and mace. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, then add the pumpkin, potatoes and parsnips. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften.
Mix the bouillon cubes in 4 cups of water (follow directions on bouillon-cubes jar) and pour over the vegetable mixture; add hot-pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetable chunks are cooked.
Spoon the mixture into a blender a little at a time and puree until smooth. Put the pureed mixture into a pan when the blender is full, and reheat. Bon app & eacute;tit! Heloise
Hint IQ: How does a delicious cup of herbal tea sound right now? What can you stir it with that will also give it some extra flavor?
A. Cinnamon stick
B. Peppermint candy cane
C. Flavored lollipop
A, B or C? All three are just right for tea. You can use any of the above to stir the tea and get a little extra flavor. Delicious! Have you wanted to try different flavored teas? Well, I can help you. I have put together a great pamphlet that includes several different flavored coffees and teas. To receive a copy of the four-page pamphlet, please send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Tea, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 89279-5001. Another flavor enhancer? A lemon drop, butterscotch or chocolate mint added to a cup of tea. Stir to dissolve, and it's delightfully tasty! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Last year, while cleaning the turkey the night before Thanksgiving, I was wondering what to wrap the bird up in. I used a turkey-size oven bag, sealed it and placed it in the fridge until morning. When I stuffed the bird and placed it in the oven, I used a new bag to be on the safe side. Kim Mahoney, Jenison, Mich.
Dear Heloise: While cooking, always carefully check your spices before adding them to your food by pouring them in your hand or measuring spoon. Once when I was preparing a recipe at the stove, I poured the spice into my hand and discovered weevils were in my spice. Imagine the disaster I would have had if I had poured it directly in my huge pot of homemade soup. Gale Laure, Conroe, Texas
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
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