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Carve Out Some Halloween Fun… Get A Pumpkin!

Submitted by admin on October 21, 2009 – 2:11 pmNo Comment

What would Halloween be without the jack-o-lantern? It’s great fun to head out to the pumpkin patch, or your local farmers market or even the neighbourhood grocery store to select just the right gourd to gouge.

Check out Pumpkin Patches and More website to find a pumpkin patch near you: http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/canada.htm

There are those who hate cleaning out the pumpkin guts, but I kind of like getting my hands into the slimy flesh and seeds. In fact, at my house that is my sole purpose at carving time … I clean out the pumpkins for the carvers. And that is fine with me because chiselling out a pumpkin face requires a bit of creativity and imagination and I’m told that my designs are lame! Some jack-o-lanterns are meant to be scary, others are goofy and some are quite a work of art. So get in touch with your creative side and if you need some inspiration you can check out some websites that provide stencils and examples of all kinds of pumpkin faces to greet Trick-or-Treaters at your house this Halloween.

You can also check online for lots of pumpkin designs:
http://www.pumpkinlady.com/pattern.htm
http://www.hgtv.ca/articles/articledetails.aspx?ContentId=891&cat=1&by=2#halloweendownloads

FYI – there are many pumpkin carving kits available at most craft stores, such as Michaels, which sell carving tools that are much safer than knives for cutting into your pumpkins. Alternatively, draw your pumpkin face on the gourd with a marker and ask an adult to do the actual cutting. Safety first!

Pumpkin Carving DIY

1. Design a pumpkin face or pick out a pumpkin stencil that you like.

2. Choose a pumpkin shape and size that will suit your design.

3. Get some newspaper on the floor before you start cutting into your pumpkin.

4. Use a marker to draw an opening on the top (or bottom) or your pumpkin; it needs to be big enough to get your hand and a spoon into the opening.

5. Use a knife or pumpkin carving tool to carefully cut along the opening that you have drawn on the top of the pumpkin. Pumpkins have very thick skin so you need to be careful and patient as you saw through the flesh. Also, if you angle the knife slightly as you saw inward, then your lid will have a small lip to rest on.

6. Once the lid is off, use your spoon to remove all the flesh and seeds from the cavity.

7. Take a marker and draw your pumpkin design onto the pumpkin freehand, or if using a stencil, then hold the stencil in place and use your marker to transfer the pattern onto the pumpkin.

8. With your knife or pumpkin carving tool, carefully saw through the pumpkin following the designs that you have drawn on the pumpkin.

9. Once you have cut out each part of your drawing (for example, the eyes), then push out the pieces with your fingers.

10. Put a candle or tea light at the bottom of the pumpkin and light the candle, and then replace the lid.

11. Fire Safety: Place your pumpkin in a safe spot so that the flames from the candle are not going to be a danger to Trick-or-Treaters’ costumes.

12. And have a Happy Halloween!

And finally, don’t forget to save some Pumpkin Seeds to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. And here’s a simple recipe:

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
¼ tsp Salt
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
Baking pan with raised edges

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F
Separate the seeds from the pumpkin flesh and rinse well with cold water.
Drain the seeds in a colander and use a paper towel to pat them dry.
Put the seeds in a large bowl and toss with oil until evenly coated.
Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until they reach a golden brown color. Be sure to check and stir the seeds about every 15 minutes during cooking.
Cool the seeds and enjoy!

Store in an air tight container for up to a week.