As Halloween rolls around each year, one vegetable sometimes gets more attention than others – the pumpkin. Round, firm and orange, the pumpkin can be used in many different ways for home décor or recipes.
Grin and pare It
There are many different options for carving a pumpkin, but some methods will work for any design. When carving a lid, cut at an angle toward the center of the pumpkin, and cut straight into the base for a bottom opening. After cleaning out the seeds and pulp, it is recommended that a person trace the design onto the pumpkin and poke small holes into the outline before cutting it out, according to Better Homes and Gardens.
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DAVID SHEPPARD / Scroll |
Toasted seeds
Pumpkin seeds can be roasted or baked for a healthy snack. Cori Stowe, a junior from Phelan, Calif., suggests washing the seeds, salting them, adding a little butter and then baking them at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes, turning them over every five minutes.
Pumpkin piñata
Hollow out a pumpkin, fill it with candy, hang it in a tree and invite people to swing at it with sticks until it breaks and empties the candy.
Source: www.kidsturncentral.com
Smashing soup
A hollowed-out pumpkin can function as a serving bowl for pumpkin soup. One recipe, from www.kraftfoods.com, calls for fresh pumpkin pulp.
Spread some shimmer
Glitter can add a festive touch to an ordinary pumpkin. Spread white glue over the pumpkin’s surface using a paintbrush, then sprinkle colored glitter over it, holding it over a paper plate underneath to catch excess glitter. Cover it completely with glitter, then let it dry for an hour and shake off the excess glitter.
Source: www.marthastewart.com
Go bowling
Katie Ridinger, a junior from Kent, Ohio, recommended a twist on bowling, using pumpkins to knock down empty half-gallon milk jugs. Another option is rolling them down a hill or racing them to see which pumpkin arrives first.
Night lights
Katherine Diamond, a junior from Columbia, Md., suggests poking holes in a hollowed-out pumpkin and sticking Lite Brite pegs in the holes. Once a candle is placed inside, the pumpkin will make the colored lights glow.
Make a man (or woman)
Emily Peet, a junior from Port Townsend, Wash., and her roommates built a man using a large, medium and small pumpkin stacked on top of each other. They also carved the top pumpkin with a face, using candy corns for eyes, drew a tag and tie to make him look like a missionary and gave him sticks for arms.
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KATIE PHELPS / Scroll |
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