Pumpkin Carving 101

It's been over a week since the boy came back from the Pumpkin Farm. We could not wait until Halloween to carve so I got out my trusty tools and went to work! Carving a pumpking is simple and easy if you have a sharp sturdy knife a flimsy one will not do!! So last week when he said Mommie you said you were going to carve the pumpkin. I could not refuse him two days in a row.I know shame on me, but truth of the matter-I simply was not in a pumpkin carving mood. Funny thing is when I got out the marker and pen, I enjoyed the transformation almost as much as he did! I know there are many more carvers out there who would just put our little pumpkin to shame,but for those of you who are beginners I hope this post helps you out!!

What you will need is a magic marker-I always use black, a sharp sturdy paring style knife,and newspaper-if you don't want alot of mess to clean up, and it makes for easy transport to composter,if you have one.

To begin draw simple eyes,nose, and mouth we usually always do triangles,you could of course do squares,circles, or a combonation of the three. I free style a face and then carve, if you plan on putting a light in the candle you can make an opening from the rear,large enough to reach in and scoop out the seeds, and stringy matter (save the seeds if you want to roast for your kiddies and self), and replace once the inside is clean to your liking, I have also removed the top of the pumpkin for the same purpose. I usually wait a few days before I put a light in it,to let it dry out alittle,I usually set it on the porch-you will get visitors if you leave it in the house-fruitflies. Don't forget to not leave your candle unattended!

Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

fresh seeds that have been thoroughly washed and patted dry

light drizzle of olive oil

light sprinkling of salt and pepper, alittle cumin would probably be nice

baking sheet

preheated oven at 350*

Mix everything together and spread on baking sheet, and let roast for about 7 minutes or till lightly browned, keep your eyes and nose open, so they won't burn. Let cool slightly and enjoy,better than store bought any day!!