Halloween Fun for the Whole Family

This week’s blog is dedicated to the spooky, scary, and sweet fun that goes along with Halloween. We found some great activities and recipes for the family to get into the Halloween spirit, and thought we would share them with you.

Pumpkin Carving Tips

Pumpkin carving is messy fun for the whole family. When you are looking for a pumpkin choose one with a sturdy stem—a good sign of a healthy pumpkin—but never lift a pumpkin by the stem. Inspect the pumpkin, including the bottom, and reject any that are bruised or feel like there is sloshing on the inside. When carving the pumpkin remember a few basics:

•When you cut the lid, insert the knife at a 45-degree angle, making a “cone” shaped wedge to remove the top. This ensures you can replace the “lid” without it falling inside the pumpkin.

•Save the seeds! They are delicious. (See below)

•If you are planning to carve the pumpkin into a jack o’lantern, consider cutting out the bottom of the pumpkin as well. Make sure the opening will fit over the candle, and place candle and the pumpkin onto a flame-resistant base.

Visit Walt’s Pumpkin Carving Secrets for more great pumpkin-carving tips—including special effects, photographing your pumpkin, and carving techniques.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t let the pumpkin seeds go to waste; bake up a healthy snack instead! You can toast or roast the seeds, and flavor them with salt and/or spices. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and rinse, removing the pulp with your fingers. Drain the seeds and discard the pulp, and then spread out the seeds on a cookie sheet to dry overnight. Pre-heat the oven to 250 °F, toss the seeds in olive oil and seasonings (salt, cinnamon, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever else you like) and bake the seeds for one hour, tossing every 15-20 minutes; remove from the oven when the seeds are golden brown. Let cool completely and snack away!

Nutty Boat Table Toppers

These adorable tabletop decorations are great for Halloween, or for any autumn party! Fun for the kids, but cool enough for the grownups too! Total time—one hour; find more fun holiday projects at Disney Family Fun.

You’ll need: Walnut shells, clay, twigs, leaves

Open walnuts by holding them steady on a cutting board and inserting a flathead screwdriver or butter knife into flat end of the shell’s seam; carefully pry the two halves of the shell apart. To create the mast and sail, thread a twig onto a leaf. Secure the mast into the shell to create the boat using a small ball of clay. Float the boats in a shallow pie plate in 2-3” of water.

Happy Halloween to you, from all of us at Cabinets & Designs!