Friday 4 November 2011

What to do with Pumpkin

I hope everybody had a good pumpkin day!

Here are a few highlights from our Halloween:


It was our kitten Ben's first Halloween. He wasn't quite sure what to make of our Jack-O-Lanterns.  It was also Preston's first Halloween.  He ate pumpkin puree (he loved it, but I don't think he's tried a food he hasn't liked yet), tried eating pumpkins whole, and slept right through trick or treating.
I think he was watching for trick-or-treaters.

Remember how obsessed with Diggers my daughter Anya is?  She drew the little red picture of a Digger on it (she did no-knife decorating first) and then I carved the Digger according to her instructions.  Anya dressed up as a pumpkin because the only thing she loves more than diggers is the color orange.

This is one of the Harry Potter pumpkins my husband carved.  Carving pumpkins is so much easier when we swipe his wood carving tools.  Seriously, it would be worth getting some just for Halloween.  I had big plans for a Gruffalo inspired jack-o-lantern, but ran out of time.  Maybe next year.
 

This was Miriam's Hello Kitty jack-o-lantern.  She drew on it first and then I carved it for her.  I'm sorry that we didn't photograph this one straight away because you can't see any of the details in this photo, but it did have a cute face and everything.  I particularly like the three tiny mice that she added to the side.

After having a fabulous Halloween, we were overflowing with pumpkin.  We've had pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie (both sweet and savoury), pumpkin in curry and chili and stew, and--the most popular pumpkin invention--pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  Best pumpkin idea ever (except maybe jack-o-lanterns, but it's a close one to call).

For my recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, click here.  These are seriously addictive and my whole family LOVES them.  Plus you can feel a bit better about making cookies because they're vegetabley.  (Just ignore all the butter and sugar and remember that the pumpkin is healthy.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
They didn't last long.


Next up: Bonfire night.  Don't you just love autumn holidays?