The countdown ’til All Hallows’ Eve is on!! Soon our munchkins will don their costumes and hit the streets to fill their pillow cases with treats, but first, pumpkin carving!! I am sure we aren’t the only family tackling their pumpkin carving or decorating this weekend so I thought I would help you with the process.
Clean out your pumpkin
I am sure you all know this but you first need to cut a hole into your pumpkin so you can clean out the guts. Personally, I think doing it from the bottom is better so that the candle can be put on a flat surface and is more stable. Once that is done, you need to clean out the insides. I found this awesome tip online where you can clean out a pumpkin in 2 minutes with a drill and a metal beater!! We are definitely trying this.
Roast your pumpkin seeds
We love roasted pumpkin seeds and you can keep it as simple as cleaning them up, letting them dry in a colander for a bit, tossing them with some oil and salt, then throwing them in the oven to bake for around 25 minutes (turning them as you go). However, if you would like a little more flavour, there are so many different recipes out there you can try.
Carve your pumpkin
Gone are the days where people carved simple jack-o-lanterns with their toothy grins. Now, anything is fair game and there are so many options to choose from. There are always great ideas on Pintrest and I discovered that Better Homes & Gardens had a pretty good collection of stencils to choose from if you are looking for inspiration.
Painting your pumpkins is also an option
If your munchkins are too little to wield a knife, or you just don’t feel like getting covered in pumpkin guts, you can always just paint your pumpkins. There are tons of ideas on Pintrest but Martha Stewart had some super cute designs on her website as well. You could always just let them loose and see what they come up with!
Our youngest has decided she wants to both carve and paint her pumpkin and do a constellation.
We were looking at ideas over on livingly.com and this is what she chose, wish us luck!!
I hope this helped a little! If you are in the Ottawa area and are looking for spooky and fun Halloween activities this weekend, Ottawa Tourism has compiled a list.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
