How to Carve a Pumpkin and Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It was not a contest, but I think that Paul might have to be declared the winner if it were because it was his first time carving a pumpkin. We all had a good time, though, and the Jack O’Lanterns turned out very well. Halloween season has commenced. I love this holiday!

Carving pumpkins

On Sunday, October 07, 2012, we passed pumpkins for sale at a local church and made a spur of the moment decision to invite our friends Paul and Rebecca over to carve pumpkins. Paul is from Chile, so this was his first experience with carving although he did celebrate Halloween last year.

Carving pumpkinsCarving pumpkins

The best way to carve a pumpkin is to start at the top. Cut a hole around the stem with the knife at an angle, so that piece can later be used as a lid. If you cut straight down, the lid will fall into the pumpkin. It also helps to make a jagged cut.

Carved pumpkin lid

Next, you have to empty the “guts” of the pumpkin. If you are going to roast the pumpkin seeds, something that I highly recommend, it is good to separate the seeds at this point. Have two bowls ready, one for the guts and the other for the seeds. Spoons are good utensils for scraping the inside of the pumpkins.

Carving pumpkins

Once all of the stringy insides are out, you can decide how you are going to carve your pumpkin. There are three methods for this step. The first is to wield the knife with only a vision in your head of how you want it to look. The second is to draw a face on the pumpkin with a marker before you start cutting. These lines are more permanent. Lastly, you can draw with a pencil which will be less obvious should you make a mistake. The good thing is that there really are no mistakes in pumpkin carving because Jack O’Lanterns are supposed to look bizarre.

Carving pumpkins

It is good to use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin. Despite what you may think, a dull knife is actually more dangerous. Of course, small children should not be allowed to actually carve the pumpkin. They can draw the face and have an adult make the cuts for them. This is where most of the errors occur. However, as I said before, there are no real mistakes in this activity.

Carving pumpkinsCarving pumpkins

As you can see, Crème paid close attention to make sure that no mistakes were made on our Jack O’Lanterns. This will be her first Halloween, but I think that she already understands that she will be the star that day since she is a Black Cat. She was obsessed by the activities.

Carving pumpkins with a black catCarving pumpkins with a black catCarving pumpkins with a black cat

While Douglas and Paul were carving the pumpkins, I roasted the pumpkins seeds. This is one of my favorite snacks. I roast all kinds of seeds, pumpkin or squash. It is really easy. First, you need a pan and oil. I use olive oil and spread it around the pan with my hand.

Roasting pumpkin seeds

Distribute the seeds on the pan. You want them to be spread thinly. I used two pans since there were two pumpkins and therefore many seeds. Next, sprinkle the seeds with whatever spices you would like. I use freshly ground sea salt and pepper, cayenne and curry.

Roasting pumpkin seeds

Roast the seeds in the oven heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are golden brown. It is good to stir them around a bit when they first start to brown. Serve hot or cold. They are delicious.

Roasting pumpkin seedsRoasting pumpkin seeds

Both the seeds and the pumpkins turned out well. The Jack O’Lanterns are now sitting on the front steps lit up for the holiday. The seeds are almost all gone. Things are good.

Jack O'Lanterns in front of houseJack O'Lanterns at night

I will be back in the next couple of weeks with more Halloween decorations. If you have any good ideas, let me know. I am always looking for inspiration.

Jack O'Lanterns in front of house

Happy Homemaking!

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About

I am a teacher, traveler, artist, writer, homemaker and a whole lot more. In January 2009, I bought the Cape of Dreams. It was the second house that I had ever owned, but it was the first that I bought by myself. I now live in the house with my husband Douglas, our dog Kahlua, and Crème de Menthe, the cat. Because, what life is complete without a little Kahlua and Cream? I love arts and crafts of all kinds, and I refinish furniture as well. We are slowly redoing our entire house. You can read about my projects on my blog www.CapeofDreams.com

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