Who doesn’t love Halloween and pumpkins? It gives us adults an excuse to pretend and have fun!

Scary Carved Pumpkins

What my Family Did for Halloween:

When my children were little, this season was all about the family trip to the pumpkin patch and finding that perfect Halloween costume. 

As the kids became “too cool” for Trick or Treating, they turned their attention to scaring the neighborhood kids with our haunted hallway. The whole family got in on the fun. When the doorbell rang, the  spooky music started, the hallway was foggy from a cauldron of dry ice and strobe lights flashed to complete the eerie feel. The children still got to dress up to hand out the goodies!

Then as the children grew even older and time more scarce, we planned one night together to carve an elaborate jack-o-lantern. Soon our pumpkins became the talk of the neighborhood.

Ideas to Celebrate Halloween and National Pumpkin Day:

1.  Printable pumpkin carving stencils:Stencils help those of us who cannot really draw a scary face. We love black cats.For scary printable pumpkin carving stencils click here .
2.   Child Friendly Pumpkin Decorating:For little ones, who you don’t want to arm with a knife or other carving implement –there’s an equally fun alternative. One of my favorite home movie moments is of my daughter, Laura, age 4, decorating the pumpkins, armed with toothpicks and a farmer’s market full of vegetables. With spinach hair, radish eyes, cucumber ears, a carrot nose and black olive teeth she learned about vegetables, ate and laughed for about an hour.  Then that pumpkin was ready to turn heads! Show off their proud creation right on your front doorstep. These were done at a local fall fair.
   

   Kid Friendly Pumpkin Decorations

3. Pumpkin Muffin Recipe:For a pre or post Trick or Treat pick–me–up, you can make some  delicious pumpkin muffins.  Check out how to make our great pumpkin muffin recipe from TSG Apple cake.

4. Pumpkin Roll Recipe:For those feeling more creative, prepare a delicious pumpkin roll

5.Heat up some cider laced with cinnamon and have a warm October evening full of memories that will be sure to give you goose bumps!

One of my favorite sources for quirky facts and the history of food is the Nibble, an online magazine, where I found today’s cause for celebration–National Pumpkin Day!

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