Neighborhood Kids family fun in bellingham & whatcom county

Get Creative with Your Pumpkins This Fall

Now that you’ve made your trek to a Whatcom County farm for a u-pick pumpkin, what are you going to do with your bountiful harvest? If you’re looking for ideas, here are a few creative suggestions of pumpkin uses for your Halloween celebrations!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

What creative plans do you have your pumpkins?
Photo by Theresa Carpine

Pie, bread, muffins, cookies, scones, soup—there are limitless tasty treats to enjoy with the yummy flesh of America’s favorite autumn squash. Halve pumpkins, scoop out the seeds and pulp, roast (cut side down) at 350˚ F in an ¼ inch of water for at least 60 minutes, scoop out pumpkin from shells, mash in a food processer, strain excess liquid, and use the result for all your baking needs this fall.

Pumpkin Painting

Carving jack-o-lanterns can be a lackluster activity for little kids who can’t yet wield a knife. Instead of carving pumpkins, get a few small pumpkins and use acrylic paint to make fun faces and designs on the pumpkins. Make sure the pumpkin’s surface is clean, but don’t let the blossom end get wet or the pumpkin will rot quickly. Another idea is to use a black Sharpie, after the paint has dried, to outline your faces for a cartoon-like look.

Jack-o-Lantern Man

Building a man out of pumpkins might not be quite as fun as rolling snow, but a Jack-o-Lantern Man will make your Halloween porch display a little more memorable. You’ll need a large, a medium, and a small pumpkin to stack; cut holes in the top and bottom of the large and medium pumpkins and secure them together by putting them over a stake in a bale of straw. You can just carve the face on the top pumpkin and dress the rest of the pumpkins like a scarecrow, or carve clothes and shoes on the lower pumpkins too. Use a strand of white holiday lights in each pumpkin, rather than a candle, to light it up.

What are your plans for pumpkins this fall? Leave a comment and let us know?