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According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer. The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember. -- Jerry Wilson |
FUN PARTY IDEA - Have a "Pumpkin Carving Party" -
During a recent online
chat with Snoo, she told me how she's having her 2nd annual carving
party this year,
for her 10 year old daughter and about 5 friends.... I thought, what
an adorable idea!
Make
sure you have plenty of pumpkins for everyone, and all the tools necessary.
Include
scrapers, spoons of all sizes, varied knives (depending on the
ages of your guests), chisels,
straight pins, nails, construction paper, yarn, spaghetti works well
for spiky hair - uncooked of course,
Keep
the mess in check with plenty of Halloween plastic tablecloths on the
tables and floor.
Provide
plenty of bowls or trash bags to hold the stringy "guts".
If
anyone's inspired, have them clean and roast the seeds from all the
pumpkins during the party.
Simple
Halloween decor is all you need - the real star of the party is the
jack o'lanterns!
Encourage
children to wear washable clothes,
no costumes are required for this simple halloween-time party
The
carved pumpkins are perfect favors for everyone to take home,
or to plan the party on a budget, have everyone B.Y.O.P. bring your
own pumpkin!
Or, provide all the pumpkins and require that the guests stop by halloween
night to see their creation on display in your yard.
How's that for some free halloween labor trickery? ~ nancy
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Jack o' Lanterns Extravaganza Tips and tricks. |
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Paint six 2-litre bottles to look
like candy corn, and fill them half-full of water. Set up bales
of hay for the edges of the "lane" ... Choose pumpkins that are small to medium, and somewhat roundish. Give contestants a choice, and you'll need a few extra pumpkins, in case of breakage. Let the kids roll pumpkins toward the bottles, and if they knock over all of them, they win a prize! |
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Pirates Of The Caribbean Pumpkin Carving Kit
Spirit of Halloween: Pumpkin Carving Patterns
Extreme Pumpkin Carving 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous
(Paperback)
Country Living Pumpkin Chic: Decorating With Pumpkins And Gourds (Paperback)
Topperscot Michigan St. Spartans Pumpkin Carving Kit
and many other officially licensed sports teams Oklahoma Sooners, Detroit
Lions,
Georgia Bulldogs, Pittsburg Steelers, Oakland Raiders, and many many
more
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CARVING
STENCILS:
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more stencils: Free pumpkin carving stencils, directions, and even myspace layouts, at Hershey' Trick or Treats.com The Green Man, The Hanging Tree, Skeleclown and many more free patterns The Rock N' Roll Heaven Collection Pumpkin Patterns Kraft Foods - Free Pumpkin Stencils SpookMaster
- Online Pumpkin Carving Patterns
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How To Carve A Pumpkin For Halloween
Success starts with selecting your design Before even thinking about buying or picking your Halloween pumpkin from the local pumpkin patch, you need to plan the design. You can take the easy way out and buy ready-made pumpkin stencils, or you can design your own. There are some great on-line sources for free Halloween stencils that you can download and use, or you can hand sketch it. Here are two great places to grab some nice designs. If you’re looking for a really unusual stencil, here’s one that will drive you bats! I’ll cover how to transfer the pumpkin stencil to your favorite pumpkin after we take a look at actually selecting the pumpkin. How to pick the perfect pumpkin The pumpkin’s shape and size will determine what type of patterns and designs you can use. If you are using pumpkin carving stencils then it is essential to purchase a pumpkin that matches the stencil’s size requirements. If you don’t plan on using a stencil then make sure that your pumpkin is tall and wide enough for the free-hand design that you have in mind. Look for a pumpkin that’s not too ripe. It should be the right color orange and not have any soft spots or bruises. Look for a sturdy stem and never, ever lift the pumpkin by the stem. Sturdy or not, it’s a short trip from “nice pumpkin” to splat. Hold the pumpkin and smell it around the stem and top. If it smells very strong and “pumpkiny” then there is a chance that it’s too ripe, pass it up and look for another. Thump the pumpkin and listen for a solid “thunk”. A hollow sound is bad news. Carry your pumpkin carefully and transport it home safely. A bruised pumpkin rots quickly and might not make it through the Halloween season. How to prepare the pumpkin for its coming facelift 1. Cut a circle around the top of the pumpkin without damaging
the stem.
1. Wipe the outside of the pumpkin so that it is free of dust and other foreign material. If you need to wipe it down with a wet rag, allow it to become thoroughly dry before proceeding to the next step. 2. Tape the stencil to the side of the pumpkin that you have chosen to be the face. Tape the top left corner first, then the top right, bottom left and then bottom right. Smooth the stencil out as you are taping it. If you have to crease the stencil to make it lie flat then be sure to pick areas that are not part of the design. 3. Using an ice pick or a pin-point punch awl, gently poke holes through the stencil and into the pumpkin. Follow the lines of the stencil carefully. It’s a lot like paying connect-the-dots games. Space the dots out however you see fit but remember that very complex designs are easier to work with if the holes are close together. 4. Check carefully to make sure that you have transferred the entire pattern and then remove the stencil. Keep the stencil handy to refer to in case you get confused while cutting. Time to put your patient under the knife Although many a pumpkin has fallen under the standard kitchen knife, it’s both the wrong tool and a very dangerous tool for pumpkin carving. For best results get yourself an X-Acto knife with a #5 knife blade and a #15 keyhole saw. See your home store for both items. Using the saw for long cuts and the X-Acto for the close-in and intricate cuts, just follow the pattern carefully and, before you know it, you’ll have the pride of the pumpkin patch right there on your table! Article from www.halloween-blog.com Halloween-Blog.com for great Halloween Ideas, fun holiday recipes, spooky horror movie reviews and more! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_G_Johnson |
More Jack O'Lantern History
An Irish tale tells us where the origins of the name
Jack o'lantern came from.
Mythical
Origins of Jack O'Lantern
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The
Amazing Rainbow Pumpkin Light
www.pumpkinlights.com
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IDEA
-We scrape the insides out of our pumpkins until the shell is almost
paper thin. The scrapings are then processed to make pies. The lid is
cut out and then using a large spoon held in the fist, the scraping
is done on the inside firmly until quite thin. The thin-shelled pumpkin
makes a great jack-o-lantern with its translucent hull and clever carving
of eyes, nose, and mouth. -- Edward W
IDEA - When I carved out
my pumpkin this year I took the seeds out and scattered them outside,
and and I watched the squirrels try to figure out what to do with them.
The crows knew what to do.
The smallers birds didn't give the pumpkin seeds time of day. It made
great fun for watching! -- Christiene Stevens
PUMPKIN PICKLES - This
a friend's family recipe, and it's quite informal. He uses leftover
Jack O'Lanterns.
Add to 2 cups sugar to 2 cups pickling vinegar, the finely minced zest
of 1 lemon or lime, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tbsp cloves, 1 tbsp finely
minced ginger.
Put it on the stove to boil. In the meantime, cut peeled pumpkin wedges
into bite-sized chunks -- maybe 1/2 inch by 1 inch? your choice.
When the vinegar mixture is boiling, put in the pumpkin chunks. Keep
it at a rolling boil.
When the pumpkin is a bit transparent around the edges & appears cooked
to your taste, take it off the stove.
Pour into clean jars, cover & refrigerate when cool.
I don't think that the vinegar or the processing is enough to preserve
the pumpkin without refrigeration.
It last quite a while in the fridge, but we usually eat it first! --
Alexis
HELPFUL
HINTS - Please be careful if you use carved Halloween pumpkins
for cooking ... Making pies out of your jack-o'lanterns is fine, as
long as you follow these guidelines:
1. You should carve them less than 24 hours before cooking them.
2. They should be kept at low temperatures outside, below 50 degrees
F.
3. You should be careful to scrape out the candle wax!
4. You need to rinse them carefully and cut away burned bits.
Cut the pumpkins into chunks, at least 4 chunks per pumpkin. Discard
the stem. Scrape out the seeds and stringy material and discard (or
rinse and then toast the seeds in the oven and eat them). Caution: Do
not attempt to put stringy pumpkin guts in your sink disposal! There
are two ways to cook the pumpkin chunks: Bake the chunks, skin side
up, on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for one hour. Alternatively,
simmer the chunks in large pot for one hour. Careful: badly overcooked
pumpkin, especially when boiled, disintegrates easily. Remove pumpkin
chunks from the heat or the pot of water and let cool. When they are
warm yet cool enough to handle, scrape the meat from the skin, and discard
the skin. Mound all the pumpkin into a bowl. If you have extra pumpkin
when you're done making pies. It's unavoidable, because it's very hard
to tell exactly how much cooked pumpkin a raw pumpkin will give you.
Here are some ideas for using it up:
- Place it in a casserole dish, top with margarine or cheese, and bake
for 20 minutes or until the cheese is brown. Serve as a side dish.
- Make an easy stew-like soup out of it.
- Use it in any recipe calling for squash, or use it in ravioli or lasagna
as a substitute for cheese.
- Add a few tablespoons to bread or cookies.
- Freeze it immediately after cooking and use in future recipes.
-- Copyright 1995 by M. L. Grant.
Toasted
Pumpkin Seeds
a great use for those slimy seeds-
and a special treat for your "carving party"
Wash and dry the pumpkin seeds.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the seeds single layer on the cookie
sheet.
Sprinkle the seeds with salt or your favorite spices.
Bake the seeds for approximately 30 minutes or until the seeds are golden
brown.
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Candied
Pumpkin Seeds 2 cups raw fresh pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried Preheat oven to 450, spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until slightly darkened and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat. Stir together molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl, set aside. Pour a 1/4 cup water into a small heavy-bottom saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming. Immediately remove from heat. Gently stir in molasses mixture; add pumpkin seeds, stirring just to coat. Working quickly, pour mixture onto lined baking sheet. Spread into an even layer with two wooden spoons. Let cool completely. Break into pieces. Enjoy! |
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Ever
consider using artificial carvable pumpkins
for your Autumn and Halloween displays? 
Pumpkin
Bowling
I have a collected
Now
it’s time to transfer the stencil
