our 2012 pumpkins
(Food Waste Friday is over at Simply Being Mum this week.)
It's that time of year again! Just like last year, a couple of friends came over to help us do the carving.
I know I've mentioned this before, but if you're still carving pumpkins with paring knives, you really should buy a kit that has these little saws/knives.
They work SO much better than kitchen knives, and they allow you to make pretty detailed designs. Most stores carry the kits at this time of year (even Aldi does now. And the kits are just a few dollars there.)
If you want an extra carving kit (we own several so that we can carve multiple pumpkins at once), keep an eye out after October 31st because you might be able to find a great clearance deal.
The kits come with patterns, but they're usually witches/ghosts/bats and that sort of thing, which my kids aren't really into. So, we poke around online to find what we want.
Oh, did you want to see the pumpkins??
This year, the girls chose an Angry Bird (that one cracks me up!), a turtle, and a dolphin.
And you'll have to go to Joshua's blog to see a photo of his pumpkin (which doesn't sport an animal!)
We built a fire in our fire pit that same night. Do any of you eagle-eyed people recognize what we used for kindling?
Yup, clementine boxes!
They burn very nicely. And I'd rather use them like this than throw them away.
Marshmallow roasting is a good cause, after all.
Did you carve pumpkins yet? And have you become a carving kit convert like us?
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Joshua's 365 post: Supremacy
Love it! We've never used the kit, but you make a compelling case with those awesome jack-o-lanterns! We'll be doing our pumpkins this weekend! Can't wait. 🙂
http://amysreallife.wordpress.com
I like the little saw knives also and they practically give them away after Halloween. We also save clementine boxes to use in our fireplace if we don't need them for anything else.
Something very odd has happened to the pumpkins over in the UK this year. Not sure if it's linked to all the rain we've had, but they are orange and also green - as though they haven't ripened properly.
Last week's food waste friday situation - with me trying to ripen harvested tomatoes in the airing cupboard I believe is a similar thing. We just haven't had the sun this year!
I'm definitely going to be looking out for some after-halloween carving kits. Did ours tonight - and all the way through kept thinking....how much easier would it be with a small blade?
We'll be carving our pumpkins this weekend. The kids are excited. And yes, we've converted to the kits. They make the cutting a much smoother experience. 🙂 Absolutely love the turtle pumpking by the way. They are all gorgeous, but I have a soft spot for the turtle.
Hi Kristen,
The pumpkins are perfect! They did a great job.
I follow a blog named Satisfying Retirement and he asked his readers for suggestions on blogs for him to read. Your blog and Katy's were recommended and he gave both of you a shout out today. His address:
http://satisfyingretirement.blogspot.com/
Have a great weekend. Hope Sandy stays away this week. I'll be getting some of it tomorrow.
Patti
I used those little knives once and it broke right away! I haven't bought them since.
I also don't carve pumpkins all that often because a. I don't have kids and b. I hate, hate, HATE getting all that stuff out (except that I love roasted pumpkin seeds so it's a sad situation).
We wait to carve our pumpkins until Halloween itself, then I cook 'em up the next day and make pumpkin puree. It's become a fun dad+kids tradition to carve the pumpkins together before trick-or-treating!
We're carving our pumpkins tomorrow night; I'm so excited! We haven't done it in recent years because the little one was really young and it didn't seem to matter - especially since there is also zero trick-or-treating in my neighborhood. But yes, we also have one of those cheap-o pumpkin carving kids, and they're way superior to the standard paring knife-large spoon combination. At the very least, it's safer for those of us who might be a bit clumsy...
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/10/scientists-use-cadaver-hands-to-study-the-dangers-of-pumpkin-carving/
Is a scientific study of the kit's specialized pumpkin carving tools vs kitchen knives. As is suitable for Halloween, it's slightly gruesome - they used cadaver hands for the testing.
Oooh, that was kind of gross.
We always use the pumpkin carving kits! :~) They work so much better and really seem so much safer! I can let my kids "saw" their pumpkins without stressing too much!
Your jack-o-lanterns look great by the way!
I converted to a carving kit this year too and am so glad that I did. I have a history of getting cut with knives and ending up in the ER, so hubby was glad that I made the switch. 🙂 The little saws aren't that sturdy, so I make sure to be extra careful to not rush through cutting with them and let the teeth do the work. And the scraper works so much better than the big spoon that I used to use. My daughter approves of the angry bird by the way!
Just to say I am praying that you and yours will be ok as this storm hits the east coast. It sounds pretty dangerous from this side of the Atlantic.
Thank you! We're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
I'm hoping for the best too. My brother and sister in law live in New Jersey. Let us know how things are going as and when you can.
J x
The pumpkins look great! I miss those days! I'm envious that you are still able to have a bonfire, roast marshmallows, and wear flip flops outside!! Those day are history in my neck of the woods. Enjoy before Sandy make an appearance and stay safe!
Oh such lovely pictures! We don't really celebrate Halloween here in The Netherlands, although it is becoming more popular every year. If/when we're going to have kids I am definitely going to install this custom in my family.
Awesome pumpkins 🙂 Halloween is not as popular in Australia, but we are hosting a Halloween party next weekend, so have invested in giant pumpkin, which Mr Omnivore is planning to carve. Unfortunately I haven't seen pumpkin-carving kits here (yet!) so we will go the knife route, but hopefully they turn out looking as good as yours.