Fright Night

So it’s Halloween, my favourite holiday and time for some spooky treats.  Well, not really that spooky to be honest.  Just using up left over pumpkins.

A few years ago, my little sister introduced me to the idea of using templates to carve pumpkins.  A revelation which made me forsake the basic face pumpkin forever.  I downloaded the templates online.  A quick google image search will turn up a whole raft of options.  Cut the template to size and tape it to the hollowed out pumpkin.  Then using a skewer push through the paper into the flesh of the pumpkin, following the lines of the template.  Remove the paper and start to carve round the outline.  Carve the most delicate parts first.

The Very Tolerant Boyfriend rebelled against my "no faces" regime, and free-styled a very good pumpkin face.  I think he might just be more creative than me.

Normally I am terrible for throwing away the inside of the pumpkins.  This year I roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Wash all the residual flesh from the seeds, toss them in paprika, olive oil, salt and maybe some cumin and then roast them at 150 degrees for an hour.  Once they’ve cooled they’re a delicious tasty treat which the Very Tolerant Boyfriend has become quite addicted to.  Probably because he’s been forced to give up crisps for Stoptober. 

Speaking of Stoptober, the month is very nearly at its end so there should be a slew of cakes coming the way of this blog fairly shortly.  The Very Tolerant Boyfriend and I are going to celebrate surviving by having Not Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nicks – Cakes and Cocktails.