Pumpkins are a traditional part of autumn in North America and are regarded as a symbol for Thanksgiving meals in Canada and the US as well as used for decorations around Halloween. They have been around for thousands of years in our continent, and are one of its oldest domesticated plants. They can be cooked in pies, soups, made in tea, or carved to make jack-o’-lanterns! Here are some ideas of how to use them this fall:
- Turn them in a board game! This is a great idea if you have kids: Use chalkboard paint and letter stickers through the whole pumpkin to turn it into a seasonal word search. Give them a piece of chalk and let them find all the hidden words around it!
- Make Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate: stir together 3 cups of milk, 1 cup pumpkin puree, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. cloves, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and 1 tsp. vanilla in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add in 4 oz. white chocolate, chopped, then top with whipped cream in a mug.
- Use it as a keg! Hollow pumpkins can be used to serve food or drink by scooping out all its innards and seeds and using a coring tool or knife to make a hole 2-3” above the bottom of the pumpkin. Insert a tap in the hole made and fill the pumpkin with your preferred drink like punch, beer or sangria!
- Use as a Planter: Take a hollow pumpkin and fill it with dirt and fill it around one-third or half full. Choose your favorite plant, remove them from their nursery containers, set them on top of the soil and watch them grow!
Pumpkins are definitely one of the coolest and most recognized emblems of the Halloween season. How will you be using your pumpkins this year?
