It's All About The Pumpkin

An Uncarved Pumpkin Is Just A Big Squash

Nothing says “Halloween” like a good pumpkin and carving pumpkins has become high-art thanks to Martha Stewart and the Food Network. Even if you aren’t planning to be the next Michelangelo of the Pumpkin world, having the right tools is essential – not only for great results, but for safety. Any carving tools you use should be sharp, flexible, thin and sturdy enough to get the job done right. 

I don’t recommend any of the plastic carving kits for several reasons: they are really small and very flimsy. I am a professional chef trained in knife skills and I can’t tell you how many times I have either cut myself or broken the “tools” in half; they don’t last and you will have to buy as many kits as you have carvers; it takes longer and is more difficult to produce good results.

Most of what you will need you probably have in your kitchen or tool kit. You can purchase anything you might need online by clicking on the links. The basics are listed below and generally won't cost you more that $25.00. More expensive items have multiple uses and are worth the investment for year-round projects.

Boning Knife: Use this long, thin bladed knife to cut the top hole and any large pieces out of the face of the pumpkin.

Paring Knife: For detail work. A very thin blade works best – you can work the edge on a sharpening stone to get a finer blade.

Sharpening Stone: Knives work best when sharp, and are actually safer because they require less force to make the necessary cuts. It’s a good idea to sharpen your knives before and often during pumpkin carving. Be sure to follow the instruction that come with the sharpening stone.

Cutting Saw: This tool is good for carving in general and can be used in place of a boning knife if you prefer to keep yours in the kitchen. 

Poker Tool: Very useful to outline your design on the face of the pumpkin before you start any major cutting. An ice pick, nail or even a pointy-ended screwdriver make great Poker Tools.

Patterns: You can design them yourself on paper or on your computer, download pre-made ones or buy them.

"Gutting" Spoons: An ice-cream scoop, fruit scraper, and a large metal spoon or ladle work great together to scrap the inside of the pumpkin to remove the “guts” of your pumpkin.

Wood Carving Tool Kit: Might be a little over the top, but if you’re really into pumpkin design and other year-round crafts you’ll find that these kits are indispensable.

Dremel Drills: Definitely way over the top, but who doesn’t love power-tools? I know I do!

Tool Box: Something to keep all of your pumpkin carving tools in insures that they stay together and you can find them when the time comes. You will probably find that you will use these tools throughout the year. Even if you are just going to use them for Halloween, it's best to keep them protected and safe from the prying eyes and fingers of little ones.

Candles: I may be old-school, but I prefer using candles in my pumpkin because they give off a nice glow and I like the smell of slightly burnt pumpkin (weird, I know). Votive candles, placed in clear glass candle holders are safer and last longer. Plain white candles give off the most light. There are lots of options for battery-operated candles - some even have remote-control or timers so you can easily set them to go on and off nightly throughout the Halloween season.

Safety: Remember, any fire, no matter how small or protected has the potential for becoming a large and potentially disastrous one. Fire safety should always be the number one priority. Never leave a lit candle unsupervised. Have a fire extinguisher readily available and see that everyone knows how to use it. Never leave children unattended with a lit pumpkin, candles or other source of fire.

Tool Care: If you take good care of your carving tools they'll last a long time, if not a lifetime. Always clean your tools after you use them, and then store them all together for the next Halloween. Care should be taken not to bend knife blades or carving saw blades. Carving blades are very thin and sometimes brittle, and can be particularly subject to breaking.

There are lots of little kids in my neighborhood so I shouldn’t be a surprise to see that their parent’s have started to bust out the Halloween décor, but I am surprised to see real pumpkins sprouting up on their doorsteps. It’s still well above 100 degrees here and I don’t know how long these early pumpkins will last. On the bright side the Arizona pumpkin sellers are probably going to have a very good year. 

PS: Thanks to my neighbors Stephanie, John & Abbey for letting me take this photo of their pumpkin!

Rice Krispies Ghost Treats

For some reason I've been thinking a lot about Rice Krispie Treats lately. This may have to do with the fact that I'm on a strict diet or Kellogg's is doing one heck of a good job marketing their pre-made versions as they seem to be everywhere I go. Or maybe I'm just hungry.

Whatever the reason, I went to the Kellogg's website to check out nutrition facts thinking that I could probably eat just one...and I found this recipe for coconut ghost treats. They are so cute and they're only 140 calories. I'm definitely going to have to make these soon.

Coconut Ghost Treats™

* 3 tablespoons butter or margarine

* 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows

* - or -

* 4 cups miniature marshmallows

* 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

* Flaked coconut

* Canned frosting or decorating gel

* Assorted candies

Directions

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using 1/2-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into ghost shape. Cool. Decorate with coconut, frosting and/or candies. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Total Time: 40 minutes / Servings: 12

®, ™, © 2010 Kellogg NA Co. Kellogg Kitchens® recipes are the property of the Kellogg Company.

Getting That Halloween Spirit

September 23 was officially the first day of fall and in many parts of the world the weather has already begun to turn fall-like. The evenings are cooler and the leaves may just be turning red and orange. You can even smell the change of seasons in the air. Some of us live in climates that aren't quite ready to give up their hold on summer.

Here in Arizona we are expecting "near record highs" all week. I actually don't care if it's a record or "near" a record, 106 degrees is HOT! It's hard to embrace the fall season when I'm still jumping in the pool to cool off. For some inspiration I pulled out my pumpkin-scented candles and found this fun little pumpkin carving game on the internet. If I turn the AC up high enough I might even have a steaming hot cup of apple cider with cinnamon....

Try out your design skills with this fun little treat and if you'd like a little pumpkin spice aroma yourself, try the Yankee Candle Pumpkin Pie 22oz Jar - it smells so good you'll want to eat it - but don't!

Gettting Ready For The 2010 Holiday Season

Now that September is (almost) behind us it's a good idea to start thinking about the next few months and all of the holidays, birthdays, celebrations and parties that are going to be coming up fast and furious. A good game plan and some well thought out lists can help you make the most of your time and (hopefully) effortless holiday season without breaking the bank.

It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas but you shouldn't forget about Halloween or Thanksgiving. Oh, and don't forget to include thinking about yourself: a great overall plan includes your health and fitness goals as well - this way you can be at or near your personal goal weight so you can enjoy all those wonderful holiday meals and parties without fear of gaining weight, getting out of shape or feeling guilty.

(BTW: September/October is a GREAT time to be on a diet and (re)start working out: if you think about it: the only major stumbling block you are going to encounter until Thanksgiving is all of those mini-candy bars at Halloween.and if you play your cards right, you can have a few guilt-free pieces mini Snickers or Almond Joys.

Here is my personal (incomplete) list of how I plan to lose weight, stay healthy and plan for the 2010 Holiday Season that you can lean on to make your season fun, festive, budget-friendly and above all, simple:

• Lose those 15 pounds (finally) - diet, exercise (this is always on my list, but this year I AM going to do it!)
• Budget, Budget, Budget
• Halloween - costumes, candy, party, theme, menu, decor, guest list
• Thanksgiving - guest list, menu, decor
• Christmas - travel arrangements, dinner menus, recipes, decor, guest lists (if you plan to have a Christmas party or open house), Christmas cards (write/send), gift lists 
• Drill down on  who, what and how much you are going to spend this holiday season some ideas are listed below but feel free to add your own ideas too:
• major ticket items
• home-made gifts 
• charitable donations and volunteering
• stocking-stuffers
• co-workers
• hostess gifts
• anything else you can think of where/when you will need to give someone a little - or big - something
• Holiday events/parties that you will have to schedule for school, work, family and/or friends
• Pets - don't forget about about Buddy and making sure that he is well-groomed and has a few of his own treats under the tree

Looking over this list it might seem over-whelming, but don't worry, these events happen every year and even without a game plan you've made them work!  Hopefully this year you can lean on my 20 years of experience as a chef and event planner to help you make it all simple and fun!