Throw a Pumpkin Carving Party!

Preparation:

-Cut large black garbage bags, separating the two sides. Line your table with the plastic and secure underneath with masking tape.

-Provide plenty of pumpkins, making sure there are at least one per person.

-For young children, provide lots of crafting materials to decorate their pumpkins such as crayons, markers, feathers, craft foam, sequins, glitter, glue, scissors, and paint.

-For adults(and those adults who might want to carve the children's pumpkins), provide plenty of tools. We recommend Pumpkin Masters for a great variety of pumpkin carving goodies.

-Place large bowls onto table to collect pumpkin seeds

Set the Mood:

Play a Halloween CD. Halloween Howls is a fun choice!

If you need more decorations, you can order inexpensive decorations from Oriental Trading Company up until October 30th for overnight shipping!

After everyone has carved and decorated their pumpkins, supply a tealight candle per pumpkin. Turn down the lights for ambiance, allowing the pumpkins to illuminate the room.

Serve dinner and watch a Halloween movie. Provided below are lists of suggested movies and a suggested dinner menu that celebrates the richness of the fall harvest!

If you have friends and/or family visiting, allow them to take their pumpkins home. A fun idea is to prepare a mini-goody bag with a few pieces of Halloween candy.

Movie Suggestions:

Appropriate For Younger Children--
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Garfield in Disguise
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Witches in Stitches
Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie
SpongeBob SquarePants - Halloween
Sesame Street - A Magical Halloween Adventure
Sesame Street - Elmo Says Boo
Max & Ruby's Halloween
Clifford the Big Red Dog: Clifford's Big Halloween
Barney's Halloween Party
Thomas and Friends: Halloween Adventures
Teletubbies: The Magic Pumpkin & Other Stories

Appropriate For Older Children--
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Corpse Bride
Monster House
Monster Night
Ernest Scared Stupid
Hocus Pocus
The Worst Witch

Suggested Menu:

Hot Apple Cider
Flavored Popcorn Balls
Butternut Squash Cream Soup
Grilled Pesto Prosciutto Sandwiches

Butternut Squash Cream Soup
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 lb. diced carrots
1-3 inches of fresh ginger (according to taste preference for ginger), grated
1 butternut squash
A small amount of olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste

First bake your butternut squash. To prepare squash, cut squash in half, length-wise. Scoop out seeds. Lightly brush the inside of the squash with olive oil. Place squash on a cookie sheet with the inside facing down. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. When it is finished, your squash will be tender. Scoop out the squash and discard the skin.

As your squash is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a large pot, cook onions and garlic on medium heat until onions are tender and translucent.

When your squash is finished baking, pour four cups of water into the pot. Add squash, carrots, and ginger. Continue to cook on medium heat for 45 minutes.

When finished, pour soup ingredients into a blender and puree.

Transfer to serving bowl. Add a few dashes of salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle 1/4 cup of heavy cream over the soup.

Grilled Pesto Prosciutto Sandwiches
Per sandwich, you will need the following:
2 Slices of hearty bread of your choice, such a sourdough
2 Fresh slices of mozzarella cheese
1 Slice of Prosciutto ham (a salt-cured ham; found at the deli counter or refrigerator section at the grocery store)
Store-bought pesto sauce (or you can make your own!)
2 Slices of tomato
Small amount of butter
Ground red pepper and salt, both to taste

Butter one side of two slices of a hearty bread of your choice.

Place the slices of bread onto a preheated griddle pan, butter-side down.

On one of the slices of bread, place slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.

On the remaining slice, spoon onto bread the pesto sauce and spread.

Over the mozzarella place a slice of prosciutto.

Sprinkle over pesto a light sprinkling of ground red pepper and a dash of salt.

Continue to cook until cheese is melted.

Before removing from griddle, place fresh slices of tomato over the prosciutto. Place pesto-covered bread onto the other slide to make your sandwich complete.

Cut in half and serve.