Jack-O-Lanterns

Jack-O-Lanterns are one of the more well-known symbols of Halloween. No matter where you go or what you do on Halloween, you are bound to see dozens of differently carved pumpkins. So join the frenzy and carve one for your own house as well. Here are some ideas on how to make your pumpkin this year unique.

Never know what to do with the Pumpkin guts? Hate throwing all the insides out? Then this year – don't. Put all the insides of your pumpkin to good use.

Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
2/3 c. cooked, mashed pumpkin
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ginger
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar, divided
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
Beat eggs 5 minutes at high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture and blend well. Spoon into a greased and floured 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Spread evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. turn cake onto a towel sprinkled with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Roll up cake and towel together. Cool. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Unroll cake and spread with filling. Roll cake again and chill, seam side down.
Serves 12.
(Recipe taken from 'alicia's recipes' at http://www.aliciasrecipes.com/pumpkin_recipes.htm)

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds (fresh)
2 tbsp. melted butter
Scoop out the seeds from a pumpkin. Wash the seeds. Put on paper towel to dry. Grease cookie sheet with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Spread seeds on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in 300 degree oven for 1 hour or until seeds are golden brown.
(Recipe taken from 'alicia's recipes' at http://www.aliciasrecipes.com/pumpkin_recipes.htm)

Leave the guts of the pumpkin inside and let them fall out of the mouth of your pumpkin to create the effect that the pumpkin is barfing. Check out a picture of this technique here

You use them when you IM all the time so why not put them on your pumpkins too?

You can find the stencils to this emoticon design and many more at www.jack-o-lantern.com or click on one of the following links. Just print them out, tape them on your pumpkin and carve out the grey areas.

Wink
Smile
Sad
Surprise
Scream

Stencils (like the ones you can use to create the emoticon effect) are helpful, especially if you're not the best artist in the world. Here are some directions to assure that your stenciling goes perfectly.

Directions:
1. Tape the paper stencil to the pumpkin.
2. Take note of what areas you are cutting out (the darker areas). Remember that Pumpkin pieces do not stand up on their own; they need to be connected if you want them to stay.
3. Poke Holes along the lines of the pumpkin stencil.
4. Remove the stencil.
5. Connect the dots with a detail knife (A detail knife would be best for this so that you can safely saw through the pumpkin but any knife will work fine).

Different stencils will be easier of harder so make sure you get one that you know you can do easily.

Easy Stencils:
Click here for and assortment of easy pumpkin stencils.

Medium Stencils:
Click here for to print out some medium stencils to use on your pumpkin.

Hard Stencils:
Click here for a harder stencil.

Hollywood Stencils
Click here for and awesome website with stencils depicting some of your favorite movies, TV and music stars.

You can also make your own stencils here where you can buy a program that allows you to upload pictures and transform them into a pumpkin stenciling format.