I just carved my pumpkin this afternoon (with elf ears!) and my roommate is roasting the seeds. Usually I throw them out because they're gross and gooey, but they actually smell pretty good.
The trick with the seeds is long slow roasting, IMO. Gets 'em nice and crisp all through. (And I don't mind poking through the glop to get the seeds, myself.) Yum.
I would actually very much like to carve a pumpkin, but we have literally nowhere to put one, not even in a window (we have windows, of course, they're just not pumpkin-display-friendly). And we're in an apt building with no kids here (that I know of), so no trick-or-treating. There's a law-school sponsored Halloween party with costumes, but that's way up in campus town, and starts at some ungodly hour like at 10 pm (I am so old!), so it ain't going to happen. I think we're going to make something special to eat in honor of our recently-deceased black cat, and that's it. But under other circumstances I'd enjoy celebrating the holiday more.
Yeah, the years I lived in various apartments I generally didn't do much to celebrate. This year will probably be the most in I don't know how long; there's a neighborhood event in the afternoon to which we're semi-planning to go, with a little parade to the local park, and potluck snacks, and a costume contest (I might actually participate in that). No big evening parties though, just handing out candy.
Actually come to think of it I did usually carve a pumpkin when I was in apartments, just to be able to roast the seeds! *is greedy*
I'm with someone who's British, so this candy holiday is one he's not too terribly into. I like it, though, if only for the candy. *grin*
I'm not sure I'm really going to hand out candy, really, but I do like the pumpkin seeds and I like carving the pumpkins. I don't know what I'll carve in, this year. Maybe a ball of yarn?
Heh. My SO is going to carve one of ours; he did Obama last year, not sure what he'll pick this year except that I'm pretty sure he plans to use a stencil again.
I always do one with the same face I've carved since I was a kid. *g* Boring, that's me!
There's not usually much pumpkin-carving here in the UK, though quite a few supermarkets now sell carving sets with the tools and some stencils; one (half-American) friend of mine does carve at least one a year, but most people don't. Ditto Hallowe'en - 'trick or treat' is seen as an 'American import', so while there is some, there isn't much.
The last time I did something resembling 'trick or treating', several years ago, a group of us went out in costume and reversed the technique by forcing bags of sweets on unsuspecting householders...
*nods* I know it's not much celebrated elsewhere (Canada, I think, but not outside North America, not in the same way).
The last time I did something resembling 'trick or treating', several years ago, a group of us went out in costume and reversed the technique by forcing bags of sweets on unsuspecting householders...
That was also the year we completely freaked out two young trick-or-treaters who came round...
A friend, B, was being sewn into his Cthulhu outfit by his wife - six feet tall, big bulbous tentacled head with googly eyes - when the doorbell rang.
Rrrrring! Rrrrring! Kids: "Trick or treee-eeat, trick or treee-eeat...!!" [B turns round, opens door] B: "YES?" [in deep bass growl] Kids: "Trick or treee...AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" [scurry of little feet hot-footing it FAST away from the door] {INSIDE: Much Laughter]
Around our (UK, England) street (which is a circle around a sort of mini-village-green) of about 50 houses, probably at least 6 or 10 houses put pumpkins out - we use it as a signal that we're visitable for trick-or-treating, so will have a bowl of sweets out. (One year I was really mean and filled it with healthier options like nuts-and-raisins instead, which funnily enough didn't go down nearly so fast!)
My next-door neighbour is an education officer at the local Natural History Museum, and usually borrows props from the museum to good effect; last year, trick-or-treaters who knocked on their door were greeted by Chris, with his pet Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches crawling all over his shirt, holding out a skull with a flip-up top and announcing "of course you can have some sweets! Just come and take them out of Grandad here..." You could track the progress of the teenagers round the Crescent by when the squeals of horror started up!
The "when do you carve" must come with an explanation: our region schedules trick-or-treating. Different towns have it on different days. Our town always gets the Friday before Halloween. We tend to carve the pumpkin that afternoon, although occasionally we'll be organized enough to do it the day before. But, anyway, we usually carve on trick-or-treat night, but that's not necessarily Halloween. :P
Also, whether we compost the pumpkin or toss it depends on how gross it is (and whether we'd be able to get it back to the composter before it disintegrated), and whether there's wax and stuff on it, I suppose.
They also limit the time: 6-8pm on our designated day. I suppose it allows them to keep things safer because the entire community isn't all out at once. On the other hand, kids can skip around to different towns and basically trick-or-treat for a bunch of days in a row. :P I'm used to it now, but it IS definitely weird, and I always feel strange seeing other people post about Halloween on the actual day, because for us, the day has already passed us by.
Most years I'm likely to carve the night before since if Halloween is on a weeknight/worknight, I don't have time to carve that day. But since this year it's Saturday, though I might gut the night before, I'll probably carve Saturday.
I remember you saying something about that scheduled trick-or-treating last year, and I agree with ADM, I think it's weird. *shrugs* I'm sure they feel they have good reason, but it's still weird.
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Actually come to think of it I did usually carve a pumpkin when I was in apartments, just to be able to roast the seeds! *is greedy*
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I'm not sure I'm really going to hand out candy, really, but I do like the pumpkin seeds and I like carving the pumpkins. I don't know what I'll carve in, this year. Maybe a ball of yarn?
*ponder*
Stasia
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I always do one with the same face I've carved since I was a kid. *g* Boring, that's me!
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The last time I did something resembling 'trick or treating', several years ago, a group of us went out in costume and reversed the technique by forcing bags of sweets on unsuspecting householders...
Reply
The last time I did something resembling 'trick or treating', several years ago, a group of us went out in costume and reversed the technique by forcing bags of sweets on unsuspecting householders...
LOL, I like that!
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A friend, B, was being sewn into his Cthulhu outfit by his wife - six feet tall, big bulbous tentacled head with googly eyes - when the doorbell rang.
Rrrrring! Rrrrring!
Kids: "Trick or treee-eeat, trick or treee-eeat...!!"
[B turns round, opens door]
B: "YES?" [in deep bass growl]
Kids: "Trick or treee...AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" [scurry of little feet hot-footing it FAST away from the door]
{INSIDE: Much Laughter]
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My next-door neighbour is an education officer at the local Natural History Museum, and usually borrows props from the museum to good effect; last year, trick-or-treaters who knocked on their door were greeted by Chris, with his pet Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches crawling all over his shirt, holding out a skull with a flip-up top and announcing "of course you can have some sweets! Just come and take them out of Grandad here..." You could track the progress of the teenagers round the Crescent by when the squeals of horror started up!
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Also, whether we compost the pumpkin or toss it depends on how gross it is (and whether we'd be able to get it back to the composter before it disintegrated), and whether there's wax and stuff on it, I suppose.
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I remember you saying something about that scheduled trick-or-treating last year, and I agree with ADM, I think it's weird. *shrugs* I'm sure they feel they have good reason, but it's still weird.
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