Pumpkin Carving!

Last week we carved pumpkins at Christ Way M.B. Church. We had 30 pumpkins donated by Hyde Park Produce that we carved just in time for the Halloween season! Though things got a bit messy, we learned a lot about food waste and food preparation (and carved some pretty cool jack-o-lanterns, too!). It was a process with several steps...





We pulled out the insides of the pumpkins...













...and separated the insides that we will use to make soup next month...













...from the seeds that we roasted the next day!













The roasted seeds were a big hit all around, and we managed to make enough to share with everyone in the church that afternoon.

We learned about ways to use the WHOLE pumpkin instead of throwing the rest away after we've had fun carving them. Below is a pretty easy recipe we used for roasting the seeds that worked well for us, courtesy of allrecipes.com:

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.



We hope you try it for yourself! We had a lot of fun learning how to use the whole pumpkin and enjoyed eating the seeds. Just make sure you use your kitchen safety skills (like washing your hands and using protective devices when removing hot items from the oven) and always ask an adult for help if you need it!

The whole pumpkin-carving crew:













Some kids from the program wanted to share their experiences:





We was cutting pumpkins so that we made pumpkins and was making pumpkin seeds. I really like helping out with Chris because it feels like home.
Theresa Speights, age 8 (left)

I learned to cut pumpkins and my favorite part was that I learned good.
Hajai Speights, age 6 (right)








I really liked helping Chris bake pumpkin seeds. First I washed my hands, then I helped clean the orange insides out of the seeds. Then I helped put them on a separate plate. Next I helped prepare the soup for us to eat. Finally, we ate pumpkin seeds. I really really like when Chris helps the kids do different activities.
Shania Price, age 9 (left)





I really really like doing it too!

Until next time,
Chris