PageDump: Pumpkin Carving 101

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!!Materials Needed
----
A pumpkin<br>
Old newspaper<br>
A large knife (sturdy and flexible)<br>
A large spoon <br>
Trash can<br>
Votive candles or tealights<br>
Pencil or felt tip pen<br>

<br>

!!Step-By-Step Description
----
Pumpkins come in all different shapes in sizes: round, oblong,
skinny, fat or a mixture of the whole lot.   Pumpkins can be found at
grocery stores, all-purpose stores, at your local pumpkin patch, or on
your neighbor’s front porch.  It may be helpful to start with a design
in mind, so you know what type of pumpkin to look for.  Finding a
pumpkin takes very little time, just make sure that the pumpkin is
large enough to carve and free of any mold and bruises.  Pumpkins
with darker colored skin are harder to carve, but generally last
longer.  Pumpkins with lighter skin have softer shells and are a
neccessity for kids.  Once you have found your perfect pumpkin, the
carving can begin.

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!!Setup
Cover your table with newspaper.  Pumpkin carving can get very messy
and nobody likes sticky pumpkin residue glued to their table for
weeks.

It is up to you to decide the orientation of your pumpkin because
pumpkins can go all different ways.  The most common method of
orientation is to have the pumpkin stem pointed directly upwards.  
If you like to be a little more creative, try using the stem as a
nose or the bottom of the pumpkin as a mouth.

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!!Carve the Lid
The first incision of your pumpkin is to allow yourself access into
the middle of the pumpkin.   Most people make this incision on the
top of the pumpkin by carving a circle around the stem.   The more
irregular the shape you make, the easier it will be to fit the piece
of the pumpkin back in at a later time.   Make sure that the opening
you are carving is large enough to allow your hands to fit into the
middle of the pumpkin.

Once you have access into the inside of the pumpkin, clean out the
seeds and pulp with a large spoon.   If you are feeling hungry, you
can pick out the pumpkin seeds and follow this recipe.<br><br>
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!!Quick Pumpkin Seed Recipe
Separate and rinse the seeds from the pumpkin pulp.   Preheat the
oven to 400°F.   Boil the seeds in a saucepan with 4 cups of water
per 1 cup of seeds.  For each cup of water, add a tablespoon of salt.
  Allow the water to boil with seeds for 10 minutes.   (Boiling the
seeds in salt water allows the seeds to absorb the salt and makes
them delicious.)   Spread olive oil over the bottom of a cookie
sheet, no more than a couple tablespoons.   Spread the seeds onto the
cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until the seeds have
turned golden brown.  Allow the seeds to cool before eating.

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!!Carve the Face
Now it is time for the most crucial part of the pumpking carving
process:  carving the facial features of the pumpkin.  _Freestyle
carving_ is the practice in which a person carves without assistance
from tracing or a pattern.  Many expert pumpkin carvers trace their
design onto the pumpkin before they carve.   Tracing is a perfectly
acceptable practice in the world of carving, so go ahead and trace
the design onto your pumpkin.  If you are a beginning pumpkin carver,
try to make larger shapes for the pumpkin.  When using a big knife, it
can be difficult to cut out tiny parts of a pumpkin.

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hspace=5 vspace=5 pop=yes]Carving the facial features of a pumpkin
can become quite tiresome.  It is always good to take a break. 
Remember, pumpkin carving is supposed to be fun…so carve at your own
pace.  When you have finished carving your pumpkin, it is time to
clean up the inevitable mess.   Perhaps by this time, you have
finished baking your pumpkin seeds and you can enjoy the salty reward
of your hard work.

*If you coat the cut areas of the pumpkin with regular olive oil (not
extra virgin) or with petroleum jelly, this will prevent dehydration
and will double the life span of the pumpkin.

!!Put your Pumpkin on Display
Find a location to place your pumpkin, your front porch, the entryway
or even as a center piece.  Throw in a couple of tea-light candles and
you are ready for Halloween.


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!!Links and ideas
----
<br><br>

Here are some creative pumpkin ideas from [Extreme Pumpkins. |
http://www.extremepumpkins.com/]

The Cannibal Pumpkin

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The Witch Pumpkin

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The Electrocution Pumpkin

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<br>

[Free pumpkin carving patterns |
http://207.234.225.131/pumpkin-carving-patterns-pdf-files/spookmaster-free-pumpkin-carving-patterns.pdf]

[Pumpkin Games, Art, Science, Snacks for kids |
http://www.ecewebguide.com/preschool_themes/pumpkins/pumpkins.htm]

<br>Use that extra pumpkin:<br>

[Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes |
http://cupcakerecipes123.com/recipes/pumpkin-spice-cupcakes-with-nutmeg-cream-topping-3-pts]

[Pumpkin Bundt Cake |
http://bundt-cake.com/pumpkin-bundt-cake-recipe]