Fall has officially started and pumpkins are back. The CU Independent has compiled a few ideas on what to do with your favorite globular yellow-orange fruit. It may get messy and sticky, but pumpkins are extremely versatile.
So get creative and have fun pumpkinizing your life.
Pumpkin patch adventure
Munson Farms has a great pumpkin patch right in Boulder. Just 10 minutes away, between 75th Street and Valmont Road, Munson Farms is your neighborhood one-stop shop for pumpkin picking.
Carve ‘em
Carving pumpkins has been a tradition for centuries stemming from the Celts in Ireland. Instead of the pumpkin, people would carve scary faces into potatoes and turnips and put them in windows to scare away demons. Now it has evolved into a fall tradition where people carve all kinds of images, from scary faces to animals and popular movie characters. So get that big orange orb and carve something mysterious, fanatical or just plain goofy. Get unusual ideas from the 2011 carving contest winners at extremepumpkins.com.
Pumpkin treats. Using a pumpkin for seasonal treats is quite delectable. Pureed pumpkin can make an amazing butter, scrumptious pumpkin bread, and even beer. All of which would make any meal complete. Check out pumpkinrecipes.com for a ridiculously long list of every pumpkin recipe imaginable.
Don’t waste the seeds. Another way to use the leftover gooey mess of seeds from carving pumpkins is to bake them. You can bake them with a variety of spices including sea salt, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar and more. Pumpkin seeds are packed full of fiber, zinc, boot your metabolism and give you energy.
A pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin bread from Starbucks. (CU Independent Photo Illustration/Kristy Gustafson)
Fall-flavored coffee. A fall favorite at Starbucks is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This latte embraces fall by bringing a sweet, warm, nutmeg and pumpkin taste to your morning coffee. Topped with whipped cream and pumpkin flavoring the Pumpkin Spice Latte is a must try. Pair it with pumpkin bread and you have one tasty fall treat.
Harry Potter-style. For Harry Potter fans out there, whip out your wands and give pumpkin juice a try. Take this recipe from www.mugglenet.com.
Pampered by pumpkins. Pumpkins are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin A making it not only a treat for your taste buds but for your skin as well. A pumpkin scrub may enrich sensitive or sun-damaged skin to replenish the nutrients and heal it. Look for pumpkin scrubs in local beauty shops.
Smashing pumpkins, literally. Now if you’re not into carving, baking, or using a pumpkin for really anything decorative, they also make great entertainment. Pumpkin splattering and catapulting is an alternative to traditional pumpkin uses. Generally splattered in open areas with anything from baseball bats, fireworks or by use of handmade to high-tech catapults. When splattering pumpkins, be smart. Don’t splatter in a public area, near children or while intoxicated.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Crystal Anderson at Crystal.anderson@colorado.edu.
