#1. Eat Them!

Pumpkin is a nutritious food to consume. They are low in fat and sodium and provides an excellent source of vitamin A and fiber. To prepare fresh pumpkin at home, wash the pumpkin and cut lengthwise. Remove the guts of the pumpkin and place it in a baking dish. Bake in the oven on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour or until tender. For some nutritional pumpkin recipes, check out the Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SNACK CAKE

• 1 (18.5 ounce) box Devil’s Food cake mix

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin or 2 cups fresh pumpkin (cooked and mashed)

1. Mix cake mix and pumpkin in a large bowl. Batter will be thick. 2. Spread batter into a greased 13 x 9 inch cake pan. 3. Bake according to cake mix package directions for a 13 x 9 inch pan. 4. Cool and cut into 15 pieces. OPTION: Try using other flavors of cake mix, such as spice or butter pecan. Cupcakes can also be made with this recipe.

NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: 140 calories; 2.5 g total fat; 1 g saturated fat; 0 g trans fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 260 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g protein; 30% Daily Value of vitamin A; 2% Daily Value of vitamin C; 4% Daily Value of calcium; 8% Daily Value of iron

Use fresh pumpkin in the Plate it up! Kentucky Proud recipes for the pumpkin apple muffins for breakfast or make fall spiced pumpkin bread to serve as a bread or dessert.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Ingredients: 

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1¼ cups honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups fresh pureed pumpkin
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 cups Granny Smith apples, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and spices. In a small bowl, combine honey, eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups, two-thirds full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 18 muffins

Note: Can substitute two cups granulated sugar for honey, decrease baking soda by ¼ teaspoon and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Nutritional Analysis: 200 calories, 7 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 3 g protein

Don’t forget that the pumpkin seeds can even be eaten too! Take the seeds and roast them in the oven. Add your favorite seasonings and you have a healthy snack or seasonal salad topper.

#2. Decorate Them!

One fall activity that youth look forward to is pumpkin decorating! Take your family to a local pumpkin patch to pick out their own pumpkin. Once you have picked out a pumpkin then your child can select their preferred method on how to decorate their pumpkin, without the hassle of having to carve them too! Options may include painting their pumpkins with acrylic paints or creating their own designs. Parents may want to purchase decorating kits at local crafts stores. The kits can be purchased in all different designs like dinosaurs, cats, Disney characters, or funny jack-o-lantern faces. The best part about these kits is they can be recycled year after year. Another option is fun 3-D stickers where kids can make funny faces on their pumpkin. The last kit used was a cat kit that came with foam parts and pipe cleaners. With the foam Halloween decorating kits, it contains everything that a parent would need to help their child decorate their pumpkin.  If you do plan on carving the pumpkin, carving design books are available where the design is perforated instead of having to use scissors to cut them out. 

#3. Create a Fresh Pumpkin Centerpiece using Natural Elements!

With pumpkins in a huge supply this October, create a fresh do-it-yourself pumpkin centerpiece to brighten up your lovely abode! First, gather a few materials to begin your project — a sharp knife, a big spoon, one block of wet floral foam, clear tape, scissors, a small pie pumpkin, and a variety of seasonal flowers and natural elements from the landscape such as garden canna, dried hydrangeas, purple basil, sedum, and goldenrod.

Begin by soaking a block of floral foam in a sink filled with cold water to get it wet. Allow the water to gradually soak up into the foam and avoid pushing it down in the water where it can gather air bubbles. While the block is soaking, take the pie pumpkin and with a knife carve a circle around the top of the pumpkin’s stem to hold the wet foam of your arrangement. Remove and discard the seeds and pulp.

Next, place the water saturated block of floral foam inside the pumpkin. You may have to cut it with a knife to make sure that it fits in the opening of the pumpkin. This is the perfect membrane for holding the mechanics of the arrangement.

Add the thriller of the arrangement first which would be the tall garden canna to give it some height. Make sure to cut stems at a diagonal so water will easily transport up the stem. Next, add dried hydrangeas to serve as the main flower for the arrangement. Place the purple basil greenery around the hydrangeas to give a nice pop of color. Lastly, add the stems of sedum and goldenrod as the filler flower to fill in the dead space and finish the arrangement.

#4. Make a Gratitude Pumpkin!

Spend time with family by creating a gratitude or a thankful pumpkin. To create this pumpkin, take a black permanent marker and have each member of the family write what they are thankful for each day. Keep the pumpkin on the table until Thanksgiving to serve as a reminder of what your family is thankful for this season!

#5. Assemble a Table Centerpiece using Pumpkins!

Another way to use other pumpkins this season is to create a pumpkin centerpiece! Grab a white plate or tray from around the house, other types of pumpkin whether it be multi-colored ones or small white ones, and collect fall clippings from trees and shrubs around the landscape to create a simple fall centerpiece for the table!

To begin this process, place one type of tree cutting on the bottom of the white plate or tray to serve as the base. In the picture above, we used a deciduous shrub showing bright red berries. In the picture below, we selected heavenly bamboo. Next, place the pumpkins on top of the leaf clippings. Make sure to use an odd number of pumpkins like 3’s or 5’s. Next, add another type of colorful fall foliage around the pumpkins for some accent color like the red maple or even the Northern Sea Oats. For some extra embellishment, place small raffia bows around the stems of the pumpkins. You can also add little tea lights around the pumpkins if you have any extra room. Another added touch would be to personalize the pumpkins with Thanksgiving sayings or blessings for the table. Have fun and be creative!

#6. Make a Pumpkin Bird Feeder!                                 

This is a fun project and activity to perform at home and involve the kids. Plus it helps to feed the birds at the same time!

To make the pumpkin bird feeder, use a small to medium sized pumpkin and with a knife cut and remove all the guts of the pumpkin. To make the hanger for the pumpkin bird feeder, take heavy-duty string and attach it to the sides of the pumpkin by drilling a hole. Another option is to place the string around the sides of the pumpkin and in the grooves and secure it down with clear tape. Tie the string together in a knot if using several pieces of string. Place birdseed in the center of the pumpkin, based on the birds you wish to attract. If you want to provide a place for the birds to perch when feeding, add tree branches or small twigs to the sides. Hang up the finished pumpkin bird feeder in a tree and watch the feathery friends from your favorite window.

#7 Lastly, recycle the pumpkin to the compost pile!

It is always good to return nutrients to the soil by composting it. Cut up the pumpkin(s) into sections or quarters and add it to the compost pile. Add water and turn it often with a garden fork to incorporate with other materials from the compost pile. In a few short months, the compost pile will reduce in size and finished compost will smell earthy, feel crumbly, and appear dark in color.