Pumpkin contest

The highlight of this past weekend was definitely our pumpkin carving party! We munched on "bloody stubs" (lil' smokies in bbq sauce) and devoured a graveyard (chocolate pudding with crumbled choc. cookies on top, a few gummy worms scattered in and Lady Finger cookies cut in half to make the tombstones). Everybody carved a pumpkin, then it was time for the judgement.

Here are the entries. Care to take a stab at the winner? (Sorry, couldn't resist the spooky term...)

And the winner is....

Fun times had by all! With so many pumpkins willing to spill their guts, I was able to make four different types of toasted pumpkin seeds. The first was a spicy curry concoction that didn't quite turn out, then some sprinkled with plain old Cavendars seasoning, one large batch of old fashioned Johnny's Dock and butter, and finally a cinnamon and salt version that is surprisingly delicious!

If you aren't familiar with Johnny's Dock, it is an absolutely delicious seasoning, perfect for the BBQ; slightly peppery, slightly spicy, all scrumptious and useable on many dishes. I thought that my dear hubby knew it well enough, since it is always a staple in the spice drawer, but apparently I was mistaken. He was helping me clean up the kitchen after the carving fun and put each version of the pumpkin seeds into their own baggie. I didn't think anything of it until I went to get some snacks last night and found a baggie labelled "Jonny Stock". Apparently my husband has stock in someone named Jonny and is using pieces of him to flavor our pumpkin seeds! I laughed so hard I cried! (Sorry, it might be one of those "You just had to be there" stories.) Trust me, it was funny. It helpeld that not only did he misspell the entire thing, but, having the man-writing he does, it looked more like "Joint Stock".

Ah, I needed another good laugh.

Anyway, just in case you still need some last minute Halloween tricks and treats, here's a few sites for your browsing pleasure!

If you still need to get your candy for the treaters, check out this pile o' candy - reviews of some of the Halloween specific treats. Many other great spooky finds on this site, including a review of Jones Soda's freaky brews.

Looking for some new pumpkin carving ideas? Check out this artist! (Look through the Gallery of Grumpkins.)

And when you're done with the pumpkin, what better way to put the insides to use than roasting pumpkin seeds using your own Joint Stock!