Pumpkin Decorating Ideas + Delicious Fall Treat

Thanks to a mild summer and plenty of rainfall, we have a bountiful crop of jack-o-lantern sized pumpkins this year at Eckert’s on all three of our farms. In celebration of a perfect pumpkin crop, we are offering an unprecedented savings early in the picking season. This week only, pick-your-own pumpkins are 50% off, making them only 24 cents per pound. There is no better time to put your fall decorating hat on and load up on pumpkins. **Sale ends 10/5/14**

Last night our family drove out to the pumpkin patch and filled the John Deere Gator with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. I spent the morning getting inspired by my coworkers Adam and Sabine. We joined creative forces and the result was a handful of surprisingly simple ways to transform my porch. I hope you will give a few of these of these decorating ideas a try. My porch looks cuter than EVER if I do say so myself!

Angie’s Fall Porch Features

Address Pumpkin Stack TIP: Select fat and short pumpkins. Trim the stems if needed to allow for better stacking. Use a paint marker to create your house number. (Adam free-handed the numbers but you can also print out numbers from your favorite font, trace the outline and shade it in with paint marker.)

Owl Pumpkin TIP: Use thumb tacks to secure burlap flowers and leaves. Hot-glued pine cones are a fun addition for ears.

Scarecrow Pumpkin Stack TIP: Trim the stems for better pumpkin stacking. Use a paint marker to create the face. Dress him up with burning bush branches and a festive hat! We used thumb tacks to secure the hat. Take it a step further by adding stalks of dried corn or small brooms for arms.

Mum in a Carved Pumpkin TIP: A little burlap and raffia add some fall flair to the classic mum.

Owl in a Pumpkin Cage (my daughter’s favorite of the grouping) TIP: Carve the pumpkin and create a small hole to fish the lights inside. Secure a stick in the flesh of the bottom of the pumpkin for a bird perch. Place your bird and fence him in with wooden kabob skewers. (String lights add a nice touch for night time.)

After our spirited decorating escapade, we returned to the cooking classroom to roast the seeds from our carvings. Sabine shared a savory version of pumpkin seeds and we all fell in love. She served the seeds in a pumpkin of course!

Have some decorating and snacking fun this fall, Angie

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, separated from the pumpkin flesh
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While seeds are still moist, toss with remaining ingredients to coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned. About 10 minutes.