I great idea for entertaining this fall is to host a pumpkin
carving party. I am planning one for this Sunday afternoon. It's a
great party to have with children, but you are never too old to
carve a pumpkin! We are having all adults at our party, so we might
skip the apple bobbing, but I have plenty of fun in store for my
guests.
The party I am hosting is BYOP (P stands for pumpkin). If you are
feeling like an outing to start the festivities, meet friends at a
local pumpkin patch to start the fun by selecting the perfect
pumpkin. If you don't know where to find a pumpkin patch near you,
here is a
great source for locating a pumpkin patch in your area.
Another option is to provide pumpkins for your guests. Maybe you
had a bumper crop yourself this year or you know a local grower
that will give you a great price on pumpkins, either way, use hay
bails, mums and maybe even an wheelbarrow to
set up a cute display by your front door and let party goers
pick a pumpkin on the way in.
Next step is to prepare for some carving. Pumpkin carving can get
messy, so plan to cover your table with newspaper or, to make
things even more festive, take this tip from me and use brown craft
paper. I used a sharpy marker and a ruler to draw a spider web
"table runner" on the craft paper for added cuteness:
Have some pumpkin carving tools in place, like a variety of kitchen
knives, a few
pumpkin carving kits, and some
Sharpie markers, and some trash bags for the pumpkin
guts.
And what is a party without some snacks. The menu at my house is
popcorn, toasted pumpkin seeds (of course) and pumpernickel
pretzels with pumpkin dip. For dinner we are having vegetable soup
and whole wheat rolls. And for dessert: Martha's
candy corn cookies,
pumpkin sugar cookie cut outs, and of course, pumpkin pie.
For drinks, I'll serve local apple cider and a local Octoberfest
beer.
As with any party, it can be as simple or as detailed as you would
like to make it, but a pumpkin carving party is a great reason for
friends to get together this time of year. You can put on scary
movies or watch some football. You can get creative and make the
carving a contest and offer prizes for the winner. Or you can
simply take a photo of the finished products, all aglow, at the end
of the evening. Regardless, guests are sure to relax and have fun
at this casual fall -fun get together.