Pimp my pumpkin

It’s almost fall break, so there’s no better time to soak in all the season has to offer — hayrides, sipping spiked cider and carving pumpkins.

But if you’re going to go to all of the trouble of finding a great gourd, why limit yourself to a plain old jack-o’-lantern?

Here are some different ways to use your pumpkin.

Go punkin’ chunkin’

Launching a pumpkin hundreds of feet across an open field isn’t just for the Pritchetts on “Modern Family.”

Teams from across the country gather every year on the first weekend after Halloween in Sussex County, Del., to chuck pumpkins from catapults, slingshots and other contraptions.

The world record holder for the farthest launch was more than 4,483 feet by a team called Young Glory III in the 2008 World Championships. But you don’t have to travel all the way to Delaware to try it yourself.

There will be a pumpkin launch Nov. 2 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. The cost is $15 per team.

Want to get your gourd in the game? Contact Bill Ream at reamw@bloomington.in.gov.

Fix up a face mask

Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, which works to heal skin, and vitamin C, which is an antioxidant.

So after a long day spent wandering corn mazes and getting your teeth stuck in caramel apples, who doesn’t feel the burning need to cover their face in smushed pumpkin and say “ahh”?

Mix together

2 teaspoons of cooked, pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of milk
— For dry skin add in one-fourth teaspoon of heavy whipping cream or brown sugar
— For oily skin add in one-fourth teaspoon of apple cider or one-fourth teaspoon of cranberry juice

Pound a pumpkiñata

Cut a hole in the side of the pumpkin, leaving the stem in place, and remove the insides.

Fill with Halloween candy and, using the stem, hang it from something sturdy like a thick branch. Grab a bat and whack away.

Just don’t forget to call Billy Corgan because he hates being left out of smashing pumpkins.     

Pump up your porch

Raise a pumpkin in your pumpkin.

After you’ve cleared out all the guts, cut a wide hole in the top of the gourd and fill it with potting soil to make your very own pumpkin planter. Fill it with a classy fall favorite like mums, some Indian corn or another pumpkin plant.

But don’t forget to show off your porch’s personality with an empty beer bottle accent because, let’s face it, one will probably end up there anyway.

Party-ready pumpkin

Similar to making a planter, pull out the guts and cut a wide enough hole so that the pumpkin resembles a bowl more than a giant fruit.

Insert a plastic or glass bowl inside and fill with ice to make a pumpkin cooler.

Add in your favorite fall beers like Upland Brewery’s Oktoberfest or Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, and you’ll have the perfect short-term party centerpiece.       

Pump kin

Grab a Sharpie and pen your silliest face onto the giant gourd.

Why hang out with real friends when you have your closest pump-kin to keep you company?

Make your own pumpkin bread

Possibly one of the healthiest fall foods, pumpkins are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fiber.

And because they’re good sources of vitamins and minerals, eating them can help prevent cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Note: pumpkin spice lattes don’t count.

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs
7 1/2 ounces of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

In a separate bowl, beat egg, pumpkin, sugar and oil.

Stir into dry mixture with water.

Pour into a greased pan and bake for between 60 and 70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Modified recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Roast pumpkin seeds

For a snack that will last all week:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove all excess pulp from seeds while running under cold water for best effect.

Evenly disperse seeds on a greased cooking sheet and sprinkle with salt and other spices of your choosing.

Bake until toasted — about 25 minutes — though do remember to check on them about every ten minutes so they don’t burn on one side.

Feeling creative? After cleaning the seeds you can also wait until they’re dry and poke holes in them with a needle and thread to make a necklace. Serves as both your flower child Halloween costume and a tasty snack to munch on during math.