Michael Sue's Tips: A Happy Pumpkin & Easy Dressing

HOW TO CARVE A PUMPKIN

In the good old days we could get Styrofoam balls that were not fire retardant. You could encase the ball in oven bake clay and the the ball would shrink as you baked the clay. Not now! The silly thing grows and cracks the pumpkin. Ugh! So now it's not as easy but still doable.

Here's what to do:

1. Wad up tissues or toilet paper and wrap your clay around it. Pumpkins come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so keep that in mind. Do not use paper towels. I did that once and couldn't get it out later without breaking it all up.

2. With the back of your craft knife press in the lines. Now, remember that pumpkins don't have perfect sections, so make them a little irregular.

3. Cut the top as you would a real pumpkin. Cut an eye or a mouth out or whatever suits your fancy.

4. Bake as per instructions on the package. Cool.

5. Run the whole thing under water, or soak in a bowl of water. The tissue will shrink up to nothing and you'll be able to just pull all that out, leaving you with a perfectly carved Jack-o-Lantern.

6. The rest is up to you. You could use as is, with a little light in it maybe. Or put it on miniature newspapers, to look like you're in the process of carving it.

7. If you decide to make a carving scene, here are a few things that might help you:

     A. Sesame seeds make great pumpkin seeds.

     B. The stringy pulp can be made with tatting threads or natural fibers in the right colors. Mix it up with some white glue and sprinkle on some seeds. Great!

     C. Stick a knife in the eye, lay a big spoon on the paper and you've got a cute as the devil Jack-o-Lantern.

     D. Don't forget the stem! I used to use the tops of hot peppers and they still work, but tear off some of the base since it really is a little big. Cherry tomato tops work really well. You do get some funny looks in the produce department when you're pulling them off, but the next guy won't want them anyway. If you're not that adventurous, you could buy the whole thing. You won't be sorry.



EASIER THAN STOVE-TOP RECIPE

You'll need:

1. A roasting pan or other container of your choice

2. A cereal such as Grape-Nuts, and some spices for color

3. White glue

Instructions:

Mix the cereal and spices together.  Add a little of the glue and then fill your pan.

Voila! There's your dressing! I've had mine for at least 20 years and haven't had any insect or other problems with it. You'll get a lot of "How did you do that?" It's absolutely the easiest pan of dressing I've ever made.