Halloween Pumpkins

These terrifying pumpkins have been hand-carved by master carver Ray Villafane.

So, if you need a little inspiration, here's a video that may do the trick.

New Pumpkin Record at Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-Off

We told you about the Pumpkin festival at Half Moon Bay, and now we are pleased to announce the big winner for the biggest pumpkin.

Pumpkin grower Leonardo Urena set a new California State record with his 1,704-pound Atlantic Giant that won the 38th Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California.

Half Moon Bay saw ,two of the three biggest pumpkins in the world this year. Brant Bordsen of Marysville, CA was the runner-up at Half Moon Bay with a 1,693-pound beast.

Urena, 43, a landscaper for a Napa winery won the top prize of $11,224 ($6 per pound plus another $1,000 special prize for the biggest pumpkin from California).

Urena said it was the perfect soil, good seed from one of his previous behemoths (a 991-pounder), and the love and support of his family for his impressive victory.

The Half Moon Bay win also crowned Urena "Grower of the Year" honors from the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) for his Top 3 pumpkins total weight of 4,948 pounds at three separate weigh-offs, best in GPC history.

2011 WEIGH-OFF RESULTS
1st Leonardo Urena, Napa CA 1,704 lbs. $10,224.
2nd Brant Bordsen, Marysville CA 1,693 lbs. $2,000.
3rd Tim Mathison, Napa CA 1,554 lbs. $1,500.
4th John Hawkley, Napa CA 1,548 lbs. $1,000.
5th Ron Root, Citrus Heights, CA 1,521 lbs. $ 500.
6th Thad Starr, Pleasant Hill OR 1,487 lbs. $ 500.
7th Steve Daletas, Pleasant Hill OR 1,292 lbs. $ 500.
8th Robert Globus, Walnut Grove CA 1,273 lbs. $ 500.
9th Jim Sherwood, Mulino OR 1,220 lbs. $ 500.
10th James Martin, Hayward CA 1,097 lbs. $ 500.

The TMZ Pumpkin Carving Contest

Check out the TMZ pumpkin carving contest.
Click on the photo:

Autumn- Time for Pumpkins

Autumn is our favorite time of year and it's time pumpkins.
While some will become Jack O' Lanterns and holiday decorations, many will be eaten.

Pumpkins have a rich flavor, they are really nutritious, and they are a great source of beta carotene.

When buying a pumpkin to use for cooking or baking, pick one that's unblemished and free of cracks and decay spots. A whole, uncut, fresh pumpkin can be stored in a cool dry place and it will last for several months.

We love pumpkin pie, but pumpkins can be used in many other food preparations like bread, muffins, soups, stews and even side dishes.

So, what kind of pumpkin to choose...???




Halloween pumpkins make great jack-o'-lanterns, don't necessarily make the best pies.
For cooking and baking, the smaller pumpkins with sweet, orange flesh and a smooth, often stringless texture work great.
Baby Pam, Small Sugar Pumpkins, New England Pie Pumpkins, Spooktacular, and Mystic Pumpkins are some wonderful choices for pies or any pumpkin recipe.

Also, there are other varieties you'll find below that are wonderful for your Autumn recipes.


Lumina Pumpkins are medium-sized white pumpkins with bright orange flesh that's great for cooking and baking.



The Fairytale Pumpkin is a thick but tender, orange flesh pumpkin full of flavor for baking.




The Jarradale Pumpkin is a flattened grayish-blue stingless variety from Australia. It has a thick, meaty, orange flesh with a great pumpkin flavor.




Then there is is the crook-necked pumpkin. This pumpkin has a smooth tan skin with a very long neck that's all solid orange flesh. The only seeds are in a small rounded section on one end. Crook-necked pumpkins are full of flavor, it's not stringy and really easy to peel and cook.

All Things Pumpkins

As we get closer to Halloween, here's a great video about pumpkins and how to roast the seeds.

Half Moon Bay and the Giant Pumpkin

Here you see Ron Root of Citrus Heights, California, proudly showing off his first place ribbon next to his 1,535 pound Giant Pumpkin.
All this took place during the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California on October 11, 2010.
Ron won more than 10,000 dollars for his colossal pumpkin.

How To Carve A Halloween Pumpkin

Pumpkin carving can be messy, so, cover your counter-top, table, or floor with something like  newspapers or  heavy plastic.

Decide what kind of lightening you are going to use.
When removing the seeds you'll be cutting off either the top or the bottom of the pumpkin.
If you cut a hole in the top, you'll have a vent the heat from a candle.
If you cut off the bottom, you'll have  better access for an electric light cord.

Decide how wide to cut the access hole, just make sure it's large enough for your hand to fit through.

You can either draw your jack-o-lantern design on a piece of paper and transfer the design to the pumpkin, or  you can also draw right on the pumpkin.

After you have drawn the circular area for the lid or bottom, start your cutting with a knife or one of those pumpkin saws sold in kits.

We like using dinner table steak knives because they cut faster.
The saws are somewhat fragile and take longer to cut out the opening and if you apply too much pressure on the blade they may break.

Here's a nice little tip: by cutting the top out holding the knife at a 45 degree angle, with the tip of the knife pointing toward the center of the pumpkin.
This way the lid won't slip through the opening into the pumpkin.

Decide which side of the pumpkin will be the face side.
On the back side, mark with a little cut in both the lid and the corresponding pumpkin edge to remember how the lid should be sitting after carving.

Next comes the fun part, by digging in and pulling all of the guts out.
Scrape the remaining seeds and strings away from the sides and the bottom with a heavy serving spoon.

Now it's time to draw a face onto the pumpkin.
You can go freehand or trace a pattern especially designed for pumpkins.

Okay, it's time to begin carving the design.
We told you we like steak knives, you can also use paring knives, utility blades, exacto knives, wood carving tools, or those pumpkin saws and tools that are sold in kits.

You can test the look of your pumpkin by the use of a a votive candle or flashlight inside.
If you need to make adjustments in certain areas now's the time to do that.

Here's another tip: Coating all cut edges with petroleum jelly will help keep pumpkins from drying out.

Pumpkins - Vegetable or Fruit?

With Halloween just around the corner it's time we once again ask the important question:

Is your Halloween pumpkin is a vegetable or a fruit?

We went over this last year, but for those of you that weren't around, let's explore once again.

The answer is the same as a tomato, and that's because pumpkins and tomatoes have something in common?

Here's a hint, it's in the above photo.

They both have seeds, right?

This, of course, makes pumpkins and tomatoes both fruit.

But wait there's more...

It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well. Right?

The answer is also based on the parts of the plant involved.

Besides the seeds, basically, fruits are developed from flowers, vegetables are not.

Vegetables are not made from flowers; instead, they are the plant's roots (carrots), stems (celery), leaves (cabbage) and other edible parts of a plant.

It's common to refer to these fruits as vegetables:

* Pumpkin

* Squash

* Tomato

* Cucumbers

* Green beans

* Hot peppers

* Bell peppers

If you are speaking in culinary terms, you can call these fruits vegetables, even though  they are actually fruits.

The United States Supreme Court back in 1883 had some extra time on their hands and entered a legal verdict on whether a tomato should be classified as a vegetable or a fruit.

They decided unanimously, in Nix versus Hedden, that a tomato is a vegetable, even though it is still a fruit.

Another way to determine whether it is a vegetable or a fruit is after being picked a Fruit will ripen, and a vegetable will rot.

Pumpkin Weighs in at 1,725 Pounds

Christy Harp, a teacher of Jackson Township, is the winner in a pumpkin-growing contest.
Her big pumpkin weighed in at 1,725 pounds at the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers annual weigh-off.
She won $2,500 and could claim the world title.
Contest organizers say the entry topped the 1,689-pound record-holder grown in 2007.

For all you pumpkin growers, the seeds from Harp's winning pumpkin will be dried and given to anyone who asks.