I got just a little excited at my first visit to a pumpkin patch last year (and the kids enjoyed it a lot too) and, even if supermarket bought, carving pumpkins has long been part of our Halloween celebrations.

Sadly though, we have often contributed to the annual more than 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin flesh waste so this year I’ve turned to my fellow bloggers for inspiration to make sure we don’t even lose one gram this time.

PumpkinSoupPumpkin soup is my first recourse to dealing with the flesh of the orange fruit and invites special memories of our wedding reception where it was served as the starter – if we eat it this year at least I won’t have the worry of not spilling it all over a white dress.  Deborah’s recipe over on her blog Country Heart and Home is not only titled “quick & easy” but also suggests “a glass of wine to wash it all down” so I’m sure I’d welcome this for a warming dinner – Quick & Easy Pumpkin Soup!  Kerry at Blissful Domestication adds a bit of heat to the mix for her Spicy Pumpkin Soup and also explains how to save the seeds in order to create your own pumpkin patch ready for next year’s harvest.

pumpkinstew.jpgSarah at Kippers and Curtains details a Pumpkin Pasty Recipe which is perfect for incorporating left overs in and Laura at Mind, Madness, Miles and Mum Me Time, now she has “two smallies in tow”, creates Pumpkin and Potato Curry and Sweet and Savoury Pumpkin Seeds as part of her “fabulous festive food”.

A Pumpkin Stew with Chickpeas and Moroccan Spices cooked up by Corina can be found on Searching for Spice and, “full of flavour and warmly spiced”, it’s a “great vegetarian one-pot meal that freezes well and is easy to prepare”.

And, before adding sugar to your scales, why not try Wendy’s Pumpkin Pasta as she describes on Daisies & Pie.

PumpkinPieJust the words pumpkin pie are so evocative of all things Fall (American autumn) to me so I’m sure the taste would be positively transportative.  Country Heart and Home’s Deborah has a recipe and step by step for Pumpkin Pie on her blog and anything that says “Serve with clotted cream, ice cream, whipped or pouring cream” gets my vote.  Jane from Hodge Podge Days tried out a “really simple” Honey Spiced Pumpkin Pie and if you need a gluten free recipe then check out Jules’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe on her blog Pondering Parenthood.

PumpkinCakeWhilst Hodge Podge Days’s Jane’s boys loved her pumpkin pie, Jane herself thought her Halloween Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Frosting was “delicious”.  Using “the flesh, the firm pale bit, not the slimy gloopy bit”, the amount of cake batter created made not only “one decent sized cake” but also “12 yummy cupcakes”.

PumpkinMuffinsThe words “surprisingly easy to make” reeled me into taking further notice of Emma’s Savvy Savings’s Bake Pumpkin Spice Muffins post that describes trying out Aldi’s recipe along with her daughter as a great opportunity to introduce new vegetables such as pumpkin and squash to children.

PumpkinCookiesThat’s pie, cake and muffins covered but if it’s brownies or cookies you’d like to whip up then take a look at Claire’s suggestions on She Eats and Corina from Searching for Spice adds a spooky twist to her autumnal offering by including chocolate spiders on her Spiced Pumpkin Cookies for Halloween.

And if you’re looking for other sweet bites to share with any trick or treating visitors then try making a batch of Eva’s Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookie Bats for Halloween Recipe posted on Captain Bobcat or her Homemade Pumpkin Granola Bar Mummies for Halloween.

Click here to find out more about National Baking Week (October 15-21).

#Blogtober18