Prepare for Halloween

Ms. Skeleton is waving.

This week we've been preparing for Halloween, with daily fun activities. Our grandson knows something is up - he doesn't know what Halloween is yet, but loves to point out all the pumpkins (he says "orange pumpkin" pretty clearly!) and he is learning to recognize all the iconic images of the season - ghosts, skeletons, spiders, and bats.

For me, the build up to Halloween is really about shifting to a darker phase of the year; darkness isn't bad, but it can be scary, and having fun with fear is part of the process, something even a two-year-old can appreciate. 

1. Make spiders

2. Decorate inside and out

3. Medicine Art for Pumpkins

4. Cook pumpkin curry

1. Make spiders

I do not buy plastic decorations anymore, so we make nearly everything: Last year we made these spiders from pipe cleaners and pompoms.

1. Cut 4 leg pieces of pipe cleaner and join in the center with a small scrap of pipe cleaner.

2. Hot glue a pompom onto the center top.

3. Bend the feet.

Our spider family has been driving around in toy trucks all week, but now they have a proper spider web to live in.

2. Decorate inside and out:

This week we hung our spiders, some skeletons, our ghosts (made with sheets and wire), and a bat, and set out pumpkins on the front porch.

As we decorated we talked about the images: 

"Spiders are a little creepy, but they are good for the garden"; 

"Bats are like flying rats - they eat insects"; 

"Skeletons are bones, from inside a body."

"Ghosts are spirits - we can't really see them, and they can't hurt us." 

3. Medicine Art for Pumpkins:

Medicine Art is a practice that opens the doors of creative healing, especially our connection to the earth and Creation. I've shared  some Medicine Art for fall seeds, and also for autumn leaves, that included the intentional steps of collecting, observing, preparing, creating, sharing and giving thanks. What I'm finding is that it's easy to find ways to connect to the earth, and  - with intention - any simple task (even a chore) becomes a path to healing.

This week we've enjoyed lots of pumpkin medicine, starting with an outing to a pumpkin field to collect the best jack-o-lantern pumpkins.

We painted orange blobs and turned them into jack-o-lanterns.

We made play-dough pumpkins over and over, practicing how to pull out the seeds and make a jack-o-lantern face on it.

We made jack-o-lantern cookies!

We cut a pumpkin open and took out the seeds.

2021 pumpkin carving

And on Saturday we will carve jack-o-lanterns together as a family, again - it's an annual tradition!

4. Cook pumpkin curry:

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium to hot pepper
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2-tsp. powdered cinnamon
• 1/2-tsp. garam masala
• 1/2-tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 can chickpeas
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• Cooked rice

• ~Serves 4

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300º. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Put in it in a pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, the take out to cool. When the pumpkin has cooled, peel and chop it into medium chunks.

2. Peel and crush the garlic; remove seeds and finely chop the pepper; peel and chop the tomatoes. 

3. In a medium skillet, heat oil on low, and fry the crushed garlic. Add peppers and tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes, until the tomatoes are mushy.

4. Add spices, salt, and the pumpkin chunks. Stir well to ensure the pumpkin pieces are coated with the tomato-spice mixture. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat or until the pumpkin is cooked through, but not too mushy. (Check at 10 minutes to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of your pot, and add a little water if needed.) 

5. Gently stir in the drained chickpeas, and check the seasoning - if it needs to be hotter, you can add a spoonful of hot sauce or salsa. Heat until warm through and thick.

6. Serve the curry on rice, and topped with a dollop of yogurt.