Sick of Halloween Already? Try a Pumpkin!
Hey Penelope,
I know Halloween is coming up and all, but I’ve never been very into it. I feel like throwing a party in the next few weeks to celebrate fall, and was wondering if you had any un-Halloween party ideas for an October gathering. Thanks!
Justine
York, PA
Dear Justine,
I understand how you feel. While we’re definitely focusing as much as possible on Halloween party planning at MyPunchbowl, some party hosts out there just haven’t been bitten by the costume and candy bug. I’m glad to see that, even if it isn’t a Halloween party you’re throwing, you’ll still be hosting some kind of get together this fall.
My fall party planning suggestion to you: a Pumpkinfest! Take the pumpkin back from the hands of the Halloweeners and use it as a theme for your party. Here’s a great template from MyPunchbowl.com that would be perfection for your pumpkin party:
Now for your pumpkin party menu. For drinks, I suggest serving a pumpkin beer (there are quite a few delicious ones on the market right now, especially given the season), Pumpkintinis and pumpkin juice (for the younger pumpkin party guests). As for food, I suggest beginning with roasted pumpkin seeds as something to munch on during cocktail hour. From there, I'd move on to serve pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup as an appetizer. Follow the bread and the soup with an entrée of pumpkin ravioli with a flavored cream sauce (hazelnut or nutmeg might work nicely here for a real taste of fall) and finish the night off with the old fall standby: pumpkin pie.
Now I know what you're thinking...isn't that an awful lot of pumpkin to serve in one meal? It may appear that way, but if you take a closer look, you'll see that there's an excellent balance of savory and sweet dishes. The versatility of the pumpkin flavor is one of the things that makes it an ideal base for a party food theme--instead of overwhelming your guests with the same flavor throughout the meal, you'll impress them with your ability to make so much from one basic element.
As for party activities, I suggest holding an un-Halloween pumpkin carving contest. Ask your guests to get creative and carve what fall means to them--you'll be pleasantly surprised at the variety of the results. Carve a few examples before your party (be sure to save the seeds for roasting!) and display them as decoration in your party space to give your guests an idea of what you're looking for, then award a pumpkin-themed prize to the best carver.
Have a fabulous Pumpkinfest, pumpkin party or whatever you decide to call it!
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope
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