Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Rentals: Halloween

Friday, October 28, 2016

5 Pumpkin Carving Tips

One of the most popular Halloween traditions is pumpkin carving. While some people like to cut a simple jack-o-lantern face into their pumpkin, others carve elaborate designs into theirs. With Halloween just a few days away, we thought we would offer you a few pumpkin carving tips.

1. Choose the Perfect Pumpkin.

You want to make sure your pumpkin is fresh. If you bought it at the beginning of the month and it has been sitting on your porch for awhile, it may not be the best pumpkin for carving. You also want to choose a pumpkin with no bruises, a sturdy stem and a flat bottom so it doesn't roll around. Pumpkins of lighter color have a softer flesh, making intricate designs easier to carve.

2. Cut the Top Off at an Angle.

The first step in carving a pumpkin is cutting the top off so you can get all the pulp out of the inside. When you cut the top off, you'll want to cut it at an angle rather than straight up and down. This way the lid won't fall into the pumpkin when you replace it. For this step, a boning knife works best.

3. Remove All the Pulp.

There's a lot of goop inside of a pumpkin, and before you start carving, you'll want to remove it all. While some of it will easily come out with your hand, you may want to purchase a special "claw" or an ice cream scoop to get the job done. You will get messy, so if you don't like touching the pulp, you may want to purchase some rubber gloves as well. You want to thin the wall of the pumpkin as much as you can so that it's easier to carve.

4. Start Carving Your Pumpkin.

Depending on how fancy you want to get with your design, you may want to trace the design on the pumpkin before you get started cutting. The key to safe carving is to use a sharp knife. The sharper the knife, the less force you'll need to use and the less likely the knife is to slip. For increased stability, carve out the smallest details first, then work your way up to the larger cuts. It's also a good idea to leave the cut pieces in place until you are finished cutting all the lines.

5. Use Petroleum Jelly to Keep it Fresh.

Pumpkins contain a lot of water and when you start cutting into them, they begin to lose that moisture. That's why they shrivel up after awhile. To keep your pumpkin fresh longer, spread petroleum jelly on the cut edges to seal in moisture. If your pumpkin still shrivels up a few days later, you can try to revive it by soaking it facedown in cold water for up to eight hours.

Happy Halloween weekend from Your Lake Vacation! We hope these tips come in handy when you are carving your pumpkins this weekend. Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend! For all your upcoming getaway needs, keep our Lake of the Ozarks vacation rental company in mind!

For more information please call us toll free at 1-877-284-0267!!

YourLakeVacation.com

4571 Osage Beach Pkwy, Suite A
Osage Beach, MO 65065
Local - 573-365-3367
Fax - 573-365-5076

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Monday, October 27, 2014

31 Halloween Fun Facts

Halloween has been celebrated for over 6,000 years! Many of you probably already have your costumes picked out and are ready to head to a party this weekend or take the kids out for a round of trick-or-treating. However you'll be celebrating this Halloween, those traditions started somewhere. Here are 31 Halloween Fun Facts you may not know. Enjoy!

Did You Know?

1. The first Jack-O-Lanterns were actually made from turnips. In 1846, the Irish potato famine forced families to flee to North America; turnips were hard to come by, so they kept the tradition alive by using pumpkins instead.

2. Halloween is the 2nd highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.

3. The world record for the heaviest pumpkin currently sits at 2,032 pounds with a pumpkin belonging to Tim Mathison of Napa, California.

4. Stephen Clarke holds the record for world's fastest pumpkin carving time at 24.03 seconds. His previous record was 54.72 seconds.

5. Black and Orange are colors typically associated with Halloween because Orange is a symbol of strength and edurance, as well as the harvest and autumn, while Black is a symbol of death and darkness, reminding us that Halloween was once a festival marking the boundaries between life and death.

6. Halloween is actually more Irish than St. Patrick's Day; Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

7. According to tradition, if a person wears their clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight.

8. During the pre-Halloween celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return after the long, hard winter.

9. Scarecrows are popular at Halloween because they symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.

10. Halloween celebrations in Hong Kong are known as the "Festival of the Hungry Ghosts" during which fires are lit, while food and gifts are offered to placate potentially angry ghosts who might be looking for revenge.

11. The Village Halloween parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. The parade includes 50,000 participants and draws over 2 million spectators.

12. Boston, Massachusetts holds the record for the most Jack-O-Lanterns lit at once with 30,128.

13. In Hollywood, there's a $1,000 fine for using silly string on Halloween.

14. According to legend, if you see a spider on Halloween, it's actually the spirit of a loved one watching over you.

15. October 30th is National Candy Corn Day.

16. It is actually very rare for a full moon to occur on Halloween. However, it's predicted to happen on October 31, 2020.

17. While pumpkins are typically orange, they can also be found in green, white, red and grey.

18. In the UK, white cats are thought to bring bad luck instead of the association we make in the US with black cats.

19. About 99% of all pumpkins sold are used as Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween.

20. 86% of Americans decorate their homes in celebration of Halloween.

21. Halloween is the 3rd biggest party day of hte year behind New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday.

22. The leading states in pumpkin growing, Illinois, California, New York and Ohio produce more than 100 million pounds of pumpkins each year.

23. World War 2 caused sugar rationing, which stalled trick-or-treating for a number of years.

24. Candy Corn has been made with the same recipe by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since around 1900.

25. May cities have banned trick-or-treating for kids over the age of 12. Teens can face fines from $100 to $1,000 for going door to door. However, they're more often than not just given a warning.

26. Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

27. Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

28. The biggest pumpkin pie on record was 20 feet in diameter and weighed 3.699 pounds. It was baked by the New Breman Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio in 2010. The ginormous pie contained 1,212 pounds of pumpkin, 233 dozen eggs, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt and 14.5 pounds of cinnamon.

29. Engineering students at Purdue designed a licking machine that averaged 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

30. During World War 2, Tootsie Rolls were added to soldiers' rations because of their durability in all weather conditions.

31. An old North American superstition states that if a black cat crosses your path, it is an omen of bad luck.

With fun events all season long, on top of this beautiful weather we've been having, Fall is the perfect time for a vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks. Contact us today about reserving your waterfront home or condo at the Lake of the Ozarks. Talk to a Your Lake Vacation sales associate by calling 877-284-0267!