Post-Halloween in the Worm Wigwam

With Hurricane Sandy causing some turmoil with Trick-or-Treating times in my township, we held off on pumpkin carving until yesterday.

Halloween is kind of like Christmas for the worms, as they absolutely ADORE eating the pumpkin guts and left over jack-o-lanterns. 

So here's how this year played out...

First, I was determined to create a more efficient pumpkin-carving station on our bar:

The first clear bowl was for the seedless pumpkin parts to be dumped into the Wigwam.

The second red bowl was filled with hot water to put the seeds still attached to pulp, so they'd separate easier.

The third yellow bowl had melted butter, soy sauce, and salt for the clean seeds to soak in before they were baked into a delish snack.

Funny side note- the hubby has a weird allergy to pumpkin seeds which I have to remind him of every year. He gets an upset stomach, turns real red, and gets overheated. I'm fine with them, so more for me!

The clear worm bowl eventually looked like this, with a few seeds slipping in:

 The finished jack-o-lanterns, pre-trick-or-treating:

The Wigwam has been hopping lately, especially with the addition of the end of garden season funky vegetables. As I opened it to snap this pic, there were worms squirming all over in a composting frenzy:

 Happy Halloween, wormies!

Although it would be great if the worms just jumped into action with the pumpkins above the surface, they prefer their food be buried (and I prefer to be fruit-fly-less).

The last step was to cover what I could so they could enjoy their feast:

On one of my last posts, someone had commented this would go a lot easier if I mushed up the pumpkins- and I agree...BUT this way is so much more fun!

Stay tuned this week for some super freaky update pics!

Related Posts & Links:
Useful Jack-O-Lanterns
How Do the Pumpkins Grow?
Pumpkin Shell Discovery
Pumpkin Flavored Whaaaaat?

Featured Products & Supplies:

Oh My Gourd! The Pumpkin's Weird Cousin

Pumpkins get all the attention this time of year while the less popular member of the Cucurbitaceae family grows in stranger shapes, colors, and sizes. 

Yes, I'm talking about the gourd! Judging from how tough the insides seem and how strong the outsides are, I'm guessing gourds should be left out of the Wigwam. (I've had some experience with super durable pumpkin shells.

While visiting Janoski's Farm this past week, I found some colorful, oddly shaped gourd examples:

A few interesting gourd facts:

       -Gourds have been grown for over 10,000 years, mainly for ornamental purposes

       -Most are inedible with really tough guts

        -Hardened gourd shells can be used to make utensils, artwork, birdhouses and musical instruments

       -There is an American Gourd Society, which accepts new members for only $15 per year

       -Sad to note, but after 15 years, the Gourd Art Festival had its last showing in 2011


People get awfully creative with gourds...

The Gourdguy has an entire blog dedicated to things he creates out of gourds, including this gem:


On Etsy, Art from Lyn's Heart features an intricate birdhouse:


Also on Etsy, Faerie Blue Moon has a gourd rattle:


The American Gourd Society has a large photo gallery with flamingo

So give some autumn love to the pumpkin's weird cousin this season!



Related Posts & Links:
Pumpkin Shell Discovery

Featured Products & Supplies:

Pumpkin Flavored Whaaaaat?

As Halloween comes creeping up on us, let's take a look at some interesting and unusual products that have been infused with pumpkin this season!

Lip Balm- This one is earth friendly and not tested on animals. If you are interested in other brands that don't test on animals, PETA keeps a pretty comprehensive list at the Cruelty-Free section of their site.

Dog treats- With a name like "Nummy Tum Tum", how could you resist? This can be used on top of your dog's food as encouragement or as a treat by itself.

Coffee- Whether it's pumpkin, pumpkin spice, or pumpkin cinnamon, the selection of coffees and teas with an autumn flavor infusion is amazing!

Pumpkin Butter- I guess you could use this like peanut butter on bread or maybe on a biscuit or roll? The green color kind of threw me off...

Face Mask- Schmearing pumpkin all over my skin sounds refreshing- but pumpkin latte? Not sure.

Shampoo/Shower Gel/Bubble Bath- I'm a little wary of multi-use products, but this could be an exception if I was dying to really SMELL like fall. 

Even some old favorites (not necessarily organic or green!) have introduced pumpkin-infused versions:










So here's to a flavorful fall!

The worms are still finishing off the garden castoffs and eagerly awaiting their own yearly jack-o-lantern treat. To puree or not to puree? Since the pics are so much cooler when they get them whole, that's an easy decision!

Related Posts & Links
Pumpkin Eaters
Useful Jack-O-Lanterns
How Do the Pumpkins Grow?
Pumpkin Shell Discovery