Pumpkins have been part of American tradition as far back as people have lived here.  The Indians roasted pieces of them over the fire.  Settlers ate them morning, noon and night (see folk song at right).  But how much do you really know about them? 

This week, in honor of Halloween and the coming of the Holiday season, you'll learn more than you ever dreamed about this cheerfully-colored fruit, as well as how to carve them into fanciful designs. 

We've also got plenty of links to recipes and information, as well as some great tips for safe Halloween fun.

You always know you're in for a treat --  and not a trick -- when you let us handle your fabricare needs.  We appreciate your confidence in us!

Jim Nixon
The Cleaners

For pottage and puddings and custards and pies
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies.
We have pumpkin at morning and pumpkin at noon,
If it were not for pumpkin, we should be undone.

(From one of America's first folk songs.)

All Treats and No Tricks

There's a nip in the air and it will be cold outside in the evenings.  Now is the time to start wearing your suede and leather garments.  Let us pamper them for you, and we'll knock $5 off the bill.  (Include the first page of this e-mail with your order.  Offer expires October 31, 2003.  Cannot be combined with other offers.)

Bursting with Goodness and Fun

Pumpkins are cheerful things -- usually bright orange, shaped in fanciful rounded dimensions, and associated with childhood trick-or-treating.  But there's a lot more to pumpkins than that.

Not a Vegetable

You probably assume Pumpkins are vegetables, but you'd be wrong.  They're fruit!  Most pumpkins weigh between 15 and 30 pounds, but there have regularly been whoppers of over 200 pounds.  The current record-holder is a mammoth 1,140 pounder, grown in 2000.

Pumpkins got their name from French explorers who called them "gros melons" -- and it got translated into English as "pompions".  Over time, that melted into the familiar and cozy name, Pumpkin. 

Though pumpkins are 90% water, they are high in nutrition.  For instance, one cup of cooked, boiled, drained, unsalted pumpkin contains the following:

Calories -- 49                                    Zinc -- 1 mg
Protein -- 2 grams                            Selenium -- .5 mg
Carbohydrate -- 12 grams              Vitamin C -- 12 mg
Dietary Fiber -- 3 grams                  Niacin -- 1 mg
Calcium -- 37 mg                              Folate -- 21 mcg
Iron -- 1.4 mg                                      Vitamin A -- 2650 IU
Magnesium -- 22 mg                        Vitamin E -- 3 mg
Potassium -- 564 mg

• Learn more about Pumpkin nutrition.

Interesting Pumpkin Facts

• Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a healthy snack.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds.  It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake. [That's great, but where did they find an oven big enough for it?]
• Early colonists used pumpkin in the crust of pies, not the filling.
• The first pumpkin pie was actually made by slicing off the top of the pumpkin, removing the seeds, filling the inside with milk, spices and honey, and baking the whole thing in hot ashes, using the tough outer skin to keep it all together.

Special for Teachers

If you're looking for a special lesson or two that fits the season, look no further than the link below.  You'll find great projects in Reading, Writing and Oral Language, Math, Science, Art, Social Studies, Drama, Dancing, and Music!

• Poking Around the Pumpkin Patch -- educational lessons by the University of Illinois educational department.

Recipes Using Pumpkin

Sure, you've heard of Pumpkin Pie, and even Pumpkin Bread, but there are wonderful recipes for pumpkin available at the University of Illinois Extension website (see list below), and many other sites.  Don't these sound wonderful?

• Spicy Pumpkin Pound Cake
• Pumpkin Cremes Brulee
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin-Amaretto Cheesecake
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Pumpkin Apple Soup
• Pumpkin Nut Bars
• Quick and Easy Pumpkin Soup
• Traditional Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cheese Risotto
• Chiffon Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crunch Topping

Be sure to store it properly, though.  Most recipes containing pumpkin also include milk and eggs.  As such, with the sugar as a growing medium, it doesn't take long for a good pie to go bad.  Store it in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.  Keep it cold until you're almost ready to serve, then heat it, returning the left-overs (if there are any!) to cold storage again.

Master Carvers At Work

For most of us, carving pumpkins has never gotten more adventuresome than whether to make the Jack-O-Lantern smile or frown.  But some families look forward to pumpkin season all year and really go wild with their designs.

• Pumpkin carving designs -- see more of the ones pictured above, and learn some tips from the family that makes these each year.  You can also download some of their designs.
• How to Select a Pumpkin, and then How to Carve It -- A great set of tips from Fabulous Foods.

A few quick tips:

• Choose your pumpkin with your design in mind -- some designs call for a fat, round pumpkin; others require a taller, thinner "canvas" to work with.
• Save those seeds and roast them for a fun snack.
• Plant hangers are a great way to display jack-o-lanterns
• Coat the cut edges of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly, to make it last longer. 
• Burning a candle speeds decomposition.  Try small lights instead.
• Sprinkle your pumpkin with Tobasco sauce or cayenne pepper to keep squirrels away.  [We don't have a solution for keeping bad neighborhood kids away.]

Halloween Safety Tips

When shopping for a costume, or making one yourself, keep these tips in mind:

• Be sure the child can see clearly.  Face paint is better than a mask, which might block vision or muffle sound of approaching vehicles.
• Choose a comfortable costume -- the child will be wearing it for several hours.  Not too hot, not too airy, not too bulky.
• Even if shoes would look funny with the costume, insist on your child wearing them.  Walking in the dark through unfamiliar neighborhoods is a recipe for tripping or foot injuries -- wear the appropriate shoes and cover them with fabric to hid them.
• Incorporate reflective tape into the costume, so drivers can see them in the dark.

Be the Parent You Need to Be

I'm sure you remember the carefree days of your youth when you and your friends struck out for homes and gathered as much candy as you could -- without adult supervision.  But we live in a changed world, and it's just not safe for kids to go alone any more.

• Every group of children should be accompanied by one or more responsible adults.
• Every child should have a flashlight.
• Stick to homes you know and feel comfortable with.
• Consider skipping the door-to-door Trick or Treating and attend an organized event at your community center, school, or church.
• Have an agreement with your children that they are not to eat any treats until you have examined them.  If they might be tempted, put a few of your own treats in their pockets to tide them over.  Toss anything unwrapped, home baked or fruits.

Check out the Greeley Tribune Online Auction for a $250 Gift Certificate from
Nu-Way or Foothills Cleaners 

Item # 107

$250 Dry Cleaning or Shirt Laundry Certificate

Buy it for yourself or for a friend. $250 worth of dry cleaning or shirt laundry to use at your leisure.  The bidding starts tomorrow (October 21st.)
Good at Nu-Way Cleaners in Greeley or Foothills Cleaners in Ft. Collins, Loveland or Windsor.