How To Carve a Pumpkin

Nhat and I woke up early this morning to start our Insanity Workout and let me just say that it's going to be a long 60 days.  I realize that we definitely need to be more strict with how we eat.  I couldn't even do the whole fit test.  And I actually run 3-5 days a week!  This is a completely different level of workout than I'm used to. I need to be on top of my health.  Nhat was able to do more of the fit test than I was, but he wasn't feeling too good afterwards.  hehe.

On a more happy subject, I finally carved my pumpkin!  I've only carved two in my lifetime, this being the second one.  I wanted to give a tutorial just for fun.  This is a basic tutorial for beginners who need a little guidance on the basics of how to carve a pumpkin.  =)

1. Pick a pumpkin.  I like round fat ones.  Nhat actually picked this one out but he did a good job.

2. It helps to have the right tools.  You can use stuff you have at home such as a knife and spoon, but these pumpkin carving tools make life so much easier and they're very cheap.  We bought these in a set that came with a little booklet with pumpkin face templates. You can also find templates online.

3. Using a serrated tool, carve a circle on the stem side of the pumpkin.  Make sure the circle is a good size so you can fit your hand through it to scrape the insides of the pumpkin.  My circle could have been a bit larger.

4. Using a large spoon or scraping device, scrape the seeds out of the pumpkin and save for later use or discard.  It is important to scrape the seeds to prevent the pumpkin from rotting and will also give your pumpkin a more clean look.

5. Find a template and using tape, attach to the pumpkin.

6. Use a sharp tool to poke along the template to make an imprint onto the pumpkin.

7. Remove template and use a serrated tool to carve the pumpkin face.

8. Insert a candle with holder inside pumpkin.

9. Enjoy your fun pumpkin!

 

Note: This whole process took me about 1.5-2 hours.  Take your time when using sharp tools, be safe, and have fun!

Life is Good.

Wow, it's been more than a month since I've posted.  I slept until noon today.  First time in weeks that I've been able to sleep for so long.  My life has been a little hectic with work, my brother's wedding, my birthday, crazy weather and just adjusting to the changes.  Now that I feel things have settled down a bit I will have more time to do things I enjoy.  Speaking of things I enjoy ... I'm going to start taking piano lessons soon!  I'm so so soooo excited.  I just bought a digital piano yesterday.  A Casio CDP 100 with stand and bench for 450.00  I figured that was a good price for someone who is just beginning to learn piano.  It has the full 88 weighted keys so it gives me the feel of a real piano.  

I put the stand and everything together yesterday and it looks so beautiful.  I can't help but stare at it whenever I see it.  Sometimes I just peek into my room just so I can get a glimpse of it.  I can hardly wait for the day when I can just sit at my piano and play a flawless melody.  The piece I want to learn first when I'm ready is, Ballad For Adeline.  I've always wanted to play it since I first heard in in college many years ago.  And I've tried to learn on my own, but I was limited with the smaller keyboard I had at home. 

Casio CDP 100

I have so much excitement inside of me.  Fall is my favorite time of the year.  So much activities and holidays.  The colder cloudy weather is such a nice refreshing change from the hot summer days.  It's like a breath of fresh air.  It reminds me of my childhood, and starting elementary school, and doing assignments, and reading books.  Right now I'm looking at a nice fat pumpkin sitting in the corner of my living room floor, just waiting to get carved. =) But that will be for later this evening after we've done our grocery shopping and errands. 

Tonight we're making burgers.  Not too healthy, considering we had chicken wings yesterday.  But Nhat and I are starting a workout routine starting Monday.  You may have heard of it, The InsanityWorkout.  I know it's going to burn my calories like no other, so I need to eat more.  I don't want to lose weight, just get a little more toned.  Nhat, on the other hand, cholesterol levels are not so good, so he needs to lose weight and get healthy.  I know, I know, chicken wings and burgers isn't helping his cause, but we eat health most of the time! Insanity is a super intense 60 day workout routine...eek. I'm a little scared.

A little birthday treat! The mango chiffon cake on the right is addictive.