This Halloween, do not conform to the traditional pumpkin uses. After carving a wicked witch, spooky-cat or Scooby Doo, take pumpkin uses a little further by using your scraps to cook some delicious recipes or show off your craft skills.

Pumpkins are some of the essential players in most October festivities. Everyone knows fall would not be complete without the usual display of the scary, silly and spooked pumpkin cutouts on porches and window sills. According to pumpkinfresh.com, 80 percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October

The first step in creative pumpkin usage is taking the precautions to preserve your pumpkin. After you cut your pumpkin open and clean the inside, rub petroleum jelly on the insides and carved sections of your pumpkin. Vegetable oil can also be substituted for petroleum jelly.  This will make your pumpkin more resistant to rotting.

More creative pumpkin uses

Pumpkin Treat Basket: The traditional candle in the pumpkin trend is officially out of style this year. A new way to get the most out of your design and keep it crafty is by filling it with your favorite candy. Gold wrapped mini-Snickers or Three Musketeers are the perfect candies for this project. They imitate the illumination effect of flickering candlelight perfectly. Of course, any candy will work and the more diverse the treats the better.  The treat could always be the pumpkin itself with the following edible goodies.

Pumpkin Pancakes: There’s nothing better then waking up to warm, buttered, maple-syrup-covered pancakes in the morning. Adding canned, freshly prepared or frozen pumpkin puree helps season up your breakfast. With the exception of the 2 cups of pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin pancakes are made exactly like regular pancakes. Breakfast will be complete after adding bacon, scrambled eggs and warm apple cider to the menu.

Pumpkin Pudding: Aside from roasted pumpkin seeds there are plenty of ways to get the most out of your pumpkin insides. Using 4 eggs, 1 one-pound can of pumpkin, 1/2 cup light molasses, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and 1 cup milk, pumpkin pudding is the most simple recipe using pumpkin puree. (Find the whole recipe on cook.com). Best of all, it is healthy as well as delicious. The final product can be kept in any refrigerator in an apartment or dorm.

This Halloween, embrace the orange gourd and do something creative.

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