Then, scrape the inside of the pumpkin with your spoon to remove any soft tissue and prevent rotting. Now, cut out your design with the knife using an up and down motion along each line you drew. Finally, set a candle or light inside of your carved pumpkin and put the top back on.

Don't just dive in there and start hacking away with a knife. Exposure to oxygen and loss of moisture into dry air also contribute to the breakdown. There are a few things you can do so your carved pumpkin stays reasonably firm and attractive for as long as possible.

Churches, clubs, schools, sports teams, civic organizations, and more make the money they need with a Rada fundraiser. In order to tell if a pumpkin is ripe, look at the stem. Don’t pick a pumpkin if the stem seems loose or looks like it is beginning to rot. Fresh lime juice leads to a slightly tangy finish. Plus, discover some of the more cutting-edge names that are dominating the trend scene.

Evan and Soria have found that putting jack-o’-lanterns right outside your door can dissuade larger animals from stopping by for a bite. We do not recommend brining pumpkins, spraying them with bleach or, um, coating them in WD-40, as some questionable advisors on the internet might suggest. Any of these options can be harmful to wildlife—not to mention that they are a lot of work for what might still be little or no payoff.

Try cutting a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin instead. That way, you can just set a candle or light on the cut-out base and put the pumpkin on top instead of reaching inside to light it. One option is to go online and find a design idea or Krazy stencil for your pumpkin. Pinterest is full of nearly endless ideas for designs, and there are plenty of other websites with great ideas, too. You can also buy a book of Jack O'Lantern stencils, or simply use tracing paper to trace a design out of one of your child's favorite books and tape it to your pumpkin.

Eggplant adds both meaty flavor and texture to this simple pasta salad. It doesn’t get much better than a cold sandwich on the beach, in my opinion. Although wraps are great, too, as the fillings are tucked away on the inside, nice and protected. Cold, sweet grapes are one of our favorite beach day snacks.

It’s a 50-quart cooler which leaves plenty of space to hold your favorite beach foods and beverages. The Yeti cooler will keep your ice frozen and your contents cold even on the hottest summer days. This cooler measurements are 25.5 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 15.5 inches high. You’re going to need a cooler for all your beach trips this summer! After all, coolers not only help us transport our food and beverages but also helps to keep them cold and fresh. This easy-to-make pasta salad has a creamy flavor, but ditches the mayo in favor of a rich vinaigrette and soft cheese.

It’s piled high with savory marinated tempeh, fresh veggies, avocado, and two flavorful spreads. Here’s a rare sandwich that actually improves as it sits. Make it in the morning on the day of your picnic, or even the night before, so that the tomato and artichoke juices have time to mingle before you eat. Fill it with something smooth and creamy like peanut butter or cream cheese. This lunch is perfect is your trying to be healthy. You can pair hummus with almost any vegetable and be satisfied.

I like to bring granola bars and of course Stonyfield yogurt pouches. I find the best options to be dried apples, apricots, bananas, pineapple rings and pears. Things like gooey raisins, mango or some of the other will have sand sticking to them. You can make these at home or buy them pre-packaged, but the best part of the granola bar is that it’s self-contained. Along with the Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches, granola bars are also one of the snacks my kids are most likely to eat when they want a quick fix.

If you don’t eat eggs, swap in crumbled tofu to make it vegan. Serve with crackers, chips, or eat straight from the bowl at the beach. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this amazing salsa. Juicy berries and sweet watermelon make a light and refreshing salsa. Everyone loves salads in the summer, but they can be a pain at picnics thanks to all the various parts. And it’s not just for movie nights and game day.

Skip the chicken salad, and make chickPEA salad instead! This creamy vegan sandwich filling contrasts perfectly with crisp veggies and soft baguette. This cheese is stored tightly in wax, so it should last for a while in the sun.

These cute little skewers transform Caprese salad into a fun, bite-sized picnic food! Keep them traditional with cherry tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, or add diced peaches for a sweet twist. Good picnic food doesn’t have to be complicated, and this Caprese sandwich is here to prove it. Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil fill it with delicious flavor and texture. Kendra Valkema Hummus is packed with protein and is a great dipping sauce with a variety of vegetables.

Last week, I forgot snacks for my daughter and ended up buying a bag of cheetos and some fruit for her. This is a fun way to combine some of the ideas above so you get different nutrients while you’re soaking up the sun. You can make trail mix at home or buy it at the store, and have a healthy-ish snack that is flavorful too. For desert, try some ripe and sweet summer produce. Sliced watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew and cherries are all refreshing on a hot day. Although nectarines, peaches and apricots are at their prime during beach season, they bruise easily and need to be packed carefully.

If you’re actually in a beach in the South you’ll want to avoid most types of candy and definitely all types of chocolate unless you put it into your cooler. Hurley actually likes when her single-serve nut butter packs are a little warm, since they’re creamier and easier to knead. Squeeze some melty almond or cashew butter onto apple slices or Lunch at the beach rice cakes.