We’re entering Halloween territory now so I thought it was time to do a few themed recipes. And I don’t mean peeled grapes pretending to be eye balls or spaghetti marquerading as guts!! I know we don’t celebrate (is that the right word?) Halloween like our American friends, but I still think it’s nice to get a few decorations and have a themed meal, and it’s fun to get the kids dressed up. If, like most families, you carve a pumpkin at halloween, these recipes are great because they make use of the pulp and seeds.

The first recipe is from a brill website called Domestic Sluttery. If you haven’t already visited it you really should!

Ingredients
- 250g raw, peeled pumpkin, grated
- 140g clear honey
- 1 large egg
- 175g butter
- 350g self-raising flour
- 100g sugar (plus an extra bit for dusting)
- 1 tbsp ground ginger

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a 1.5kg loaf tin.
2. Melt the butter (either in a microwave or on the hob).
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl, then add the melted butter and honey.
4. Add the pumpkin and stir. Then stir in the sugar, flour and ginger.
5. Spoon the mixture into the tin and sprinkle the top with extra sugar.
6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until golden brown. Leave to cool and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Roasted pumpkin seeds
This is a great little recipe for making use of the seeds of the pumpkin, from Allrecipes.

Ingredients
- Leftover pumpkin seeds
- Oil or low fat cooking spray
- Salt or your favourite spices

Method
1. Wash pumpkin seeds and remove remains of pumpkin.
2. Place on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat.
3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at a high heat until toasted - about 25 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes. Your favourite spices can be used instead of salt.
4. Let cool and stir in an air tight container.

Bloody Mary
Not strictly a Halloween tipple but it sounds a bit gory and after a night of taking the kids trick-or-treating/avoiding trick-or-treaters, you might need one! This recipe is from a lovely iPhone app called ‘Drinks Free’ (very handy!)

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 3 oz tomato juice
- 1 dash lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
- 1 wedge lime

Method
1. Shake all ingredients (expept lime) with ice and strain into a glass over ice.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add the wedge of lime and serve.