Two thousand years ago, the Celts celebrated a holiday they called Samhain, named after the god of death. They believed that every year on the last day of October the god Samhain allowed the souls of the dead to visit the homes they once lived in.
This holiday was the ancestor of our Halloween. When the Romans conquered the Celts they added parts of two of their festivals : Feralia, which was held to honor the dead, and Poloma, named after the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
Sometime around 800 A.D., the Christian church declared November 1 as All Saints' Day to honor all the saints who did not have a special day of their own. People combined their old customs from Samhain and the Roman festivals into the new All Saints' Day rituals.
The mass said on All Saints' Day was known as Allhallowmas. The evening before, October 31, became known as All Hallow Even. Over time this name was shortened to Halloween.
Pumpkin Pie or Custard
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated skim milk
2 eggs
1 can (1 lb.) pumpkin
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Blend all ingredients well. Pour into pie shell. Bake in a 375oF pre-heated oven for about 1 hour. Pie is done when knife inserted in the center comes out clean. For custard, omit the pie crust and bake in 8 individual custard dishes for 40 minutes at 375o.
This is Halloween
Goblins on the doorstep,
Phantoms in the air,
Owls on witches' gateposts
Giving stare for stare,
Cats on flying broomsticks,
Bats against the moon,
Stirrings round of fate-cakes
With a solemn spoon.
Whirling apple parings,
Figures draped in sheets,
Dodging, disappearing,
Up and down the streets,
Jack-o'-lanterns grinning,
Shadows on a screen,
Shrieks and starts and laughter
This is Halloween!
By Dorothy Brown Thompson
Pumpkin Bread
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup pumpkin pure
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
In a large bowl, stir together sugar, oil, pumpkin, and eggs. In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold this into the pumpkin mixture, stirring the two mixtures just to moisten the dry ingredients. Stir in the raisins. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Bake in pre-heated 350o oven for about 1 hour or until a pick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
PUMPKIN SEEDS ...
Drying seeds and roasting seeds are two different processes. To dry, carefully wash pumpkin seeds to remove the clinging fibrous pumpkin tissue. Pumpkin seeds can be dried in the sun, in a dehydrator 115-120oF for 1 to 2 hours, or in an oven on warm for 3 to 4 hours. Stir them frequently to avoid scorching.
To roast, take dried pumpkin seeds, toss with oil (1 teaspoon per cup of seeds) and/or salt and roast in a preheated oven at 250oF for 10 to 15 minutes.