Divination Games
Pendulum questions:
- Tie a needle to a long piece of thread, or use a pendulum or other weight on a string or ribbon.
- Write some questions on strips of paper and place them in a bowl. Examples: Will I find my true love this year? Will I travel to another country? Will I have children? Let players choose a strip of paper at random from the bowl or say their own question out loud.
- Hold the pendulum and say, Show me YES. If the pendulum swings in a circle, a circular motion will mean yes. Say, show me NO. If the pendulum swings back and forth, that will mean NO.
- Have each player ask a question and see which way the pendulum swings in answer.
Apples:
- Peel an apple in as long a continuous strip as possible, then drop the strip on the tabletop. The shape the apple peel falls in will be the first letter of the peeler's spouse's first name.
- If an apple has a stem, turn the stem while reciting a letter for each turn. When the stem breaks off, that's the letter of your next love's first name. Take the stem and poke the unpeeled apple with it, reciting a letter for each poke. When the apple skin breaks, that's the first letter of your love's last name.
- After apple bobbing or peeling apples, ask a question. Say, "even for yes, odd for no." Count the number of seeds in the apple, an odd number will mean a no answer.
Pumpkin Carving
- Instead of cutting a hole in the top of a pumpkin, leave the stem of the pumpkin and the "lid" intact and cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin with a hole saw drill bit and drill. Then put the light in from the bottom.
Pumpkin Decorating
Uncarved pumpkins will last longer.
- Paint them.
- Make a web pattern out of masking tape, paint the pumpkin black, remove the tape to see the orange web.
- Melt crayons and pour down the sides of the pumpkin, or melt unwrapped crayons around the stem of a painted white pumpkin (melt the wax using a blowdryer on high setting.)
- Stick pushpins in a pumpkin in a pattern
Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
- Spoon out seeds. 1 medium pumpkin = 2 cups
- Transfer seeds to large bowl of water. Scoop out loose seeds that float.
- Separate pulp from remaining seeds and discard pulp.
- Rinse seeds in a colander, drain, pat dry with dishtowels.
- Spread clean seeds on baking sheet.
- Bake at 250 degrees F about 1 hour, to dry.
- To season, toss seed with 2 Tbsp olive oil and seasonings.
- Roast at 350 degrees F about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 1/2 cup finely grated romano or parmesan cheese + 2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (sweet heat)
- 1 Tbsp hot cocoa mix + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Never put pulp or seeds down the toilet, sink, drain or garbage disposer. The stringy, sticky gunk hardens and clogs drains and disposers.
- Carve pumpkins on a thick bed of newspaper. Wrap up pumpkin-related materials and throw away in the garbage can or compost pile.
