Make a Pumpkin Wreath

Remove the raintree blossoms from their branches and glue them on to the wire frame to form the mat. You should have some blossoms left over.

Glue pumpkins directly onto raintree blossoms in varied clusters and angles. Add touches of Chinese lantern.

Add short pieces of raintree branches to the outside of the wreath frame in various spots to create little tendrils, then fill in the wreath with the remaining raintree blossoms to make it look full and to add dimension.

To hand the wreath, attach a piece of ribbon or a twisted wire loop to the back of the wire frame.

Holiday Pumpkins
A Collection of Recipes, 
Gifts, and Decorations

No other fruit or vegetable symbolizes a season as strongly as pumpkins. Spinach and greens are common in spring, and tomatoes and corn may be associated with the hot summer months, but pumpkins are a picture of autumn.

This pumpkin book is filled with 30 recipes and 30 decorating projects, all made with pumpkins and all associated with autumn and its holidays.

Native to the New World and cultivated for centuries, the pumpkin is a versatile winter squash that's easy to grow and stores well. If placed in a cool, dry place it will keep for months and provide the base for pies, soups, and stews deep into winter.

"Pumpkins have a mild flesh that lends itself to both sweet and savory treatments," the authors of Holiday Pumpkins explain. "In soups and stews, it takes on the flavor of broth and herbs, while in pies, cakes and breads, it contributes moisture, lightness, and color and marries well with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, mace, and nutmeg. In savory dishes, sauteed or baked pumpkin is a ready companion to complementary ingredients such as cheese, butter, herbs, rice, and pasta."

In addition to the recipes for old standards like Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Bread, this collection includes some unusual dishes like Baked Pumpkins Stuffed with Sausage and Sage, Honey-Grilled Pumpkin Slices, Pumpkin Blossoms with Goat Cheese Filling, Pumpkin Flan and Scalloped Pumpkin and Potatoes.

Illustrated with color photos, this guide will help incorporate pumpkins -- and the harvest season -- into meals and home decor..