How To Make a Pumpkin Party Cooler [PHOTOS]

My wife told me to come up with a creative and fun idea for our Halloween party. Because I like fall and seasonal brews, I channeled my inner Martha Stewart, here is the Party Pumpkin Cooler (with step-by-step instructions...and photos.)

1.) Select a large pumpkin.
2.) Cut the top 1/3 off. I used a tree saw. Hey, it worked.
3.) Tell your kids that if they want roasted pumpkin seeds later, they must clean and gut the pumpkin. Turns out...they're pretty good at it. (see recipe below...)

4.) Line the inside of the pumpkin with tin foil. Or, if you can find a small bucket that fits you can use that. We prefer the foil to keep the pumpkin goop off our beverages.

5.) Pour ice in the pumpkin and get beers, hard cider, and sodas ready.
6.) Enjoy responsibly at the backyard fire pit.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

• Clean the seeds and set aside. This is our least favorite part of the project. Nobody likes to clean the pumpkin goop and the slimy strings from the seeds, but it's worth the work.
• Place seeds in a colander and rinse under cold water.
• Dry on a paper towel to soak up excess water. They don't have to be completely dry. Damp is fine.
• Place seeds on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. (Or, put the seeds in a seal-able bag and shake to coat olive oil evenly)
• Sprinkle on sea or kosher salt.
• Optional: To spice them up a bit, you can try curry, pumpkin pie spice, taco seasoning, or even chili powder!
• Be sure to spread the seeds out on the baking sheet evenly.
• Roast at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes, being careful not to burn them. You will hear pops as the seeds begin to cook.
• Remove from the oven. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Enter your number to get our free mobile app