I for one will definitely be going the whole hog this autumn, the pumpkins, the costumes and more importantly the big night out. After all… any excuse for a party!
So, if you’re like me and want to get into the spirit of the season, there are lots of bargain shops and supermarkets like Lidl, B&M and Home Bargains who are selling decorations and costumes that won’t stretch our student budget too much. The majority of the costumes on sale are all under £10 and decorations and pumpkins for £1.00 each.
Whatever you end up carving into your pumpkins this year – do not throw the insides away! The flesh inside works great in soup, stews and curries. Below are a few student tried and tested recipes using pumpkins from the Student Recipes website you may want to check out for some inspiration
Fiery Pumpkin & Lentil Soup – Student Recipes
Pumpkin & Ricotta Cannelloni – Student Recipes
Chickpea And Pumpkin Curry – Student Recipes
Pumpkins also go great in cakes if you’re into your baking! Follow this recipe beneath to bake an unusual pumpkin loaf with some warming autumnal spices.
Spiced Pumpkin Loaf – Student Recipes
Pumpkins are a fabulously low calorie vegetable and a great source of Vitamins A, C and E. With particularly high levels of Vitamin A, they can help keep our eyesight nice and strong on those late night last minute study sessions, when you can’t stop rubbing your eyes from straining them over your bedside lamp.
The seeds can also make a great snack in the middle of those long, tiring lectures as they are rich in iron and fight fatigue. Add to your cereals, yoghurt, Sunday crumbles and porridge. All you need to do is spread them on a baking tray and roast on a low heat (say around 120C) for around 30 minutes.
Whatever cocktails you conjur up this Halloween, make sure you drink responsibly. If you go to all this trouble to make Halloween one to remember, make sure you actually can remember it the morning after! If, like me, you have a lecture at 9am the next morning, compromise! Drink less than your usual night out and maybe get a taxi home slightly earlier than the rest of your mates to try and get some shut-eye before your early morning start. Believe you me, if you’re a no show on Friday then your lecturers on will know why. How? Common sense! You may be in their bad books for a few weeks.
So even if you’re feeling slightly ropey in the morning – show your face and try to stay awake if you can! Maybe snack on a few of those pumpkin seeds to boost your energy levels and save the snoozing for later.
Happy Halloween!