Pineapple and pumpkins…with all that sweet alliteration, it’s like the two were made for each other. For my birthday, an old Jamaican friend from San Luis Obispo sent me a bottle of rum straight from the heartland. So I mixed myself a cocktail that went a little like, 1 part rum, 2 parts juice, a splash of old champagne in the fridge (I think that wasn’t a great idea, actually), a few more splashes of sparkling water, and a few ice cubes just for the sake of clinking in the glass. I like that sound.

So off I went with my pineapple-rum cocktail to carve my Halloween pumpkin. I cheated and printed a stencil I found online—the design was easy and entirely appropriate for my home a’filled with two cats. Carving was no trouble at all, and the pumpkin looked great on my stoop.

Afterwards, I rinsed the pumpkin seeds, tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper, ground cumin, and a little cinnamon, then I toasted them on a baking sheet at 350˚ F for about 30 minutes. A savory, crunchy snack.

Happy All Hallows!