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| Topic Started: Oct 26 2008, 04:12:18 PM (1,545 Views) | |
| LittleOne | Oct 26 2008, 04:12:18 PM Post #1 |
Chinwagger
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My husband and I are having a few people over this weekend for dinner and I really wanted to do a Halloween theme... I've been searching High and Low for a pumpkin in Melbourne and can't find one ANYWHERE... Does anyone know where I could get one? So sad that they don't do Halloween here like we do at home... I LOVE HALLOWEEN! thanks Heidi |
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___________________________________________________________ Moved to Melbourne from Coconut Creek, FL in February 2008 | |
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| KimInMellie | Oct 26 2008, 05:53:48 PM Post #2 |
True Blue Mate
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I looked just about everywhere as well, Heidi, but couldn't find any. We finally ended up going with a few squashy green ones. We carved them today, and I have to say it was hard work! The orange ones are a lot easier to work with. I have seen some pictures online of carved watermelons, which I suppose is an interesting hybrid of springtime and halloween ... but not the same. 
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 Go that way really, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. -- Charles De Mar | |
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| shylady | Oct 26 2008, 05:57:48 PM Post #3 |
oldYank
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I doubt you'll find a regular orange pumpkin. I finally found a source of seeds and grew my own, but that won't help you this year, sorry!  Lisa |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| Lisa66 | Oct 26 2008, 10:56:36 PM Post #4 |
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True Blue Mate
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I actually love the idea of a carved watermelon, Kim! They have some cute round watermelons (like the supersweet seedless ones we had in Seattle, only a bit bigger) at Aldi on Inkerman in St. Kilda today; they would probably carve up much like a pumpkin. The thing is the seasonality ... winter squash / pumpkins are a late season vegetables - they need the whole growing season to grow and get big. It being spring here, we won't get them now. |
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| pastrycook-136 | Oct 26 2008, 11:22:48 PM Post #5 |
True Blue Mate
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What Australians call a pumpkin I would call a squash. As I mentioned in another thread candycorn is for sale at Misty's Diner on High St. in Prahran so at least you can get this staple of halloween. The Aldi store you mentioned is where I shop sometimes too. It takes less than ten minutes to stroll down there from my place on Alma Rd. |
| "If you want to gather honey don't kick over the beehive!" | |
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| AmyFromCO | Oct 26 2008, 11:46:53 PM Post #6 |
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True Blue Mate
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$19.90 would get you a "Halloween Pumpkin" at Woolies here today. There are so many Americans here in ALice SPrings that it might have been a special order. I passed up on it. I was also absolutely shocked by how many Halloween decorations they had for sale at our Mad Harry's store. Last year there were a few items, but HEAPS this year! The kids are so excited about the trick or treating. I mentioned another time that we had about 250 kids at our house last year. ~A |
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| TerritorianTori | Oct 26 2008, 11:58:11 PM Post #7 |
It couldn't happen here
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Woolies used to sell the big orange pumpkins around Halloween time, but I haven't seen any this year. Too bad. BTW, carving watermelons instead would be a fantastic new tradition for a new country. I wonder if it'll catch on... |
 South Texas to the Northern Territory - since 2004 I'm a huge fan of... Angry Video Game Nerd | The Big Bang Theory | Doctor Who | Pet Shop Boys | Yanks Down Under ~ Americans living in Australia Avatar by Sketch Shop Boys I don't do Facebook, sorry. | |
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| trix | Oct 27 2008, 10:27:17 AM Post #8 |
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True Blue Mate
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I was thinking of this as well, but figured the seeds might not clear quarantine. How'd you get yours? |
| Americans in Adelaide on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=18654578423 | |
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| Ratfan | Oct 27 2008, 10:38:08 AM Post #9 |
Chinwagger
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There is a small produce market in Albert Park that has basketball sized real pumpkins. They are (gasp)$ 35.... I'm having a halloween party on Saturday in Port Melbourne. There is another ex-pat group coming too. No one gets in without a costume. We'd love to have anyone in Melbourne who misses Halloween and wants to dress up here . Please e-mail me for the address . 
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| there's no place like home..... | |
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| shylady | Oct 27 2008, 11:22:13 AM Post #10 |
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oldYank
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Hey suzer, This lady Linda here in Perth (Nollamara) had thousands of seed varieties from native to exotic listed on eBay, but now I see she's just selling on Oztion. She's about 5 miles from me, I think her husband is American, and she has figured out the ups n downs of getting seeds through quarantine from most every country. I took a quick look and don't see any pumpkins listed at the moment, but she had 3 types when I bought from her, the good ol field-pumpkins and the small round perfect pie ones, it was about $1.20 for 5 seeds and they all germinated and produced HEAPS! Lisa |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| (gordon38555) | Oct 27 2008, 12:22:21 PM Post #11 |
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Piker
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Hmm I think I may need to buy some of these. OK stupid question time now...what part of the pumpkin do you make the pumpkin pie from? |
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| Ratfan | Oct 27 2008, 01:28:51 PM Post #12 |
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Chinwagger
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oops...forgot to say the store with the pumpkins is a few doors down from the post office there |
| there's no place like home..... | |
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| shylady | Oct 27 2008, 05:42:19 PM Post #13 |
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oldYank
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Gordon, the fleshy part. Got to peel it and take out the seeds/stringy stuff, the rest gets cooked and pureed. If you cook it first, in the microwave or bake it in the oven the skin slips off easily. |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| (gordon38555) | Oct 27 2008, 08:51:13 PM Post #14 |
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Piker
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Thanks. Not sure I'd ever attempt to cook one. Does anyone know of a place where to buy them in oz? |
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| KimInMellie | Oct 27 2008, 09:35:06 PM Post #15 |
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True Blue Mate
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I don't think they're that easy to find here Gordon, though you can find the canned stuff a few places (USA Foods for one) if you're looking to make a pie. And now for a bit of self promotion: a link to pics of my halloween squashes |
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Go that way really, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. -- Charles De Mar | |
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| NurseJules | Oct 28 2008, 09:12:58 AM Post #16 |
True Blue Mate
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we make pumpkin and potato mash all the time as it's a fav of my BF. all you do is buy the halved fresh pumpkins they sell in the grocery stores (which is nice cause they are already seeded and de-stringed), cut them up into large cubes just like you would with potatoes, and boil them in water like you would with potatoes for mashed potatoes. After they're boiled down and soft, we just mash them all together with the potato masher, but I'm sure you can just throw them in a blender or food processor to get the pureed stuff. Pretty easy! |
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| bdmerriam | Oct 28 2008, 09:54:49 AM Post #17 |
True Blue Mate
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It's not a real pumpkin, but you could make a luminary using an orange paper bag (or paper bag painted light orange). After you have painted a face on the bag, fill the bottom with sand and put a votive candle (in a candle holder) in the bottom of the bag. Light the candle and you have a Halloween luminary! A word of warning: Don't put these luminaries outside when it is windy. Another option would be to take an orange paper bag and stuff it with crumpled newspaper to make it nice and puffy. Once the bag is stuffed, gather the top together into a stem and tie with green ribbon or pipe cleaners. Paint a scary face using black paint. Paint the stem brown. These two crafts are especially fun with kids. 
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Bethann Life's an adventure . . . live it! | |
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| imafranktoo | Oct 28 2008, 01:19:54 PM Post #18 |
Little Miss Key Breaker
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For those interested: If I remember correctly Woolies, Coles, IGA, etc sell "pumpkin" fresh but we "Americans" would call it Butternut Squash. It makes a wonderful pie (yes made from scratch). If anyone is interested I can get you the recipe I used while living in Melbourne. I made it for our "host family" who took us in (family from church) and by the end of the day there was not one drop left and I got told how good it was. They had never had anything like it (they were originally from South Africa) and could they please have the recipe. I amazed myself that I made it! Jen |
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| shylady | Oct 28 2008, 01:28:32 PM Post #19 |
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oldYank
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yup yup, I've tried several of the squashes here for pumpkin pie and the Butternut comes out the best. The Jap and Kent are a bit too watery.  My in-laws love pumpkin pie, now! But they previously thought the sound of sweet pumpkin was gross, since they'd only ever had it roasted or as soup, or mashed like Jules'. Lisa |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| KimInMellie | Oct 28 2008, 01:30:45 PM Post #20 |
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True Blue Mate
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I love butternut squash, and have prepared it in different ways quite a bit. I'd be interested in that recipe, Jen. Another pumpkin/squash I can't find here is spaghetti squash. Anyone seen that one around? |
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Go that way really, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn. -- Charles De Mar | |
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