Always refrigerate pumpkin pies, never store them at room temperature. The eggs and milk they contain make them very perishable. Choose a ripe pumpkin with flat surfaces and few creases. With a trimmer or utility knife, cut a circle around the stem and remove the insides by scraping them out with a large spoon. When you are left with a shell about an inch thick, the pumpkin is ready to carve.
Children can trace a pattern on paper for carving a face, then tape it to the pumpkin.
Use the trimmer or utility knife for large, simple shapes, and a paring knife for sharp corners and to clean up rough edges. If you do put a votive candle inside, be sure to cut a smoke hole. Put petroleum jelly on the carved edges to reduce shriveling. If the pumpkin does shrivel, revive it by soaking in water for from 1 to 8 hours. This is a rich, moist autumn tea bread that tastes wonderful slathered with cream cheese or apple butter.