Halloween at Our House

Let me begin by saying that I have mixed feelings about Halloween.  Neither The Mailman nor I grew up with trick-or-treating and costumes and parties and all of that...and we don't have children of our own...so Halloween is not something we "celebrate."  That said, we have some very cute neighborhood kids that think we're pretty cool (imagine that!)...and so I try to make their annual extortion outing a pleasant experience for them and their parents.  Plus...Bonnie and Clyde love all the excitement!

Halloween at our house tends to harvest-themed, with pumpkins and chrysanthemums...and lots of dry leaves scattered about because I'm too lazy to rake them for atmosphere. 

I'm not into scary Jack O'Lanterns, but I do like carved pumpkins...so I usually do something seasonal.  This is a simplified version of a technique I learned from Sunset Magazine years ago.  I hollowed out the pumpkin...cut out three Maple leaf shapes...and pushed them halfway out.  I inserted a string of outdoor mini lights...cut a smallish hole in the back (bottom)...threaded the plug through...and cut another small hole (top) to let the heat escape.  Et Voila!  Adult pumpkin! 

And here's our little Butternut Squash Weenie Dog!  I bought the metal cutouts several years ago...and he's become a Halloween tradition on our porch.

I have a tiered plant stand on the porch that stays out 9 months a year.  In the Fall, I dress up the Summer planting with colorful gourds and these grapevine mini lights that I found a couple of years ago on clearance at Menard's.

Of course, with all the goblins banging on the door, there's not much time to cook.  So...we'll have something simple like these Bratwurst packets.  Simply fill a foil pouch with Bratwurst, sauerkraut, sliced onion, sliced apple and a sprinkling of brown sugar.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 1 1/4 hours.  Easy-peasy!  And you don't need anything else with it...unless...

...it's a pumpkin cookie!  My friend, Kimberly blogged about these yesterday...and I just HAD to try them.  I especially had fun with the icing.  It's drizzled from a fork...which I had never done before.  At first, I tried to be careful and perfect...and it wasn't working...so I just decided to go all Jackson Pollock and I think they look great!  They're fabuloso...so much so that the kids will be getting these instead.  (Guiltily wipes cookie crumbs from face.) 



Now...bring on those little hooligans!  We're ready.  I just hope there isn't too much chocolate left over...know what I'm sayin'?