The Great Pumpkin Feast
What is the Great Pumpkin Feast? It has been our family's alternative to trick or treating for many years. We gather together the last Saturday in October for an afternoon of fun and outdoor games. Everyone is included, young, old and middle-aged! The group is divided into teams and everyone is put on a team, regardless of age (and no husbands and wives are ever on the same team!) Candy is the treat or prize for all of the games. Following the games is a great feast -- a prelude to Thanksgiving.
This year we each had a new mask that one of the kids bought on line. Without any costumes, we went around the neighborhood greeting folks! Most didn’t know if they should run in the opposite direction or shake hands!

Our three activities took the entire afternoon. We all went on a PICTURE Scavenger Hunt, Each team had a camera and a list of pictures to be taken. The only rule was that at least 2 people from each team had to be in the pictures. Some of the items on the list were: a picture of: a person walking a dog; a car, 1980 or earlier; an order-taker at a drive-thru window; a street sign that is a woman’s name; a church steeple; a man jogging; a sports field; front porch hanging swing; house number that adds up to 15; plus several more. This was a good activity because all ages could be involved in it.

Each team also made a haunted house with graham crackers, sorted candy, pretzels and LOTS of icing. The teams judge each other to decide on the best house. One even had a picket fence around it!

The afternoon wound up with every team singing an original Halloween song to the tune of ‘Deck the Halls’.
Recipes on this page:
Great Pumpkin Feast
other fall recipes

Eating is as much fun as playing games. This year we had Egg Ghosts Monster Mouths  and Mummy Rolls. Dinner included a Shattered Crystal Ball, Harvest Vegetable Salad, Spiral Pepperoni Pizza Bake, Taco Topped Potatoes and an Apple Oatmeal Crisp. (Recipes below)
More family photos can be found on my family pages..

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EGG GHOSTS
Take hard boiled and cut out small triangle shapes in the whites. In these ‘holes’ put pieces of black or green olives and sit the on a plate of parsley or other small leafed greens.
MONSTER MOUTHS
(There was one of these on each plate when dinner started) To make them, slice a Granny Smith apple into 8 wedges. Spread the each wedge with about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter. With the peanut butter sides together press the thin ends together. (The peanut butter will hold them together) Now press about 5 pieces of candy corn in the wide side so it looks like teeth.)
GHOST ROLLS
Use refrigerated bread sticks (in a can). Cut cheese in sticks (1/4' x 2'); wrap bread dough around cheese, making sure it is sealed (so the cheese doesn’t leak out). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes or until bread is lightly browned.
DRIPPING BLOOD PUNCH

4 cups pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
2 cups ginger ale
8 tablespoons grenadine syrup

Mix pineapple and orange juices in a large pitcher. Refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving, stir ginger ale into juices. Fill glasses with ice then punch. Slowly drizzle 1 tablespoon grenadine over top of each serving. Serves 8.
SHATTERED CRYSTAL BALL

2 boxes (3 oz. each) lime jello
3 boxes (3 oz. each) orange jello
6 cups boiling water, divided
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 ? cups white grape juice
1 12-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dissolve lime jello in 3 cups of boiling water. Pour into an 8-inch square dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with orange jello and put in another 8-inch square dish. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until very firm.

In small saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add grape juice. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into a large bowl; refrigerate for 45 minutes or until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped topping. Cut green and orange jello into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Gently fold jello cubes into whipped topping. Pour into mold or 9 x 13 dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. (I used another box of orange jello and made pumpkin shaped molds and stood them around the unmolded salad. Most of the kids ate these first!).

SPIRAL PEPPERONI PIZZA BAKE
1 16-oz. package spiral pasta
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 15-oz. cans pizza sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 (3 1/2-oz.) package slice pepperoni

Cook pasta; drain. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef, onion, salt and pepper until meat is just done; drain the fat. Stir in pizza sauce, garlic salt and oregano; remove from heat and set aside. In small bowl, combine the eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Add drained pasta and toss gently in the egg mixture. Transfer to a greased 3 quart baking dish; top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until golden brown. Serves 12.
HARVEST VEGETABLE SALAD
3 cups cauliflower pieces
2 cups broccoli pieces
1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
2 medium carrots, diagonally sliced
1 cup large pitted ripe olives, sliced
Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbls. olive oil or canola oil
1 tbls. chopped cilantro or parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

Steam/cook cauliflower, broccoli and carrots until barely done. (They should be tender crisp). In large bowl mix all the salad ingredients together. Mix all dressing ingredients together in jar with tight fitting lid and shake well. Pour dressing over vegetables; mix gently. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours to marinate. Makes 7 (1 cup) servings.
APPLE OATMEAL CRISP
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. butter, melted
4 1/2 c. apples, peeled, cored, chopped
3/4 c. sugar
1 tbls. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. (For a 9 x 13 pan, double all ingredients)

2006 Feast

We had as much fun eating as we did playing games. Apple Creamy is a wonderful "warmer-upper" drink -- which everyone loved as the sun went down and it got chilly. There was a little brown mouse with beady eyes and long tail on each person's plate when they sat down at the table. The salad was a Wiggly Pumpkin jello mold and the main course was Chile Chicken Enchiladas along with several side dishes. The "bread" was on the disgusting side -- Lumberjack Fingers! -- but they went over big with the kids! The hit of the night was the desserts: a basket full of Ghost Cookies, a plate full of Witches Hats and a Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Mice on the top. (Recipes below)
Apple Creamy
Back to top 2 21-oz. cans apple pie filling
2 cups half & half
2 cups ginger ale
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

In blender, blend pie filling until smooth. Combine all the ingredients in large saucepan and mix well. Simmer over low heat until mixture is steamy, but do not boil. Can be served with a dollop of whipped topping if desired.
Chile Chicken Enchiladas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
6 oz. (1 1/2cups) grated cheddar or jack cheese
1 (4.5-oz) can chopped green chiles
1 cup sour cream
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) grated cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Combine chicken, jack cheese, chiles and sour cream; mix well. Spread about 2 teaspoons enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Top each with 1/2 cup chicken mixture. Roll up tortillas; arrange, seam side down in baking dish. Top with any remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray and cover baking dish sprayed side down. Bake at 250 for 45-60 minutes or until heated through. If desired, remove foil last 5 minutes of baking.
Lumberjack Thumbs
8 small sandwich rolls
4 hotdogs
catsup
1 radish

Use the handle of a wooden spoon to push a 2-inch long hole into the end of each sandwich roll. Don’t push through the roll! Cut each hotdog in half, then cut a notch in the uncut end for the “nail bed”. Heat the hotdog through–either steam, boil or microwave. But watch them because if they get too hot they will lose their shape. Spoon a little catsup into each roll and then push a hotdog into each roll with the notched end sticking out. Cut 8 thin slices of radish and trim them into wedges to fit on the notched end of each hotdog to make fingernails. Serve with extra catsup for dipping.
Ghost Cookies

1 lb. white candy coating, cut into chunks
1 pkg. (1 lb.) Nutter Butter cookies
Mini chocolate chips

In double boiler, melt candy coating, stirring until melted. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely. Set on wax paper to cool. While coating is still warm, place 2 mini chips on each cookie for eyes. A bag makes about 3 dozen.
Witches’ Hats
1 pkg. (4-3/4 oz) chocolate sugar ice cream cones
12 thin chocolate wafers (2-1/4 inch diameter)
1 large container of whipped topping or whipped cream
4 squares (1 oz. each) semisweet chocolate
1/2 tsp. shortening
Halloween sprinkles

Melt chocolate and shortening, stirring until smooth. Dip pointed tips of ice cream cones a third of the way into melted chocolate; roll in sprinkles. Just before serving, spoon topping into cones (making sure it is to the top). Top each with a chocolate wafer (the topping will hold the cookie on) and invert onto a serving platter. Makes 1 dozen.

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Chocolate Mice
1 (1 oz.) Squares semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup finely crushed chocolate after cookies
1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
24 silver/gold dragees decorating candy
1/4 cup sliced almonds
12 long red vine licorice (or roll a piece of
a caramel into a long skinny strip)

Melt chocolate and mix with sour cream. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate wafer crumbs. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Roll by tablespoons into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end. Roll into confectioners sugar (for white mice) or in chocolate wafer crumbs (for dark mice). On each mouse, place a gold or silver dragee in appropriate spot for eyes, almond slices for ears and a licorice string for the tail. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. These are delicious, too!

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For an appetizer I cut thin slices of neck pumpkins, lightly fried them and then served them on slices of party rye bread. Among the dinner menu was a small pumpkin baked full of fresh fruit salad, candied pumpkin, yolkensteins(!), abracadabra hat rolls, bobbing head punch, a Halloween dessert and bread pudding apple pie. (Recipes included below).

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Some of the decorations included, canning jars painted orange and decorated as a pumpkin with a votive candle set in the top and 3 stackable wood boxes painted orange and cute faces painted on them. To do a get together like this takes time to plan it, but you can go as far as your imagination will take you!! It definitely is a "looked-forward- to" time of year!

YOLKENSTEINS

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Cut a thin slice from the wide end of a hard-boiled egg so it stands upright. For the eyes: cut a thin slice from 2 green olives. Put a dab of mayonnaise on each slice and stick on egg. For nose: use a peppercorn. For hair: poke a hole in the top of the egg with a toothpick, and stick1 or 2 pieces of parsley into the hole. Note: To make the eggs easier to work with, blot them dry with a paper towel.
HALLOWEEN DESSERT
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3 1/2 c. chocolate cookie crumbs
3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 c. margarine, melted
1 (8 oz.) and 1 (4 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz.) container whipped topping
2 c. boiling water
3 (4 oz.) boxes orange jello
1/3 c. cold water

Mix 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and 1/2 cup sugar and margarine; press firmly into bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate.

Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spoon over crust. Stir boiling water into jello until dissolved. Mix cold water and stir. Refrigerate until it starts to gel. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Spread remaining whipped topping over gelatin. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Decorate with candy corn and pumpkins. Serves 15-18.

Jack-O-Lantern Appetizers or Snacks Back to top
(These are fun to look at and very tasty!) These are simple and quick to make. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter and cut out shapes from a slice of bread. I used a fine grain light brown bread–any kind will work. (There is a lot of left over bread from these. I put it all in a plastic bag, froze it until Thanksgiving and used it to make stuffing.) Spread each pumpkin shape with cream cheese tinted a pale orange. Using a sharp knife, cut out of bologna (I used hard salami) the eyes, nose and mouth and place them on the pumpkins. Put them on a plate and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap to keep them fresh until you are ready to serve them.
Halloween Favor Boxes
(Wonderful edible favors for the kids–big ones, too!) For each box you will need 5 graham cracker squares. These cut/break apart easily if you run a serrated knife over the lines where they are to break apart. Use 1 square for the bottom and 4 for the sides. “Glue” them together with frosting in a tube or cake decorator. Set them aside and let the icing dry or get firm before doing anything else. When they are dry, you can write on them with tube icing or use a thin tip on your cake decorator. Fill them with hard candy or nuts.
Halloween Ginger Snaps Back to top
(Easy and quick to make)
 You will need an even number of gingersnap cookies (home made or bought), white icing and Halloween or fall edible decorations (these can be found in a craft store). Spread icing on flat side of one cookie; place another cookie, flat side down on icing. Put a small amount of icing on the back of your decoration and press it on top of the cookie. Arrange on large plate and serve.
Kitty Litter Box Dessert

(Almost too real looking to eat!) The boys thought it was “cool”! The girls couldn’t say anything but “yuck”! If this doesn’t make your guests go “tilt” nothing will! I made this a day ahead of time and kept it ‘hidden away’ until dinner was over and dessert was served. Buy a small litter box and scooper and wash them thoroughly.
You will need:
1 box spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 box white cake mix
1 pkg. white sandwich cookies
1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix
A few drops of green food coloring
12 small Tootsie rolls

Make both cake mixes according to directions, in any size pan. Make pudding and chill. Crumble cookies in small batches in blender. To 1 cup of cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring. Mix with a fork or shake in a jar. Set aside.

When cakes are cool, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and enough pudding to make the mixture moist but not soggy. Pour mixture into litter box.

Unwrap 3 Tootsie Rolls and heat in microwave until soft and pliable. (only a few seconds.) Shape the blunt ends into slightly curved points. Repeat with 3 more rolls. Bury the rolls decoratively in the cake mixture. Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter green crumbs lightly over top.

Heat 4 more Tootsie Rolls until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with crumbs from the littler box. Heat the remaining Tootsie rolls until pliable and hang them over the edge of the box. Place box on a sheet of newspaper and serve with scooper!ut one of these on each plate before the dinner starts!
Ghosts on a Broomstick Back to top

1 roll (any flavor) chewy fruit snack
pretzel sticks (2-3" long)
white vanilla chips, melted
mini chocolate chips

Unroll fruit snack roll and cut a 3/4" fringe on the one end of it. Cut that into 2 pieces. Wrap a piece of fringe around one end of the pretzel -- pressing to seal end. Lay broomstick on wax paper.

Using a teaspoon, drop melted chocolate across pretzel to look like a ghost -- shaping it if necessary. While chocolate is still soft, put 3 chocolate chips on for eyes and nose. Let stand until firm (about an hour). These keep well and can be made several days ahead of time.

Make a plate of these to pass around when everyone arrives for
dinner. Serve with a delicious Cider Creme Punch (see recipe here)