It's Pumpkin Day

It's Pumpkin Day

We carve them, we eat them, we celebrate them!

For it's Halloween!

And "pumpkin" food has flowed from the kitchen at

Linderhof 

the past week.

Not "pumpkin food" but "pumpkin" food

There's not pumpkin flavor in the food

But the food looks like pumpkins!

An appetizer -- for a bring an appetizer cocktail party AND a Halloween Eve dinner party.

Pumpkin shaped cheese bites.

Oh, so simple and easy to make.    A tablespoon of cold Cold Processed Cheese, rolled into a ball, a pretzel stuck in the top and a leaf of parsley.    Put on a cracker so that it's cheese and cracker all rolled into one (and the bottom of the cheese gets a little sticky so the cracker keeps a cleaner plate)  

After it's rolled into a little orange ball, refrigerate and then before you serve, use a toothpick to draw the lines of the pumpkin.

And for a treat or a garnish or to add to a Halloween party tray

Candy pumpkins.

My own creation -- sort of.

I used the strawberry "candy" recipe from ages ago --

the 2 packages of jello (only this time I used orange for the color for they don't make pumpkin jello), a cup of ground pecans, a cup of coconut and 2/3 cup of Eagle Brand milk (sweetened condensed).   Mix all together and roll into teaspoon size balls, then roll in orange sugar and stick a slivered almond in the top and use a mint leaf for decoration.

A couple look really pretty tied in a cello bag and tied with an orange ribbon.

But wait, there's more pumpkins at Linderhof . . .

Shortbread

Cut out with the pumpkin cookie cutter and dusted with orange sugar.    They were a perfect

nosh when the Garden Club came.

But wait, there is still more!

On the tea tray!    Sugar cookies, frosted with orange icing and painted to resemble jack-o-lanterns.

Every afternoon we do stop for tea -- even on Halloween.

And what better Halloween tea treat that jack o lantern cookies.

It seems, however, this Halloween that the ghosts have invaded the tea table as well!

The jack-o-lanterns are still smiling so they don't seem to mind!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

Because it's all about the children.

And it's all about Candy!

We're busy today turning our portico into a "Witch's Lair"

for I'll spend the evening out there

handing out full size Skittles and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

New this year . . . my "The Witch Is In" sign!

We've got chili bubbling in the crock pot (alas, not in a cauldron) for it's our traditional

Halloween meal.

Husband Jim will eat his at dinner time.

I'll get my bowl when I transform from witch back into me,

after all the children have gone,

after all the candy is gone.

Halloween is not Halloween without pumpkins

And this week has been a busy pumpkin week at Linderhof!