Let His Light Shine on Halloween

Hi Gal Pals!

So last week I discussed how recently I decided that I would no longer participate with the scary & evil customs associated with Halloween, but rather I have decided to focus on the fun & good aspects.  This week, I would like to take this concept a step further and provide ways to celebrate without compromising your faith.  Is there a way to partake in this unusual holiday without compromising your Christian values?  For me, this answer is yes and here are some ways that will help me do this. 

Redeeming Halloween

 

Well, it's that time of year again.  The air is crisp, the trees have begun to display brilliant colors and pumpkins seem to be popping up everywhere.  And this change of season kicks off the fun holiday season beginning with Halloween at the end of the month.  Did you know that Halloween also known as All Hallows Eve or "the eve of the holy ones" was once a religious day of observance.  Yes, that's right!  It was once suppose to honor those Christian martyrs of the early church who died for the faith.  It also happens to be the same date in history that Martin Luther (founder of the Lutheran church) posted his 95 theses to a church door in Germany (October 31, 1517) as a desparate cry to bring the church back to its original foundation.  Both of these facts are admirable and positive.  However, nowadays, Halloween seems nothing more than a secular celebration which incorporates less than godly images.  I must admit, up until recently, I fully embraced all of Halloween's ghoulish aspects and loved a good scare.  I never shied away from celebrating this spooky holiday full throttle with gravestones, scary music, witches, ghosts and of course, loads of candy.  My own family even dubbed me "The Queen of Halloween", but this year, I have decided to retire my title for a much more subdued celebration.  So what changed you ask?

Cheesy Bread

 

Good Morning Everyone!

I have a super yummy recipe to share with you all.  I came across this recipe online last year and it is soooooooooo good!  Granted it is a tad fatening due to the butter, mayo & cheese, but it is a nice treat once in a while and so easy to make.  It would be quite the hit at your next potluck or party.  It's even appropriate for Halloween due to its orange and black colors. 

Here's the recipe!

You've Been Boo'd!

Here’s a fun & thoughtful idea to get the Halloween spirit going.  Play the Boo Game.  This is fun.  I’ve done it with my coworkers at the office before & I’ve had friends who have played in their neighborhoods.  Here’s how it works.

STEP 1. 

Purchase Halloween candy/goodies and put in festive bucket, basket, etc.  Include a simple picture of a ghost (you can find this online) and the following Letter:

The air is cool, the season fall,

Soon Halloween will come for all,

The spooks are out, without a doubt!

In fact, a secret spook brought this just for you!

So enjoy your special treat while pondering, WHO???

The excitement comes when friends like you,

Will copy it & make it two,

We’ll all have smiles upon our faces,

No one will know who “BOO”ed whose places!

Just a few days to work your spell,

Remember keep it a secret, hide it well.

Please join the fun, the seasons here.

Just spread these “BOO’s” & lots of Halloween cheer!

Include these directions:
Enjoy your treat.
Place a picture of your BOO on your front door/office cubicle.
Now you have 24 hours to copy this twice, make two treats and two Boo's and secretly deliver them to two neighbors who do not have a BOO on their front door.  Then watch how far this spreads before Halloween!

STEP 2.

Now it's time to deliver your Boo's. Sneak up to two of your neighbors/coworkers houses/cubicles and leave their treat buckets in front of the door. Knock and RUN!  Hide someplace and you'll hear the giggles and "We've been booed!"

STEP 3.

Now it's your neighbors’/coworkers’ job to keep the fun going.  So sit back, relax and wait for your Boo to arrive. 

This game is especially fun for the kids & is a great way to teach them the concept of giving.  They will also be excited to go for a walk around the neighborhood to see who has been “boo'd”.

So what are you waiting for?  A knock at the door?

Get out & have some fun before the spooky season is done.

After all, there is nothing more dandy than a bucket full of candy.

The fall season is here & what better way to spread some cheer?

Truly a fun way for neighbors to unite before the long-awaited Halloween night.

BOO!

The Peculiar Pumpkin

Did you hear about the gigantic pumpkin that was weighed in at Half Moon Bay this past Monday?  It tipped the scales at 1,658 pounds!  Now that's one plump pumpkin!  Pumpkins are a peculiar fruit.  Don't you think?

Last year I watch this documentary called Lords of the Gourd.  It was both fascinating and bizarre.  These people spent about 6 months out of the year and thousands of dollars to grow these gigantic pumpkins.  It was crazy!  They talked about how they could practically watch them grow and some of the farmers got so attached that they actually wept when it was time to harvest them.  Eccentric folk, but I suppose you'd have be in order to fully commit yourself to growing the giant gourd.

   

The documentary also featured pumpkin boat racing.  That's right.  There are actually communities (east coast) that hold annual events where competitors hallow out there huge pumpkins, hookup them up to boat engines and race them around a lake.  Who knew that sizable squash could actually be used for transportation purposes? 

I don't know of any other produce on the planet that comes in so many different shapes, sizes, colors or has so many different uses quite like the pumpkin.  From home decor and flotation devices to bubble bath and medication, the pumpkin is a versatile fruit indeed.  It's also found in many dishes, both sweet and savory.  It can be used in sweet treats such as pies, muffins, breads, smoothies and ice cream, but also as a key ingredient in main dishes like pasta.

   

If you couldn't tell by now, I like pumpkins.  I like to grow them, I like to cook & bake with them and I like decorating my house with them during the holiday season.  And there are so many different varieties to chose from.  That's why each year when fall arrives, and it's time to find the perfect pumpkin, I tend to lean towards the more unusual looking ones.  Now, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the traditional orange jack-o-lantern type, but once you realize how many varities exist and are available these days, why would you want to limit your selection to just one type?

As you can clearly see from the photo at the top of the page, pumpkins come in many different shapes, sizes and colors.  Two of my favorites include the Queensland Blue (jade color) and the Cinderella (low to the ground with deep ridges).

         

Martha Stewart Magazine describes these two types of pumpkins:

Queensland Blue' is an Australian squash with jade-green skin and smooth deep-orange flesh, whose high sugar content makes it perfect for pumpkin pie. Packed with vitamin A, winter squash is versatile and nutritious.

French pumpkins, such as the elegant 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes,' dubbed the Cinderella pumpkin, tend to be low to the ground and often display deeply ridged lobes.

For more information on the different types of pumpkins, check out Martha Stewart's article from 2008, A Palette of Pumpkins.  And for some yummy pumpkin recipes, stop by on Tasty Tuesday.  Until then, have a great weekend and if you haven't already, go find the perfect pumpkin!