ALL HALLOWS EVE

This morning I set about carving another pumpkin(slightly smaller than the first,thanks be to goodness) to sit in the porch scaring away evil spirits and we hope attracting some trick or treaters.

A batch of Fairy Cakes,I beg your pardon,cup cakes as we now must call them covered in white icing and each with a grinning skull painted on.....very creepy they are too,completed the culinary preparations for the evening.

Yesterday I iced the cookies so we also have grey cats,green bats, orange pumpkins and spooky white ghosts,quite a collection.

The day passed very quickly and by dusk a life sized skeleton made from news paper was to be seen hanging from the tree at the bottom of the drive,the pumpkins were lit and the conservatory ,where the food was to be served was lit by colours lamps.

Jugs of “muddy pond water” a mixture of lemonade and apple juice were set out with tumblers to wash down the cookies.

I had made a batch of chocolate rice crispy cakes and decorated them with two white chocolate buttons painted to look like goggle eyes,these popular little treats always go down well with small witches and little devils,I made an extra dozen for my son......grown up devils like them too you see.

Mindful of the fast growing mountain of pumpkin chunks I made a huge pan of pumpkin soup for dinner which I served with crusty bread and a selection of local cheeses, the boys are beginning to realise that pumpkin will be on the menu in one form or another for some time to come!

By five thirty we had deployed the pumpkins,the skeleton,and the Jolly Roger flew high above the hedge....we very ready for business and we did not have long to wait.

Were wolves,vampires and witches arrived to munch the cookies and drink my witches brew. Gory zombies and blood soaked ghouls were very much in evidence and we even had an amazing drag queen rock up, and he had us in hysterics long before he left.

It was lovely to see the children enjoying themselves and chatting away about their costumes and the people the had scared with their masks. It was also nice to see the parents taking their children out for the occasion,all in all it was a merry evening and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

By the end of the evening just a few ghostly cookies were left and those will be dealt with by my son who still enjoys such things in spite of his advanced age.

The Parish Magazine for November arrived this afternoon and it looks as though we shall be busy with Christmas bazaars, Race Nights,Bonfire parties, Film Shows and Concerts,there is certainly plenty of choice and we are all looking forward to the fun that the weeks before Christmas will bring.