It's a Pumpkin/Apple Friday Five

Singing Owl writes:
All Hallows Eve (Halloween) is near. As a child, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. We didn’t yet worry about razor blades in apples or popcorn balls or some of the other concerns people have with Halloween these days. Halloween was a chance to be mildly scared, and better yet, to dress up and pretend to be something we really weren’t. Let’s talk about that a bit, but then let’s add in some food ideas for this year. Where I live the leaves are falling, the temperature is chilly and pumpkins are for sale everywhere, along with many kids of apples. What's more, the "Holiday Season" will soon be upon us. ACK! I could use a new idea for dessert. So, here we go…

1. How did you celebrate this time of year when you were a child?
Dressing up and trick-or-treating. When my older sister decided she was too old to go with me, the number of houses I went to shrunk dramatically. I only went to a select number of homes in the neighborhood where I knew the people. I did enjoy the whole costume production though. It seems we usually created something--or at least some part of the costume. The least fun I remember was standing on the kitchen table wearing white tights while my mom pinned green ribbon all around my legs in order to create Strawberry Shortcake tights.

2. Do you and/or your family “celebrate” Halloween? Why or why not? And if you do, has it changed from what you used to do?
We did the trick-or-treating thing; occasionally had a jack-o-lantern. Now, I do a "Trick or Trunk" event at my congregation. (People sign up to be in the parking lot, decorate their cars and handout candy from their trunks. The building is open for bathroom use or to warm up.)

(Bonus) 2. Candy apples: Do you prefer red cinnamon or caramel covered? Or something else?
Of the two, I prefer caramel covered. I don't like cinnamon in candy. I'd actually prefer apple chunks to dip in caramel--more caramel to apple ratio.

3. Pumpkins: Do you make Jack O’ Lanterns? Any ideas of what else to do with them?
I don't make jack-o-lanterns. I appreciate other's, but it's not worth it to me.

4. Do you decorate your home for fall or Halloween? If so, what do you do? Bonus points for pictures.
Not really. I guess I have a few fall decorations that I pull out if people will be coming to my house for Thanksgiving.

5. Do you like pretending to be something different? Does a costume bring our an alternate personality?
I like doing something different every year. My costumes generally don't bring out an alternate personality, but I suppose they could.

Bonus: Share your favorite recipe for an autumn food, particularly apple or pumpkin ones.
I'm not a great cook, but a great stuffing for cornish hens (though I suppose it would work in bigger birds too) is apples, craisins, and celery. Stuffing the cornish hens with them helps with moisture, makes the bird taste good, and is yummy to eat too.

7-10 Split

Why this analogy seems meaningful? Not so sure. But here goes....You know when bowling how you sometimes get the 7-10 split--the back corner pin on either side? Then, if you are not a professional bowler, you have two main choices. Aim for the right or aim for the left. And then, more often than not, the ball still ends up sailing right down the middle and hitting neither. So, you really have a third choice--just give up trying and let it go straight down the center. I feel like I'm standing with a 20 pound bowling ball in my hand, trying to decide where to aim. Really--does it matter? Standing here holding this heavy ball isn't getting me anywhere.