A Westhaven Halloween

When we first moved into our new subdivision last August, I was both excited and nervous about Halloween. "Plan for literally 1000 trick-or-treaters." Oh dear! Unfortunately (or fortunately???), the weather delayed Halloween a couple of days. . . just long enough that we were not able to participate due to out of town commitments. Thankfully, we had procrastinated and had not purchased our candy yet. Dodged that bullet!

So, tonight is our first official Westhaven Halloween. This holiday is a pretty big deal around here. Our annual Witchaven that took place last Saturday draws people from all over the area. Residents go all out with their decorations. The pressure! Furthermore, I can no longer simply plop my over-sized Shrek in the yard as he finally died after this last move. I miss him already! This year, Keely and I decided to put our new painting skills (ahem) to good use.

I painted the pumpkin and sign, whereas Keely painted the witch. After hanging them up, the bottom two paintings were missing the following morning. What? I suspected they simply fell down, yet I could not find them anywhere! Surely someone wouldn't have stolen them. Seriously? I kept looking, but to no avail. I realized I was more angry at the thought that some would-be thief didn't think my pumpkin was worthy enough than the thought that someone would actually steal them. Ha! Not surprisingly, there was no thief at all. They had indeed fallen down, but Keely had already taken them inside. My pride was restored.

I must admit that my minimal decorations do not compete with many of my neighbors. Here are just a few of my favorites:

I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I can enjoy these awesome decorations on my daily walks, yet I take great pleasure knowing that I don't have to store any of this stuff!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Sausage Balls

I sure do love this time of year! Perfect weather for an afternoon of tennis. Yesterday, my team had Round 2 of "Double Trouble" . . . a way to get our husbands on the courts for a "serious" mixed doubles round robin. Not surprisingly, munchies are an important part of this activity. We had a variety of dips, veggies, chicken strips, as well as a variety of cookies and brownies. This time of year, I'm always in the mood for making something with pumpkin, so I made pumpkin sausage balls.

I first tasted this variation of sausage balls as my sister-in-law Tina and her mother Mary make these. This recipe is already in our family cookbook; however, this is the first time I made them. I don't know why I waited so long because they're delicious and so easy to make! I modified the original recipe slightly since I wanted to use a whole can of pumpkin. This secret ingredient gives it a softer texture. I'm betting that you'll agree it's the perfect fall appetizer, especially if you're looking for something that would taste good whether it is served hot, cold, or anywhere in between. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups Bisquick mix
• 1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can of pumpkin
• 2 lb sausage (I used 1 hot and 1 mild.)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. (This helps to soak up some of the grease from the sausage.) Combine all ingredients; mix well. With moist hands, form 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet with room between. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Makes approximately 6 dozen.