Happy Halloween..........

Well, it may not have been sewing, but I have been quite creative in other ways today.

We got in to the spirit of Halloween, and carved two pumpkins

This one was from the shop, but we did have one slightly smaller one that I grew myself.

Then we decided we should do some things to entertain the trick or treaters that came to our house.

We hung a huge garland of Autumn leaves in the doorway (forgot to get a pic of those - whoops), and made these fantastic fingers and oranges full of jelly brains to spook people out!

I made bags of homemade popcorn (which I was anxious no kids would choose, preferring the Haribo, and then I would be left munching them all this evening - but Hoorah for the Harris kids who grabbed them with glee)

Anyway, 8 groups of trick or treaters later, plus one quick nip round to the neighbours (didn't want to encourage the notion of knocking on people's doors and demanding chocolate too much!!) I had to decide what to do to use up all the pumpkin we had carved........

So, on to tonight's recipes.

I have made a huge pan of pumpkin and spagetti soup

I'm not going to give you the recipe for this one, which although it was OK,  it didn't quite go according to plan, being rather too 'thin' - I like my soups chunky and with good substance!

But the second batch was a New Covent Garden recipe for Roast Pumpkin and Bramley Apple soup.

You will need:-
1 large pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
25g butter
1 small onion
670ml stock
1 small Bramley apple, peeled and finely diced.

Preheat oven to 230 oC

Cut the pumpkin into quarters, scoop out and discard the seeds.  
Brush the flesh with olive oil, then roast in oven for 35 minutes or until soft.  Allow to cool, then scoop flesh out of the skin
Melt butter in pan, add onion, cover and cook for 10 mins, without browning
Add stock and pumpkin flesh, cover and simmer for 15 mins
Add apple, cover and simmer for further 5 mins.
Blend a third of the soup, return to the pan, season and enjoy.

So, there you have it.  Simply delicious Pumpkin and Apple Soup.

What a great Halloween.................