Wednesday, October 29, 2008

5th annual pumpkin carving party

it's that time again. each year we make lots of chili and tell our friends it is a byop party. bring your own pumpkin, of course. this all started with 2 of my very close friends back in charlottesville, va. sally, bryson and i made chili, carved pumpkins and i think we even watched the great pumpkin. so i wanted to carry on the tradition...and here we are 5 years later with 17 people coming over tonight. yikes! i stick with a simple chili recipe that includes, red and green peppers, kidney beans, black beans, onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. i forget how simple chili can be, yet so yummy. it is going to be perfect w/ this cooler weather. there are a few toppings to choose from, like sour cream, cheddar cheese, and scallions. we are going to have lots of cornbread and beer on hand too. last but not least, there will be a pumpkin ooey gooey cake for dessert.
it's funny though. every year i end up not getting to carve a pumpkin. i am usually running around making sure everyone is ok, had enough to eat, needing a tool to carve the pumpkin, etc. but it's always fun and i always take lots of pictures to remember the evening.
hummm...what am i going to do with the pumpkin seeds this year?