It's a Pumpkin/Apple Friday Five

Singing Owl over at Revgals 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?
Mostly your basic trick or treating, on our own block and around the neighborhood. My dad went with us when we were little. My sister and my first costumes were ghosts. My mom just threw white sheets over our head. My best year my mom made a witch costume for me from a Simplicity pattern. I thought I was pretty scary! I had a light up hat, and I did win a prize at a Halloween party.

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 basically just get decorations and a pumpkin for the front yard, and welcome trick or treaters to our house. Although this year we didn't get a pumpkin, because the squirrels keep eating them.

2. Candy apples: Do you prefer red cinnamon or caramel covered? Or something else?
Caramel apples, of course. They make me fat. And, if allowed, I would eat them all of the fall.

3. Pumpkins: Do you make Jack O’ Lanterns? Any ideas of what else to do with them?
We have made Jack O'Lanterns until the last year.

4. Do you decorate your home for fall or Halloween? If so, what do you do? Bonus points for pictures.
Just the pumpkins and something for our door. This year we are decorating our dog for Halloween, if she cooperates (sorry no pictures yet). Never did that much growing up. I was always impressed, on our trick or treating jaunts, by the neighbors with the scary soundtracks and skeletons in their yards.

5. Do you like pretending to be something different? Does a costume bring our an alternate personality?
Hmmm... I used to like dressing up as a cat. And I loved putting on kimono in Japan, and pretending I was different. And... this isn't Halloween, but I enjoyed dressing up in mom's clothes as a little girl. One of my favorite birthday parties was a "Cinderella" theme. My friends and I all dressed up in our mom's clothes, and my mom made a "pumpkin" cake.

Bonus: Share your favorite recipe for an autumn food, particularly apple or pumpkin ones.
Too bad, my favorite autum recipe is "Autumn soup", with tomato and hamburger. No pumpkin or apple. I'll post it if anyone is interested.

Ok, here is my aunt's Autumn Soup recipe:

1 lb. ground beef

1 tbsp fat

1 cup chopped onion

4 cups hot water

1 cup each cup up carrots, celery, potatoes

2 cups cooked tomatoes

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp meat extract

1 bay leaf, crumbled

pinch basil

Brown beef in hot fat in heavy kettle. Add onions. Cook 5 minutes more. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, cover. Summer 30 minutes. 6 servings (exactly from her recipe card)