Happy Halloween!

Halloween
by Mary Jane Carr

Witches flying past on broomsticks,
Black cats leaping here and there,
White-robed spooks on every corner,
Mournful moaning in the air.

Goblins peering out of windows,
Spirit-things that rap and run-
But don't be scared-it's just October,
Having one last hour of fun!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium-sized pumpkin
1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

2 or 3 celery stalks, sliced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 to 2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 cup cooked rice
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup

Cut off top of pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. In a large fry pan, sauté onions in oil until clear with carrots, celery and peppers Add meat and brown. Drain drippings from fry pan. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into cleaned pumpkin shell.

Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin with filling on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or until inside meat of pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a plate. Design a face on the front of pumpkin with a permanent marker. Remove top and serve. For more vegetable: scoop out cooked pumpkin. Delicious!