Susan Wales: MAKING AUTUMN MEMORIES

Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things. ~ Pierce Harris

Left - My granddaughter Hailey far right in the red sparkly shoes, enjoying Halloween with her friends.

My mother made every holiday special for us . . . even when she worked, she always managed to make mealtimes pleasant every day of the week. Just a little extra thoughtfulness, and you can do it too! I learned so much from my mother and my grandmothers. But making memories for your families is one of the greatest activities you can do for your family.

Just yesterday my best childhood friend and I were reminiscing over all the fun we had on Halloween! Remember the old fashioned cake walks at the Halloween Carnival . . . the music would play, and when it stopped everyone scrambled for a seat! You were eliminated if you didn't have a seat when the music stopped. Finally the last round only two people were left standing vying for a cake. And then, do you recall apple bobbing?

And the costumes you wore each year! Yes, I still remember mine, because my mother made our costumes. Whether my sister and I were dressed like a cat (The CATS Broadway designers could not compare with my mother's cats!) we won the Halloween Carnival "best costume award" every year! It's not so much the time, but the creativity!

So how does today mom with all her activities, career, and responsibilities make holidays special for her children? Impossible you say? Look below at these simple ideas to do with your children. Remember the memories of the "little things," you do with your children, will last forever! I am so blessed to have a grandchild, so the tradition continues. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could give your child special traditions to pass down for generations to come!

WITCHES HATS

from Betty Crocker

32 Hershey's(r) kisses, unwrapped (Great job for the little kids to unwrap the candy!)

1 package (11-1/2 ounces) fudge-striped shortbread cookies (32 cookies)

1. Turn cookies over and attach the candy kiss to the bottom of the cookie, usin

g decorating icing.

2. Pipe decorating icing around the base of milk chocolate candy.

Voila!

HALLOWEEN PIZZA

Call Domino's for a pizza or bake a frozen pizza. Buy yellow or orange peppers, and slice them lengthwise! They are the exact shape of a pumpkin. Arrange them atop the pizza and slice a green pepper for its stem. Ask your kids to decorate the "pumpkin" faces with black olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, red and green peppers and grated cheese. Adorable!

PUMPKIN PIZZA DESSERT - No worry! I'm not suggesting that you add pumpkin to your pepperoni pizza!

1 can pumpkin pie mix

1 3-ounce package of cream cheese

Tube of decorating icing

Whipped cream in a can

Pizza crust

Prepare pizza crust Soften cream cheese and cover pizza with a layer of cream cheese and then cover with a layer of pumpkin pie mix. Give the kids a tube of chocolate decorating icing and let them make lines that will look like a spider web. Decorate by circling pizza with a border of whipped cream. Yummy and fun!

HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

Buy plain chocolate cupcakes and have your children decorate them with candy corn or using the tube of icing create spider webs atop the cupcakes! You can add licorice spiders or make them with the icing.

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