Pumpkin Day 2011!

I think that if you do something like this three years in a row...it officially becomes a tradition. Last weekend we went on our fun fall pumpkin tradition with the Wilsons! It's an event that starts early in the morning and ends late into the night. We all look forward to it.

I ended up getting 4 edible pumpkins. I LOVE roasting my pumpkin from scratch. I haven't bought a can of pumpkin in years. Last year I discovered the cinderella pumpkin and fell in love. They are beautiful and delicious!

The car was beyond full! Jay actually had his pumpkin on his lap the whole way home...which was not just around the corner, mind you...

We had some negotiating to do with Max. We gave him a price limit and in true Max form, he needed to go $1 over that price for the perfect pumpkin to carve...a battle of the wills! He was beyond proud of his pick!

Doing traditional things like this really makes me realize how big the boys are getting! Time is really going too fast!

This was just a few of the pumpkins we came home with! The boys carve their own pumpkins every year. They come up with the ideas and do the work themselves. I love this! Tony, unfortunately, got a warty pumpkin since he was carving Yoda and the pumpkin was far too waxy and hard for him to carve. I hated that he couldn't carve through that darn thing.

He and Matt have started a new tradition of making a joint pumpkin character. They don't carve them, but they decorate them. I love this one! He had such a personality!

We always put something in the crock pot to cook while we're gone since we are starving when we get back! This beef stew is easy to put together and was done when we got back! Perfect!

Crockpot Beef Stew

(makes 15 cups)

This stew is hearty and chunky. The flavor options are endless. I kept the herbs simple, but rosemary would be a great flavor to add if you are looking for a little something special.

2 medium onions (sliced thick)

8 medium carrots (cut about 2 inches long)

5 medium red potatoes (cut into quarters)

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 ½ - 3 lbs bottom round roast (cut into 1 ½ - 2 inch cubes)

½ cup flour

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 bay leaves

6 cups low sodium beef broth

2 Tablespoons flour plus 2 Tablespoons water (optional)

Layer your vegetables in the bottom of your crockpot. Next, on the stove, heat the oil in a heavy pan. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Coat the beef in the flour mixture and then brown it in the oil. Add the beef to the crockpot along with the bay leaves and broth.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If the gravy needs to be thicker, mix the 2 Tablespoons of flour with 2 Tablespoons water and stir it into the stew. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

**Thank you Nayoung for taking pictures that day!