1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cookie decorator (in a 4 1/2 -ounce pressurized can)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and 1 cup flour and mix well. By hand, fold the remaining flour, the baking soda, and the baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut out the cookies with a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool thoroughly before decorating.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies

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Choco Lanterns

12 miniature pumpkins
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cut the tops off the pumpkins and remove most of the interior with a sharp knife. Then scoop to even out the inside.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk gradually as you mix with a wooden spoon. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens. Now add the vanilla and mix again. Remove from the heat and pour into the hallowed-out pumpkins. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 12

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Fall Centerpiece

1 cornucopia shaped basket or any basket you have on hand

Several branches of fall colored leaves

About 12 strands (1 yd. each) Raffia to tie a bow

Excelsior, straw or paper shreds in natural color

A variety of artificial or fresh fruits, mini-pumpkins, gourds and squash etc. to fill the basket

Arrange some of your leaf sprigs in a circle around a regular basket or in a fan at the opening of a cornucopia. Place the basket or cornucopia on the leaves and place the excelsior, etc. filler into the bottom of the basket to fill it at least 2/3 full, some pulled up around the edges. In the cornucopia shove it in and pull it out to form a base for your fruits and vegetables.

Arrange the fruits and vegetables in a pleasing manner varying the colors and shapes that are next to each other. Clip some of the autumn leaves and tuck them in among the fruits and vegetables for accent and interest. Tie a bow in the center of your raffia streamers and attach it to the edge of the cornucopia or basket and if the basket has a handle on the handle.

Spider Webs

White paint

Black construction paper

Marbles

Aluminum pie pans

Fill a small bowl with water-based white paint. Drop in the marbles to coat. Cut circles out black construction paper that will fit into the pie pans. Put a circle in a pie plan. Scoop a couple of marbles out of the paint bowl with a spoon and drop them onto the construction paper. Roll the marbles around by tilting pan. The white paint trails make spider webs. When the paint is dry, put a spider sticker in middle.

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HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!!!