Monster Mash

My husband has a sign on the wall of our rumpus room that reads: “Every October, Hershey; the rest of the year is just waiting.” And so it is that every October we start on our pilgrimage to the largest antique car event in the world. Unfortunately due to the pandemic the Hershey Show was cancelled much to my husband’s dismay!

So one year we took a side journey to visit Bill and Paulette Mack, who have relocated up near Erie Pennsylvania, before going on to Hershey. Bill made a wonderful white Pasta e Fagiole (I’m going to have to hit Bill up for his recipe) and I made the discovery that I like white cannellini beans as long as they are al dente. So thank you Bill! That discovery has opened a whole new variety of recipes to share in the future.

Anyway, October is the month of pumpkins, scarecrows, and things that go bump in the night. Right next door to Hershey Park is Hummelstown, a charming place, whose main street reminds me of Scituate Village. During the whole month of October, the street is lined with scarecrows, designed by the local businesses and organizations. People vote for their favorite scarecrow, and the styles ranged from a family of skeletons named The Bone Family sponsored by the chiropractor, a scarecrow made up of paint cans from whom else but a painter, and one stuffed with play money from the bank. It is one of my favorite stops during our annual trek to the land of chocolate and car parts. The Scituate Business Association will be displaying Scarecrow’s in the Villages for the second year in a row.

October is a beautiful month, with its trees painted with color and doorsteps decorated with pumpkins and mums. So what do you do with all those left over pumpkins? Let’s face it how many pumpkin pies can you bake or eat! I have this great recipe for Pumpkin Cake, which my niece, Terésa, gave me many years ago. She hand wrote the recipe and drew a picture of a cake on a stand. You know that’s a recipe that I will keep forever! Here is the recipe complete with the cute drawing.