Party Theme/Idea: Thanksgiving for all ages. Create a children’s table with scarecrows and an adult’s table. Cook dishes that mean “Thanksgiving” to your family and take the time to enjoy each other's company.

Favorite Recipe: Pumpkin Caramel Custard by Joel’s Grand Cuisine

Ingredients:
11 large eggs (6 whole, 5 yolks only)
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup pumpkin
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons ginger powder
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1/ ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange an oven rack just below the center. Grease twelve 6-8 oz custard cups.  Vigorously whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until blended.  Set aside.  Place the milk, pumpkin, one cup of sugar, spices and salt in a medium saucepan and put it to the side.  Put the remaining cup of sugar and the water in a saucepan and boil over medium heat without stirring.  Swirl the pan the moment it starts boiling and continue to swirl over the heat until the mixture turns a rich amber color- approx 4-5 minutes.  Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately pour into the custard cups.  Make sure the bottoms of the cups are evenly coated. Place the cups in a shallow baking pan and pour enough hot water in the pan to come up 2/3 of the way up the cups. Set aside.  Bring the pumpkin mixture just to a boil over medium heat.  While whisking, pour the pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture. Strain.  Pour the pumpkin-egg mixture into the custard cups and place the, with the baking pan, in the oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake until custards are firm, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  To test the firmness, insert a tester to, but not in the center of the custard until the tester comes out clean.  Remove the custards from the water bath. Cool on a rack then refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, run a thin knife along the edges of each custard cup and invert onto serving dishes.  Top the custard with the praline whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Serves 12.

Praline Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
¾ cup pecan halves
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons praline liqueur

Preparation:
In a mixer, whip the cream and the sugar to a medium soft peak.  Whip in the praline liqueur. Put the whipped cream on each pumpkin caramel custard and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Makes 1 quart.

Favorite Flower: Rose

How-to Idea: Scarecrow chair back

– Tie store-bought scarecrows to the backs of chairs with raffia in two places to secure them.