It's All About the Kit-Kats

The grandkids wanted to trick-or-treat our neighborhood this year based on the fact that our neighbors give our Kit-Kats : )  ... and you know, it's true! They received quite a few of their favorite candy bars.
The day started out with showers but by evening it was perfect for a stroll around the neighborhood.
Colin dressed up as a Pokemon character and Calleigh was McKenna, an American Girl Doll (gymnast).

After making the loop through the neighborhood it was time to head back to the house and "inventory" the sweet treats. There were many generous neighbors who gave out regular size candy bars. What a treat!  We turned on our porch light and the kids enjoyed greeting trick-or-treaters at the door and handing them a variety of goodies. They found as much joy in giving as in receiving.
We ended the evening with dinner at Red Robin. The kids were able to stay out late due to not having school the next day. What fun making memories!

Tradition: Cookie Day

Even though we have a family tradition there are times when we shake things up a bit. Cookie day is an annual October event. We usually meet at the local pumpkin patch, enjoy a variety of soups for lunch and then decorate cookies together.
This year we made a few changes in the plan. We went approximately 108 days without measurable rain in our area. We thought it might hold out a little longer but heavy rain started falling a few days before our pre-planned family day. The ground was so dry that the pumpkin patch had standing water that canceled several events the grandkids enjoy. So, we skipped that part of the tradition this year.

 The second change was the food. This year I decided to go with a Hot Dog Bar ...something the grandkids would enjoy. I found a cookbook at the library, "Food Network Magazine 1,000 Easy Recipes -Super Fun Food for Every Day." They have great ideas and I think I will be buying a copy for future use. There were more than 35 hot dog types to choose from. I picked out ten that looked appealing: Southern Dog, Hot Diggity Dog, Thai Dog, German Dog, Polynesian Dog, Chicago Dog, BBQ Dog, Pizza Dog, Chili Cheese Dog, and Bruschetta Dog.

I created signs in Photoshop Elements listing what went on each dog. I used photo holders with a single clip that I found at Michael's last year on clearance for 90% off. We used them at the Rehearsal Dinner and they were just the right color for this event.
As usual, we created some very unusual cookie faces ... and enjoyed a few for dessert. They were delicious!
This was the first family event in our remodeled kitchen and the new peninsula worked out great for setting up the food display. It was nice to have everyone gathered around the kitchen while cooking and prepping food.
Sometimes it's good to make changes ...