Pumpkin carving and spiced apple cider

Sitting on a cold cement floor, old newspapers strewn everywhere, cheap plastic orange knife in hand, I found myself laughing harder than I have in a long time. I was in Adrian's garage, surrounded by old friends, and pulling cold pumpkin guts out of my tiny pumpkin.

Last Tuesday night, Adrian hosted a pumpkin-carving party. She filled her apartment with delicious fall appetizers, steaming mugs of hot spiced mulled wine and spicy apple cider, and pumpkin cheesecake bars. It was a perfect, cold October night. We ate, drank, and finally set our newly carved friends on the sidewalk. A line of glowing faces looked back at us; some scary, some funny, and some delightfully cute.

It was a night that will not soon be forgotten.

Spiced Apple Cider
My own recipe. Actually, it's more of a list of ingredients than a recipe, and even then it's flexible. Use what you have on hand.

1 qt. apple juice
4-6 cinnamon sticks
8-10 whole cloves
1/2 orange, sliced

Place everything in a large pot over medium-high heat. When mixture comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Serve steaming hot with a cinnamon stick in each mug.