B.Y.O.P (bring your own pumpkin) Carving Party

 

I made Turkey Chili with White Beans from The Bon Appetit Cookbook...

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
  
• 1/4 cup chili powder
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
  
• 3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
  
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  
• 3 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed, drained

 

• Chopped red onion
  
• Chopped fresh cilantro
  
• Plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass red onion, cilantro and yogurt separately.

 

and...Hilda's Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (I'd leave out some of the garlic powder-too much!)

 

 

I love this pic of the three (me~kristen~katherine) of us!  (thnx "M")

 

We were into our pumpkins :]  This was Katherine and Michael's first time to ever carve a pumpkin!  Michael was concentrating a little too hard, haha.  I'm proud of you Kate for getting "dirty"!