Warm And Toasty Fall Food Fest ideas

It's getting cold outside.  But that didn't stop us from having a fantastic outdoor Fall Food Fest last month complete with hats, gloves, scarves and a hearty bowl of vegetable soup, chili, chowder, and smores in hand. The open campfire also helped keep those red cheeks aglow. 

It's a time to go outdoors and get warm and cozy with good friends, family, and savory, mouthwatering dishes you can cook at home and throw on the BBQ grill at your favorite neighborhood park or home backyard. Here are a few fantastic warm and toasty fall food fest ideas our folks are still raving about.

Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole 
A mouthwatering sweet potato dish made with marshmallows and streusel.  Includes diced sweet potatoes, marshmallows and a sweet streusel sauce made from pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mmm, mmm good!

Broccoli Bacon Cheddar Chicken
A warm and cheesy chicken dish that sticks to your ribs. Includes cheddar cheese, broccoli and chicken breast with bacon bits. Season with garlic, paprika, and onion to taste. Yum!

Check out these great outdoor dishes and more from our 1000 Recipes Pinterest Board. 

Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
This savory potato corn chowder will delight your pallet and warm your tummy. Includes diced potatoes, onion, corn, butter, cheddar cheese, cream, and vegetable broth. Ooowee!


Spicy Chili
Other great outdoor dishes for your Fall Fest may include spicy chili with ground turkey, diced carrots, celery, red and green peppers, onion, red beans and seasoned with garlic, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. 

Don't forget the hot drinks! We're talking a big cup of rich warm brothy egg nog, epresso, vanilla coffee, creamy maple pecan latte, caramel frappuccino, and cappuccino.


Get more warm and toasty crockpot, in-the-oven and stovetop recipes at  https://www.pinterest.com/fimarkhome/1000-family-recipes/ 

Get Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Guide and Keepsake complete with a Fall Food Fest event planner, and activity ideas.  

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Planning The Best Family Fall Fest Ever!

So you're planning a family fall fest and want it to be the absolute best fall fest ever? There are seven keys to making your fall festival a success. The keys are revealed in my recent weekend experience while throwing a fantastic fall fest bubble show.

It was a crisp sunny day. Benches and colorful flowers lined the restful parklike setting on the lawns of the JHU office field. Gigantic moon bounce play sets filled the spacious grassy yard with splashes of fun festive colors. It's the annual Fall Fest staff appreciation day at Johns Hopkins University. A day of celebration and a veritable JHU family reunion.

This story really began when I got the idea to start handcrafting my own bubble wands. first was the bubble spray wand. It sprays hundreds of bubbles in seconds with one gust of wind. Then I designed the hoop wand that creates giant tube shaped bubbles and large bubble balls. My next creation was the tri-ring shaped wand that generates strong, long reptilian shaped bubbles and large bubble clusters.

Hoop Bubble Wand

Multi-Spray Bubble Wand

Tri-Ring Bubble Wand

By 3:30 pm families and their children began to spring from the office building doors and parking lots bursting with sounds of  excitement and awe. Wow! Ooh! Yeah! The family fun begins. That said, a fall fest should provide plenty of exciting child activities.


Brenda and I set our bubble gear for our biggest bubble show to date. And what a show it was. Scores of kids came running from all directions to see the spectacle of glistening bubble clusters, gigantic gleaming crystal spheres floating in the air. Amazed adults stopped by to eyeball the bubble floats and try out our circle of brightly colored bubble wands. Before we knew it there was a tactile hands on affair with bubbles flying everywhere, long tube bubbles and wonderful breezy bubbles sprays all in use by young children, pre-teens and the young-at-heart.

Our tubs of bubble juice quickly became frothy tubs of soap suds as kids and parents dipped and shook and wiggled their bubble wands desperate to create their own bubble formations. Laughter and cheers filled the air. Everyone was living in the moment.

As the DJ played our favorite tunes, children could not resist dancing, prancing, running and jumping while reaching out to catch every flying bubble in sight. It was enchanting and wonderful to behold. A fall fest at it's best.

When planning a fall fest add a special touch with seasonal decorations. Rent an outdoor venue with plenty of space to rip roar and run. In addition to bubbles and high wind bubble wands throw up some kites and have a face painting booth. Hey rides are fun for the whole family.

Here are a few more tips to make your fall fest the best ever.

1. Have a DJ present fun festive family oriented music
2. Serve hot dogs, fried chicken and plenty of drinks
3. Rent two or more moon bounce play sets
4. Hire a professional Bubble Master
5. Serve apple cider, nutmeg and pumpkin pie
6. Decorate with leaves, dry arrangements, cinnamon sticks, hay, squash and pumpkins
7. Include outdoor games such as the great bubble chase, bubble race and bubble toss.

Check out the fall fest event planner in Fimark's Family Reunion Planner social web app, ebook or paper back book available at Amazon.com

Living in the Baltimore Washington area? Want to add the special touch to your festival or family event? Contact Brenda at 443 813 0865 and ask how to book an Angelo and Marie's Fantastic bubble show.

Fall Family Reunion Reminders

Fall Reminders: Now is the time to start planning for a special event in November. We'll get back to that later in this post, but first... 

Autumnal Equinox

The autumnal equinox was Monday, Sept. 22 at 9:29 p.m marking the beginning of fall season in the northern hemisphere. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

At this time of year the temperatures begin to drop and the days start to get shorter than the nights. Personally I prefer longer days but colder, shorter  nights are a great time to get warm and cozy. I do like sitting by the fire with Brenda and playing music and sipping a nice warm brew with an oven toasted danish or home baked cookie for desert.

What The Proverbs Say

Some believe that how quickly leaves fall off trees serve as an indicator of what's in store for the winter. There's an old weather proverb that states, "If autumn leaves are slow to fall, prepare for a cold winter." 

Another proverb states: "Go to the ant..." What can you learn from ants this time of year? They teach us that diligent effort is needed if we wish to produce good fruitage. “Go to the ant, you lazy one; see its ways and become wise. Although it has no commander, officer or ruler, it prepares its food even in the summer; it has gathered its food supplies even in the harvest.” (Prov. 6:6-8)

I'm probably more of a gatherer than a hunter although I've had my moments. But speaking of good fruitage and gathering food supplies, It's canning time again! My sister Karen and niece Joy have spent the spring and summer growing herbs and veggies and I have dubbed myself the royal sampler of these delicious jarred gems just as soon as I can twist those tight lids off.

Looking for some tasty canning recipes? Here are a few I love straight from our 1000 Family Recipes page. Enjoy!

http://www.pinterest.com/fimarkhome/1000-family-recipes/

Fall Reminders

This is the best time of year to starting planning for next years family reunion.  That's why our group of family reunion planners dubbed November Family Reunion Planning Month. Why is November the ideal time to begin planning and organizing your next family reunion? Not only are prices on outdoor event supplies and equipment low but the season to gather with extended family will soon be upon us.  From November to January events involving the extended family make it an ideal time to come together and assist with family reunion preparations including photo and recipe swapping, heirloom documentation, refurbishment and display, genealogy research and interviews.

For more ways to observe Novembers Family Reunion Planning Month read...
http://familyreunionplanners.blogspot.com/2013/10/8-ideas-to-celebrate-annual-family.html

Making Family Reunion Planning Month Tradition

How can you make observing Family Reunion Planning Month a regular family tradition? Mid September begin sending out text reminders about the next family reunion planning meeting to all in the family and close friends. Before the meeting start brainstorming ideas for establishing date, venue and activity ideas. Also consider establishing an official family heirloom whether it be a hand-me-down artifact, a recipe book (see Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Guide and Keepsake Book) or a newly made quilt with patches of fabric material representing a special occasion from each household. 

Some families have created a family heirloom from baby clothes and accories everyone knitted over the years. You may event consider having an early fall knitting party just for that purpose. Brenda spent the past 4 years knitting scarves, hats and a beautiful blanket for our granddaughter which she still sleeps with after 4 years.

See our Knitting section for some great bootie knitting ideas:
http://www.pinterest.com/fimarkhome/the-art-of-knitting-crochet-and-sewing/

Welcome to the autumn season. The perfect season to enjoy the warmer times of our lives. 

Go ahead get inspired. Get the family reunion event planning app. What. Don't have Fimark's Family Reunion Planner social web app yet? ... the family reunion planning app click on the link found on this blog page.

10 Fun Fall Activity Ideas

Fall is just around the corner. The days get shorter. The sky turns into a fiery gold and mahogany sheaf laying a rustic leafy carpet of harvest pastels.  This is the season of Autumn Festivals where creativity knows no bounds. That said, why not plan your own fall fest this year. It's a wonderful way to introduce the seasons bounty to sons and daughters and make unforgettable memories along the way.

Here are some activity ideas:

Fall Fest Activity List

1. Plan an autumn stroll in the park and stop for some refreshing apple cider and warm pumpkin or sweet potato pie right from the picnic basket.  
2. Collect colorful leaves and press them in the pages of your favorite books. Pine cones, leaves and hazelnuts to make an autumn reef. 
3. Have a leaf raking party with all your family and friends including an outdoor BBQ and leaf bagging relay race.
4. Visit an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. 
5. Have a scarf or sweater knitting party.
6. Make your own kites and go kite flying this fall.
7. Have a harvest recipe swap complete with a dish tasting party.
8. Have a harvest themed bake sale.
9. Have an autumn themed book swapping party for adults and the kids.
10. Visit local fall festivals and enjoy those juicy sweet caramel apples.
11. Plan a school, club, corporation or community fall fest. 
    

Get fall festival marketing memorabilia ideas here.

Preserving Memories

Did you enjoy this years family reunion? Use the Newsletter template and Slide show app that comes in Fimark's award winning Family Reunion Planner Social web app and publish those memories. 

The web app interface provides access to all our standard event planning templates, printables, worksheets in pdf and word format and ebooks as well as the reunion planning spreadsheet with attendee database. What, don't have Fimark's award winning Family Reunion Planner Social web app yet? Good news. The app is reduced from $49 to only $39 for a limited time. Go to http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net/index1.html and get started on your family reunion fundraiser, newsletter, slideshow and your next fun filled family reunion event.

Autumn Family Recipes Part 2

Last week we introduced seasonal family recipes as a regular part of our family reunion planning presentation. That means you'll enjoy some of the best recipes our reunion planners have to offer from our family reunion recipes board on Pinterest. The number one place for discovering the limitless possibilities of home cooking and entertaining.

So what's in season? We've found creative recipes with one of the four fall fruits cranberries figs apples and grapes and two vegetables, pumpkin and my favorite -sweet potatoes. Today we'll focus on pumpkin and apple recipes.

Best Pumpkin Bundt Cake  

1 bx yellow cake mix, 1 bx butterscotch pudding (3.4 oz), 1/4 c vegetable oil, 1/4 c water, 1 c canned pumpkin, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, & 4 eggs...mix for 4 min., pour into greased & floured 10-in. fluted/bundt pan, and bake @ 350 degrees for 50-55 min.

Savory Pumpkin Dip  

1 (8 oz.) brick softened low-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, 4-6 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled, 3 green onions, thinly sliced, 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Spiced Pumpkin Pie French Toast 

3 large eggs 1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie filling* 3 Tbsp milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon 6-8 slices of your favorite bread cooking spray/Pam favorite syrup butter or margarine.

Family Recipe Compiler  from Fimark's Family Reunion Planner

Record the date, origin, history, contributing family member, ingredients, preparation, cooking and serving details.  There's enough page write out the history of each meals conception.

In addition to the family recipe compiler there are other useful keepsake features in the reunion planning guide ideal for the time of year when family activities are close to home. For example the event guide also contains a personal journal so you can record your reunion event planning experience. A family tree worksheet is also included alongside and family heirloom documentation worksheet. For great apple recipes and details about the Fmily Recipe Compiler in Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Keepsake Guidebook go to http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net/family-recipes.html.

Autumn - A Celebration of Family

This time of year is best enjoyed with family and good friends. It's a great time for neighborhood walks. front porch dining in flannel and wool sweaters. Brenda and I love taking long leisurely drives and enjoying the brilliant fall foliage.

Stop at a vegetable and fruit stand and drink down a cup of fresh apple cider. Taste chutney on sweet and salty crackers and spice bread.

As you're heading home watch a slow sun set, tell stories about your childhood, youth and growing up while enjoying the scent of pine cones, and wood stove embers stir in the sweet smell of harvest.

This is the month to celebrate family tradition enjoy the tastes of your culture. It's also the ideal time to plan your next family reunion.  What better time to begin baking and cooking then Autumn. It's a time to crank up the oven heat, get cozy and fill your home or apartment with the scent of roasted nuts, grains, pumpkin, ginger, honey and Cinnamon.  Serve robust dishes that warm you up deep down like chili, brothy beef stew or minestrone

or good old chunky chicken pot pie.

Bring the family together, enjoy engaging activities like updating a special family events calender, creating family slides shows, make printable and online keepsake booklets, design colorful t-shirts and collect and try out traditional and new family recipes. The sky is the limit.

Now you can do all that and more under the golden tree. Fimark Home Online and Legendary Heritage Heirlooms present a suite of family reunion planning tools and applications that include exciting craft, recipe and party and dinner planning ideas. And best of all you can do it all and share it all while staying connected to long-distance friends and family online.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social includes the following:

1. FAMILY REUNION PLANNER CHECKLIST
2. TODO LIST
3. DOWNLOADABLE EVENT PLANNING WORKSHEETS
4. THE COMPLETE PLANNER IN EBOOK FORMAT
5. NEWSLETTER MAKER
6. INVITATIONAL PRINTABLES
7. FAMILY RECIPE COMPILER
8. FAMILY REUNION SURVEY
9. FUNDRAISER WIDGET AND APP
10. RECEPTION HALL FINDER WITH REVIEWS
11. HOTEL FINDER With REVIEWS
12. REUNION CRUISE PLANNER
13. VACATION BOOKING APP
14. T-SHIRT DESIGNER
15. ITEMIZED BUDGET ESTIMATOR
16. DINNER PROGRAM TEMPLATES
17. ITINERARY TEMPLATES
18. DISCUSSION AND HELP BOARDS
19. ENGAGING FAMILY CRAFTS
20. MUSICAL SLIDESHOW CREATER
21. INSPIRING REUNION POEMS
22. INFORMATIVE REUNION PLANNING BLOG
23. FAMILY REUNION KEEPSAKE BOOKLET MAKER

Why learn new applications and perform tedious record keeping when much of the work has already been done for you within the applications and devices you normally use each day.  Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social integrates the family reunion planning process with many of the powerful social application you already use to enhance your event planning experience your way.

With Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social you get the job done more quickly performing up to 80% of your planning tasks online.

This is the future of event planning utilizing the best in cloud database and  DOM technology, online document sharing and social network integration.

With three options available for planning your Family reunion  Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social is more flexible and greener than ever before while helping you expedite tasks in a more organized and time efficient way.  Reduce footwork, lower event planning costs and spare your reunion funds for other uses.

Often event planning involves lots of time consuming data entry, numerous meetings with the family reunion planning committee, visits to hotels, collecting fees, reliance on a slow post mail system, the cost of stamps and shipping and delivery of t-shirts, the hunt for quality services and vendors and having to raise more funds to offset unexpected costs.

The Fimark Family Reunion Planner Social is designed to eliminate all of that while helping you save money, scores of tasks over weeks of time? How? 

The planner includes online tools, apps and spreadsheets integrated into a document sharing and conferencing system so other committee members can assist in getting certain tasks done and maintain good record keeping.

The  reunion planning interface features award winning services like family reunion  hotel finder,  reviews and online tours, committee video conferencing and spreadsheet document sharing,  and a means to import social network contacts to spreadsheet format not to mention the ability to design your custom T-shirt online and share with family members across several social networks enabling them to buy shirts online. 

You'll also enjoy bulk discounts for group orders and fast printing and shipping. Conference online using state-of-the-art conferencing programs. Hold a seasonal shopping fundraiser online and invite members to order products they need and love while profits are deposited into the reunion account. Make use of fundraiser widgets and Facebook apps to make donations convenient for all.

Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social to be released November 26th.

Family Autumn Fests

Low swirling winds sweeping up golden leaves and the scent of logs burning can quickly stir the heart. Warm woolen sweaters, pumpkins and multi-colored corn cobs seem to make each porch front more cozy and inviting. Autumn at its best.

But what's even better are the feasts. Sweet potato and pumpkin pie. Warm apple cider, corn wine, maple syrup on pancakes, turkey or chicken smothered in gravy with hot buttered veggies on the side. If you're the kind of person who likes an autumn cookout or a big spread in the dining room it's Family Fest Time!

At this time of the year families comes together to render much needed support, encouragement and inspiration. This led to a relatively new and exciting concept in family reunion planning. An annual observance established in 2005.

Family Reunion Planning Month
An observance centering around family reunion planning. The observance began when a family reunion planning group of 400 members agreed to make November the month to commence family reunion event planning. Mark Askew, founder of the groups official monthly newsletter, published and promoted the observance in his book Fimark's Family Reunion Planner. Read more at Wikipedia.com, keyword "Family Reunion."

 
Why November? 10 good reasons.

1. November is the time of year extended families come together making this an ideal time to discuss and establish suggested dates and activities for the next family reunion.

2. November - January are periods of time where families swap photos and videos. It's an ideal time to start putting together materials for family scrapbooks, family history books, memory books and family reunion keepsake booklets.

3. During this time elder family members like to keep family traditions alive and may make their own proclamations, education and financial planning and seek to empower the family union in some other way. Family reunion planning helps to serve that purpose as well.

4. November thru December is one of the more intimate times of the year. Indoor activities are the norm. This includes story telling. An ideal season to do family history information gathering including interviewing the elders of the family.

5. November starts nine weeks before the close of year. A good time to note the family's contributions toward bettering the community and set goals to complete important tasks before years end. One such task could be to establish a date, time and place to hold the next family reunion.

6. Many November observances are family oriented. Aside from the obvious, others including:

National Adoption Month
I Am So Thankful Month
Child Safety and Protection Month
Family Stories Month
National Family Caregiver Month
National Family Literacy Month
International Creative Child and Adult Month

That said, the fact that spending time with family is already being given serious consideration during this season makes it ideal for family reunion planning.

7. It a great time of year for family outings including nature walks, visiting museums and relatives near and far.

8. A season families plan short modest vacations and enjoy indoor recreational activities.

9. It's a traditional time of year to express thanks, gratitude and appreciation.

10. This is also a good time to get all family members involved in the family reunion planning process and appoint each and every family member over some aspect of the event.

November's Family Reunion Planning Month observance puts family in an ideal position to enjoy a veritable family fest at its best. 

Mark Angelo Askew is the Author of Fimark's Family Reunion Planner and Keepsake and Fimark's My Keepsake Wedding Planner. Fimark Home Online at http://family-reunion-planner.fimark.net/, a family oriented special occasions planning resources featuring templates, planners and free printables for weddings, showers, anniversaries, graduations, sports events and seasonal family events including Autumn, Winter and Summer Family Fests.

Planning a family reunion? Don't have Fimark's Family Reunion Planner Social web app yet? Get it at this summers discount special. List Price $49. Now $39 for a limited time. You save $10 dollars. No coupon code needed. For more information about the family reunion planning app click on the link found on this blog page or go to profiles.