Halloween dinner with the family!

     Anybody that knows my family knows that we enjoy being together! We live close and I would venture to say that we pretty much see each other daily and I wouldn't have it any other way. While we love being together  we also all lead pretty busy, hectic lives and enjoy days to just be home. You'll often hear my Mom saying that she just needs a weekend! We all appreciate a Sunday with no where to go.  With that being said we decided that one Sunday a month we would have a family dinner after church, we rotate who hosts. So the first Sunday of every month, fast Sunday, is that day for us. This just happened to be my month! After an amazing day watching church in our pj's (it is General Conference Sunday), our favorite way to do it, we had family over for a festive dinner.
     It is October so we had lots of pumpkin and other ghoulish delights. I wish I could say I had completely decorated the house (it is almost done), had orange and black amazing center pieces and poison to drink but really, I just made dinner. I try to be one of those Pinterest Moms but as it is I didn't take that bike ride I promised to Ian. I need more hours in my day!
     So dinner... Ian had an accident at school on Friday (that is a whole other blog post) and he has to eat soft foods until tomorrow when hopefully the dentist will get him all taken care of. So, no steak. He LOVES fettuccine Alfredo, it is his absolute favorite dinner (after Panda Express of course) so I decided on pasta. I made my favorite recipe found on  www.ourbestbites.com. Really once you have made this you will never use Alfredo in a jar again. It is so easy, tastes so much better, and you know what is in it. I put my husband to work tonight and asked him to grill some chicken t to add to it. It was delish.
     Well, when I have a group for dinner and I do pasta I like to have choices. So I also made a Pumpkin Penne that was yummy! I fell in love with the Food Network when Ian was a newborn. I love to cook, I can follow a recipe, I love new flavors. I am not a creator in the kitchen by any means. I have thrown a few good dinners together with what I have on hand that have turned out pretty good if I do say so myself but mostly I work with other's creations. This one was Rachel Ray's and it was amazing. I don't think I have ever used fresh sage before but with the pumpkin it was perfect. I'll for sure make it again.

     So those are my pastas. I needed some sides. One of my new favorite salads is Maggiano's house salad and thankfully Our Best Bites helped me out with that one too. Trying to be more frugal I use bacon instead of prosciutto and works perfect. Doesn't bacon make everything better?

    The GHOULISH GARLIC BREAD! This was also a find from Rachel Ray. Everybody was a bit freaked out by the color but once tasted they went back for seconds and they got some vegetables with all the carbs! The Parmesan and garlic and butter and spinach....YUM!

    And of course dessert. Yes, it is still October. My favorite pumpkin bars recipe is right here! I even had help, my niece Zoe made the frosting and she made it perfect! Tasted so good with a big glass of milk, with ice of course.
    I am stuffed! It was a good day spent with my little family all day listening to a prophet speak and then a yummy evening with my nearest and dearest. Me being stuffed might also have a little something to do with all the candy in our house. This has become a conference tradition!