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 HOLIDAY DECORATING Sure, Halloween lasts only one day, but that doesn't mean the decorations have to disappear on Nov. 1. By forsaking the witches and goblins and choosing a harvest theme instead, the warmth and fun of the autumn season can stretch from the first frost all the way through Thanksgiving. | When you can celebrate the colors that nature has given to us, it can be so much more appealing. Holiday decorators should not feel limited to the cliché cornstalks and hay bales at the front door. Give it a twist! Try, for example, creating a bowl or basket of gourds in different shades of green. The monochromic display may be a striking departure from the expected rusts, oranges and golds so abundant these autumn days. A glass bowl brimming with fresh uncooked cranberries serves as a lovely centerpiece. When decorating outdoors, pumpkins add a festive touch that can continue to look fresh long after the last trick-or-treater rings the bell. But garden color also should not stop with orange. It's easy to freshen up the garden by removing spent summer annuals and replacing them with fall plants, including mums, pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale. Remember, you don't have to wait for Christmas to place a wreath on the front door. Autumn leaves, cranberries, feathers and fruit can provide inspiration for a welcoming autumnal design. And a garland of faux autumn leaves can add atmosphere to the banister, mantle or front porch pillars. | 
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Inside why not greet your guests with the aroma of an apple pie bubbling in the oven? Don't worry if there's no time to bake. Fragrant candles or autumn-spice potpourri simmering in a saucepan can instantly fill the senses with that home-for-the-holidays feeling. Decorating for the harvest does not have to be expensive. Discount stores such as Target and Christmas Tree Shops offer a wide selection of bargain-priced options, and even higher-end retailers including Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Smith & Hawken have a variety of fun and reasonable options.
But don't forget the local farm stand. Even things like apples can become decorative elements when displayed in a giant bowl or basket. I love the way they display things at farm stands. You'll find colors that definitely inspire you. 
Here are some colorful Thanksgiving drinks...... For those who enjoy a libation...
Pomegranate Martini 2 oz Absolute currant
2 oz triple sec
1 oz lemonade
1 oz pomegranate juice | 
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Shake well and pour into a martini glass with sugar on the rim. Garnish with a lemon twist if you would like. | And for the kids and the non-drinkers...
Hot Buttered Cranberry Punch 16 oz jellied cranberry juice
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
butter | Crush cranberry sauce with a fork. Mix with sugar, spices and salt. Add water and pineapple juice. Cover and simmer 2 hours. Ladle into mugs and float a pat of butter in each serving |
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Old Fashioned
Hot Buttered Rum Here's a favorite, Sure to warm your
cockles on a crisp autumn evening | 1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 oz rum
3/4 cup boiling water
Sprinkle nutmeg |  | 1. Combine sugar, brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted (6-8 min).
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2. Combine cooked mixture with ice-cream in a large mixing bowl, and beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until smooth (1-2 min). Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to one month. |
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