Who says carving pumpkins is juat a Halloween activity? Carved pumpkins make great decorations for Thanksgiving as well, not to mention that they make for a wonderful family night activity. And, if you have little ones, painted pumpkins are just as fun. This week, let's talk about decorating some pumpkins for the wonderful fall season family activity.

While making your own design on a pumpkin can be fun, there are also a number of templates available online for free. And, thanks to the wonderful tools that can be found at your local department stores, you can easily recreate images on your pumpkin. There are many tricks when it comes to decorating pumpkins.

First of all, you don't have to carve all the way through a pumpkin to get a great look. You can actually use wood carving tools to simply carve away the outer layer of the pumpkin. When a candle is inserted, the flesh of the pumpkin glows giving a fantastic look.

Speaking of candles, you don't have to cut the top off the pumpkin. It's much easier to cut the back out of the pumpkin. This makes it much easier, and safer, to insert candles and light them. Of course, don't forget that you could also use flameless candles, if you prefer.

To keep your pumpkins looking fresh, you can coat them in Vaseline wrap them in plastic wrap and then refrigerate until the big day. This ensures your pumpkin doesn't look droopy once Halloween or Thanksgiving arrives.

As for painted pumpkins, you can draw the design on using a magic marker and then let kids color the images in with paint, just like a coloring book. Not only is this fun, but the pumpkins last longer as well.

Last, but not least, remember that these tips aren't just for pumpkins. Squashes can also be decorated for fall. In fact, you could do a whole scene of different pumpkin and squash characters.

Cooler weather means warmer meals. Soon families will be gathering around the table for meals that not only warm the body, but the soul as well. These meals don't have to cost a fortune and they also don't have to be loaded with fat. There are a number of cheap and healthy meals that are perfect for families. Best of all, many of these meals can be prepared on a busy work night. Take casseroles for example. Casseroles are affordable, easy, and can even be made healthy. This week, let's look at a couple delicious casseroles for those cold evenings.

Chili Cornbread Bake
Serves 4

8 cups of leftover chili
¾ cup cornmeal mix
¼ cup of all purpose flour
½ - ¾ cup milk
½ cup of sharp shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Pour the chili into an 8 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal mix, flour, and milk.
3. Pour the cornbread mixture over the chili and top with the cheese and cayenne pepper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown.
5. Serve with low-fat sour cream and salsa.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Serves 8

4 split chicken breasts, roasted
10 ounce box of frozen broccoli
1 cup of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of low-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 eggs
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 sleeve of reduced fat butter crackers, crushed

1. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Blanch and drain the broccoli and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Combine the cheese, soup, mayonnaise, eggs, and fresh cracked black pepper.
4. Toss the chicken and broccoli with the soup mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into a medium sized baking dish and top with the crackers.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
7. Serve with a side salad and crusty bread.