It's the Great Pumpkin Dinner! || October Movie Nights [Dinner and a Cocktail]

 Welcome to October! One of the best months for spooky vibes and to celebrate all things Autumn! For me that means the transition to spending more time inside getting cozy as the weather turns colder and the days even shorter. So what better way to spice up a week and to get into the Halloween spirit than a good old fashion Movie night!

Which is why I've decided to share some of my movie nights this month with you! This week's movie is a classic: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"! I have watched this movie every October sense I was really little, just like I always watch "a Charlie Brown Christmas" every December. It is really special to me.

So we have a movie! But what makes a movie night even more fun? A themed dinner and drink to go with it! So here is the Menu:

Dinner:

Pork Chops

Roast Squash

Baked Squash and Apples

Cocktail:

Apple Cider Ginger Beer

This is a very simple dinner, but here is how I made it:

First I halved and scooped the seeds out of a butternut squash. Then I peeled the squash. I cut one half into cubes and then cut the other half into thin slices.

The cubed squash go onto a cookie sheet. Toss them with oil, salt, pepper, and I used a no-salt seasoning.

Peel and slice an apple. Layer this in a baking dish with the slices of squash as follows: Squash, Apple, dots of butter, Spoonful of brown sugar, cinnamon, repeat until dish is full/you run out of squash/apples.

Both the baking dish and the sheet pan of squash can go in the oven together at 400f for 40 minutes, checking both and rotating the roasted squash cubes as needed.

The Pork Chops I made were simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and no salt seasoning. I then just pan fried until they were cooked through.

TADA! Dinner was made! Now honestly it doesn't look the most appealing finished, but it is one of my fall favorites.

Cocktail:

I found a recipe on Pinterest for an autumn apple cider ginger beer cocktail. It was very simply Apple cider, Ginger beer, and vodka. I think it was really nice and I think it would be perfect without the vodka as a normal drink. The ginger beer adds a slight fizz and bite that pairs nicely with the apple cider's sweetness.