New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• Have a Sandwich Thanksgiving with an affordable, two-night Turkey Day lodging and dinner package at Cape Cod's 1750 Inn at Sandwich Center;
• Save on admission to Edaville USA's Christmas Festival of Lights in South Carver, Massachusetts;
• Enjoy exclusive savings when you become a New Hampshire fan on Facebook; and
• Purchase $25 restaurant gift certificates for just $2 through November 12.

_{Edaville USA Christmas Festival photo © 2008 Kim Knox Beckius.}

Yesterday, my seven-year-old daughter and I had the sweet opportunity to serve as judges at the Boston Christmas Festival's 16th annual Gingerbread House Competition. All of the entries were delightful, but the winners, as you'll see in this photo gallery, took gingerbread creativity to extremes.

There's still time to visit the Boston Christmas Festival, New England's largest holiday art and craft show, which runs through Sunday, November 8, and to view these amazing confections. At the festival's conclusion, these gingerbread masterpieces will be sold, mostly to local corporations, and proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, which makes them doubly sweet.

_{Gingerbread Old State House © 2009 Kim Knox Beckius.}

When I surprised my husband by reserving seats for a Harpoon Beer Dinner, I didn't plan to spend the night working! But when Al Marzi, Chief Brewing Officer at Boston's Harpoon Brewery, began speaking eloquently about the art of brewing, beer history and pairing beer with food, I couldn't help it: Out came my pencil and camera! Use these beer tidbits and pairing tips to plan your own beer dinner or to impress your friends! You'll even learn which beer to serve with pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving!

_{Harpoon Beer Dinner photo © 2009 Kim Knox Beckius.}

What's the most visited rock in New England? Plymouth Rock, of course. It's housed within the smallest state park in Massachusetts, Pilgrim Memorial State Park, which is visited by nearly one million people each year. Here's how you can be one of them.

_{Plymouth Rock photo © 1999 Kim Knox Beckius}

New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• Escape to Manchester, New Hampshire, for $68 per night double occupancy this weekend;
• Pay half price for a family four-pack of tickets to the LEGO KidsFest in Hartford, Connecticut, November 20-22; and
• Savor dining deals as three of the region's premier destinations for gourmands--New Haven, Newport and Portsmouth--host Restaurant Week promotions this month.

_{Pan-seared scallops at Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe, a Restaurant Week Portsmouth participating restaurant, © 2008 Kim Knox Beckius.}

Did you miss this year's fall foliage season in New England? It's not too early to begin planning your visit for fall '10. Subscribe to my free, eight-week email course, and I'll walk you through what you need to consider and the steps you need to take to plan a memorable and fun fall foliage vacation in New England.

Thank you to Sailingmusic for submitting this fall photo from Massachusetts. Click the image to see a larger view.

Before We Say Goodbye to Fall...

• Enjoy this final view outside my window.
• Try one of these fall craft projects with your kids.
• Browse through my pictures of the Northeast's newest way to leaf peep.
• Share your photos from your fall foliage trip.

There are plenty of fun and spooky things to do in New England as Halloween creeps up. Here's your guide to New England's pumpkin patches, haunted houses, spooky places, Halloween festivals, hayrides and more.

Related Halloween Resources

• Haunted Hotels and Inns of New England
• Haunted Happenings in Salem, Massachusetts
• This Weekend in New England
• Send a Free Halloween E-Card
• How to Pick a Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Recipes from New England
• Visit TOMB in Boston
• New England Oddities A to Z

Pumpkin Man photo © 2007 Kim Knox Beckius.

It is raining to beat the band here in Connecticut, which makes this an ideal day for pumpkin carving! With the plethora of free pumpkin carving patterns available, the Internet makes it easy to carve a creative gourd this year. I've already carved two pumpkins from my own collection of free pumpkin designs this season: the girl pumpkin at left and this beret-wearing artist pumpkin.

If you carve a cool pumpkin this year... Submit a photo, and I'll add it to my New England Pumpkin Carving Gallery.

_{Girl pumpkin photo © 2009 Kim Knox Beckius.}

New additions this week to Kim's New England Deal Sheet:

• The free MassValuePass will save you money on lodging, dining, attractions and shopping in Massachusetts;
• Several inns have deals during NH Open Doors weekend, a perfect time to start holiday shopping;
• The Legendary Inns of Newport offer Dine & Stay packages priced from $290 for two during Newport Restaurant Week; and
• $25 restaurant gift certificates are just $2 if you hurry and use a promo code.

_{Legendary Inns of Newport's Cliffside Inn photo © 2005 Kim Knox Beckius.}

It's not as intimidating as it sounds! When I volunteered to help my daughter's second grade class make apple pies, I had to turn to my About.com colleague, Southern Food Guide Diana Rattray, for crust advice. I also had to make some recipe adjustments on the fly, but when I returned to school with our just-baked apple pie, the kids were delighted with our colorful, delicious, autumn-themed creation.

I received incredibly sweet thank you cards from the students in my group, including this one I'll always cherish:

"Dear Mom, I loved makeing apple pie with you. It was so yummy. I loved it. Love, your doter."

I hope this recipe for Kid-Friendly Autumn Bliss Apple Pie from my New England Kitchen will inspire you to make memories with the little ones in your life this fall.

More Apple Recipes from New England

_{Apple pie photo © 2009 Kim Knox Beckius.}