Fall at Silverock Cove is one of the best seasons to savor the Smith Lake life. If you’re headed to Silverock this week or this or weekend, why not stop at a farmer’s market on the way and grab a few pumpkins. Southern Living has a ton of creative carving ideas (31 to be exact). And when you’re content with your creation, roast the seeds and enjoy them with a cold one while you take in the breathtaking view.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you’ve removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Chili season is here, and in our humble opinion, the lake is the best place on earth to savor a big bowl of the stuff.

Beautiful views, roaring fire, football on the flat screen. Seriously, what could be better?

Everybody has a great chili recipe. And we would love for you to share yours with the rest of us at Silverock.

To start, here’s a super-spicy recipe made in the slow-cooker.

HERE IT GOES:

Ingredients

1 lb bacon cut up in small chunks

4 lbs ground beef

4 (1 lb) cans kidney beans

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

12 ounces tomato paste

2 onions finely chopped

2 ounces chili powder

2 ounces cayenne pepper (dry powder)

2 (15 ounce) cans beef broth

2 fresh tomatoes chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 T ground cumin

1 T oregano

1 ½ T paprika

Here’s what to do next:

Fry up the bacon and add to slow-cooker.

Brown ground beef in bacon drippings.

Add beef, beans, crushed tomatoes, tomatos paste, onions, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and beef broth in the slow-cooker.

Puree jalapeno, garlic and tomatoes in food processor, add to slow-cooker.

Puree jalapeno, garlic and tomatoes in food processor, add to slow-cooker.

Top with cheddar and sour cream and dig in.

Please send your favorite chili suggestions to wendytatum@me.com and we’ll post them for an blog-style Chili cookoff.

Join us this Saturday (October 17th) at the Silverock Cove pool and clubhouse from 4 pm until, as we kick off our first official fall season SRC style. Enjoy dinner fresh from the new poolside grill. Compete in the ping pong tournament. And show off your pumpkin carving skills. See you there!