Friday, October 30, 2026

All Treats and No Tricks

With Halloween just around the corner, Americans are stocking up on candy for trick-or-treaters—and, inevitably, themselves. But when it comes to what we’re buying, one candy has a remarkably strong hold on the country.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ranked as America’s most popular Halloween candy in Instacart’s 2026 report, topping candy purchases in 40 states and Washington, D.C.
Chocolate dominated the rankings, accounting for seven of the 10 most popular candies, while Skittles joined the top 10 and Milky Way dropped off the list.
Utah bought 67% more candy than the national average, the most of any state, while Anchorage, Alaska, led U.S. cities at 56% above average.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are soft-baked, mini peanut butter cookies topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups and baked in an appetizer-size pan. They’re exactly like your favorite peanut butter blossoms but with a peanut butter cup!

The recipe inspiration comes from sallysbakingaddiction.com and makes about 28 cookies.

Cook's Notes:

Be sure to use Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I used my own peanut butter cookie recipe and then followed her directions for assembly. They are the perfect bite-sized cookie. Scroll back to the previous post; one of these yummy cookies was placed on the plate with the soup.

You will need an appetizer tin for this recipe.
Place 26 pieces Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in freezer until ready to use.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, not crunchy
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag 10.5 oz Mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:

Combine sugars and butter. Mix well and add in peanut butter with eggs and vanilla. Mix well and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients in another bowl with a whisk. Then add to wet ingredients and beat well.
Batter will be sticky, so freeze the batter for an hour to firm it up.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Flour your hands and roll dough into small balls and place in muffin tin.

Bake for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately place a Reese Peanut Butter Cup in the center.

Refrigerate the pan with cookies for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
Remove pan from refrigerator; let cookies sit in pan for 10 minutes.
Immediately remove cookies and place on a wire baking cooling rack.

If and I say "If" you have candy leftover can try Witches Brooms

Black Magic Cake

Since I posted this recipe in 2019, I have found many uses for the batter. It's perfect for cupcakes, in a bundt pan, and making a layer cake using 2- 8-inch round pans. It's a moist cake and can be made the day before. So good😊

Easy Spider Cupcake using the Black Magic Cake batter.

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/10/black-magic-cake.html

Brownie Bites

Large and small brownie bites

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2024/10/all-hallows-eve.html

Last but not least, on the Ever Ready home page, go to the search box and type in Halloween and see what recipes come up.

Upcoming next week: ways to use leftover Halloween candy.

And leaving you this weekend with a healthy treat. 😊

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

The Main Event

Even if something is left undone,

everyone must take time to sit still
and watch the leaves turn.
Elizabeth Lawrence

Though don't rest too much, as you don't want to miss a new recipe from Ever Ready: Sausage Potato Soup with Veggies.

Cook's Notes: It's rich, cheesy, and comforting, with Italian sausage and potatoes. and veggies in a creamy broth. This may be the BEST new soup I have tried. There are a few steps, but it's totally worth it. It lasts 3 nights and serves 6, depending on bowl size.

Some pro tips:

Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold are best for soups and stews because they hold their shape much better due to their waxier consistency and lower starch content.
Corn makes a good addition to this soup and can be added at the end of cooking.

Prepare seasoning ahead as well as cooking Italian Sausage

Ingredients:
Seasonings
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon each dried parsley, oregano, mustard powder
¼ teaspoon pepper

Dash of red pepper flakes

Soup

1 lb. ground Italian sausage, hot or mild, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup each diced onion, carrots, and celery
3 cups torn baby spinach leaves, stems removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon soy sauce
5 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
5 cups diced potatoes or about 6 small potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup shredded white cheddar

Directions:

In a large soup pot, cook the sausage crumble and set aside.
In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in seasonings.
Cover and sweat veggies for about 7 minutes.
Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and soy sauce.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add in small potato cubes to the soup. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Add the sausage back and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheeses and spinach. Mix well.
To reheat the next day, add a combination of water and broth, as potatoes will absorb a lot of the liquid.

Meatball Sliders

https://togetherasfamily.com/hawaiian-roll-meatball-sliders/

The recipe includes step-by-step photos, and I bought a bag of frozen Italian meatballs from Costco to cut down on prep time.

Spinach Artichoke Pizza Bites
Puff Pastry Sausage Bites

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/01/game-day-foods.html

UP NEXT: SWEET TREATS WITH NO TRICKS

New cookie recipe coming- see potato soup plate above

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

GHOULISH GOODIES

APPETIZERS

https://jessicasrecipes.com/seven-layer-spider-web-dip-recipe/

Two versions of Spooky Spider Guacamole Dip

https://littlespoonbites.com/spooky-spider-halloween-appetizer-dip-recipe/

Oh, the possibilities for adding variety to the tray with broccoli florets and cauliflower bites and mini peppers

Halloween Charcuterie board

Witches Guacamole

and 24 more ideas found at this link.

https://foodpluswords.com/halloween-recipes/

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/09/fun-and-easy-halloween-party-food-ideas.html

Includes Tombstone Taco Dip

SOME KID-FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN SNACKS IDEAS FROM Ever Ready

Check this link for more ideas

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/10/light-kid-friendly-halloween-treats.html

UP NEXT: Wednesday Halloween Entrees

Monday, October 26, 2026

A Week of Halloween Goodies and Drinks

Make your week SPOOKTACULAR-

add these ideas to your Halloween menu.

MONDAY

Vampire's Dream Drink
This drink is made from two parts cranberry juice, one part pineapple juice, with a splash of grenadine.

Bloody Orange Margarita

Ingredients:

1 -1/2 ounces tequila (silver or gold, based on your preference)

1 ounce Grand Mariner

1- 1/2 ounces simple syrup

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1- 1/2 ounces blood orange juice (about 1-2 oranges)

salt for the rim, lime/orange wedges for garnish

Directions:

Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in margarita salt.
Fill the glass with ice.
Combine tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, blood orange, and lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake for about 30 seconds.
Pour over ice and squeeze in lemon and orange slices.
Healthy Halloween Smoothies

https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/halloween-smoothies/

Apple Cider Margarita

Shared by Ingrid O.

Cook's Notes:

This cocktail uses Blanco tequila because of its lighter flavor profile. However, you can also use gold tequila if you prefer.
Triple sec, an orange-flavored liqueur, adds a depth of citrus flavor to the margarita.
Freshly squeezed lime juice is best to get the best flavor in this recipe! Don’t have limes handy? You can also use fresh lemon juice.
Use fresh apple cider! Make sure that it is not apple juice.
You can make this ahead of time in a pitcher with no ice. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Add ice and stir to mix up sediment that might have settled on the bottom just before serving.
You can easily halve the recipe, or make drinks in a cocktail shaker.

The following recipe serves 8 and is made in a pitcher.

Ingredients:

2 cups Blanco tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 cups apple cider
rimming sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
garnish with cinnamon sticks and apple slices

Directions:

Rim the glass-Stir together the sugar and ground cinnamon for the rimming sugar. Spread the sugar on a small plate evenly. Rub the edge of your cocktail glass with a lime wedge to wet it. Roll the wet rim of the glass through the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set aside.
Fill a pitcher with ice, then pour in the ingredients, stirring to combine. Serve in cinnamon-sugar-rimmed glasses filled with ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks!

Vampire Kiss Martini

https://www.thespruceeats.com/vampire-kiss-martini-recipe-761200

Fanta Jack-O-Lantern Floats

https://belleofthekitchen.com/fanta-jack-o-lantern-floats/

UP NEXT: TUESDAY

PART ONE APPETIZERS

Sunday, October 25, 2026

French Themed Luncheon

The French consider cooking an art and their cuisine is famous and popular around the world. French cookbooks date back to the Middle Ages, and French standards were an early gauge of cooking. Nouvelle cuisine, which emerged in the 1960s, reacted against the heavy style of cooking then in use, which relied on rich ingredients. While many Nouvelle cuisine dishes used expensive ingredients, they were much lighter; portions were smaller, and the presentation more artistic.
About this time, Julia Child emerged as a popular American chef, author, and television personality. With her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she brought French cuisine to the American public. Her subsequent television programs, most notably French Chef, premiered in 1963. In the 1970s and 1980s, she starred in numerous cooking shows and wrote several more cookbooks. Child’s signature use of ingredients like butter and cream drew criticism from food critics and nutritionists. In a 1990 interview, she addressed these critics, saying, “Everybody is overreacting. If fear of food continues, it will be the death of gastronomy in the United States. Fortunately, the French don’t suffer from the same hysteria we do. We should enjoy food and have fun. It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life.”

Enjoy photos from a recent themed French lunch. I consider myself fortunate our book club has many talented cooks who were willing to share their culinary skills for this luncheon.

Imagine this lunch being served in Monet's kitchen

or at an outdoor cafe in Paris.

or at The Ready's house where we had a lunch to celebrate friendship.

I was so caught up in the food photos, I forgot to take a photo of the guests. 😁 This photo below is from another book club gathering

Clare, Carol, and Ingrid are missing, as they have yet to arrive in Arizona, and also remembering one of our members, Cis, who recently passed away. I found small Monet place cards online featuring examples of several of Monet's paintings.