All Hallows Eve

 

The pumpkin grinned from ear to ear, “The moon is bright, the sky is clear. This is the night we’ve waited for, when elves come knocking on the door. When witches ride their broomsticks high and ghosts and goblins fill the sky. Then Jack and Jill, with fairy queen, will dance and sing: it’s Halloween.

by Constance B. Osborne 

Looking for a quick and easy last-minute Halloween treat? This is what one box of brownie mix

can magically be turned into creating Brownie Bites in two different sizes.

BROWNIE BITES

Cook's Notes: 

Two different cupcake liners were used, regular and mini.  

Ingredients Mini or Regular Size Brownie Bites

• Small mini cupcake liners or regular-size 
• Brownie mix
• Finely chopped nuts
•  Halloween sprinkles and candy pumpkins
• Chocolate Frosting 

Directions:

• Makeup brownie mix box according to directions. Fold in nuts. 
• Use a small spoon to scoop batter into cupcake liners and fill them to the top.
• Bake Mini for 7 minutes or Regualr size for 15 minutes
• Cool , frost, and decorate.  
  

Vampire's Dream Drink

This drink is made from two parts cranberry juice, one part pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine. It serves one.

Blood Orange Margaritas
The drink makes a single-serving.

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.

A sneak peek of our Haloween Dinner 

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato  Frosting 

Recipe and photos tomorrow  

Monster Dark Chocolate M&M Eyeball Cookies

 Make your week a bit sweeter by baking Monster Dark Chocolate M&M Eyeball Cookies.

                                                                       

The recipe does call for a bit of preplanning. Michaels has a plastic container of eyeballs in assorted sizes, which is perfect for this recipe. Later, I found some of these edible eyeballs in the baking aisle at the grocery store. 

You will need Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder to achieve the dark color, readily available at the grocery store.   

Add your favorite Ghoul Mix to your grocery run. If the store is out, a regular bag of M&Ms will do. I just removed the blue and green ones. They were perfect for the cook to snack on.  

This delicious pre-Halloween treat is totally kid-friendly! I ask you, what kid or even adult wouldn't have fun pressing edible eyeballs into warm cookies right out of the oven? The cookies have a brownie-like flavor. 

The recipe makes 18 cookies and is adapted from lovetobeinthekitchen.com

INGREDIENTS;

• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, preferably room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used mini semi-sweet)
• Dark Chocolate Ghoul Mix M&M’s or a package of Shareable M&M's
• Assorted candy-coated eyeballs

DIRECTIONS: 

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In the bowl combine the butter and sugars. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, scrape down the bowl if needed.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer on low speed just until incorporated. Mix in the milk on the lowest speed and fold in the chocolate chips. 
• Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets. Keep your hands floured when rolling the balls. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Immediately top the cookies with more M&Ms if needed after placing eyeballs randomly in warm cookies and pressing slightly. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Even the M&M guys are doing their happy dance.

Maple Dijon Apple Sauced Pork Chops

 I wanted to capture your attention with this photo of an afternoon high yesterday. We have only been here five days, and each day by afternoon, it warms up to toasty highs of 95, 96, 97, 99, and then 100 yesterday. At the first light of dawn, dog walkers and walkers are out and about each day. The good news is that when the sun goes down after 5:00,  it cools down to tolerable temperatures. So we are still in the grilling season with a 2-hour time difference until daylight savings time when it will be only an hour. We've already had several very early Minnesota callers not realizing the time difference. 😁

Maple Dijon Apple Cider Sauced Pork Chops

Cook Notes: This delicious autumn dish is packed with fall flavors. I made the sauce separately and spooned it over the grilled pork chops. Another dinner alternative would be to use chicken breasts with the apple sauce pictured below, following the same directions.

The meal was paired with parmesan risotto. 

Ingredients:

• Two pork chops or two chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 crisp apples, diced

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 chicken broth (low sodium)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon apple brandy or dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon each thyme, ground cinnamon, and rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

Directions:

• Grill pork chop or chicken or pan sear in a fry pan.
• Stir fry onions in a large fry pan for about 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves and stir fry for 1 minute more.   
• Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl, adding diced apples. Add the sauce to a large frying pan with cooked onions, garlic cloves, and meat if not grilling. Cook on low, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 25 minutes, and the apples are tender. Add wine or brandy. If grilling, add cooked meat to the sauce. Cook uncovered 5-6 minutes longer. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat is done. 

UP NEXT 

MONSTER EYEBALL COOKIES

Cranberry Streusel Coffeecake

 

Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake

This recipe was adapted from Midwest Living. The only challenge was dealing with those unruly cranberries that refused to remain stationary during the cutting process. Halve them when still frozen. 
Coffee Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, cold cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest 

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, cold cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions for Streusel Topping:

• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and use a pastry blender to cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. A food processor can be used for this step, and it should pulse the mixture three times.
• Chill in a small bowl for 45 minutes and then recrumble with your hands.

Coffeecake Directions:

• Rinse cranberries in cold water; drain. Coarsely chop cranberries. 
• Combine cranberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and set aside. 
• Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9 x 9-inch baking pan; set aside.
• Combine the remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. A food processor can be used for this step and pulse a few times. Transfer to a large bowl and make a well in the center.
• In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, and lemon or orange zest. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy and thick). 
• Fold in the cranberry mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly with floured hands. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter in the pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees about 23 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly; serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Ricotta Meatballs with Crispy Topping

LET THE ARIZONA ADVENTURES BEGIN

This year's trip of 1,860 miles had an added dimension as we shipped my husband's car. We hoped to get ahead of the car transport and were on track driving and doing well. But then we received word that the transport driver was some 5 hours ahead of us, with an earlier delivery date than expected. Fortunately, we had a backup plan, and friends could be at our house for the car delivery. 

We are mystified how one driver could get to AZ sooner than us as we trade off driving. We're convinced he did not sleep much to make this impressive feat of time.  Our biggest adjustment this year is the heat. A string of 97 to 98 temperatures, maybe even 99 on Sunday, has definitely slowed us down. Despite the heat here, this comfort dish will be a good warm-up for cool evenings in the north.     

 

 Ricotta Meatballs with Crispy Topping 

Cook's Notes: This recipe uses many pantry-friendly items, and several steps can be done in advance as a time saver. The recipe is adapted from pinchofyum

This company-worthy dish is packed with loads of flavor and serves 6 with 18 meatballs. I served the meatball dish over wide egg noodles.

Ingredients;

• 1 lb. ground turkey, beef or chicken
• 1/2 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning and parsley flakes
• 1 jar (28 0z.) Rao marinara sauce 
• Egg noodles

Crispy Topping 

• 1/4 cup panko
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions: 

• Prep: This step can be done the day before. Mix all meatball ingredients together and refrigerate. Mix crispy topping the the day before and refrigerate.
• Meatballs: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll mixture into 18 meatballs. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes on a middle oven rack at 350 degrees. Turn once. Place baked meatballs on a paper towel to drain grease. 
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of an oven-safe container and arrange the meatballs. Add the tomato sauce directly to the pan with the meatballs and stir to coat them all. Sprinkle with the crispy topping. 
• Return to the oven for 10 minutes to warm the sauce and crisp the topping.

• Serve with a salad and artisan bread. 

Cranberry Streusel Coffeecake

Hungarian Goulash

Intruder
October gave a party.
Autumn wore her finest gown
a kaleidoscope of colors
golden, crimson, yellow hues.

Leaves swirled, fluttered, whirled
dancing to woodland tunes.
Trees swayed, kept time to music
under a moonlit sky.

A blustery wind howled
the uninvited guest blew through
brought the party to a screeching halt
revelers were swept away.

by Sue Ready

Goulash is a soup or stew made with meat (mostly beef ), noodles and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices. You can also add potatoes, root vegetables, wine, bay leaf, caraway, or thyme. It is the national dish of Hungary.

Cook's notes: I took a traditional recipe and added my Ever Ready version inspired by one from BHG Best Comfort Food  2011 Goulash.

The stew is loaded with flavor in a hearty broth, tender bits of beef, and lots of vegetables. I suggest avoiding buying meat labeled for stew as sometimes it can be tough and chewy. Try a chuck roast instead. The recipe called for using Hungarian Paprika, which I did not have, so I substituted smoked paprika. However, it was interesting to note in a recipe description in Hungary that paprika comes in six classes, ranging from sweet (mild) to hot. Always taste test before increasing the paprika amount. Serves 4-6, and the stew was served with Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Another option would be to serve stew over wide egg noodles. 

Ingredients: 

Cooking tip: Assembly of this dish goes smoother if all veggies are cut ahead ready to saute. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. boneless chuck roast, cut in small chunks
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small box of button white mushrooms 
• 1 cup diced red and yellow mini peppers
• 1-1/2 cups diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large Yukon potato, peeled and diced (about 1-1/4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon. sweet paprika or regular paprika 
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp. each thyme, cinnamon, and oregano
• 1/4 cup flour mixed with 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 5 cups beef broth, low sodium
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano 

Directions:

• Place meat cubes with flour in a plastic ziploc bag and toss to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sear beef cubes on all sides, along with salt and pepper; remove meat from pan.
• Heat the remaining olive oil and saute the mushrooms, peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the diced potatoes, cover, and sweat all the veggies for 6 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. 
• Add beef broth, spices, bay leaves, wine mixed with flour, and a can of diced tomatoes. Whisk to mix well. Add meat cubes back to the soup pot and cook on low, covered, for about 2 hours until meat is tender and veggies are fork tender. Stir occasionally. A slow cooker could be used at this step of the recipe. Cook on low for 2-4 hours.  

Cooking Tip: Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving. My husband found one in his bowl and wanted to know if there was a prize for finding it.  

There was not 😉

And so concludes my Minnesota cooking days and onward to new Western experiences.

FALL FEST

Weave your magic and recreate these ghoulish gooodies.

Witch Guacamole Dip
Witches Fingers

https://juliarecipes.com/witches-fingers-halloween-finger-food/

Monster Meatballs

(meatballs and sauce on a bun with triangular slices of cheese and olives on a pick) 

Spear a low-calorie treat with fruits

Browse this link below for 47 Fall Fest Appetizers for Game Day and Halloween Supper

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g3498/halloween-appetizers/

It includes the following treats below with a total of 47 "how-to recipes."
Scarecrow Cheese Plate 

Festive Fall Charcuterie Board

Kraft Heinz Foods has several festive recipes that include

https://www.kraftheinz.com/search?query=halloween

Wormy Brain 

Frankenstein Spinach Dip 

Book Review John J. Hammerlink Finds His Imagination

 Book Review "John J. Hammerlink Finds His Imagination"

Author and former educator Bette Seres believes in the power of critical and creative thinking skills with the need to develop them early on in a home setting as well as in the classroom. Her second book, "John J. Hammerlink Finds His Imagination," is an important resource for developing these thinking skills with some easy ideas for problem-solving. The book is suitable for children ages 5-7 as a read-aloud due to the length of the text. Seres's book promotes classroom and home discussions on problem-solving and decision-making. Her characters and the storyline are relatable to children with an underlying message that being open to innovative ideas generates collaboration with fresh approaches. Bold, fanciful, colorful illustrations punctuate the storyline. The main character, John J, appears spunky and friendly. His great-grandmother's appearance and actions put the word fun into the storyline.

John J. learns to think creatively using his imagination with the help of his great-grandmother, Gigi. While visiting John's family, she noted that spending a lot of time on his tablet for entertainment does not encourage imagination nor creativity. Gigi was a firm believer that children in her time were more creative since they used their imaginations to play games rather than depending on electronic devices. Much to John J's surprise, his great-grandmother is quite resourceful and proves to be a lot of fun. She creates a pirate game for them to play using materials found around the house. When John J's best friend Lucas comes on the second day of Gigi's visit, they are each given a large cardboard box. She encourages them to use their imagination to create something new with readily available materials. The next day, John J and Lucas use their imagination and turn the tables on Gigi. They devise a detective game for her with clues. At the end of Gigi's visit, they all agreed that learning something new is fun and can happen at any age.      ` 

As a reader, I came away with the notion that critical thinking skills need to be encouraged more for children in a home and school setting, opening up their minds to numerous possibilities. 

"John J. Hammerlink and the Really Big Think" and "John J. Hammerlink Finds His Imagination" can be ordered through your local bookstore. These two books are also available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Thrift Books.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bette Slater Seres is retired from a 30-year career as an educator. She had the opportunity to work with students and teachers in creative and critical thinking. Her children's book John J. Hammerlink was a creative pursuit as it came from her deep belief in the power of critical thinking and her love of working with children. She hopes her book will show young children how critical thinking is while making parents aware that children must be problem-solvers and decision-makers. Seres spends her summers on Gilmore Lake in Park Rapids, Minnesota, and in Davenport, Iowa, in the winter. She is a past participant in the Northwoods Art and Book Festival.  

Fall Fest

Welcome to Fall Fest Round-Up from Ever Ready

Treats, from apples to pumpkins to gingerbread, will be featured, along with some main dishes, fall salads, and even some ghoulish treats.

Let's get our Monday on with  Maple Apple Cake with Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. 

Cook's Notes: This moist cake lasts 3 days on the counter or store in the refrigerator for it to last longer. Store-bought caramel or butterscotch sauce works as a topping, too. Since I live a distance from a grocery store I had to make my own topping.

Maple Apple Spice Cake

The recipe was adapted from carlsbadcravings.com 

Note I skipped the suggested cream cheese icing and used ice cream instead. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice mix or 3/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground ginger, ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 3 cups chopped apples (2 Granny Smith apples and 1 Honey Crisp) peeled and diced into 1/4” – 1/2” pieces
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease pan. 
• Mix spices in a large bowl add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• With a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and sugar over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. With the mixer running on medium speed, beat in maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla until well combined. Then, beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg.
• Gradually add flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds, alternately with sour cream between each third, and beat until combined after each addition. Stir in apples and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wood pick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
  
  
  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack or serve warm directly right out of the oven.
• Add ice cream and caramel sauce to each serving. I liked Butter Pecan Ice Cream. 

Caramel Sauce

Cook's Notes: Making a homemade sauce is an extra step, but I found the taste off the charts!! It can be made a day ahead, and leftovers can be refrigerated. This sauce has endless possibilities: it can be used over ice cream, cake, cheesecake, pretzel dip, and apple dip. It's enough for six servings. 

Ingredients;

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, diced 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high-heat-resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon. As you continue to stir, the sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid. Be careful not to burn.
• Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
• Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumped up, remove from heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again. (If you’re nervous for splatter, wear kitchen gloves. Keep whisking until it comes back together, even if it takes 3-4 minutes. It will eventually– just keep whisking. Return to heat when it’s combined again.)
• Very slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble when added. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
• Remove from heat and stir in salt. Allow to slightly cool down before using. Caramel thickens as it cools.
• Cover tightly and store for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Caramel solidifies in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to desired consistency.