Halloween Feast

This year I thought we should start doing a tradition of a spooky Halloween dinner. The kids thought it was really fun and helped me make dinner every step of the way. Next year I think I will make orange mashed potatoes and monster brains (soupy pot roast). We'll see, it is over a year away. ;)

Mummy Dogs

Witches Fingers

Worms in Dirt

Chili

1 TB oil
1 large onion
1 clove garlic chopped
3 pieces bacon cooked and cut into big chunks to easily be removed later
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tsp Beef bullion
2 TB Chile powder
1 tsp garlic pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 can kidney beans
1 can beef consume
1 cap petite diced tomatoes
1 small can tomatoes sauce
1 can of Rotal mild lime and cilantro diced tomatoes

I totally made this up and loved it. Who knew cleaning out he pantry could be this much fun. In a large soup pan saute onion in oil until transparent. Add bacon and garlic. cook until aromatic. Push onion to side of pan and add the Turkey cook until browned through. Seasoning with beef bullion, chili powder. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes letting flavors meld. Remove bacon pieces. Add all the canned goods. Add garlic pepper and Oregano. Bring to a simmer and then cover and continue to simmer for 45 + minutes. Adjust flavors to your liking. Serve warm with cheese and a side of chips, rolls, crackers or corn bread.

* I also added a few dashes of Tabasco sauce and Louisiana seasoning salt.
* the Rotal tomatoes are spicy if your family is spice sensitive I would just buy a good brand of Mexican seasoned tomatoes like green chilies and garlic tomatoes or something like that.

Bread Pudding!

I found this on AllRecipes.com the commenters gave a lot of good suggests: use half white chips, use half and half instead of milk, use less sugar, add raisins, use raisin bread and cinnamon chips, use really nice french bread,...all sorts of things. So follow your heart if you don't like butterscotch then use something else. I used this recipes because I had a bunch of old bread to use up and Stew told me he did not like bread pudding. I thought this one could win him over. I am not sure if it did. Next time I think I will use thicker bread, add a few dashes of cinnamon, and let it sit for an hour before serving. I melted the leftover butterscotch chips and drizzled it on top. I think it could be a good breakfast for Christmas morning or something.

*I love the thigh comment. I think after making this one a few times we'll know exactly what she means by a "well endowed thigh".

Ingredients:

1 (10.75 ounce) loaf day-old bread, torn into

small pieces

4 cups milk

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.) In a large bowl, combine bread, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and butterscotch chips; mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal. pour into prepared pan.

3.)Bake in preheated oven 1 hour, until nearly set. (It should have a "thigh wiggle" or wiggle as much as a well endowed thigh.) Serve warm or cold.

Apple Cobbler

This is my first time making apple cobbler since I can remember. I am sure I have helped my mom a million times but for all intensive purposes this felt like my first cobbler. I used the apples we picked from the apple farm and my mom gave me her cobbler recipe and then I made a few adjustments to what I thought would fit my taste and it was magic. I LOVED it! This is going to be my go-to recipe for apple cobbler for forever! I seriously thought I had created the best thing ever. Yum!

Apple Base
5 - 6 large tart apples
dash of salt
cinnamon
1/2 sugar

Cobbler Topping
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cups white sugar
1 cube butter
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Butterscotch Sauce

1 cup packed light brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

½ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.) Peel and slice five large tart apples or enough to fill a 9 x 13 pan. Don't slice them too thin. I sliced them about 1/4 inch or bigger. Spray 9 x 13 with non-stick spray. Toss apple with cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Set aside.

2.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl add very soft butter, sugars, vanilla and salt and mix until creamy. Then add the flour and mix until incorporated and crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples. Bake until apple juices are visible on the sides and the crumb topping is golden brown.

3.) While the cobbler bakes make the butterscotch. Cook the brown sugar and butter in a medium sauce pan over med-high heat stirring often. Cook until the mixture bubbles and becomes lighter in color about 3 - 5 minutes. Off the heat slowly add the cream while whisking the mixture. Mix until smooth. Stir int eh corn syrup and vanilla. you can use it warm or cool to room temperature. It stores up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Set aside until it is time to serve cobbler.

Serving
I let my cobbler sit in the warm stove until ready to serve. I serve with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with the home made butterscotch sauce. It is SO GOOD!

Snicker's Pie

Ok here is the original pie recipe and I think next time I will tweak it. I think I would do softened vanilla ice cream as a replacement for half of the the whipped cream and omit the cream cheese. I guess I would buy a half gallon and mix in as I went to see what made a good amount. I think a double churned type of ice cream that is airy and soft would work best. Then I think I would like whipped cream on top of the ice cream heaped high with toppings. I think that wold take this good pie and turn it into a true taste bud celebration. Stew told me his mom's favorite candy bar is snicker's so I will have to make this for her one of these days. ;O)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup chunky or creamy peanut butter
3 regular-sized Snickers candy bars, chopped
16 ounces Cool Whip, thawed (or about 8 cups of stiffly whipped, sweetened cream)
Two prepared graham cracker pie crusts or chocolate cookie pie crusts
chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, chopped snickers and chopped peanuts for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese sugar and peanut butter until creamy.

2. Stir in chopped candy bars.

3. Gently fold in the whipped cream just until mixed.

4. Divide between the two crusts. Drizzle chocolate and caramel syrup on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and additional chopped snickers. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yield: 2 pies

Read more: http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/08/26/snickers-bar-pie/#ixzz0TkwUuZOP

Best Snickerdoodle Cookies I've Ever Made

When I am craving cookies but don't have any chocolate in the house I turn to Snickerdoodles. Now every time I make these chocolate-less cookies I am sadly disappointed. They just don't do much for me. But Then I made a change this time and it made all the difference in the world. Chewier, richer, and a just plane old better taste.

1 cup sugar, divided
1 TB cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 TB unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 Large Eggs

1.) preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl for coating and set aside. Whisk flour, the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

2.) Beat the butter, shortening, and remaining sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until just mixed.

3.) Slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined about 30 seconds. Give the dough a final stir to make sure there isn't any flour on the bottom.

4.) Form balls out of 2 TB of dough at a time with wet hands. roll sin sugar and cinnamon until coated then place on cookie sheet to bake. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until begins to turn golden brown. Remove sheet from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes and then remove from cookie sheet .

I like them the very best when they are still warm!

Caramel Popcorn

Since I am in the middle of a caramel/butterscotch obsession I thought I would try my hand at making my own caramel popcorn. The entire family got into it and it was clear that this would be a family favorite for years to come. I think we will give big bags of this away at Christmas time. Its pretty, easy, festive, and very yummy.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
6-8 quarts popped popcorn

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Pop pop corn. Pour Popcorn in a very large bowl (we used three large bowls) that has been sprayed with Pam or like spray. Try to keep popcorn warm. (ex. keep next to stove)

2.) In a med saucepan over med heat and melt butter. Once butter is melted pour in brown sugar, corn syrup, and slat. Stirring constantly bring mixture to a full boil. Boil with out stirring for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour a thin layer over popcorn stirring to coat. Place popcorn in a very large bowl.

3.) Spray two cookie sheets with Pam and spread pop corn on the baking sheet. Place in over for 15 minutes for softer caramel or 30-60 min turning half way through for crunchy caramel.

*if you like it really soft skip baking all together.