food, crochet, merriment
We started out with two cake mixes–one chocolate and one vanilla, white melting chocolate, one package each of Nutter Butters, Milano cookies, Autumn Mix candy, Red Vines, Halloween Jellies, two tubs of frosting and a variety of sprinkles. Here’s where that went…
Believe me, it didn’t take as long to eat them as it did to make them….yum!
I’m about to say something that may be shocking to you, so be brave. I’m taking a deep breath…letting it out. Here goes.
I don’t actually like pumpkin pie.
I know, weird. I do like a lot of other stuff made with pumpkin, but the pie doesn’t do it for me. I love the look of it and the smell of it, but alas–it tastes raw, so I skip it. It must be because after some serious research, we found–to my dismay–that my family is pretty much the only one in America whose forefathers did NOT come over on the Mayflower. I figure it screwed up the pumpkin pie enjoyment microchip in my brain. At any rate, in order to keep the scent of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg wafting through the house at this time of year–as it should–we make pumpkin bread. It is a fabulous replacement for pumpkin pie and P.S…it doesn’t taste raw.
Word to the wiser-than-me…Don’t double this batch. It comes way too close to sloshing over the side.
One more thing…
I usually make a bunch of little loaves, rather than 2 huge ones. For two reasons–First, I think it feels more like a delicacy to have tiny bites of something special.
Second, whenever I use 5 or 6 smaller pans, I put them all on one cookie sheet–because it’s easier to get them in and out of the oven. But what I’ve found is that the loaves are so much more moist when baked this way. I haven’t tried the cookie sheet thing with the bigger pans, but it works perfectly for the little ones.
Pretty dang good exchange for the aforementioned undesirable pie.
Heh, heh.
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Pumpkin Bread
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1- 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 7×3 inch loaf pans. Shake cinnamon sugar into pan and coat all sides.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar and blend well. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
…cause what we need right now is more SUGAR!! I know, I know. But there is one recipe that this time of year doesn’t work without…Molasses Crinkles. No, I mean it. Just the smell of these coming out your door–will bring the kids in.
But then, you don’t have to share. :]
Molasses Crinkles
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
Cream together, then add:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
Roll 1 inch dough balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Leave on pan a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.
Ok, here’s the deal. We’ve collected some of the easiest costume ideas–some we’ve used, some we’ll save for next year. But don’t worry…these are so clever and simple you don’t even need a picture. Trust me…
Posterboard tombstone hanging from your neck that says, “R. I. P.” with a letter C below it…Dead Sea
Plain white T-shirt with a red, paper letter C taped or sewn on…Red Sea
Plain white T-shirt with a green, paper letter T taped or sewn on…Green Tea
Plain dark T-shirt with a blue paper cutout of a quarter moon taped or sewn on…Blue moon
Crumble about ten pieces of different shades of green construction paper. I took a long piece of yarn and strung them on like popcorn garlands at Christmas time. Tie a knot in both ends so the paper doesn’t slide off. Wear this around your waist like a belt…Green Waste
Being fully dressed–of course, hang a sign around your neck that reads, “Nudist on Strike.” Nudist on Strike
Tape newspaper around your body and write “BAD” across the middle…Bad News
Cut a huge letter C out of craft foam and pin it to your shirt…Sea Foam
Cut out 5 o 6 small letter C’s out of different colored construction paper. Tape or pin them to one side of your clothing…Sea Side
Draw a large quarter and pin it on your back…Quarterback
Here’s a good one from the Pittsburg Tribune-Review:
Dress conservatively like a teacher (hair in a bun, skirt and sweater, glasses on a chain). Then stick a paper airplane in the back of your hair, tape a “Kick Me” sign on your back, cover your hands, face and clothes with chalk prints, and attach staples and paper clips to your clothes. Substitute Teacher
I hope you’ll show us what you come up with. Have a great day!
So, have you been on the lookout for an incredibly good caramel popcorn recipe? This one is gonna knock you over…
No…really. These are that good. And if they were that good and a pain to make—it would still be worth the trouble. But the good news is that they are chewy and soft and have the best flavor I’ve ever tasted–for a popcorn ball–and they are fast and EASY. I’m serious. I promise I wouldn’t make them otherwise. Are you ready?
Caramel Popcorn Balls
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups corn syrup
1 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
Large bowl of popcorn (about 6 quarts)
Heat brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt to simmering. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes.
Pour over popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is covered.
Allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
Cover hands with sandwich bags and form into balls. Cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic bags.
I always plan to give these away at the door to trick or treaters that I know–but it never happens. We usually don’t have any left! So I say…just eat them…
What are YOU passing out for Halloween treats tomorrow?
