Trick or Treat!
We don’t hear the chime of young voices at our door very often anymore. It seems that fewer people in our area are going door to door as more families opt for the community Halloween carnivals and Fall Festivals offered by local churches and other non-profits as well as private parties hosted by friends. It’s no wonder that parents shy away from sending their children door to door begging for treats… especially when every time we turn on the news we hear of awful things happening to children.
That said, there is still plenty of fun things going on for children and adults on All Hallows Eve! The following menu is quick and easy with a hint of fall! Enjoy!
Meatball and Pasta Soup (aka – Veins and Brains Stew)
1 lb Commercially made meatballs (usually found in the frozen foods section)
4 Slices thick bacon
3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Onions, medium sized and chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Quarts commercial beef stock
16oz Crushed canned tomatoes
1 c Baby Carrots, halved
1 can White beans
1/2 c Parsley, fresh
1/8 t Oregano, dried
8 oz Ziti Pasta, cooked ‘al dente’
Thaw meatballs. Cook bacon in heavy soup pot or Dutch oven until almost done, but not totally crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tbs of bacon fat. Saute onions, garlic and bell pepper in bacon fat over medium heat until soft, but not brown. Add meatballs to heat, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the tomatoes, carrots and stock to the pot and simmer over medium heat about 20 – 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Add the beans, spices and pasta and cook an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes 8 servings.
Fall Fruit Salad
2 Firm apples, cored and diced large (pealing, optional)
2 Pears, cored and diced large
1c Red seedless grapes
1c White, sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2c Mayonnaise
3-4 pkts Splenda Sweetner
Mix Mayo and Splenda together and lightly toss with other ingredients. Chill. Serve in lettuce cups if desired. 8 servings.
Easy Parmesan Crackers
Too easy and soooo good!
1 Loaf thin, white, bread, frozen
1c Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (not the canned stuff)
1c Corn flakes, crushed
1/8t Garlic powder
1 1/2c Butter, melted (no substitutions)
Mix cheese, crumbs and garlic powder together. Work with a couple of bread slices at a time, keeping the remainder in the freezer… remove crusts from bread. Dip in butter, then cover in crumb-cheese mixture. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or sprayed with baking spray. Cut into ‘fingers’ of about 4-5 pieces each. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until browned. Keep an eye on them so they don’t brown too quickly.
These will keep a week in the refrigerator or for 2 months in the freezer.
Apple Spice Cake
1 1/2 c Corn Oil
2 c Sugar
3 Eggs
3 c Apples, unpeeled and chopped
1 1/2 t Soda
1 t Salt
1 t Vanilla
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Nutmeg
1/2 t Cloves
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt cake and set aside. Mix together sugar and oil on low speed of mixer. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, with a whisk, mix together flour, soda and spices. Fold into sugar mixture. Add apples last, folding in carefully. Pour into Bundt pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan onto cooling rack.
Have fun and be safe! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!