Trick or Treat

            For kids, one of the most anticipated evenings of the year is quickly approaching.

There’s nothing cuter than little witches and goblins, super heroes and princesses parading around your Smith Mountain Lake neighborhood in search of treats on Oct. 31.

            I started a fun Halloween tradition in my former neighborhood many years back that was a huge success. By planning a casual party in my driveway in the late afternoon or early evening, parents and children were able to gather together, check out each other’s costumes and enjoy some great food before heading out for some serious trick-or-treating. Another neighbor hosted the following year, and then another took her turn. The tradition continues.

            Now, with Daylight Savings Time extended, there’s an extra hour of daylight to squeeze in even more spooky fun. Follow these easy directions to start a Halloween tradition of your own. The kids and grandkids in your neighborhood will thank you! 

 

It’s easy as 1-2-3

            •  Create a simple menu of make-ahead items

            •  Set your table with fun Halloween decorations

            •  Make a play list of spooky music 

 

Trick-or-Treat Menu

            •  Mini Mushroom Sausage Quiches

            •  Pumpkin Soup with Cran-Apple Relish

            •  Mummy Hot Dogs

            •  Caramel Apples

            •  Spider Web Cupcakes

            •  Halloween Snack Mix

 

 Festive Table

            Start with a large black tablecloth. Place store-bought spider webs across the top and down the sides with several plastic spiders scattered around. Add tall, clear cylinders and place orange candles in them.

     For an especially festive touch, use a pumpkin as a vase by cutting off the top, scooping out the guts and inserting floral foam that has been cut to fit. Add multi-colored autumn steams and leaves, which you may even be able to find in your own yard. Enhance and fill in with a grouping of small and mini pumpkins. Use orange paper plates and black napkins.

 

Chilling Decorations

            Funny or scary, what’s Halloween without a carved pumpkin? This year, try something different and create a pumpkin cooler for your Halloween party. Cut the top off a large, wide pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds (set aside) and the pulp. Line the pumpkin with a two-gallon plastic bag and fill with ice and assorted beverages.

            Use the leftover pumpkin seeds to create a yummy snack. Take one cup of the seeds, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Toss them with one tablespoon of olive oil, one tablespoon of dried ground thyme and one teaspoon of kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until toasted. Place in a small dish and serve next to your pumpkin cooler, or use to top a salad.

            Pumpkins look great with the long stem on top, so for your jack-o-lanterns this year, instead of cutting off the top, cut a hole in the bottom. Scoop out the insides, carve a design and place over a candle. Use both orange and white pumpkins in varying shapes and sizes for a different look.  

            To make your party more festive, create simple ghosts to
hang around the yard with old white sheets and crumpled newspapers. And don’t forget to replace your porch light with
an orange light bulb.

 

Spooky Songs

            Search iTunes or a similar music download site for haunting Halloween music, and create a play list for your party that will set the mood. Some ideas to get you started include:

            •  The Addams Family theme song

            •  Monster Mash

            •  Great Pumpkin Waltz from “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” soundtrack

            •  Thriller by Michael Jackson

            •  Time Warp from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” soundtrack

            For a quick solution, download the entire soundtrack from Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion,” which includes tunes from Raven, Barenaked Ladies, The Jackson 5 and Suzanne Vega.

            With these festive decorations, spooky treats and fun music, the kids – and adults – are sure to have a memorable Halloween.

            Be safe!

 

Trick-or-Treat Menu

Mini Mushroom Sausage Quiches

Pumpkin Soup with Cran-Apple Relish

Mummy Hot Dogs

Caramel Apples

Spider Web Cupcakes

Halloween Snack Mix

 

 

Mini Mushroom Sausage Quiches

 

8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage , removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

5 eggs

3 egg whites

1 cup 1-percent milk

 

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Coat a non-stick muffin tin generously with cooking spray.

 

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6- 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

 

Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

 

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

 

 

Pumpkin Soup with Cran-Apple Relish

 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 fresh bay leaf

2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme

2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste

6 cups chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

 

Relish:

1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6-7 minutes until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

 

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: Combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon.

 

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

 

 

Mummy Hot Dogs

 

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

2½ slices American cheese, quartered

10 large hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard or ketchup, if desired

 

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating four  rectangles. Press perforations to seal. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters.

 

Wrap four pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About a half-inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

 

Bake 13-17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on "face."

 

 

Caramel Apples

 

6 wooden skewers or 6 wooden sticks with rounded ends

6 medium apples

1 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts

2 tablespoons water

1 bag (14 ounces) caramels

 

Insert skewer in stem end of each apple. Divide nuts into six mounds on waxed paper.

Heat water and caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted and smooth. Keep caramel over very low heat. Dip each apple into caramel, spooning mixture over apple until completely coated. (If caramel hardens while coating apples, heat over low heat.) Roll side and bottom of each apple in nuts. Let stand on waxed paper.

Spider Web Cupcakes

 

1 cake mix (your choice of flavor)

1 container prepared white frosting

1 container prepared chocolate frosting

 

Plastic spider rings

Halloween cupcake holders or teacups

 Line cupcake tins with cupcake papers and spray with non stick cooking spray. Fill 2/3 full (makes about 24 cupcakes). Bake according to package directions.

Frost the cupcakes with white icing. Place a piping bag or a freezer bag into a glass and fold excess over the edges like a sleeve. Fill with chocolate frosting. Cut tip of bag with scissors to create a small opening.

 

Draw a spider web with chocolate icing. Begin by drawing a fat dot in the center of the cupcake and circles around it. Take a toothpick and, starting at the center dot, gently pull the outward to draw the icing out to look like a web.

 

Place a plastic spider ring atop each cupcake. Be sure to warn children that the spiders are not edible. If children are very small, remove the spiders before serving in Halloween-themed cupcake holders or teacups.

 

 

Halloween Mix

 

4 oz. white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped

2 Cups Corn Chex® or Rice Chex® cereal

1 Cup bite-size pretzel twists

¼ Cup raisins

½ Cup candy corn

2 Tablespoons orange and black candy decors

 

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decorations. Spread on waxed paper or foil until cool and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.