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From: GrannyJ

Date: Oct-17

PARTY FUN TREATS

Parties are exciting this time of year and being financially challenged shouldn't stop you from having a great gathering.Plan ahead, do it yourself,ask people you intend to invite to make one of your recipes.Make your own costumes.Second hand stores have alot of great ideas or maybe in your own closet.

The Story of Halloween


Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.

Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts who worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite.

The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold."

On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished. The Druids, the Celtic priests would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin.

When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.

The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween.

During the 1st century the Romans invaded Britain, bringing with them many of their festivals and customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.

The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints ~ All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.

But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween.

The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day.

Carnival Caramel Apples

Treat the kids to these delicious Caramel Apples. Be sure to treat yourself to one it will bring back memories of your young years at the carnival :) From Land-O-Lakes Cookbook

1 hour | 20 min prep

10 -14 apples

1/2 cup
butter

2 cups
brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup
light corn syrup

1 dash
salt

14 ounces
sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon
vanilla

10-14
tart apples, washed, dries

1 cup
salted peanuts, chopped

in 2 qt saucepan melt butter, add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt, cook over med heat stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a full boil 10 to 12 minutes.

stir in sweetened condensed milk.

continue cooking stirring occasionally until candy thermometer reaches 245*F or small amount of mixture forms a firm ball 20 to 25 minutes.

remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

dip apples in caramel mixture, dip end of apples in chopped peanuts.

place on greased waxed paper.

refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.

 

Candied Apples Recipe

Great for all of your Halloween Trick or Treaters

30 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 6

2 cups
granulated sugar

2 cups
corn syrup

1/3 cup red cinnamon candies

1 cup
water

3/4 teaspoon
cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon
vanilla

1/4 teaspoon
clove

3/4 teaspoon red food coloring

6 medium
apples

Remove stems from apples, wash, and pat dry.

Insert a wooden skewer in each apple, running through the apple from stem end to base without protruding all the way through the bottom end.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon candies, and water in medium-sized saucepan.

Cook until candies dissolve, stirring constantly.

Be careful not to boil.

Add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and food coloring.

Mix thoroughly.

Boil mixture to 300 degrees using a candy thermometer without stirring.

While mixture is boiling, generously prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray so it's ready ahead of time.

As soon as mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove it from heat and quickly dip each apple-one by one-into the mixture until it is thoroughly coated.

Set coated apples, standing on their bottoms with skewer pointing up, on baking sheet until mixture hardens.

Let apples reach room temperature before eating.

Puppy Chow/ Muddy Buddy

Puppy Chow or, as the Chex box likes to call it, Muddy Buddy! Added chocolate and butter make this richer than other versions! It's addicting! And the star of all parties!

15 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 9 -18

9 cups Corn Chex or Crispix cereal

1/2 cup
creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup
butter (1 stick)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. bag)

2-4 cups
powdered sugar

Measure out the 9 cups of Chex cereal into a large bowl, set aside.

In a grocery bag, or large plastic bag, measure out 2 cups of powdered sugar and set aside.

In a large saucepan, measure out the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together in the saucepan over low heat. Don't turn the heat on the stove up too high, or you will burn it. It should take a few minutes to completely melt this mixture.

Pour this melted chocolate mixture over the 9 cups Chex in the large bowl. Stir it all together, making sure that all the pieces of Chex are covered in the melted chocolate.

Pour this chocolate Chex mixture into the plastic bag with powdered sugar in it. Tie the bag and throw the bag around until all the Chex pieces are coated in a layer of powdered sugar. If you want to add more powdered sugar to your preference, you can. I usually add about 1 and half more cups.

Open the bag and pour out into a bowl to enjoy! Perfect for parties or to just snack on!

Lower Calorie Lower Sugar Peoples Puppy Chow

You could try cutting out the oil/margarine altogether and maybe even the peanut butter. And you could experiment with other low-calorie cereals. I would guess plain puffed rice might be nice. This is basically the same as the regular recipe, but with slightly less chocolate, oil/margarine, and a powdered sugar alternative.

25 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 9 , 9 Cups

1/4 cup
olive oil or margarine

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup
peanut butter

9 cups Cheerios toasted oat cereal (Multi grain or other high-fiber cereal)

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder

2 cups
cornstarch

1 cup
sugar substitute (Splenda or 1/2 to 3/4 cup stevia might work, too)

In a large sauce pan, melt chocolate chips with the peanut butter and add the olive oil/margarine.

Stir until all is evenly distributed and all is completely melted.

Measure out chex into a large bowl.

Pour chocolate mixture over chex and fold until all the chex are completely covered in the chocolate mixture.

Mix the nonfat dry milk, cornstarch, and Splenda in a blender until it looks like powdered sugar. This is the "powdered sugar" in the following steps.

Put the "powdered sugar" into large paper bag.

Put chex into the bag with the "sugar" and shake until all chex are covered.

Add more "sugar" as needed.

PAPA CHOW

The ultimate snacking treat. Colorful and great tasting! .

5 min | 5 min prep

SERVES 10

12 ounces dry roasted peanuts

12 ounces white vanilla chips

16 ounces
craisins

12 ounces M&M's

Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziploc.

Party Ryes

Quick and easy. Great for party appetizers or snacks.

10 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 20 , 20 appetizers

2
cucumbers, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 envelope Italian dressing

1 loaf miniature party rye rounds or pumpernickel rounds .

1 pkg
cream cheese

Mix dressing and Cream Cheese

Spread cream cheese onto bread slices (don't skimp but don't overdue it).

Place cucumber round on top of spread.

Garnish with alittle parsley or an olive

Party Meatballs

I usually make these the night before and reheat in a crockpot. Wonderful sweet/tangy sauce.

1¼ hours | 30 min prep

60 meatballs

3/4 cup
evaporated milk

1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope onion soup mix

5 teaspoons
worcestershire sauce, divided

2 lbs
ground beef

2 cups
ketchup

1 cup packed
brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine the evaporated milk, soup mix and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.

Crumble beef and add to mixture; mixing well.

Shape into 1-inch meatballs.

Place 1 inch apart in ungreased 15 x 10 inch baking pans.

Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and remaining Worcestershire sauce in a large Dutch oven.

Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook and stir until thickened.

Reduce heat and add meatballs.

Simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Keep warm while serving in either a chafing dish or a crockpot.

 

Party Chicken

This recipe was given to me by a coworker years ago. It's very good and easy to make.

½ day | 8 hours prep

SERVES 8

4 whole
chicken breasts (boned or 8 fillets) or chicken tenders

8 slices
bacon

1 (4 ounce) jar dried beef

1 cup
sour cream

1 can condensed golden mushroom soup

Separate beef and place in a layer on the bottom of a greased 8 inch square pan.

Wrap bacon around chicken and lay on beef slices.

Pour soup and sour cream mixture over chicken.

Refrigerate overnight. optional

Bake at 350 for 2 hours.

Party Salad

Very easy,tasty and fast..

10 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 8 -10

1/2
red bell pepper

1/2
orange bell pepper

1 (8 ounce) can
black beans

1 (8 ounce) can
corn

1 (8 ounce) container
feta cheese

2-3
green onions

1/4 cup
sugar

1/2 cup
apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup
olive oil

Wash and cut Bell Peppers in small pieces.

Drain Corn.

Rinse and drain Black Beans.

Use crumbled Feta Cheese or cut block Feta in small pieces.

Cut Green Onions in thin rings.

All ingredients (besides the onions) should be about the same size.

Mix all Salad and Dressing ingredients in a bowl

 

Party Pizza

They were always a big hit at any party.

20 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 12

1 lb hot pork sausage

1 lb
Velveeta cheese

1/2 teaspoon
oregano

1 tablespoon
ketchup

miniature party rye rounds, slices

Brown and drain pork sausage.

Add cheese, ketchup and oregano and heat until cheese is melted.

Spoon onto rye bread.

Bake 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

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