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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