HAPPY HALLOWEEN

                                                
                                    HAPPY HAUNTING EVERYONE!

                                         
Hello to you all once again from the far reaches of Alaska!  It's that time of year for spooky stories and scary costumes!  So in keeping with the times, I would like to share with you all a few of our favorite Halloween things.......perhaps you will even find something new to do or to try!


Favorite place during Halloween:        DISNEY!

 

 Favorite VAMPIRE movie!:    30 Days of Night   
 They were my inspiration for my costume. But somehow I'm still better looking!







 Other Favorites!:

  CARVING PUMPKINS!!!   Have you ever read the legend of Jack-O-Lantern? click here for The Legend                               

     Visiting the LaLaurie Mansion  IN NEW ORLEANS OR HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS.
CHECK IT OUT:  HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS!
For a quick read on the evil Delphine LaLaurie click here!  Evil Incarnate!
                               
                               



TV shows to die for:  Ghost adventures and Ghost hunters!! WOOT!

 
      Of course there are dozens of spooky ghost shows on TV these days. Does mom watch them all?  Of course. This keeps her mind off of OUR resident ghosts. Yes we have several.  Intrigued?  Come spend the night with us.  Don't believe in ghosts? Well, perhaps you would be interested in one of our favorite Halloween recipes instead.  We always have a special little dinner, and each year we try a new creepy little recipe from the Martha Stewart Halloween edition magazine.  Last year we had Spinach Ricotta Skulls,  and Black Lagoon Vodka.  Okay the humans had the vodka, but it was fun to watch anyway.  This year it will be Boggy Brew and Blistered Butternut Squash and Cannelloni.  BTW---the recipe below goes great with Thanksgiving too!

                                SAUSAGE AND APPLE HAND PIES

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage with casings removed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil if needed
• 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 medium granny smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice 
• 1 large egg
• your favorite pastry dough recipe or see dough recipe below

1.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 min.  With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.  Reduce heat to medium; add onion, thyme, and pepper (if pan is dry add the oil).  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 min.

2.   Add flour to pan; cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in stock and cook, stirring, until thick, about 1 minute.  Stir in apples and reserved sausage.  Remove from heat; let mixture cool.  (Filling can be refrigerated up to overnight in an airtight container.)

3.  Preheat oven to 375 deg.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 14 x 16 inch rectangle slightly less than 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; top with a second piece of parchment.  Repeat with remaining dough disks, covering with parchment and stacking rolled dough.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.

4.  Using a 3 3/4  inch cookie cutter, cut rounds from sheets of dough.  Place 2 Tablespoons filling in center of half of the rounds.  Brush edges lightly with beaten egg.  Top with remaining rounds, pressing edges with a fork to seal.  With a small leaf-shaped cutter, cut shapes from scraps and adhere to pies with some of the beaten egg (alternately, cut leaf shapes out of tops and add cutouts slightly off center to cover the open portion). VERY PRETTY!!  Combine scraps and reroll.  Cut rounds and repeat to fill and form more hand pies.  Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Brush with egg.  Refrigerate 15 min.

5.  Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 40 min. serve warm.

AND NOW THE PASTRY RECIPE TO DIE FOR! 

5 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
4 sticks cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
3/4 to 1 cup ice water

Combine flour, salt, sugar in food processor.  Add butter and pulse just until pea size chunks remain.  with machine running, add water through the feed tube, and process just until dough starts to come together.  Transfer mixture to a work surface and bring together to form a dough.  Divide dough in thirds and flatten each piece into a disc. wrap in plastic and refrigerate at LEAST an hour. 

AHHHHH!  The joy of food!  But if it is crafts you prefer, click this link for a fun project.  Mirror Glow Eyes 
Scared the crap outta me, but was a fun project for the humans.


           Well all, I hope you are enjoying your Halloween season.  We certainly are!
And remember:  those strange and creepy sounds you hear during the night are only your imagination.......or are they???