Festive Foods for 2021

Easy Foods To Snack, Munch Or Nibble For A New Year’s Eve With Friends

We've done it. We are all in the home stretch of this strange, almost universally awful year. And you know what that means - it's time to look ahead to 2021!

With New Year's Day so close at hand, now is the time to start planning. No, definitely not those pesky new year's resolutions we all forget about by the end of January... We're talking about planning the party! Clearly finishing up 2020 is something worth really celebrating - perhaps not with all your friends quite yet (better to be safe now than sorry later), but certainly with your household.

So gather up the kids and some supplies and let's get to work on some party snacks.

Cracker Stacks

Of course, meats and cheeses and crackers are the go-to spread for a party. Easy, classic, fun, and reasonably healthy, they hit nearly all the boxes on the checklist in one go. But why not make it a little more interesting for the holiday? Design some cracker stacks to look like analog clock faces, counting down to the new year!

Ingredients:

1 17 oz box Cheez-It Grooves Sharp White Cheddar crackers

1 16 oz bag Margherita Sliced Hard Salami

2-4 oz brick Colby Jack cheese

2 Tablespoons sour cream (or ranch dressing, or onion dip)

Tools:

Cheese grater sandwich bags, scissors

Instructions:

Using the widest holes on the cheese grater, shred up some of the colby jack cheese. Your goal is about a quarter cup of shreds. (Please don't just buy a bag of pre-shredded cheese, as it's coated in starch so that it doesn't stick to itself or anything else - that defeats the purpose of it sticking to the salami later.)

Open up that box of Cheez-Its and separate the broken chunks from the intact crackers. Use the whole ones for this recipe, but save the pieces and crumbs in a sealed sandwich bag for the next recipe! Go ahead and pulverize those broken pieces so you have mostly small crumbs.

Toss two tablespoons of sour cream (or ranch, or dip) into a sandwich bag, press out the excess air and seal the bag. Take your scissors and make a tiny, tiny cut at the corner. 

For the base of the stacks, we started with Cheez-It Grooves sharp white cheddar crackers because they're very cheesy - their flavor helps make up for how little cheese we'll be adding at the end.

On top of each cracker, dot some of your sour cream and place a slice of salami. (If you'd rather take the extra cheesy route, you can melt a little of the cheese on the crackers before you place the sour cream and salami.)

On each slice of salami, place a small dot of sour cream in the middle. This is now the center point of your clock face. Those wide shreds of cheese you just grated can now become the hands of the clock, and your sour cream dot should hold them in place. If they're too wiggly, place a dot of sour cream at the ends also. Set them to whatever time you want - we think it's cute to count down from 11:00 to midnight, but it's also kind of frustrating when they're eaten up out of order - so to each their own.

Squash Fries

This is the reason we told you to save all those broken bits and crumbs from the crackers - they'll become part of the breading for these baked fries.

It's tough to measure out how much crumb you'll have to start with, because every box is a little different, but your goal is about 3/4 of a cup total. However much you're missing from that 3/4 cup, just add that much in Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or whatever else you have on hand - we've also made up the difference with a "shake-n-bake" packet previously).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup crumbs (combined smashed Cheez-Its, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, etc.)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

2 eggs, beaten

2 large yellow squash

Tools:

Shallow dishes for egg and crumbs, knife, cutting board, baking sheet, spatula, cooking spray

Instructions:

Wash and dry your squash, trim off any questionable pieces with a sharp knife, and slice the squash into strips about 1/2" thick. Thinner strips will cook up quicker and crispier, so please shorten your cooking time if you adjust the size. No one likes burnt fries, be they squash or potato in origin.

Mix together your crumbs, garlic salt, white pepper and parsley in a shallow dish.

Spray your baking sheet lightly with the cooking spray. 

Drag the squash strips through the beaten eggs and allow any excess to drip off. Move immediately from the egg to the breadcrumb mixture, and roll the squash through the crumbs until well-coated.

Place your coated squash on the baking sheet and repeat until all the strips have been given the same treatment. Leave a little room between the strips on the baking sheet - it'll make turning them over easier later.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, turn them over with a spatula, and bake another 25 minutes. You'll know they're ready when they're golden and toasty looking.

What do you think? Do you think you’ll test out these recipes for your New Year’s party? Let us know over on our Facebook page or in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

If your appliances have been acting up after Christmas, we’re here to help. Whether you live in Richardson, or Dallas or the surrounding areas, we want to work with you. You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) or go to our website to make an appointment.

From our family to yours, have a happy new year!

Easy as 1-2-3 Christmas Cookies

Great for Gifts, Parties, Or Just You!

There are just under two weeks until Christmas. In fact, last we looked at a calendar, there are twelve full days until Christmas Eve... At which point the kids are likely going to start commenting that Santa needs some cookies.

In our house, it's tradition that the cookies for Santa are always homemade. The recipes and quantities may change from year to year - and honestly, sometimes we just get caught up in the rhythm of measure-knead-roll-cut-bake-cool-repeat, and end up making way too much.

So, for us, cookies are also Christmas gifts for the other households in our family. A little tray or box of handmade treats is also a cute, enjoyable and inexpensive long-distance (or socially-distanced) way to tell someone else you're thinking of them in this unconventional holiday season.

If homemade cookies sound a little out of your league, don't fret. These aren't terribly difficult. They're among the most crowd-pleasing recipes we know, and they are extra easy to personalize.

We'll start with a go-to favorite: Almond Puff Cookies. We've been making this recipe for almost fifteen years now, and it has never failed to impress. They're soft and fluffy, almost cake-like in texture when fresh. These don't really lend themselves to decorating with royal icing like sugar cookies because of the way they puff. A quick egg wash is often all we do to jazz them up. We like to cut these into bell, star and ornament shapes and wash them with different colors, but we've also included a handful of other decorating ideas your family might enjoy.

Almond Puff Cookies

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 c butter, unsalted, melted

4 eggs

2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Egg Wash (optional)

1 egg (well-scrambled) per each color you intend to make

2 drops food coloring per color

1 teaspoon water per color

Alternative Decoration Ideas (optional)

Sprinkles

Powdered sugar

Slivered almonds

Sweetened coconut flakes

Melted chocolate drizzle

An example of what the egg paint can look like.

Tools:

Mixing bowls (2), rolling pin, cookie sheet(s), cookie cutter(s), small dishes for egg wash (divide by color), pastry brush, cooling rack, space to make a mess (100% not kidding here, especially if the kids are assisting)

Instructions:

Sift together your flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one mixing bowl.

In the other mixing bowl, whisk together your extracts, eggs, and cooled melted butter. We do NOT want to cook the eggs quite yet, so please allow your melted butter to cool a little before this step; ideally it's still liquid, but not scalding hot.

Knead together the contents of both mixing bowls. If you feel like the dough is a little too stiff, feel free to add a tiny bit of water to it, but don't go overboard. Too much liquid can't be undone, and a wet dough is very difficult to cut into shapes.

Once you've established a nice lump of dough, squish it down into the bottom of the mixing bowl and put the whole thing in the fridge for about 15 minutes. We like to use this fifteen minute break to start making the egg washes, but if you chose another decoration, you're free to relax for a few.

After your fifteen minutes are up, start preheating the oven to 400.

While the oven heats, turn out your dough onto the counter and roll it to about a quarter inch thick. If you feel like there's not enough room on the counter for the whole ball of dough, divide it and toss half back into the bowl for now. Save yourself the headache of having to pull dough out of the backsplash or from under that knife block you couldn't find another place to put (no, we've never had this happen to us - gee, why do you ask?).

Grab the cookie cutters (the objects, not the little minions you may or may not have clamoring in the background). Either you or your helpers should cut as many shapes as you can from the dough you've rolled out, peel away the excess dough, and gently transfer the shapes to your cookie sheet. Be careful not to stretch or distort them during the transfer - if they're stretched, they'll bake up lumpy and uneven.

If you find yourself struggling with the process of transferring, you might consider rolling the dough out on a cutting board or a sheet of wax paper before cutting your shapes. Having an extra layer you can just pick up and flip over the cookie sheet sometimes makes it easier to get the cookies from Point A to Point B without creating oblong ornaments or lopsided stars. Another trick to try is chilling the cut shapes before moving them to the cookie sheet with a thin metal spatula. If you do use a spatula, try to find a smooth one without slots (as the slots risk tearing up the undersides of your cookies).

Repeat the rolling, cutting, and transferring of shapes until you're out of space on the cookie sheets, or out of dough, or out of patience, whichever comes first.

Once your shapes have been arranged on the cookie sheet, you've reached the ideal time to add an egg wash. Use your pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of your cookies with the color of choice. Try not to use too much, just cover it with a thin layer. You don't want it to puddle around the edges on the cookie sheet, as that gets messy and difficult to clean later.

If you're not doing an egg wash, coconut flakes and slivered almonds will hold up well in the oven, and even toast a bit - but sprinkles will lose some of their color to the moisture in the dough, and that color will leak all over the cookie, so it's better to add them, the powdered sugar, or the chocolate later, after the cookies have been removed from the oven.

Bake your cookies 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees. You'll know they're ready to leave the oven when the edges are golden, the centers are puffed up, and the egg wash (if you used it) is set and shiny.

The cookies are still very soft at this point, so allow them to cool for about two minutes before you move them from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack, where they'll finish setting up.

Should you want to do any further decorating, let the cookies cool about ten more minutes on the cooling rack to ensure they're fully set and ready to be moved about (or boxed up for giving).

After you’ve tried out this week’s recipe, consider letting us see? We would love to get pictures over on our Facebook page to see how your cookies turned out. 

If on the other hand you need your oven fixed, or any of your other major appliances, we can help. Just call us at ((214) 599-0055) or make an appointment over at our website. We aim to be the most reliable appliance repair in Addison and the surrounding areas, and we want to keep your home running smoothly. Whether that’s an oven that won’t heat right for making cookies, or a washing machine that won’t drain right, we’re here to help.

The ‘Post-Thanksgiving’ Meal Guide

 AKA I’m sick of turkey, please give me something different. 

Congratulations! You've survived Thanksgiving! And by now you've probably even eaten up most of the leftovers.

But that means everyone in the house is getting tired of Thanksgiving leftovers, doesn't it? And we bet they all still want to eat, don't they?

You did all that work just a couple days ago, and they just don't seem to get that you're all cooked out. They - or maybe even your own stomach - still want you to make more food.

No worries! We've got you covered. This post will feature two recipes that you don't have to stress about or fuss over. Everything will come together in 30 minutes or fewer, and you won't have to resort to takeout. 

Shrimp Pesto

Somehow, the kids always seem to think shrimp is fancy. No one needs to know this is a one pot wonder.

Ingredients:

1 12 oz package extra small precooked shrimp

1 lb pasta of choice (we suggest tricolor rotini)

1 8 oz jar pesto sauce (or you can head over here and make your own) 

1/2 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 zucchini, chopped

2 tsp butter

1 tsp minced garlic

Tools:

large pot with lid, colander, cutting board, knife

Fill your pot with water and put it over medium-high heat. Salt the water if desired, and place the lid on the pot.

While the water comes up to boil, wash your zucchini and chop it into small chunks or thin slices, whichever you prefer.

Once the water begins to boil, add your pasta. Please do not put the lid back on the pot after this step, lest you risk a messy boil over.

Bring the water back up to boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. We usually shave a minute or two off the recommended cook time (this house does not appreciate mushy pastas).

In the last two minutes of cook time, toss in the whole bag of shrimp, your carrots and your zucchini and allow it to all cook together.

Drain your pasta, shrimp and veggies. Leave it all in the colander for a minute while you use the pot to melt the butter and sear the garlic.

Once your garlic has been seared, turn the heat down. Empty your jar of sauce into the pot and give it a good stir. Let it warm up a little over medium-low heat, maybe  two minutes or so.

Pour your still warm pasta and veggies into the sauce and stir. A little dash of Parmesan cheese never hurts a dish like this, either. Dinner is ready to plate!

Cornbread Skillet Bake

This one is a little bit pot pie, a little bit casserole, and a lot of "grocery day isn't until tomorrow - what do we have lying around the house?"

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 Roma tomato, chopped

1 12 oz bag frozen corn

8 oz mild salsa or tomato sauce

1 15 oz can of beans (pinto or black work best)

1 8.5 oz box corn muffin mix  (if you like to make everything from scratch, you can try this) 

1/3 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried chives

1 tablespoon hot sauce (we like sriracha) - more or less, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Tools:

oven-safe skillet, colander, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl, measuring cup/spoon

Start your ground beef browning in the skillet. Season with your garlic, chili powder, cumin, chives, and hot sauce. If your family doesn't care for spicy foods, you can adjust the hot sauce some, but we don't think you should eliminate it entirely - the dish suffers some without the spice for depth. Add however much salt and pepper you'd like.

While the seasoned beef browns, open up your can of beans, drain and rinse. Let them sit in the colander until you've had a chance to get around to the veggies.

Wash and chop your tomato, pepper and onion. If you've got picky eaters, we suggest chopping things extra-fine to hide a little better. You can also adjust amounts, add in or substitute with something your pickiest eaters like better.

Drain the beef, but don't rinse out all your spices. Return it to the skillet and pour your tomato sauce or salsa over it.

Add your chopped veggies in with the beef, then toss in the beans and that bag of frozen corn. Give everything a good stir and let it simmer together, stirring frequently. Try to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the skillet and scorches there. In the event it's giving you trouble, you can toss a tablespoon of butter in.

In your mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg. Pour in the contents of the box of corn muffin mix and stir. It will still be a little lumpy, and that's okay. (If you want it to be extra smooth, you can sift the muffin mix before this step.) Let your batter rest a minute or two while you take care of other things - like stirring the beef and veggie mix.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the beef and veggie mixture from the heat. Give it one more good stir, then pat it down so it's mostly level in the skillet. Sprinkle your shredded cheese in an even layer all over top of it.

Give your batter a quick stir, and then pour it slowly over the top of the mixture in the skillet. Your goal is to cover the top in an even layer of batter without smothering everything or overflowing the skillet.

Once you've got an even layer of cornbread batter in the skillet, set it in the oven for about 15 minutes. If you're working with a larger than average skillet and a thin layer of cornbread batter, it's wiser to check on it after ten minutes or so to avoid over-baking it.

Your casserole is done when a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cornbread crust comes out clean.

We cut ours into generous slabs and flipped them into shallow bowls with a spatula. Expect the filling to fall apart a little.

Optional picky-eater-bribery step: Add a dollop of sour cream and guacamole, drizzle some warm salsa con queso over the top and serve with tortilla chips.

Whichever one of these two options you go for, we know you’re in for a treat. We hope that you’ve survived through the holiday, whether it was full of family in person or via video. If you enjoyed our recipes this week, why not head down to the comments or over to our Facebook and let us know? We’d love to hear from you. If on the other hand you ended up here because your appliances have gone on strike after the holiday, head on over to our contact page and set up an appointment for appliance repair. We’re here for all of our clients in Dallas and the surrounding areas.

Thanksgiving Recipes for Small Groups

Also Known As “ How Not To Go Insane This Holiday”

Somehow, trying to get the entire family under one roof for a holiday always seems to turn into a headache.

Everybody says they'll be there, but when it comes time to decide who's bringing what, half the family's plans have changed - now they aren't coming. Great Aunt Jean said she'd host, but dropped out at the last minute. Uncle Tim said he'd bring dessert, but then brought the dreaded casserole instead. The sister who was supposed to bring the drinks only brought ice, the brother who was supposed to bring the bread brought a salad... And now no one knows what's going on. The person pressed into hosting is taking a frantic tally to figure out what's missing, someone's already in their car on their way to the only store in town that's open on Thanksgiving, and no one knows whether or not the turkey will be done in time.

It happens every year, in varying degrees, to every family. There are always too many moving parts. So this week's post is dedicated to keeping everything simple. Read on for the easiest recipes we could think of to help you get through this mess with your sanity intact.

The easy way, and the COVID-19 friendly way, to survive the holiday is to not have everyone over. Do a smaller celebration. The recipes in this post are sized for a group of four to six people.

Appetizer

Taco Bites

Chances are the kids are going to try to skip as many healthy foods as they can when dinner hits the table. Let's sneak something in early.

Ingredients:

2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas

1 1 oz packet taco seasoning

3 Tbsp oil

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, torn

3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Tools:

Cutting board, knife, colander, baking sheet with a rim, plastic bag, paper towels

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450.

Pour your oil into the baking sheet and tilt to move the oil around until you've coated the entire bottom of the pan. Place the coated pan into the oven for two minutes.

Dump your chickpeas into the colander, rinse them and allow them to drain, and then pat them to remove some of the excess water.

Pour your taco seasoning into the plastic bag, add the chickpeas, seal the bag and shake! The goal is to evenly coat the chickpeas. There will be seasoning left over, and that's okay. You can hold on to it and sprinkle it on top later if you'd like.

Spread your seasoned chickpeas in a single layer on the hot baking sheet and bake for 14 minutes.

While the chickpeas are baking, wash your lettuce and tomatoes. Rough chop the tomatoes and tear the lettuce into large pieces.

Once you remove the chickpeas from the oven, allow them to cool down some - but not to room temperature - and drain off excess oil.

Wrap a spoonful of chickpeas, a few chunks of tomato, and a sprinkling of cheese into a strip of lettuce and roll it up like a burrito (hold in place with a toothpick if necessary). Serve with guacamole, sour cream or salsa if desired.

Entree

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey for most families. But why carve up a whole bird and encourage everyone to fight over the drumsticks while they ignore everything else? We suggest a turkey pot pie instead. It's so easy you can have the kids help! Cook the turkey and potatoes in the slow cooker overnight so it's all ready to shred and mash in the morning.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 boneless turkey breast (Butterball Cajun-seasoned 3 pound is a favorite here)

6 large russet potatoes, chunked

2 14 oz bags frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 18 oz jar turkey gravy

1 can Pillsbury crescent dough

Tools:

Slow cooker, deep baking dish, mixing bowls, cutting board, slotted spoon

Instructions:

The night before you plan to have your Thanksgiving dinner, wash and cut up your potatoes. Place them into the bottom of your slow cooker, and add enough water or broth to cover. Place your turkey breast on top of the potatoes, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low. Allow it to run overnight, at least seven hours.

In the morning, turn off the slow cooker and pull the turkey. Shred it on the cutting board and set it aside to cool. Stir your mixed vegetables and gravy in with with your shredded turkey.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the slow cooker. Put them into a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork. Lumps are fine, no worries! You may choose to add milk or butter at this step.

Line the bottom of your baking dish with your mashed potatoes. 

Pour a thick layer of your turkey and vegetable and gravy mixture on top of your mashed potatoes.

Top with the sheet of crescent dough. It's okay to trim it down or stretch it to fit - just make sure to stretch evenly and gently so it doesn't tear.

Poke a few small vent holes with a fork or knife before placing your pot pie in the oven.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

Sides

Cranberry Sauce

Repeat after us: Cranberry sauce is not supposed to come from a can.

Cranberry sauce is the easiest Thanksgiving side, by far. (Unless you forget the lid on the pan. Trust us, do not forget the lid!) The tried and true method of berries, a simple syrup, a handful of spices, and a few minutes of intense heat makes a foolproof sauce.

Ingredients

1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Tools:

Sauce pan, lid, heatproof serving dish

Wash your cranberries and toss out any sad-looking ones. Sad berries make sad sauce.

Combine your sugar, water and spices in the pan. Place over medium heat and bring up to a boil.

Pour in your fresh cranberries - be careful not to splash!

Cook your cranberries in your covered (we cannot stress this enough! Boiling sugar hurts, and exploding berries are messy!) pan, stirring frequently, until all of your berries have popped.

Remove from heat and stir in your lemon juice.

In the event your family does not want lumps in the sauce, you can push this mixture through a fine sieve to separate the skins from the jelly - but we like it better with the lumps. We also prefer it warm, but feel free to put it into the fridge for half an hour if you'd like it to firm up.

Bacon Cheddar Brussels Sprouts

In our experience, most kids despise Brussels sprouts. But most kids love bacon and cheese. Hopefully, in your case as in ours, they balance out a bit. And just about every Thanksgiving dinner could use some more veggies.

Ingredients:

1 2.5 oz bag bacon crumbles

1 12 oz bag frozen Brussels sprouts, thawed

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Tools:

Baking sheet

Mix your Brussels sprouts, melted butter and bacon together in a mixing bowl.

Arrange the sprouts in a thin layer on your baking sheet. Make sure to leave a little wiggle room between them for air to circulate. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. You can roast them a little longer if you'd like, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Literally no one will want to eat burned veggies.

It's that simple. Honestly.

Desserts

Everyone expects pie on Thanksgiving... But it doesn't have to be the same old pie you've had every year. Don't get us wrong here, we love pumpkin pies - they're fantastic looking, easy, delicious and they keep well for a few days.

Every once in a while, though, it's nice to flip the script. This year, try an ice cream pie!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients

24 oz vanilla ice cream, softened

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice, to taste

1 9" pie crust (traditional or graham, or even Oreo if you'd prefer)

Tools:

Mixing bowl, pie pan, aluminum foil

If you're using a traditional crust, bake it ahead of time and let it cool. Please don't pour ice cream into a raw or still-hot crust - you'll end up with a soggy mess either way.

Spoon your softened ice cream into a mixing bowl. Shake in some pumpkin pie spice - however much you like. Some people like a bunch, some families aren't fond of it.

Fold in your pumpkin puree and stir. Mix it until thoroughly incorporated if you want a uniform pie, but if you want the swirl effect, just stop mixing when it looks the way you want it to.

Pour your ice cream mixture into the prepared pie crust, wrap up the top in foil and stick the whole thing into the freezer to chill back up. It should be firm and good to go in about three hours.

If you want to be extra fancy, drizzle it with caramel syrup and top with whipped cream when you serve it.

Take a deep breath. If you've reached the serving dessert stage, the worst of the craziness will soon pass.

What do you think? Are you as eager (read: apprehensive) about the holiday as we were? We hope you'll let us know over on our Facebook page. Feel free to share your family traditions or Thanksgiving hacks! And if something in your kitchen is acting like a little turkey and making you want to use some fowl language... Give us a call, or make an appointment online here.

The Frightful Feast Continues

Halloween Themed Meals

Last week we made you a promise: real food ideas for dinner, but with enough of a Halloween twist to distract the kids from the impending sugar rush (at least momentarily).

This post brings you three entrees full of creepy, spooky, tasty Halloween goodness.

We do use shaped molds in one recipe. If you opt to use that recipe, be sure to get metal or heat-resistant silicon molds so you'll be able to put them in the oven. They're available at your local Target or Wal-Mart for between two and twelve dollars, as store brand or name brand. Wilton makes the best, in our opinion - the cutest for sure, but also the most expensive.

If you don't want to spend the extra time or money on shaped molds, we've provided a couple of "handy" alternatives at the end.

Fried Worms and Stranglevine Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 package hot dogs or Polish sausages

1 jar mild pickled pepper rings or slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 slices wheat bread

Ketchup, mustard, relish, etc., to taste

Tools:

Frying pan, cutting board

Step One:

Cut your hot dogs or sausages into quarters. Sometimes we feel quarters are a bit too broad and cut them into eighths, which cook quicker anyway.

Step Two:

Drain the vinegar from your pepper rings and rinse them off so the pickled taste isn't quite so strong.

Step Three:

Put your bread into the toaster. Crispy slices hold up much better; you may wish to toast them a little longer than your usual setting.

Step Four:

Heat the olive oil in your frying pan and toss in the sausage and peppers to sear.

Step Five:

Scoop a generous helping of "worms and vines" onto your toast, and garnish with your favorite condiments before serving.

Brain Loaf

Ingredients

2 lbs fine ground turkey or ground beef ( it’s up to you)

1/2 cup chopped, steamed cauliflower (cooled)

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ sauce or ketchup for decorating

Tools:

Two small aluminum mixing bowls (the rounder the better), large mixing bowl, baking sheet

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. While it's heating, mix your turkey - we like to use Honeysuckle White brand Italian seasoned turkey link sausage, but remove the casing - with your cauliflower, egg, breadcrumbs and spices in a large mixing bowl.

Step Two:

Grease your two small aluminum mixing bowls lightly with nonstick spray, butter or oil - whatever you have on hand. Fill them to about 3/4 full with your turkey mixture.

Step Three:

Place your two mixing bowls onto a baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Test with a meat thermometer if you're not sure whether or not they're cooked through.

Step Four:

Loosen around the edges with a butter knife and turn the bowls upside down onto the dish you'll be serving from.

Step Five:

Use your ketchup or BBQ sauce to draw squiggles on your "brain" before cutting to serve.

Pirate Bones in Seaweed

This is the recipe where those shaped molds come into play! Skulls and crossbones are ideal for what we've called it here, but feel free to make up your own fun name to go with jack o'lantern, brain, bat or ghost shaped molds, or whatever else you can find. Get creative! And don't forget to poll the kids if you have them around - they often have brilliant ideas.

Ingredients:

Pirate Bones:

[Use the same recipe from "Brain Loaf" to make your skull and crossbones meatballs]

Seaweed:

2 yellow squash

2 zucchini

2 carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

Tools:

Shaped silicon mold(s), vegetable peeler or spiralizer, baking sheet, large skillet or pan

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 375. Load your silicon mold(s) full of the meatloaf mixture from the previous recipe. Fill the hollows to the top, and make sure to squish the mixture down into the little details. Having two or more molds is optional, but having more streamlines the process (and you'll only have to get your hands dirty once like that).

Step Two:

Place your silicon mold(s) onto the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the visible edges of the meat mixture have browned.

Step Three:

Heat the butter in your skillet or pan on low.

Step Four:

While your meatballs are baking, use a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler to either spiral cut or shave thin slices of your vegetables into the melted butter.

Step Five:

Once all the vegetables have been sliced into the pan, turn the heat up and saute them lightly. Season to taste (we like garlic or lemon-pepper seasoning) and arrange into a nest on each plate.

Step Six:

Pop your shaped meatballs out of the molds and divide them up between the dishes of vegetables. Sauce is optional.

Hand Steak and Veggies

Here's the alternate idea we promised you, in the event you weren't interested in the shaped meatballs from the last recipe.

Utilize the meatloaf recipe once more and arrange it into a large hand shape on a baking sheet or in the bottom of a large skillet, and either bake or pan fry until done.

For a slightly less messy option, you could step over to the grocery store and pick up a ham steak or two. Trim up the edges and then cut short lines in from one side to make wide "fingers," and then pan sear.

Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy your simple, spooky meal!

Happy Halloween!

What did you think? Are you as eager to get into the kitchen as we were?  We hope you’ll let us know over on our Facebook page, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Halloween traditions and food. In the event that one of your appliances has given up the ghost, or is just being ghoulish, you can always call or visit our website to make an appointment.