Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling Ingredients:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Topping Ingredients:

2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Melted chocolate, piping icing in various colors, spider candies

Instructions:

Combine smashed up wafer crumbs and butter.  Press into bottom of and sides of your greased spring form pan to create your cheesecake crust.  In the big mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugars until nice and smooth. Add in the eggs and beat on low speed.  Whisk in the pumpkin, cornstarch, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice (aka your secret ingredient!)  Pour mixture into crust and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.  Read more...

“I’ll get you, my pretty!”  These infamous words were spoken by the wicked witch in the beloved movie “The Wizard of Oz.”  If your daughter wants to be the good witch, Glenda, on Halloween, or would like to portray the wicked witch, here are some ideas on how to make either homemade costume.

Let’s begin with the good witch.  Basically all you need is a white dress, white leotards, white shoes, a tiara, and a wand.  Add some make-up and glitter and you have all you need to re-create Glenda. 

To make the wand, you can use two straws and put one inside the other.  Wrap it in gold paper and purchase star wire at your craft store, and push it through the straw.  Add glitter to the star as well.   To make the tiara, you can also use star wire.  Take the measurement of your child’s head and then make a circle out of the star wire to fit.  Add gold ribbon to cover the base of the wire.  Read more...

Halloween is all about the treats. So, how can you make some fun treats at home that your little ones will love? It’s easier than you might think.

Do you have some Halloween Cookie Cutters? That’s all you’ll need to make these first three fun and memorable Halloween treats.

Terrifying Tortilla Chips: Start with some flour tortillas and spray a bit of canola oil on them. Sprinkle parmesan cheese or cinnamon and sugar on them.  Then cut fun shapes out of the tortillas with a bat, ghost or pumpkin cookie cutter. Put the shapes into the oven for a crispy treat.

Spooky sandwiches: Make your favorite sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly works just fine. Then, using a cookie cutter, press hard into the sandwich and you’ll get a spooky treat. If you use a pumpkin shape cookie cutter, add licorice or candy corn to make eyes and nose on a jack-o-lantern face.  Read more...

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
5 whole black peppercorns

Instructions:

Bring chicken stock, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic and peppercorns to a boil, stirring well.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Puree using food processor or your blender, easier if you work in small batches.  Put back on the stove and bring the pureed soup to a boil again. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.  Slowly stir in heavy cream.  Serve garnished with your choice of garnish, fresh parsley works nicely.

Grownups enjoy Halloween just as much as the kids, sometimes more.  It can be fun to dress up as a family, either for trick or treating or to go to a party.  There are many possibilities for coordinating costumes for mom and dad.  Some ideas can easily coordinate to the kids’ costumes, but they don’t have to.  It can be a family affair or mom and dad can go to their own grown up party while the kids are with a sitter.

King and Queen – Make cardboard crowns and cover with foil.  The dad can wear simple black pants, a white shirt and a plain colored cape.  A simple long dress works for the queen. Decorate them with some fancy ribbons and trim and you have a regal outfit.  Metallic belts will also help set off the outfits.  The kids can be dressed as young royals to fit the theme.  Read more...

Ingredients:

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Instructions:

Stir unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in the sugar while still hot.  Let it cool off for about ten minutes then add eggs and vanilla, blending well.  Next you’ll gradually stir in the flour and nuts.  Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven drop spoonfuls of marshmallow creme on top!  Spread it out evenly like frosting a cake.  Time to make some webs.  You can grab a premade squeezable tube of decorator chocolate if you have a shop nearby that sells cake decorating supplies.  If not, you can make one up yourself.  Read more...

Ingredients:

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Several pinches of hot red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as desired
1 pound spaghetti
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 head of broccoli, broken into bite-size florets
Freshly grated Parmesan, or other grating cheese

Instructions:

Boil water and add noodles to cook as usual, except about half way through cooking add the broccoli and let the noodles and broccoli finish cooking at the same time.  Drain, but reserve about half the cooking water for later.  Warm approximately half of the garlic with the pepper flakes in the olive oil over medium heat (turn on the vent and open the kitchen window or you’ll be crying in your spaghetti!)

Toss the pasta and broccoli with the garlic/chile oil and add the remaining garlic to the mix and continue to toss to coat. Add a few spoonfuls of that reserved water and keep tossing, add more water as needed.  Kind of have to eyeball it until it’s well coated and tossed to your liking.  Serve up and sprinkle with grated cheese.  There will be no fear of vampires bothering you after this dinner!