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. …

“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 …

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 …

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.  …

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 …

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 …

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 …

“Be a clown, be a clown, all the world loves a clown.”  Just singing that song puts you in a happy mood, right?   One of the most fun costumes to make at home for Halloween is the clown costume.  It can be as wild and as imaginative as ever.  Here are some suggestions.

Let your imagination run wild.  Start with a white, red, or black sweat suit.  Then go to town painting all different colors and shapes on it, from polka dots to triangles.  With some make-up you can paint your child’s face in any way …

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
2  shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Instructions:

Stab your scrubbed, clean potatoes with a fork and toss them in the oven to bake at 400 degrees F until soft.  Usually this takes about an hour depending on size.  Let them cool off until you’re able to handle them without burning your hands.  In a skillet heat olive oil over medium heat, add shallots and cook those until softened …

Ingredients:

4 miniature pumpkins
1/4 cup raisins, plumped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 slightly beaten egg

Instructions:

Place whole pumpkins in a baking pan; pour water to about 1 inch deep in the pan to surround the pumpkins for cooking.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 – 45 minutes until a knife slices into the pumpkin gently.  Allow pumpkins to cool.  Cut across the top to make a lid, just like it was a mini jack-o-lantern.  Scoop the seeds and stringy goop out and discard.  Scrape the …