halloween countdown DAY 31!!!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! If you are looking for a hearty, fast and cute recipe to make before hitting the streets trick or treating, this is the one to do! You can even assemble all the parts hours before dinner and just pop them in the fridge until you are ready to heat them up. The egg yolk glaze is easy to paint with, so the kids can help make these creepy and delicious “monster” pieces before loading up on their candy. Or while loading up on candy, if they are like mine and need to be bribed to do any crafty thing.
Just in case you aren’t trick or treating this year, why not combine a movie night with a game night and play and watch the best game and movie ever…obviously, Clue? Clue is tied with Princess Bride and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as the only movies I can watch non-stop and never get enough of. There is an amazing female character in the movie for whatever stage of life you are in- I started out just in love with Ms. Scarlett and her dress, went through a Mrs. Peacock period and am now firmly in Mrs. White’s camp. Yes, men should be like tissue, and yes, this counts as a Halloween movie! The sheer comedic screen presence in this movie is overwhelming, the timing is perfect for every punny joke and Tim Curry just jolts you with his energy. The sound track alone makes me break out in a huge grin. As much as I adore this movie, I get excited about the game it is based on just as much. I love how the game forces people to use the scientific method and is so atmospheric you can almost hear the characters’ footsteps along the wooden and marble floors. And at what age do people stop wanting secret passageways? Because I am not that old yet and the movie and game let me live out all my conservatory, servant’s kitchen and billiard room having dreams. So, while this Halloween has been the strangest of my life time (and that is saying a lot, considering one year I entered a swanky Beverly Hills neighborhood costume contest dressed as a pointy hat wearing crayon, and I pretty sure I was up against a 5 year old Kim Kardashian, or at least one of their family members), it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and special.
Besides an epic movie, game and candy night, I know a few people who are doing scavenger hunts around their homes, glow stick dance parties and just bobbing for apples in their backyards. Whatever you decide to do to make it a special night, I hope you have a super time doing it and take a moment to catch a glimpse of the crazy big, bright moon. It has been really beautiful the last few nights, and it looks huge! The phases of the moon are such a good reminder that this too shall pass and nothing lasts forever. Hopefully next year things will be back to normal for everyone, but even better because we all can appreciate how great “normal” usually is. Until then, happy haunting and happy, happy Halloween!
don't call me basic, basic pie dough
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 c flour
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 14 tbs butter, chilled
- 2 tbs bacon fat or butter
- 1/2 c ice water with 1 tbs vinegar added
Instructions
- pulse all ingredients except the fats and water in a food processor
- cut up the butter and drop it into the processor and pulse in a few times
- add 1/2 of the water in tablespoons and pulse until mixture is crumbly (6 times)
- add the rest, pulse 6 more times and then pull out the dough
- smush into 2 disks, wrap and chill in fridge 2 hours
- take out, let warm up a little so you can roll out and use as wished
- to bake, pre heat oven to 400, pop pie in and drop temp to 350, bake until golden (blind baking, about 18 minutes, filled up up to 50 minutes
Notes
meat pie filling
Ingredients
- 1 pack ground meat of your choice
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can roasted tomatos
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp corriander
- 1 c shredded cheese
- 1 disk basic pie dough
- 2 egg yolks and food coloring
Instructions
- saute onions until translucent
- add garlic and brown meat
- add all other ingredients but the cheese and cook until meat is done. this is your filling.
- roll out your pie dough and cut into desired shapes
- spoon out filling onto dough, sprinkle cheese on top and cover with top dough shape
- at this point, these can be fridgerated until you are ready to bake
- brush top with egg yolk mixed with food coloring when ready to bake
- heat up oven to 350, bake for 15 minutes
