halloween recipe

Blogtoberfest – My Bloody Vampire Sangria

Hello again! So glad to see y’all along with me for the ride Halloween blogging, or, as I call it……BLOGTOBERFEST……..

Today’s recipe is not a mocktail, but a straight up liquor fest. It was a choice between this and chocolate martinis. I chose this because it looks like fruit punch. (What, me drinking? Nah, this is fruit punch.) And I love sangria.

You can find the basic recipe here, but I added my own twist.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (750 ml bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
Strawberry or Kiwi slices
3 Tbsp sugar
2 shots brandy
1 shot gin
2 cups ginger ale or club soda

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.

Blogtoberfest – Recipes – Cinnamon Sugar Spider Webs

Total Time: 40 min

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min

Yield: about 30 webs

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus 1/4 cup for brushing
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Jelly spiders, orange or black nonpareils, for garnish, optional

Directions

Pour enough oil in a large skillet so it’s about 1 inch deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers between 280 to 300 degree F.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until smooth.

Transfer batter into a large size pastry bag with a # 3 or 4 open tip. Carefully squeeze batter in a circular pattern and then back and forth into the oil, to make a free form spider web-like design, about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Cook until bottoms are golden, about 2 minutes. Using tongs or slotted spoon, turn fritters over and cook until golden on other side, about 1 minute more. Transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain briefly. Brush lightly with maple syrup and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm or at room temperature alone or with the garnishes.

*You may use a zip bag instead of a pastry bag. Snip a corner to the appropriate size and you’re good.

Courtesy of the Food Network

BlogtoberFest 2017 – The Days of Halloween

Let’s face it, the holidays start earlier and earlier every year. I saw a six foot light up snowman in Costco at the end of August. Therefore, I see no reason not to begin the celebration of all things spooky, macabre, and scary in the month of October.

You faithful readers of my blog: I thank you. AND you already know what’s going to be happening. Recipes, Top 3 lists, Top 5 lists, spooky songs, movies, books….everything relating to the theme of Halloween and horror. Click over every day to see something new!

So pour yourself a Bloody Mary with bacon garnish and come on along for the ride. We’ve been expecting you.

Blogtoberfest – Mulled Hard Cider

You can always count on me to be the liquor to your parties. That was me with the Long Island Iced Tea and the Vampire Sangria. So, I’m back with hard mulled cider. Plain cider is nice, but adding a kick is even nicer. Prepare to enjoy.

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider
Dried apple slices
Thinly sliced orange
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (pinch)
1 cup dark rum
cinnamon sticks for stirrin’

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the rum and bring to a simmer over low heat. Allow mixture to remain for about ten minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rum. Serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick and enjoy.

If you want to make ahead, put the mixture in a slow-cooker on “keep warm” and add the rum just before serving.

Halloween Recipe – Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

Easy-Peasy, guys and dolls. These tasty roasted vegetable quesadillas are a great finger food for your Halloween gathering. I know, there’s no meat in them, but trust me, they’re good…and I am a gal who can sink her teeth in a steak.

Do NOT use canned corn. It will give your dish a weird, canned taste. Take it from me.

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. 12 Servings

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tomato flour tortillas (10 inches)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
Guacamole, sour cream, salsa and sliced ripe olives, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the vegetables, oil and cumin; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to 350°.
Divide vegetable mixture evenly between two tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining tortillas. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and olives if desired.
Yield:1 dozen.