Halloween Placemat

 

When “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” was released in 1966, nearly everyone who saw it loved it. Everyone, that is, except Ray Bradbury. The legendary science fiction author found the popular Charles M. Schulz/Vince Guaraldi Halloween television special deeply disappointing; a lackluster depiction of one of his favorite holidays. And he decided to do something about it. In 1972, Ray Bradbury wrote “The Halloween Tree,” a fantasy novel that explores ancient Celtic, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures and how they helped to shape the way we celebrate Halloween today. For years, Ray Bradbury dreamed of having an actual Halloween Tree in Disneyland, and in 2007 his dream came true. You can find his tree in Frontierland, decorated with pumpkins and twinkling orange lights. “I belong here,” the author said at the tree’s dedication. “I’m glad I’m going to be a permanent part of the spirit of Halloween at Disneyland.” Happy Halloween!

Big Red Heart

 

We try to visit Disney parks when they’re less crowded – not entirely for the reasons you might assume. Sure, the shorter wait times are nice. It’s lovely to find a free table so you can relax while enjoying your Dole whip or churro or corn dog. It’s great to get where you’re going without people literally tripping over the wheelchair. (Why is our chair so hard to see? Do we need to paint it hunter orange?) But the thing we love most to do when we’re in the parks is chat with cast members; something you can’t really do while they’re crazy busy. We ask where they’re from, and what led them to work for the Mouse. They all have amazing stories, and they all seem to love sharing. My favorites: a waitress who grew up in Harrogate, a boat pilot who remembered Brook’s House of Barbecue, a train conductor who was third-generation Disney, and a cashier who serenaded me with, "More I Cannot Wish You."

Concord Grape Juice

 

There probably won’t be a lot of time for piecing quilts this week. Any day now (it may even have happened last night) the temperature will drop below 30F and everything we haven’t already harvested will be toast. I’ve got a bushel of tomatoes to stew and to bottle, bell peppers to roast, and lots of grapes to make into juice and jelly. I promised to mend my daughter’s torn jeans and my granddaughter’s Sunday dress. There are still over a dozen quilts – large and small – waiting to be bound. And then there’s Halloween. We haven’t bought any candy for trick-or-treaters this year, and we don’t intend to. (If I had, it would probably need to be replaced by now anyway.) Instead, we’re treating the neighborhood to a Hallo-weenie roast. Halloween used to be my least favorite day in the whole year. This year, I’m actually looking forward to it.

Thirty-six Butterflies

 

“If we’re not faithful and obedient, we can transform the God-given blessing of prosperity into a prideful curse that diverts and distracts us from eternal truths and vital spiritual priorities. We always must be on guard against a pride-induced and exaggerated sense of self-importance, a misguided evaluation of our own self-sufficiency, and seeking self instead of serving others. As we pridefully focus upon ourselves, we also are afflicted with spiritual blindness and miss much, most, or perhaps all that is occurring within and around us. We cannot look to and focus upon Jesus Christ as the ‘mark’ if we only see ourselves. Such spiritual blindness also can cause us to turn out of the way of righteousness, fall away into forbidden paths, and become lost. As we blindly turn unto our own ways and follow destructive detours, we are inclined to lean upon our own understanding, boast in our own strength, and depend upon our own wisdom.” – Elder David A. Bednar

Large Pine Tree

 

National Pumpkin Day – always October 26 – celebrates our favorite autumn decoration/food. You know pumpkin pie, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin bread, but did you know you could bake a casserole INSIDE a pumpkin, and then eat both the casserole AND the pumpkin? There are recipes for pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin jelly rolls filled with cream cheese frosting, and pumpkin snickerdoodles. Two weeks ago, we had pumpkin pecan pancakes with buttermilk dressing, bacon and eggs for breakfast. While you’re scooping out your pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern, you can wash and save the pumpkin seeds to roast them, coated with sweet, spicy or savory seasoning. We like to add a bit of canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice (it’s really just cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice) to hot cocoa, top it with whipped cream and call it “pumpkin cocoa.” My Halloween decorations are never complete without at least one pumpkin on the doorstep. Here’s wishing you a happy pumpkin day!

Birds in the Air

 

I like traditional Hawaiian sliders, but they’re not a hit with my family. Onion – even onion powder – is unpopular. Some family members avoid Dijon; a few distrust all mustard. A couple won’t touch meat, while several think they haven’t had a meal meat wasn’t included. There’s no way to please everyone, but I keep trying.

 

Cheeseburger Sliders

 

1 pound lean ground beef

16 Hawaiian rolls

16 slices cheddar

8 ounces shredded medium cheddar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/4 cup mayo

Sesame seeds (Optional, but they make the finished product look cheeseburger-y.)

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown and drain beef; stir in seasoning, Worcestershire and mayo. Halve rolls and lay bottom half on cooking sheet. Top with sliced cheese. Spread ground beef evenly over slices. Sprinkle shredded cheese over beef. Cover with remaining roll halves. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake fifteen minutes, until cheese melts.

Turquoise House

 

We only planted two cherry tomato plants this year, but a third cherry tomato plant “volunteered” alongside them. The combination was about two and a half plants more than we needed. We would never have been able to keep up without recipes like this one. It uses up lots of tomatoes, without the need for peeling or seeding them.

 

Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato Marinara

 

8 cups cherry tomatoes stems removed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Place all ingredients into slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low 5 hours, or high for two and a half. Process with an immersion blender until smooth. Use promptly, or freeze to use later. Makes about 6 cups marinara.