October: Halloween Inspired Goodies

Meal In A Pumpkin

Ingredients:
2 onions chopped
1 lb hamburger
1 lb sausage
2 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls brown sugar
1/2 c mushroom drained and chopped
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz water chestnuts drained and sliced
1 bell pepper
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
10-12 lb pumpkin
Shortening

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown and drain beef as well as onions and sausage.  Cook until no longer pink and drain well.  Cut top off of pumpkin and reserve.  Clean seeds and strings from pumpkin.  Coat pumpkin with shortening.  Mix all ingredients together and add to pumpkin.  Place top back on pumpkin.  Wrap foil around stem.  Bake on cookie sheet for 2 to 3 hours depending on size of pumpkin.  Do not over bake. The pumpkin should never brown.

Eyeball Taco Salad

Ingredients:
2-1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 c water
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1 bag of tortilla chips crushed
4 cups cheddar cheese
4 cups chopped lettuce
10 tomato slices halved
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
10 whole olives chopped in half

Directions:

Brown beef drain well. Stir in the water, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.  Place the chips in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan, sprinkle with half the cheese, spread ground beef over cheese, sprinkle remaining cheese over beef.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 min until bubbly.  Top with lettuce. Cut into 10 pieces.  On each piece, arrange two tomato slices for eyes, top each with a dollop of sour cream and an olive half.

Mummies On A Stick

Ingredients:
1 pkg 11 oz bread sticks
10 popsicle sticks
10 hot dogs

Directions:
Separate dough, roll 10 pieces into a 24-in. rope.  Insert sticks into hot dogs.  Starting at the stick end wrap one dough rope around each hot dog leaving 2 in of the hot dog uncovered for the mummy head.  Place mummies 1 in apart on a greased baking sheet.  Place remaining bread sticks on another baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Add dots of mustard for eyes.

Slimey Red Goop Salad

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges
1/2 cup water
2 (3oz) pkg cherry, strawberry, or raspberry gelatin
1 (15 oz) can cherry pie filling
3/4 c cola

Directions:
Drain oranges reserving juice, set fruit aside.  In a large saucepan bring juice and water to boil remove from heat.  Stir in gelatin until dissolved.  Stir in pie filling and cola.  Pour into 1-1/2-qt. serving bowl.  Refrigerate for 50 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Fold in oranges and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

Spider Punch

Ingredients:
4 c apple juice
4 c orange juice
2/3 c lemonade concentrate
2 c water
plastic spiders washed and rinsed
4 1/3 c lemon lime soda

Directions:
In a pitcher combine the apple juice orange juice and lemonade concentrate and refrigerate.  Pour water and 1 cup juice into a ring mold (bundt pan) add spiders freeze until solid.
Just before serving add soda to juice mixture in a punch bowl. Unmold ice ring by dipping in a hot water bath. Place spider side up in bowl.

Pumpkin Cookie Dip

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese softened
2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow fluff
1 (12 oz) can of pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
gingersnaps, shortbread or vanilla wafers

Directions:
In a large bowl mix cream cheese and fluff until smooth.  Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Serve with cookies.  Store in the refrigerator.

Gingersnaps

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c flour
1 c brown sugar
3/4 c shortening
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl combine about half of the flour, brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until combined. Add remaining flour.  Shape dough into 1-in. ball. Roll balls in the granulated sugar to coat.  Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minor till edges are set and tops are crackled.  Cool cookies on a cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 48 cookies.

Shortbread

Ingredients:
4 c flour
1 c sugar
1 lb butter softened

Directions:
In a large bowl mix all ingredients.  Pat into ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in baking pan.  Pierce with fork.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 min or until lightly browned.  Cut into squares while warm. Cool on a wire rack.