Making anything special for Halloween?
last month
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last monthlast modified: last monthOlychick’s post made me think of these mini pumpkin cheese balls. I’ve actually saved some real pumpkin stems over the years that could be used for these (I know…😵💫!).
From this site.Also, a couple old favorites from Martha Stewart…Creature Chips With Guacamoldy and little Jack ’O Lantern Pumpkin Tarlets. Both easy and tasty.
Some pics I’ve kept for the ideas.
Oh, and my pumpkin bars. Always here for Halloween.
plllog thanked chloebudRelated Discussions
Fig Trees just planting anything special on care?
Comments (37)I need some help/advice. The only thing i have ever planted are vegetable plants. last spring a co-work gave me a fig tree cutting. Tt was about 6 inches high and had no leaves on it. i repotted it into a five gallon container and gave it a shot of MG fertilizer for tomatoes as that is the only fertilizer I had. It gree very well and i got some very small figs on it but that ws it.My friend told me to expect that and that i would get figs next year. He told me wait until the leaves fell off (I live in upstate New York and my first frost date is around Sept 15th. He said to put the container in my garage away from light which i did and to water it about once a month which i did. This spring i put the container out and gave it the same fertilizer. I am in zone 6b and my last frost date is May 15th. At first nothing seemed to happen. he advised me to check all the branches and to cut a little off the top of each one. if the wood was brown to keep cutting until i reached green which i did and all of a sudden the thing took off. It got so big that I decideed to put it into a 10 gallon container. before long the tree was filled with green figs. in all there are now about 2 and a half dozen very large figs on the plant. I checkeda few website and determined that the figs i had were called Conadria because of their light green color. I also noticed that the figs were very hard and this was now into August. I spoke with someone from Willis Oorchard who told me that the figs should ripen before my last frost date. I also found out that they grow bst in zone 8 and above. two weeks ago I noticed two of the figs were turning a purple color. that week were were hit with heavy rains and when it stopped two of the figs were nice and soft so I picked them and they were very sweet however the rest ofthe figs are still hard and some are starting to turn purple. Is there a chance that the figs will ripen before i get my first frost?? what type of fertilizer should I be using and how much and how often. I know that when my tomaotes do not ripen in time i put them in a brown paper bag in a dark closet and they will turn red. Will the ame thing happen with figs?? I forgot to mention that i plantedthe tree in MG potting soil for containers. I will be heading up to Canada tomorrow morning so if canyone can give me advice before then it would be appreciated. Thanks...See MoreWANTED: Who's looking for anything special at the swap..?
Comments (29)Joyce, I'll bring some peonies too. I started them twenty some years ago and they are quite big now with lots of fragrant flowers each spring. I love the beauty and smell of peonies. It's the flower of good (money) fortune in many oriental cultures. That's why you often find large paintings of peonies in Chinese restaurants. I've done a few paintings of peonies myself, and sold some too, including 3 at the Fairview hospital, I believe. Unfortunately, I only have the Sorbet? I would like to trade it for other fragrant varieties, especially in red, white, mauve or yellow. Pauline, sorry about your knees. Hope your are feeling better. In case you can make it, I'll bring some bugle weed too. Don't worry, if you cannot, I'll save some for you later. Since Pauline probably won't come, does anyone have aloe vera and bee balm to trade with me? I'll bring some dieffenbachia and jade plant (money plant) too. I cut the dieffenbachia when it almost reached the ceiling and stuck the cuttings in the soil. Some rooted and some died. There are a few good-looking babies now. The leaves (often longer than a foot) are poisonous, if eaten. Therefore, keep away from children and pets that like to eat things. Anyone want orange daylily? If so, I have plenty to bring too....See MoreAre You Cooking Anything Special For St. Patrick's Day Next Week?
Comments (35)Tea Brack recipe first, then how to make homemade buttermilk. -Grainlady TEA BRACK (source: Irresistible Irish Breads - magazine article by Deborah Krasner) Brack, an Irish word for bread, is often used when referring to fruited mixtures. Tea Brack is a traditional tea bread which is an easy version of barm brack. Makes 1 loaf. 2 c. dark seedless raisins or dried currants (I use currants) 1-1/2 c. firmly packed dark-brown sugar 1-1/2 c. strong brewed tea, chilled 1/4 c. rum (I use 1/8 c.) 2 c. unsifted all-purpose flour 1-1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 1/2 t. ground nutmeg 1/2 t. salt 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten 1. Several hours or the night before baking, in large glass bowl, combine raisins/currants, brown sugar, tea, and rum. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. 2. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-1/2x4-1/2-inch loaf pan and line with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper. 3. In medium-size bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly beat flour mixture and the egg into raisin mixture just until combined to form a batter. 4. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake brack 1-1/2-hours until browned and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5-minutes. Turn brack out of pan and remove waxed paper. Cool brack completely on wire rack. Grainlady note: I use two 7-1/2x3-1/2-inch loaf pans or three 5-3/4x3-3/4-inch loaf pans and reduce the baking time accordingly. This is a very moist bread - more currants than bread, almost. I like the smaller pans so I can cut the bread into thin slices that don't fall apart. If you make it in a regular loaf pan, the slices tend to split and fall apart. -------------------------- I use a large amount of buttermilk when it comes to baking on St. Patrick's Day, so I make a homemade version of it using information from "Natural Meals In Minutes" by Rita Bingham. I use a non-instant powdered milk, but regular commercial milk works VERY well. Homemade Buttermilk To a 1-quart canning jar add 1/2 c. buttermilk and fill the jar with regular milk OR reconstituted powdered milk. Note: You can use commercial buttermilk as the starter, or a reconstituted liquid made from powdered buttermilk, or buttermilk from a former batch of homemade buttermilk - your choice. Stir well and cover (I use a plastic lid designed to use with canning jars). Let stand in a warm place (at least 80°F) until clabbered, about 12-18-hours. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate. Grainlady note: I keep mine in my oven with the light on. The temperature at the opposite side of the oven from the light is about 80°F. You can use homemade buttermilk from a previous to culture the milk for the next batch. Just make sure you use it within 2-weeks. Older buttermilk doesn't work as well as newer buttermilk. If you've ever used reconstituted powdered buttermilk, it's rather insipid, thin, and tasteless compared to commercial buttermilk. The homemade buttermilk is more like commercial buttermilk....See MoreAre you eating anything special this Friday evening?
Comments (21)I've been cooking dinners for us with limited supplies @ our rental house, so we don't have to interupt our renovation work. :0) I made spaghetti & meat balls......didn't have any soda crackers so I crushed cheese nips & added ranch dressing to put in the meatballs....."interesting" combination and NOT recommended. LOL...See More- last month
- last month
The pepper tops are a great idea. This is one from the link I posted using a real pumpkin stem.
plllog thanked chloebud - last month
nancyjane, 1,500-2,000…WOW!!!😳
Years ago I found these Ladies’ Fingers and Man Toes in Martha Stewart Living. As I recall, the recipe was actually for pretzels, and I used sugar cookie dough.
plllog thanked chloebud 
last monthNo cooking, no trick or treating for me. I will be at the Barnes & Noble store in the Fair Lakes Mall, in Fairfax, Virginia, selling six of my books. The big push will be for "Putting a Ghost to Rest." If you're in the area, stop by!
last monthNot making anything special - maybe some popcorn, which I don't do very often. Pretty sure there won't be any trick-or-treaters in this condo we're living in now, so I may settle down to watch some fun spooky movies like Beetlejuice.
I did see these tho and saved the pic for future reference...
plllog thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10- last month
last monthMaybe a pumpkin pie....haven't had one since last Thanksgiving...why wait that long!
plllog thanked nicole- last month
The first cookie is called a New Yorker. It's name comes from the shocked expression on the face. The second cookie is a 75mg Ghost we baked for Halloween several years ago and gave away to fellow guests at our resort in Jamaica.
plllog thanked fawnridge (Ricky)
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