Spooky Pretzel Sticks

Looking for a quick and easy food project to make with your kids for Halloween?  Check out these Spooky Pretzel Sticks!  Wouldn't these be fun at a party or for your child's classroom Halloween project?  Fun for all and tasty too.

'Best of the Web'  Spooky Pretzel Sticks by Midwest Living.

photo and idea courtesy Midwest Living

Candy Coating: Look for colored candy disks at crafts stores. They come in a variety of colors and melt for dipping and decorating. Our critters use white, green, orange and black. Apply eyes and mouths with a small brush or toothpick. Dip twice for a contrasting face and body {see Dracula}, or drizzle stripes {see Mummy}. Make sure the candy sets between colors; chilling speeds the process.

Sprinkles:  For a fuss-free treat, roll a dipped rod in seasonal sprinkles or decorating sugar. Nonpareils and sprinkles also make good eyes and noses.

Gumdrops:  Mold a dark gumdrop into a pointed witch’s hat.

Fruit Leather: Snip colorful fruit leather into strips of hair {see Witch} or accessories {see Dracula’s bow tie}.

Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Harvest Chipotle Chili

I've found a new taste addiction that happens to be really fun to cook with as well.....Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce.  Chipotle adds just the right amount of heat and a whole lot of flavor.

Just yesterday, I added Chipotle to this super easy Harvest Chipotle Chili.  Even though the outside temperature reached 90 degrees....chili is good any time of the year in my house.....plus I'm pre-thinking chili recipes for Super Bowl Sunday.

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TT w/Linky: Halloween and Fall Pumpkin Decor

Halloween is around the corner with Thanksgiving close behind.  Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I love the colors, the smells, the crisp air, all things pumpkin....including decorating with them.

While searching online I found a new favorite site....Midwest Living.  They have great ideas on anything from recipes, home decorating, garden, holidays and much more.  

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Easy Crock Pot Apple Butter

Harvest time is my favorite time of year.  Whether it be wine, pear, nut, you name it.  In our area, there are a few apple orchards close by where you can pick them yourself.  Totally fun for the kids, and me.  An abundance of apples on hand, means plenty of fall recipes to try.  Here's one that's super easy for Apple Butter.

If you've not tried apple butter yet, you don't know what you're missing!  Great on crusty bread with a nutty hard cheese for a snack or as a cocktail party appetizer.

This is a MUST try.

photo and recipe courtesy Midwest Living

Crock Pot Apple Butter

ingredients

4 pounds cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 12 cups)
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Place apple slices in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in sugar, water, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.

  Cover; cook on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. Stir. Cool mixture at least 1 hour or cover and        

  chill overnight.

Ladle apple butter into half-pint storage or freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch head space. Seal and label. Store 3 weeks in refrigerator or for 1 year in freezer. Makes 4 half-pints.

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'BOTW' Mini Caramel Apples

I love caramel apples and so do my kids but sometimes a regular sized apple is too much, so check out what I found......Mini Caramel Apples!  Using a melon baller and a regular sized apple, you can make eight of these little gems.  Perfect for a Fall themed party or a school Halloween carnival!  

'Best of the Web':  Mini Caramel Apples

Photo and recipe courtesy Disney's Family Fun recipes.

Ingredients

·    4-inch lollipop sticks

·    Melon baller

·    Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)

·    Butterscotch or peanut butter chips or melted Caramel

·    Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)

·    Small paper candy cups

Instructions

1.      First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.

2.      Melt the chips or caramel according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

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TT w/Linky: OktoberFest Kona Stout Ice Cream

I recently reviewed the cookbook, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home by Jeni Britton Bauer for my local newspaper and in doing so, I picked three fall inspired recipes for ice cream.  

My first and favorite is the Kona Stout Ice Cream.  The recipe calls for using any dark beer and stout adds a lot of flavor without adding very much water to the ice cream.  So why not use a chocolate stout?!  I did, in hopes the flavor would taste similar to a mocha.  I wasn't disappointed.  My stout of choice these days is this Bison Chocolate Stout.....in OR out of ice cream.

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Wine Tasting at Trek Wine

Long awaited for downtown Novato...the opening of Trek Wine.  After one month of being open, I finally made it in to check it out and am so glad I did.

Trek Wine has a large open tasting room with a tasting counter to one side, a few bar tables and stools and a couple of nice sitting areas with couches and club chairs along the front window.  

After looking at the tasting menu, we decided to do a 'flight' of all reds.....only $5!  And if after, you decide to purchase a bottle of wine, the tasting fee will go towards your purchase....win-win!

Trek Wine is large enough to reserve for private parties, maybe a company meeting in their Board Room......

If you find yourself hungry while tasting, you can order some snacks from their menu...food provided by nearby restaurants.

Their wines are made with grapes from local growers and are not over-priced.  My favorite was the 2007 Syrah, $20, with the 2008 Cab a close second.  The bottle of Syrah we bought has been corked and consumed, I need to plan a 'shopping trip' and stock up on it for the holidays.....SO good.

They also have an outdoor patio complete with coy pond and outdoor heaters.....very cozy, nice atmosphere.   I think my next girl's night out is going to begin at Trek.

If you're headed out to dinner or maybe have some out of town guests to entertain, a great starting point would be Trek Wine.  Trek is located in downtown Novato, just one block off Grant Avenue and within walking distance to many downtown restaurants.  You will not be disappointed.  This is JUST what downtown Novato...or even all of Marin County needed!

website:  Trek Wine  

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MCFB VIP Lunch at Red Hill Gun Club

Every October Marin County Farm Bureau holds its annual V.I.P. luncheon and this year, it was once again held at Red Hill Gun Club.  The luncheon is to bring together Marin County's public officials with our Marin County farmers and ranchers, who work together throughout the year on various county and state issues.  One of the current issues being discussed is the Local Coastal Plan.

A few of M.C. Farm Bureau board members; Gerry Corda, John Taylor and Martin Pozzi stock up the bar with beer, wine and Clover Stornetta milk, of course.

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'BOTW': Indian Summer Stew

We are experiencing some major Indian Summer weather here in northern CA.  Mostly in the 100's this week and cooling to the 80's towards the later part of the week.  Phew!  And who wants to cook in this weather?!  But if you do, my 'Best of the Web' for this week is a great recipe from Food Network for Indian Summer Stew. 

photo and recipe courtesy Food Network

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Our Wii U Experience

Most of the time when I'm invited to participate in various events, it's normally me, going solo.  Most events are adult type where kids aren't invited or wouldn't even be interested in.  When the Wii U Experience event came up, I knew my kids would totally dig it and feel special about being included in one of my blogging events......I couldn't say no.

So off we went for a quick drive in to San Francisco, Fort Mason Center on a Sunday afternoon.

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TT w/Linky: Get Your Rack Checked ~ Breast Cancer Awareness

I think everyone I know has been touched by breast cancer in some way or another in their lives.  Maybe your best friend had it, your sister, aunt, daughter, mother, for me it was my mother.  She battled it many years ago and won and I'm thankful she is still with us today.  Many other friends have battled and lost.

October is breast cancer awareness month, you can see the signs everywhere from your local grocery store, the gym and even on the players of the NFL wearing their pink cleats! 

Just a friendly reminder to please, please, please get your rack checked.

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Savor the Central Coast

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending an event put on by Sunset Magazine, 'Savor the Central Coast'.  It was held in Santa Margarita at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch in San Luis Obispo county.  The San Luis Obispo area is one of my favorite places to visit. It's beautiful, surrounded by hills and close to the coast, it actually reminds me of home, here in northern California but with a much slower pace, I think that's why I'm so drawn to it, so any chance to visit the area, I'm there.

Savor is in its third year and it's an event where you can sample wine from over 100 area wineries, food from local restaurants and farmers, take in a demonstration from one of the celebrity chefs that were scheduled to appear, wine and food seminars straight from the central coast growers, or maybe relax in the beer garden.  Many things to taste and experiment over this four day event.

I attended one day and this is how I spent it....

Walking in, you receive a shopping bag, your wine glass and an event program.

The celebrity chef seminars where held in this beautiful historic barn.

Here they are setting up for Food Network's Aarti Sequira.

I was able to attend a media Q & A with celeb chefs, Susan Fenigar of Mandalay Bay and Aarti Sequira of Food Network, moderated by Sunset Magazine's Editor, Kitty Morgan.

I must say, Aarti is absolutely adorable in person.  If you enjoy her personality on TV, know that she is just the same in person.

The last question of the Q & A.....'if you had only five spices to choose from to stock your pantry, what would they be?'

Between both chefs, some of the spices included; tumeric, cumin, black pepper, ginger, chili pepper and cinnamon sticks.

After the Q & A I decided to see what was happening at the wine tasting area.  It happened to be 98 degrees outside over the weekend and I'm normally a big wine drinker, but not in this kind of heat.  I did manage to try a few ports though.

The port was paired with some delicious hard cheese; sheep, cow and a combined sheep and cow cheese, which happened to be my favorite.

My favorite Port was from Roxo Port Cellars out of Paso Robles.  Next trip to SLO, I'm visiting their cellars for sure.

On my way over to the pavilion, I stopped to listen and learn all about olive oil tasting and tips on quality of fresh olive oil by Joeli Yagunda, Founder of Pasolivo Olive Oil.  This is the tent area, Farmers' Market to Meal, where you could meet the Central Coast farmers and chefs and learn a little about how they farm and hear techniques on anything from cheese making, canning to seasonal cooking.

The next stop was the Central Coast Pavilion for some tasty food..

Strawberry Lime Parfait.  The good people of Mandalay Bay had put together this very refreshing parfait.

The parfait was paired with Kiona 2009 Chenin Blanc Ice Wine.

Then over to the Big Sky Cafe booth where they were serving Grilled Turkish Leg of Lamb on flatbread.......

Made with fresh local ingredients, arugula and tahini yogurt dressing.

I did spend some time at Morro Bay oysters....he couldn't shuck them fast enough.

Walking back outside, I heard the band start up and I was immediately drawn over to the Beer Garden where they had a great lawn area with picnic tables, beer and more food booths and a little bit of shade.

Some lager from Tap It Brewing Co. and chocolate cake from Madonna Inn hit the spot in the heat of the day. 

I spent a good part of the afternoon here, a great place to hang out people watching, eating and drinking all while listening to music.

After the chocolate cake sugar rush, I was craving some meat.  The Harris Ranch tent was calling my name with their grilled ribeye steak and tomato-basil bruschetta sandwich.

I have the recipe....I'll be making this one at home.  SO flavorful.

There were so many good bites to choose from, I just wish I had had a bigger appetite!

The Bay Shrimp with mango salsa was also a favorite of mine, very refreshing and so very fresh tasting.

It was getting close to the end of the day and I needed to make a decision on what my last two experiences would be.  I can see why the Main Event is a two day affair, you definitely need two days to take it all in.

I couldn't possibly go to a Sunset Magazine event without seeing some very unique gardening ideas...

And my last sight of the afternoon was riding this 115 year old original Disneyland Coach that took you around the historic ranch for a 15 minute tour.

A perfect way to end my first time experience at Sunset's Savor the Central Coast.

My Savor ticket was complementary but this, in no way swayed my opinions regarding the event.

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"BOTW" Bacon and Apple Grilled Flatbreads

Most of you know how much I adore bacon, so when I saw this recipe for Grilled Flatbreads with Bacon and Apple in Bon Appetite, I knew it would be a 'must try' for me.

This week's 'Best of the Web'......

Recipe and Photo courtesy Bon Appetite

Bacon and Apple Grilled Flatbreads

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more

·         1 cup whole milk

·         3/4 cup coarsely grated cheddar, Gruyère, or Fontina cheese (2 ounces)

·         Cayenne pepper

·         Freshly grated nutmeg

·         Kosher salt

·         6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

·         1 red onion, root end intact, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

·         6 teaspoons olive oil, divided

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         2 firm, tart apples, such as Cortland or Pink Lady, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

·         1 tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream

·         1 1-pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature {I use Trader Joe's pizza dough, found in the refrigerated section}

·          

Preparation

·         Heat butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and just beginning to foam. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. flour; cook, stirring often, until flour begins to smell nutty, about 5 minutes. Whisk in milk; cook gently over low heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Add cheese; whisk until combined. Season Mornay sauce to taste with cayenne, nutmeg, and salt. DO AHEAD Mornay sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

·         Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned; transfer to paper towels to drain; set aside.

·         Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Place onion in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill onion, turning occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Place apples in same medium bowl; drizzle with 2 tsp. oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and tender, about 12 minutes.

·         Transfer apples to large bowl with onion; add rosemary, sage, thyme, and reserved bacon. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and cover; keep warm.

·         Rewarm Mornay sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in crème fraîche {or sour cream} and set aside.

·         Divide pizza dough into 2 equal pieces; shape each piece into a ball. Roll out each ball on a floured surface to an 8-inch round. Brush with 1 tsp. oil; place on grill, oiled sides down. Brush other sides with remaining 1 tsp. oil.

·         Grill flatbreads, watching carefully and moving as needed to promote even cooking and prevent burning, until charred and crisp on bottom, 1–2 minutes. Turn flatbreads over and cook until crisp and cooked through, 1–2 minutes longer. Transfer flatbreads to a work surface.

·         Spread half of warmed Mornay sauce over each flatbread. Top sauce with apple mixture. Cut flatbreads into wedges.

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TT w/Linky: Self Appointed

Do you remember when you were little and played 'teacher' or 'doctor' or 'mommy', etc?  I used to make-believe all the time when I was little...always wanting to be all grown up, something other than the little girl I was.

Being all grown up now, I realized sometimes adults {ok, me} can still play those games.  This morning on my ATV ranch ride, I decided to appoint myself as the official fence checker to the ranch.

I take every job I do seriously.

There's livestock that needs to be checked on, after-all.

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Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

Tis the season for butternut squash, pumpkins, the scent of cinnamon wafting through the house, all good things in my book.  On this night I tried a new butternut squash recipe where it's first peeled, cut into chunks and then roasted in a heavenly buttery, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, o.j. mixture.  Oh yeah.

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