I am a PokéManiac. Been one since the day I got my hands on Pokémon Red and Blue. After that, I played all the games, collected the cards, bought as many toys as I could, and watched the show religiously. But none of that could’ve prepared me for what would become one of the best nights of my life. The night I saw Pokémon: The First Movie. My aunt took all five of us kids (her two and my crew) to the theatre on opening night. There was a huge cardboard display and someone dressed as Pikachu to take pictures with. Of course I couldn’t pass that up because Pikachu’s always been my favorite. We got so caught up in the excitement, the movie started without us. I was so hyped up watching Pikachu’s Vacation, you would’ve thought my bucket of popcorn was a bucket of pure sugar. Once we got to the birth of Mewtwo, I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing.
When we finally got to Ash and the gang, I felt like I was meeting them for the first time all over again. Ash was goofing off while Misty was keeping busy. And there was Brock whipping up his famous Lazy Boy No-Chew Stew. Even with my mouth stuffed with popcorn, I wanted to dig in then and there. I felt like poor, hungry Team Rocket. I’ve had to endure this every time I’ve watched this movie and I’ve finally had enough.
Recipe makes 5 one-cup servings.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chicken or beef, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 broccoli stalk, cut into small florets
2 ½ cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Next, add chicken and sauté until it begins to brown. Add carrots and potatoes and cook for two minutes. Then add chicken broth and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the vegetables soften.
While the stew is simmering, make the roux. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly. As the mixture starts bubbling, whisk in the milk. When the mixture begins to thicken, reduce the heat to low. Add the cream cheese and cook until the sauce is thick, still whisking. Remove from the heat.
Add the roux to the stew and stir to fully incorporate it. Increase the heat to medium and add the broccoli. Simmer for 5 minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve!
I walked out of the theatre that night with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Each time I re-watch this movie, I relive that night and the rollercoaster of emotions. I really did go on that journey with Ash and friends. I’ve got a great big bowl of stew to prove it.
Even though we’re already drowning in Christmas ads, it’s still only November. You know, that month with that one holiday where we feel obligated to say what we’re thankful for. Hands down, for me it’s my family. They drive me crazy sometimes, but there’s nobody else I’d rather go down with. And I don’t tell them how much they mean to me as much as I should. It’s not like I really have to come out and say it though. It’s in the little things I do. Like spelling out a message in some soup that says, “I love you,” or maybe just, “Hi, Dad.”
Is this all ringing a bell? Sounds just like Max, right? I’ve never been as much of a jerk as he is, though. Goofy’s his dad and he doesn’t appreciate him! No, I get it. Families disconnect all the time. You let so many other things get in the way that you lose sight of what’s truly important. All it takes is something like sharing a can of soup to make you realize that. I guess having Bigfoot trash your camp and trap you in your car helps too.
Recipe makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
½ an onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (28oz) whole or chopped tomatoes
6-6 ½ cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1-2 tablespoons sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
½ cup heavy cream, optional
1-1 1/2 cups uncooked alphabet noodles
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and butter. Stir until butter has melted and tomato paste begins to brown. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and puree in batches or with an immersion blender. Add cream and additional seasoning if needed. Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box, drain, and stir into soup. Or add uncooked pasta to the soup and simmer until fully cooked, 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Ah, both this soup and A Goofy Movie make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It must be the power of good food and good memories. Hmm, kind of what Thanksgiving is all about. As for Max and Goofy, it didn’t instantly fix their problems, (Max still went and changed the map.) but it got them on the road to seeing it I 2 I.
Saturday Morning Cartoons were a way of life for me. My mom tended to have trouble getting me up for school, but on Saturdays, I’d be up before the sun. No alarm clock needed. I needed the time to come up with a plan of TV attack because there were so many channels with great Saturday Morning line-ups. No matter what order I chose, I always stopped in at Fox Kids to get my scare on with something “spooky” like Toonsylvania. I call it the red-headed stepchild of the “Steven Spielberg Presents” Family because it’s smart, funny, and educational like the others, but it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. (Like a DVD! Come on DreamWorks!) And that’s a crying shame because a cartoon about Dr. Vic Frankenstein and his gang, charming dead families, bratty girls who get what they deserve, and the demon dolls, weregrannies, and boogeymen that come along with them is something that everyone should have in their lives.
On more than one occasion, I’ve wished my family could be more like the Deadmans. They are super cheerful, optimistic, and easy-going. They’re the perfect family. Except for that whole being expired thing, but that can’t keep them down. So my Saturday morning meal usually consisted of a bowl of cereal or some kind of snack food that I really shouldn’t have been eating for breakfast. The Deadmans however, start their day more like a typical family and eat a nice, hearty breakfast. Fred’s favorite happens to be worms and curdled eggs. And his mom cooks them in the microwave. Yeah, that’s making my mouth water too.
Recipe makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon butter
2 eggs
1 hotdog
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Cut hotdog into long, thin strips or take a vegetable peeler to it. Heat a microwave safe plate in your microwave for 2 minutes. Swirl butter around on the plate until it completely melts. Carefully crack your eggs directly onto the plate. Take the tip of a knife or a skewer and pierce the top of the yolks, being careful not to tear them. This will allow steam to escape, so the eggs don’t explode. Spread your wormy hotdog bits around the plate and place it back in the microwave. Cook for 1 minute. If they aren’t done, continue to cook in 15 second increments until they are just about at your desired doneness. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and let sit for 1 minute. Now you’re ready to eat.
Cooking eggs in the microwave is new to me, but I’d have to say I’m a fan. It’s perfect if you don’t have a whole lot of time on your hands in the morning. I wish I had done this as a kid. It would’ve been perfect to do during Saturday morning commercial breaks. And the whole worm thing is fun when you’re looking for something a little wacky or creepy to eat. Like on Halloween, when your food gets to be in costume too.
Who wouldn’t want the Grim Reaper to be his/her best friend forever? You get to pal around with the master of the forces of life and death. And in Billy and Mandy’s case, you get to boss him around. Talk about power. You also get to encounter all sorts of monsters and magic that most people don’t even know exist. I can see how that can lead to trouble pretty quickly. Just look at Billy and the whole Chocolate Sailor debacle. He becomes so addicted to the chocolate he’s supposed to be selling that he becomes solid chocolate and eats himself.
It’s sad to say, but that would probably happen to me too because I like chocolate! I’ve just about taken out my dad over the stuff. Just like Billy. I’m not proud of it, but I just can’t stop. If the Chocolate Sailor offered me an assortment of enchanted chocolates, I’d have to try them all. So just in time for Halloween, here’s an assortment that you can eat all of without exploding into a big, chocolatey mess.
Ingredients
1 pound milk chocolate, coarsely chopped or melting wafers
1 pound dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or melting wafers
2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped or melting wafers
Light green food coloring
Caramel
1 cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature- cut into chunks
½ teaspoon salt
Buttercream
¼ cup (half stick) butter, room temperature
¼ cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (half pound) powdered sugar, sifted
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
1 cup hazelnuts, skinned
3 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
Marshmallows
1 ½ packets of unflavored gelatin
½ cup cold water, divided
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
Peanut Butter Filling
1 ½ cups peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Or 1 package caramels
1 container buttercream
1 jar chocolate hazelnut spread
1 package marshmallows
Directions
Caramel:
Grease and line an 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Place over high heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F. Reduce heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until the syrup mixture is golden. When the syrup reaches close to 300 degrees F, gently stir. Continue to cook until the syrup turns dark amber and closes in on 350 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir, and let sit for a couple minutes. Slowly add heavy cream, butter, and salt. The mixture will bubble, so be careful. Return the saucepan to the stove and stir until the butter is completely melted. Cook over medium heat until it reaches 255 degrees F. Take off the heat and pour into a prepared pan. Tap the pan to remove bubbles and place on a cooling rack. Let sit for about 4 hours and cut into pieces. (If you plan on making your chocolates right away, you can just leave your caramel in the saucepan and just allow it to cool slightly.)
Buttercream:
In a stand mixer, beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Beat powdered sugar in, a little at a time. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add milk. If the icing is too thick, add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time.
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, or until deep brown. Let cool.
Grind hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and let cool. Add vegetable oil, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt to hazelnut paste and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and combine. Strain if there are excess hazelnut chunks. Let cool completely to thicken.
Marshmallows:
Lightly grease an 8 X 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Dump powdered sugar into the dish and swirl it around until the bottom and sides are completely coated. Shake excess powdered sugar into a bowl for later use.
Pour gelatin and 1/4 cup of cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment. While the gelatin is blooming, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and continue to cook, without stirring, until it reads 240 degrees F. Immediately take the syrup off the heat. With the mixer on low, pour the syrup into the gelatin. When all of the syrup is in the bowl, increase the mixer’s speed to high. Whip the mixture until it’s thick, about 12 minutes. Add the vanilla extract during the last minute of whipping.
Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a lightly greased spatula. Things may get messy! Sprinkle some of the remaining powdered sugar over the marshmallow to completely cover the top. Let the marshmallow completely rest until firm, about 4 hours. (If you plan on making your chocolates right away, you can spread the marshmallow into your molds before it fully sets.)
Turn out marshmallow onto a cutting board. With a lightly greased knife or pizza cutter, cut into marshmallows. I usually aim for 2-inch squares. Roll the marshmallows into the rest of the powdered sugar to coat all sides.
Peanut Butter Filling
Add peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in a stand mixer and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
Putting It All Together:
Caustic Caramel Cream:
Melt half of the white chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir in a small amount of light green food coloring. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the chocolate molds of your choice and swirl around. Use a small paintbrush or similar tool to ensure that chocolate covers the entire mold. Dump excess chocolate back into the bowl. Let the chocolate set.
Melt caramel and 2 tablespoons milk in a saucepan. Spread caramel and then buttercream in the mold, leaving enough room to encase it in chocolate. Pour more colored white chocolate on top to seal in caramel and buttercream. Tap mold on the counter to remove bubbles. Let chocolate completely set. Remove from mold.
Horrific Hazelnut:
Melt milk chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the chocolate molds of your choice and swirl around. Use a small paintbrush or similar tool to ensure that chocolate covers the entire mold. Dump excess chocolate back into the bowl. Let the chocolate set. Spread chocolate hazelnut spread in the mold, leaving enough room to encase it in chocolate. Pour more chocolate on top to seal in spread. Tap mold on the counter to remove bubbles. Let chocolate completely set. Remove from mold.
Mutating Marshmallow:
Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the chocolate molds of your choice and swirl around. Use a small paintbrush or similar tool to ensure that chocolate covers the entire mold. Dump excess chocolate back into the bowl. Let the chocolate set.
Melt marshmallows either in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Spread marshmallow in the mold, leaving enough room to encase it in chocolate. Pour more chocolate on top to seal in marshmallow. Tap mold on the counter to remove bubbles. Let chocolate completely set. Remove from mold.
Antidote:
Melt the other half of the white chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Spoon a small amount of white chocolate into the chocolate molds of your choice and swirl around. Use a small paintbrush or similar tool to ensure that chocolate covers the entire mold. Dump excess chocolate back into the bowl. Let the chocolate set. Spread peanut butter filling in the mold, leaving enough room to encase it in chocolate. Pour more white chocolate on top to seal in filling. Tap mold on the counter to remove bubbles. Let chocolate completely set. Remove from mold.
Variations:
Whenever I make candy, I try to make it worth my while. I just whip up a bunch of stuff and make candy until I run out of ingredients. You can easily make more or less of anything by halving or doubling any of the recipe.
Antidote doesn’t have a specific flavor, so I made what I wanted. I wanted peanut butter, but you can fill it with whatever you want or not fill it at all.
Although I have a ton of candy molds, nothing comes close to the big-mouthed monster looking things in the enchanted chocolate assortment. I used skeletons because they were on hand, but you can use whatever molds you want. If you don’t want to make them in molds, you can put the candy together in a parchment lined pan and cut them into bars.
Now we’ve got an army of enchanted chocolates minus the enchantment part. As hard as I tried, I still ended up a big chocolatey mess. At least I’m still human. I think. So maybe I haven’t learned my lesson yet. Enough chocolate induced stomach aches and I’ll change my ways. Either that or someone gets me an issue of Man Eating Comics.
For a brief point in my childhood, this movie was almost taboo in my house. It wasn’t that the movie was Satanic or anything. My mom just didn’t care much for it and told us not to watch it. You know, so we wouldn’t waste our time. However, we took it to mean that the movie was evil and if we watched it, we’d be punished. Stop motion animation was so new to me, I was completely captivated each time I saw a commercial. It didn’t take long for us to ignore my mom and watch the movie. Before “This is Halloween” was even over, I was hooked and we’ve loved the movie ever since. My sister’s room is practically a shrine dedicated to Jack Skellington and there’ve been some years where we’ve watched Nightmare every night from October through December.
Out of all the characters, Sally is actually one of my least favorites. I know she’s just trying to be reasonable, but why does she have to be such a party pooper? She does have some good qualities, though, like how she’s not afraid to slip Deadly Nightshade into Dr. Finkelstein’s food and drink every chance she gets. And keeping a slotted spoon in her sock is absolute genius. I’m not too sure about eating something with ingredients like Worm’s Wort and Frog’s Breath, but I would like to give that soup a try.
Recipe makes about 6 one-cup servings.
Ingredients
1 pound dried split peas
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon lemon juice
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half (optional)
Directions
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions and celery are soft. Add garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Pour in chicken broth. Add peas, salt, pepper, thyme or parsley, bay leaf, and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 1 hour or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally
Remove bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. If the soup is too thick, add some water. If you want a creamier soup, stir in half-and-half. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve and enjoy.
Variations: You can soak split peas for 8 hours or overnight and they’ll cook a bit quicker (about 40 minutes). You can also use 5 cups of fresh or frozen peas. You’ll only need to cook these for about 10 minutes before pureeing.
I don’t know how popular this soup would be in Halloween Town, but the ghosts and witches here like it. It’s good, and green, and won’t knock you out and give you a heck of a headache. I can understand how The Nightmare Before Christmas has become the phenomenon it is. Just like mashing Halloween and Christmas, it’s magical, spooky, and a little weird. That’s why it’s always near the top of our “must watch” list for the holidays.
My house has been decked for weeks with lights, pumpkins, and every kind of dead person you can imagine. We’re on pins and needles waiting for the day we can dress up, eat half our weight in candy, and see how badly we can scare said candy out of each other. That’s fun and all, but I truly respect how other cultures still have meaningful reasons behind their similar holidays. El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is a beautiful tradition that I’d love to celebrate.
The Book of Life puts such a fun spin on the holiday with the Land of the Remembered. With all the fiestas, parades, balloons, and food, I could get along just fine there. That place is really hopping and they have all you can eat churros! That’s delicious but I’m going to focus on the even yummier holiday staple, pan de muerto. There were piles of these wonderful little guys all over the cemetery and it makes me want to hop a plane to see this in real life. Even though La Muerte and Xibalba asked for bread as a way to gauge Manolo and Joaquín I’m pretty sure they just really wanted the bread. It’s that good.
Recipe makes 5 breads
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees F)
1 ¼ teaspoons yeast
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of milk or water for egg wash
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the warm milk. Let rest for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add the remaining sugar, salt, melted butter, eggs, orange blossom water, and orange zest and mix until just combined. Add flour and mix until everything is combined and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth, 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball, lightly oil, and place in a large bowl. Cover and let rest in a warm area until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Punch down dough and divide into 5 equal portions. Pinch off ¼ of each portion to use for decorations. Shape a large dough piece into a slightly flattened ball. Break down the decorative dough piece into 7 equal portions. Shape one into a ball, slightly flatten, and place directly on top of the large piece. Roll out the other pieces between your hands to form long strips. Pinch the ends of each strip, so they resemble bones. Place a “bone” on the large dough piece, so the top is below the ball and it extends to the bottom of the piece. Working clockwise, attach the other 5 bones in the same manner. Repeat this with the other sections of dough. Cover breads and let rest another hour or until they’ve doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush each bread with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove breads from the oven and move to a cooling rack. Once the breads are cool enough to handle, brush each bread with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. All that’s left is to enjoy them!
These breads come in a whole slew of sizes, flavors, and colors, but this is a good place to get started. (Seriously, this was my first time making them.) The Book of Life shows the importance of honoring and remembering your loved ones, so you can lead the best life you can from their examples. The decorations and food may be extra, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go all out and have fun.
Can you believe it’s actually October? Now every TV channel is going to have nothing but movies with vampires, and monsters, and baby ducks! I’m kicking off my very own 31 Nights of Halloween with none other than Scared Silly. I’m a fraidy cat like Grimace and Sundae, so this is a good way to ease into the month of horror. This is also my top video in the Wacky Adventures series and I watch it every chance I get. My sister and I wait for weather that’s perfect for a campout (dark and stormy in our case), so we can “set, set, set, set, set, set, set up camp” in the living room, tent and fake fire included.
Usually we just eat McDonald’s when we watch it, but it gets kind of awkward when you realize you’re eating part of the cast. A safe bet and something no camping trip is complete without are marshmallows. Nothing beats a campfire roasted marshmallow and fresh ones are so good, I stopped buying packaged ones months ago.
Recipe makes 25 marshmallows or more, depending on how you cut them.
Ingredients
3 packets of unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
1 cup light corn syrup
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
Directions
Lightly grease an 8 X 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Dump powdered sugar into the dish and swirl it around until the bottom and sides are completely coated. Shake excess powdered sugar into a bowl for later use.
Pour gelatin and ½ cup of cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment. While the gelatin is blooming, combine the remaining half cup of water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and continue to cook, without stirring, until it reads 240 degrees F. Immediately take the syrup off the heat. With the mixer on low, pour the syrup into the gelatin. When all of the syrup is in the bowl, increase the mixer’s speed to high. Whip the mixture until it’s thick, about 12 minutes. Add the vanilla extract during the last minute of whipping.
Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a lightly greased spatula. Things may get messy! Sprinkle some of the remaining powdered sugar over the marshmallow to completely cover the top. Let the marshmallow completely rest until firm, about 4 hours.
Turn out marshmallow onto a cutting board. With a lightly greased knife or pizza cutter, cut into marshmallows. I usually aim for 2-inch squares. Roll the marshmallows into the rest of the powdered sugar to coat all sides. Store in an airtight container or get your bonfire on!
Variations: Instead of making squares, you can pour or pipe out the unset marshmallow into prepared silicone molds. You can also cut out shapes from the finished marshmallow with cookie cutters. If you don’t want to use as much powdered sugar, you can substitute any amount of it with cornstarch.
As nutty as it may sound, McDonald’s holds a very special place in my heart. Growing up, my grandparents would take all five of us grandkids to the same McDonald’s almost every single day. Ronald is practically a member of my family. I’m not as much of a go-getter as he is, but I think I can hold my own against Franklin and his little game. I’ve got my marshmallows, my “tent in a flashlight,” and my dog who’s seriously nicknamed Sundae. If anyone needs me, I’ll be out in the Farflung Forest.
Happy Fall! This time of year has always been my favorite because it’s the “Goldilocks’ Standard” of the seasons. It’s just right! Plus there’s that little spooky feeling floating in the air. It’s the perfect time to sit around a campfire and scare the snot out of each other with stories about Sinbad getting another TV show. Oh, you don’t do that? Well, surely you must talk about Candle Jack? You know, the for real boogeyman guy with the bag on his head? Yeah, that guy. He’s one of my top Freakazoid! villains. (The Lobe wins out by a smidge.) When I was younger, I used to call him Candle Blank, so he couldn’t spirit me away, even though I thought it might be kind of fun. He’s just so gosh darn adorable!
And one thing that goes hand in hand with Fall and Candle Jack is perfectly plump pumpkin pie. That’s his weakness. Out of everything in the entire universe, that’s his weakness. How can you not like the guy? Just like the show. It’s so stupidly funny, that I still bust a gut whenever I think about it. My parents just stop and stare and wonder what on earth is wrong with me. Even I don’t know the answer to that, but I better take it easy on the laughter or I won’t be able to enjoy this pie.
Recipe makes one 9-inch pie.
Ingredients
Crust:
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cold and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus 1 or 2 more tablespoons if needed
Filling:
2 cups fresh (cooked and mashed) or canned pumpkin
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons molasses
1 ½ cups half-&-half
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Directions
Crust:
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until dough just comes together when pressed. If the dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse again. Form dough into a disk and cover in plastic wrap. Let dough chill until firm, 30 minutes to an hour.
Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, egg yolk, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and molasses. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually stir in half-&-half.
Putting It All Together:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough anywhere from 10 to 14 inches across and place in a pie tin. Gently press dough into place. Trim excess dough or fold it back on itself. Crimp edge for a more decorative look.
Pour filling into pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour, or until skewer inserted in it comes out clean. Cool pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Refrigerate or serve it up!
This pumpkin pie is definitely something to scream about. A happy kind of scream. Not a scary, Scream-O-Vision type. Forget the steel, mortar, and bricks. All you need to catch me is the pie. I’ll even go along willingly. And now you know the rest of the blog. Good day!
Episode: Turtle Tracks (and just about every other episode)
Pizza
Sometimes I wonder how long I would’ve been able to survive if I never met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Every instance where I thought I was going to positively die of boredom, those heroes in a half shell came to my rescue. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was a huge deal for me as a little kid. Family haircuts were an excruciating three hours of flipping through the same old magazines until I discovered our hairdresser’s son had an extensive Turtle toy collection. Or whenever my parents threw parties at our local lodge, us kids would find solace in one tiny hallway with a Turtles arcade game. Even when our parents didn’t give us money to play the game, we’d still hide out in the hallway and watch it replay the same scenes again and again. And most importantly, I could find those boys on my TV, protecting me against Shredder, Krang, and bad television.
Every time I tuned into my favorite fearsome fighting team, I learned just how far a pizza could be pushed beyond the limit of simple pepperoni. I’ve eaten enough pizza throughout my life that I could easily go toe to toe with Michelangelo. My combinations aren’t as inventive as bananas and sausage, but I’ve made some masterpieces. Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner is one of my very favorites. It may be more work than ordering out, but I haven’t seen any Weird Pizza To Go locations anywhere and what Pizza Hut carries guacamole and marshmallows?
Recipe makes one large pizza
Ingredients
Crust:
1 ¼ cups warm water (105-110 degrees F)
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (active dry or instant both work)
3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons instant non-fat dry milk powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
Sauce:
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ small onion, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
Whatever you want. I did a mashup of:
Pepperoni and Ice Cream, Jellybeans and Mushrooms, and Anchovies and Peanut Butter
Use as much or as little of:
8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella
1 6 ounce package pepperoni
1 small pack of mushrooms
1 small can anchovies
1 small bag of jellybeans
1 heaping spoonful peanut butter
1 heaping spoonful chocolate ice cream
1 heaping spoonful vanilla ice cream
Directions
Crust:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and dry milk powder in the warm water. Let rest for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add olive oil and yeast mixture to flour. Stir to combine and form into a ball with your hands. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball again and place in a large bowl. Lightly coat dough with oil and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and flatten and stretch it into desired pizza size and shape. Let rest for 15 minutes on a lightly floured pizza paddle or on a pizza pan.
Sauce:
Mash tomatoes in a small bowl. Pour olive oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add tomatoes and ketchup. Add oregano, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Turn heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Putting It All Together:
If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. If not, make your pizza on the pan and place it in the oven once it’s heated.
Preheat oven as high as it can go! Mine was at 550 degrees F.
Ladle desired amount of sauce onto crust. Add cheese. Add toppings. (Meat and mushrooms in my case.) Transfer pizza from paddle to stone or pan. Bake until crust is browned and cooked through. My pizza was in there for 15 minutes, but ovens vary so you may have to adjust your cooking time.
Remove pizza from the oven. Let it cool slightly and add the melty ingredients. Slice it up and have at it!
Pizza is the greatest food ever! It tastes amazing, it’s portable, and you can put whatever you want on it. I’m pretty sure if you cut me open, I bleed pizza sauce. Well, if the Turtles ever need another member, I’m always free. My ninja skills are nothing to write home about, but I can always help them eat through a mountain of pizza. Oh, and I’ve been practicing this for years, so I’ve got to say it once before I go…ahem…COWABUNGA!!!!
I know I’m opening the floodgates when I mention the “D word,” but I’ve been dying to start covering Disney movies. Naturally, I was raised on them and this lucky little person got to experience the Disney Renaissance first hand. The movie previews alone were enough to completely blow me away and then came the toy and food promotions. By the time opening night rolled around, I was a big bundle of nerves and excitement. One of these beautiful films carved into my memory is Mulan. It’s one of my go-to movies and has traveled by my side on just about every family vacation since its home video release. Hardly a day goes by where I don’t bust out a quote or a bit of song from this movie. It’s been like that since the days when my cousin and I would lock ourselves in her room and sing and dance to the soundtrack in our Mulan garb. (She had one wrap-around costume that we’d take turns wearing.) When that was no longer enough, my grandma whipped up the perfect Halloween costume for me that I’d still wear today if I could fit in it. You don’t meet a movie like that every dynasty, so it’s only natural that it would become a part of my life.
No, I don’t see myself defeating Shan Yu and saving China, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be Mulan in my own right. Whether I’m off to destroy people or just heading into work, the best way to start my morning is with a nice breakfast. And one that’s happy to see me to boot. Okay, so rice porridge can be pretty simple, but it’s delicious and comforting and I’d smile right back at it if I ate a big bowl of it every day.
Recipe makes 6 one-cup servings.
Ingredients
3 cups water
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup rice, rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ of an onion, minced
¼ ounce piece of peeled fresh ginger
Salt and white pepper to taste
Soy sauce to taste (Optional)
Each serving will need:
2 large eggs
1 slice of bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and white pepper
Directions
In a large pot, combine water, chicken broth, rice, garlic, onion, and ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1-1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. You want a creamy, oatmeal-like consistency. If it gets too thick, you can add more water or broth. If it’s too thin, allow it to cook longer. Remove ginger piece. Season with salt, white pepper, and soy sauce.
Place a frying pan on medium to low heat. Coat the pan with olive oil. Crack eggs directly into pan and cook until the tops of the whites are set and the yolk is still runny. If the eggs start changing color, turn down the heat. Remove from pan with a spatula and season with salt and white pepper.
Place bacon in a cold pan and set heat to low. When bacon begins to curl, flip it to the other side. This can take about 7 minutes. Continue to cook, flipping it over every few minutes, until it’s browned and almost at your desired crispiness. The bacon will continue to cook after it’s removed from the pan. Drain excess grease by setting the bacon on a plate covered with paper towels.
Putting It All Together:
Scoop out a cup of porridge into a bowl. Place two eggs on top for eyes and add a bacon smile. Grab yourself a pair of chopsticks or a spoon and dig in!
My family is the most important thing to me and I’d do anything for them. That’s why I made enough rice porridge to serve my entire household. I find it a little safer than stealing my father’s armor, running away from home, and impersonating a soldier. Mulan already has that covered, so I’ll just let my heart show me the way to my own greatness, or maybe just a second helping of porridge.
CARTOON CRAVINGS 