Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! What are your plans today? I have to zipped down to the kids' preschool to help with their Halloween party, then we'll head into town for trick-or-treating after dinner. Our teensy-tiny fire department, which is smack-dab in the center of town, opens up each Halloween and creates a big warm-up space for festivity-goers with donuts, hot chocolate and coffee (it's usually cold here on Halloween!).

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, but not because of the gut and gore of it all. My favorite parts of Halloween have always been seeing all the costumes (and handing out goodies) and the vintage Halloween cartoons on TV. I know - corny! - but I love it. Growing up, I always looked forward to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" 45 spinning on the record player. So I thought I'd share it with you. Here is the audio, or if you'd like, the Disney film (starring Bing Crosby). Enjoy (and stay safe among the ghouls!).

Homemade Halloween Goodies

First off, I'm hoping anyone affected by Hurricane Sandy is doing well. Best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery.

If you are like me, you probably waited until the last minute to get your Halloween goodies together. Fear not - there is still time to make some treats from scratch!

Popcorn Balls

Candied Apples

Caramel Apples

If you don't have the time to make your own, I'm going to let you in on a new favorite secret of mine: G.H. Cretors popcorn! This stuff is bonkers good, and the best part is that it's Gluten-Free, GMO-Free, Kosher, and made with all-natural ingredients. 

The Chicago Mix is definitely my favorite - it's a mix of cheese and caramel corn. I love the Caramel Nut Crunch, too.

Get a sample pack and try them all out! So good. You can buy on the site, on Amazon or use the store locator for more information. This would be an awesome holiday present (hint hint). Keep tabs on G.H. Cretors on Facebook.

Good luck prepping for Halloween! Are you handing out candy or going the extra mile to make something special? How many trick-or-treaters do you get? (We get two.)

Candied Apples

Shiny, glistening, ruby red candied apples. A staple at Halloween and county fairs alike. Edie's birthday party wouldn't be complete without them.

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Candied Apples

10 medium-sized tart apples, like McIntosh

10 wooden sticks or skewers

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp (about 20 drops) red food coloring
1/2 cup Red Hots candied or 25 Atomic Fire Balls*


1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Wash and dry apples. Remove stems. Insert wooden sticks into stem end of apples securely.

3. Add sugar, water, corn syrup, hot water and food coloring into a large pot. Boil until temperature reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.

4. Add Red Hots or Atomic Fire Balls to the pot (Red Hots will complete melt away, Atomic Fire Balls will not). Boil until temperature reaches 285 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.

5. Remove pot from heat. Dip apples into the mixture, allow excess to drip back into pot. Allow to cool on foil-lined baking sheet.

*It sounds like a lot of spicy, fiery flavor, but it only lends subtle cinnamon taste.

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Caramel Apples

Yum. Caramel apples. Who can say no? (No, really, have you ever said no to one?) It's also a great way to use up those last few apples from the orchard. Here's the recipe.

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8 large apples

8 craft sticks or chop sticks *

2 c. packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 c. heavy cream

3/4 c. dark corn syrup

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tsp. kosher salt

1. Be sure apples are clean and free of any wax coating. Grease a baking sheet or line with a sil-pat. Push stick securely into the apple from the stem side. Set aside.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 225 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Allow it to cool slightly.

3. Dip the apples one at at time into the caramel, rotating to coat 3/4 of the way up the sides. Lift the apple straight up from the caramel, letting the excess drip into the pot. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining apples. If caramel gets too stiff, place back on stove and stir to re-warm.

4. Allow to set, at least 10 minutes. The apples can be made and stored in the refrigerator a few days in advance.

*I use twigs and small branches because they are free, sturdy and prettier to look at :-)

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I wrap and hand-out the caramel apples in the same manner as the popcorn balls. I didn't make any candied apples this year, just based on time restrictions. So, you'll have to come back next year if you want the recipe!

Popcorn Balls

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this posting up. An annoying headcold and general lack of motivation have prevented me from getting any real, productive work done. Plus, I think I get a little too riled-up about elections, and it makes me a tuckered-out girl.

Every Halloween, I make popcorn balls. Gooey, puffy, sweet little bundles of goodness. The first time I ever made them (by myself, at least. I had made them with my mom in the past), I had an awesome recipe that used molasses. It was amazing. Of course, now I can't find it, so I've been using this one instead. It a decent replacement and will do the trick, at least until I find my original recipe again.

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Popcorn Balls

2 c. sugar

1 1/3 c. water

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 quarts popped popcorn (NOT microwaved)

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Stir in vanilla.

2. Pour over popcorn, tossing gently to cool. Grease hands with butter or shortening. Quickly press coated popcorn into 3-inch ball (be sure not to pack too tight - you want to be able to bite into it!). Cool completely on greased cookie sheet.

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I know it's rare to actually get these nowadays when trick-or-treating. We usually get a dozen or so kids to the farm each year, and we are lucky to live in a community where we know everyone pretty well. I feel comfortable handing them out, and would feel just as comfortable if my kids received onel. I always make extras for kids to take home to their older siblings and parents, as well.

I wrap the popcorn balls in plastic wrap, then in some fun Halloween fabric, tied with ribbon. I also add a little Silly Goose Farm tag to each popcorn ball, just so you know where it came from.

This year, Edie figured out this whole popcorn ball thing. Dave and I were relaxing in the living room last week, and all the sudden Edie came stomping in, sat down in the middle of the floor, and started noshing on a popcorn ball. The little thief broke into the pantry, unwrapped it, and left the evidence all over the kitchen floor. She thinks she's so clever.

Stay tuned for some another fun Halloween recipe (although I know you're all Halloween'ed out by now).

Happy (Belated) Halloween!

Happy (belated) Halloween every one! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays... you get to dress up, you don't have to buy anyone a present, you don't have to begrudgingly spent time with your family (unless you like your family, that's cool!) and you get candy! I had planned to get this posting out yesterday right after our Halloween was over, but with kids, you know how it goes.

Most of the day was spent finishing Halloween costumes for the kids. Edith was a scarecrow, and Eric was a pumpkin. I just threw Edie's outfit together (I made her top and make straw feet for her shoes). She was kind of looking more like an Indian or something, so I cut out some crows and glued them to her front). I used a pattern from Simplicity for Eric's costume. He stayed pretty warm and cozy in it!

Dave and Edie carved the Jack-o-Lantern together. Edie ate a raw pumpkin seed. If she suddenly becomes very round, I'll know it germinated.

Dave stayed home to hand out goodies to our visitors, while I drove the kids into town to Trick-or-Treat with Edie's best bud Nathan (and his momma and daddy).

In true Upstate New York fashion, as soon as we started walking through the neighborhood, it started to snow. I'm glad I bundled up those kids nice and tight! The firehouse welcomed families in for coffee, hot cocoa, and donuts, but best of all, to warm up!

We headed back to Silly Goose Farm, and stopped in to our neighbor, Mrs. Duffy's (aka Lorraine) house. Her house looks like a magazine, and she even let the kids take a baby pumpkin home with them. I was hoping I would get home and all the goodies would be gone, but we didn't get a single Trick-or-Treater! So, now I have batches of homemade Halloween classics here, hoping I can pawn them off on my clients in meetings with them this week. Also, I will be preparing for an out-of-town conference over the weekend and into next week, so I thought I'd share my recipes for these treats. You'll have to stay-tuned to see what's in store (Oooooo... more Halloween suspense!).

I hope you all had a great holiday! Tell me, what did you dress as, and what is your favorite Halloween treat? I'd love to know!