Halloween is a day for being creative, having fun, and bringing out the inner kid. Did you ever wonder how the holiday came to be? Why were we encouraged to go around the neighborhood and beg for candy when we could just go buy it at anytime? Historically strangers giving you candy was always considered a bad thing. So, it’s no wonder you may think Halloween is a strange holiday but it is no stranger than say Valentine’s Day; where you give candy to your loved ones. Halloween has changed so much over the years that I want to give you some facts on how it was celebrated in the beginning.
This day originated from a Celtic festival for the dead called “Samhain.” They believed the ghosts of the dead roamed Earth on this day, so people would dress in costumes and leave “treats” out on the front door step to appease the spirits. Instead of wearing costumes made from fabric and plastic, ancient archives noted, traditionally they wore costumes of animal heads and skins so they could connect to the spirits of the dead. Talk about creepy!
And did you know Jack-o-lanterns which were invented by the Irish Celts were mostly made out of turnips, beets and potatoes instead of the pumpkin. Also, later on the tradition of going door to door on All Hallow’s Eve became more of a job and dancing was a custom in order to receive treats. You can see how far we have come in this spooky tradition. Now it is time to have fun and be creative on this one night where all the traditional rules are placed on hold so kids can be kids…or adults can be kids too!
Recipes from the Kitchen
Here at Retro Pro we are getting ready to celebrate Halloween this weekend. From the tradition of trick or treating, decorating with ghosts or goblins and stirring up some all time favorites in the kitchen; we are excited to celebrate in our favorite place…the home! So take a look at some of these spooky tricks and treats and experiment in the kitchen this Halloween.
Rice Krispy Treat Pumpkins
Ingredients:
6 cups of rice krispies
Food coloring red & yellow
1 bag of Marshmallows
¼ cup of cooking oil
¼ cup butter
1 bag of M&Ms green
1 bag Mini Rolos
Directions:
Heat the butter in a pot big enough to hold 6 cups of rice krispies. Add marshmallow when the butter is completely melted. Mix together until marshmallow is smooth and then add food coloring to the mixture. The amount of food coloring you need is about 6 drops of red and 12 drops of yellow but experiment with a drop at a time is best. Start with the yellow drops and then add a few drops of red until you get your desired color of orange. Then add your rice krispies to the mixture and stir together using a spatula. Having a small bowl of cooking oil to rub your hands will make it easier to roll the rice krispy treats into a ball without it sticking all over everything. Be sure to reapply with each pumpkin for best results. Place the pumpkins on parchment paper. Make a little indent at the top of the pumpkins and place a mini Rolo candy in it. Lastly place the green M&M upright next to the Rolo.
Vampire Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
(hot chocolate)
3 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. white chocolate in tiny pieces
½ cup mini chocolate chips
Red food coloring
(whipped cream)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp fine granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
(for sugar blood)
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup of water
1 cup fine granulated sugar
Red food coloring
Directions:
For the whipped cream part add 1 cup of heavy cream, vanilla extract, and 1 cup fine sugar into a bowl. Whip with mixer on medium high until stiff peaks form. For the hot chocolate add the whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla, white chocolate, and mini chocolate chips to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Heat until the chocolate is melted and the it starts to simmer. Do not let it burn or boil! Stir in a drop or two of red food coloring. For the sugar blood combine water, corn syrup into a saucepan. Pour fine granulated sugar and stir. Heat on medium heat WITHOUT stirring until the sugar mixture reaches about 300 degrees on a thermometer. Once it reaches the desired temperature then add food coloring and stir. Let it cool for just a second and then dip the rim of the mug into the sugar mixture. Dip to coat and then immediately sit it upright so the sugar blood will drip as it hardens. Pour chocolate milk into mug and top with whipped cream.
Chocolate Strawberry Ghosts
Ingredients:
1-2 pkg of Strawberries
1 bag White chocolate
Candy eyes
Wax or parchment paper
Directions:
Melt white chocolate in a saucepan. Dip strawberries one at a time in melted chocolate. Drag out some of the chocolate on the bottom to make a ghost tail. Set on wax or parchment paper. Place candy eyes on front. Store in fridge to set desired hardness before serving.
How to make the perfect pumpkin seeds
Ingredients:
Seeds from 2 large pumpkins
½ tsp. Of Lawry’s seasoned salt
½ tbsp. Of olive oil
Dash of salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean your pumpkin seeds well. You want to wash them using a colander and discard any pumpkin fibers. The cleaner they are the better they will taste. Let soak in a bowl of water for 30 minutes on the counter or overnight in the fridge is fine also. Drain the seeds when ready to use. Fill a pot of water with a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Place seeds into the boiling water for about 10 minutes. This helps cook the inside so when you roast them the pumpkin seeds get the perfect crunch.
Drain the seeds and place back into the bowl. Add olive oil and toss until coated. Lay seeds on a cookie sheet in a thin layer. Sprinkle with Lawry’s salt and place in oven for about 40 minutes but check on them every 10 until roasted. Look for them to be firm and no longer soft. You don’t want any dark spots on them just a darker yellow color. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Other Ideas with food
Here are some great ideas to make your ordinary food look Halloween themed. The kids will have fun making these ideas come alive…….
Pumpkin carrots
Decorating for Halloween through creative food
Clementine Pumpkins
Decorating the home for Halloween
With Halloween just around the corner there are so many fun ways to decorate your house. One popular project families are doing this year is making front door decorations. Instead of your traditional wreath or door hanging, decorating the whole door is taking trick or treating to a whole new level of creativeness. With so many different ideas below are just a few of different ideas you could use or make up a new one.
Some ideas for your kitchen
There are so many ideas to decorate your kitchen. Here are just a few to get you started.
Some ideas for your bathroom
The bathroom is good place to creep out your guests. They are not expecting it when they walk in so you will for sure get a reaction.
