Roasted Pumpkin Seeds October 31, 2008
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Separate the seeds of a freshly carved pumpkin from the stringy membrane. Rinse the seeds just until they are free of any membrane matter. This may take several washes and rises.
The last wash, keep the water in the bowl with the seeds and add salt.
Soak for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Put the seeds on a towel and let them dry for a few minutes.
Place the seeds back into a dry bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over the seeds and sprinkle with sea salt.
Put the seeds on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Put the baking sheet in the oven. Cook the seeds for 16 to 20 minutes, or until brown and slightly crisp.
Allow to cool before eating.
Store seeds in an airtight container.
Halloween Vegan Baked “Eyeball” Casserole – How can eyeballs be vegan???!!! October 9, 2008
Baked “Eyeball” Casserole
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 3 cups Pasta Sauce – I have two recipes
The one I used with this meal: Vegan Tomato and Mushroom Sauce
and
Vegetable based recipe: Vegan Pizza or Pasta Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups Vegan Tofu “Ricotta Cheese”
- 3 cups spiral pasta , cooked and drained
- 1/2 block Firm Tofu, extra from “ricotta cheese”
- 2 tbsp. sliced pitted ripe olives
Directions:
Oil a shallow baking dish with the olive oil.
Mix 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce, tofu “ricotta cheese”, and pasta in the prepared dish.
Spread the remaining pasta sauce over the pasta mixture. 
Cut round “eyes” from the extra Firm Tofu.
Place the “eyes” on the casserole with sliced black olives.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 400°F. for 25 min. or until hot. Let stand for 10 min. before serving.
Happy Halloween!!!
Halloween Spiderweb with Spider Pizza – Recipe October 7, 2008
Pizza #2
Halloween Spiderweb Pizza
Note: I thought this pizza was vegan, but the cheese I used has an animal enzyme in it. However I did find the product that is vegan. Read below….
Ingredients:
- Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, I had left over dough from last week that I had put in the freezer. However, if you you don’t mind non-vegan, you can use just any pizza crust.
- 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce, this recipe I made up this morning. Yummy!!!
- a few sheets of Vegan “cheese”. I used Veggie Slices, Smoked Provolone Flavor.
Note: I thought this “cheese” was vegan, but it is NOT!!! However, they do have a product that is:
- 4 pitted black olives
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place rolled out pizza dough on a baking stone or sheet, pre-sprinkled with corn meal to prevent sticking.
Top with Pizza Sauce.
Cut “cheese” into stripes and place around pizza like a web.
Bake pizza for 10 minutes until cheese has melted.
***Note: You may want to pre-bake your pizza dough for 5-7 minutes before putting the pizza sauce on.
Cut one whole olive in half for the body and abdomen. And slice an olive and then, slice again one slice in half for legs. Cut two smaller pieces for the pedipalp ( the two front end thingys). Assemble spider on the pizza.
Happy Halloween!!!
Halloween Spider Treats – Recipe October 6, 2008
Halloween Spooky Spider Treats
This is a fun way to spend a Sunday morning in the month of October. Or, prepare the Spooky Spiders for a Halloween party that you will be attending. No baking involved. Blend the ingredients together and mold. Here, let me show you:
This recipe will make approximately 24 spiders…
Ingredients:
- 1 package (8oz) sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 package (9oz) chocolate wafer cookies
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup of light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup soy milk, vanilla
- Sugar Crystals, color of your choice
- Mini-Tootsie Rolls
- Sunflower seeds – I used plain, but it’ll be cute to use Candy Covered-Sunflower Seeds (Trader Joe’s)
Directions:
Place almonds and sugar in a food processor (or what you have to grind up) until coursely ground.
Crumble cookies into almond mixture; add cocoa powder and mix into crumbs.
Add corn syrup and soy milk; mix to combine. (I used a mixer)
Set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. For the spider legs, use 1 mini-toosie roll for each spider. Tear candy into 4 parts. Roll each piece in the palm of your hands to a 3 1/2 inch rope. Line together all four ropes and connect in the center and press together. Separate the legs how you desire.
Press mixture into a Tbsp measure or roll with your hands; shape into the spiders body. Roll in sugar crystals. For head, repeat, but smaller…tsp measure…and roll into crystals.
To connect the body and head, I used a tooth pick. Place the spider onto the legs.
Insert two sunflower seeds into the head for the eyes.
Place on a decorative plate and surround with Candy Corn…
Wha la!!! Halloween Spiders to munch on!!!
Pumpkin Picking at Riley’s Farm in Oak Glen, CA October 5, 2008
You know it’s October when you are seeing pumpkins EVERYWHERE!!!
We spent the day picking for our first pumpkins of the season at Riley’s Farm.
Just last month we went to pick some apples and raspberries.
The 760 acre farm is in a beautiful location, in the foothills of San Gorgonio mountains. The farm is owned by the Riley family and about 35 members still live in various residences on the property, which is 4 miles long. Several of their employees live full time or part time on the farm as well.
Currently, you can pick your own apples, pears and pumpkins. They offer many different variety of each fruit as well. The selection of apples, pumpkins and pears available for U-Pick was extensive and easy to get to. The farm is quite large, and the apple and pear trees are marked with color coded flags so you know what kind of apples and pears you are picking.
Once you pick your pumpkin, they’ll weigh it and then charge you a small amount.
There are also a lot of activities here designed to educate kids about farm life. During the week they offer educational programs and tours for local schools. The petting zoo only cost $5 and you are able to feed goats, sheep and a few horses.
This little pumpkin came home with Raleigh.
And mine is the white and green stripy one!!!
Important notes:
*There isn’t a drop of alcohol or carbonated sodas offered or served. If you’re looking for a bar, you’ll need to look else where.
We decided to head across the street to a Mexican resturant that serves ice cold Beer…and had a band…
