Happy Halloween!
As the days grow shorter and the temperatures cool off, you know it’s time to eat, drink and be scary! I have always loved costumes and candy, so Halloween is naturally one of my favorite holidays. As a kid, we’d make homemade costumes and use a pillowcase to collect our candy when we’d go trick or treating. We’d spend what felt like hours eating our way through the night’s haul of sweet treats and making trades. No matter what, there’d always be something weird in your stash- like the year one house gave out toothbrushes-seriously. Now, as you contemplate your home’s goodies for trick or treaters- please don’t be the weird toothbrush house, just keep it classy folks and stick with candy.
As I became a teenager, we ditched costumes and got to watch scary movies, but honestly, I’d close my eyes during the slasher scenes. As an adult, I’ve seen one to many Datelines, and now horror movies are too scary for me. I did cave and went to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, then had to drive alone the next day to Columbia through Great Falls. Let’s just say I prayed for my old car to not break down and it was a long, white-knuckle drive there and back.
As an adult, I like to conjure up the sense of wonder and spookiness of the season. In addition to decorations, I rely on some of my movie favorites to lift my spirits: Hocus Pocus, The Lost Boys, Ghostbusters and The Addams Family. These movies are just creepy enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, and funny enough that I love re-watching them.
One year, we organized an impromptu “midnight walk in the woods”. It happened to be a night when everyone was at our house, including the neighbors, and we started talking about the huge piles rocks in the woods. The debate ensued on whether or not they were discarded rocks from the nearby field, or Buford Massacre type gravestone rocks. Everyone was so curious, we decided to let them see the rocks for themselves. We gathered up all the flashlights we could find and armed all the little kids with solar lights from the yard. These gorgeous serene woods that border our house turned ominous when lit up by flashlights. We nervously giggled and made howling noises as we made the round-trip trek. Although it was really scary, it was uneventful and we never reached a resolution on the rocks!
So this year, may you relive old memories and create new ones-Happy Halloween!
Spooky Spicy Pumpkins by Melanie Knight (serves 4)
These cute bell pepper stuffed “pumpkins” are super cute and make the perfect entrée for your Halloween feast!
Pumpkins
- 4 orange bell peppers (for “pumpkins”-pick ones that sit up without rolling over)
Dirty Rice Filling
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 medium sweet onion- diced
- 2 stalks celery- diced
- Optional- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
“Pumpkins”- Like you would carve a pumpkin: cut out the top of each bell pepper, then remove all seeds. Pick the best side of the bell pepper and carve out 2 triangle eyes and a crooked grinning mouth.
Dirty Rice filling- On a Blackstone griddle, electric skillet of large frying pan, brown the ground sausage over medium heat until cooked, then remove from heat and set aside. Sautee onions & celery over medium heat until cooked through, then set aside. Fry the cooked rice for 2-3 mins, then mix cooked sausage and sauteed vegetables.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees: Assembly- fill each bell pepper with ¼ the rice mixture and top with ¼ cup of cheese, replace the top and cook for 20 mins on a metal sheet.
Cool for 10 mins and serve!
