Happy Halloween

Greetings from Dickens who dressed up as  
           The Party Bee

October celebrations

                       Last Saturday's party was Octobeerfest

                                                                         Guests were greeted at the door with a warm welcome and a warm cider with brandy....



Then we sampled lagers and ales from all over the world including...

The menu featured franks and brats with regional recommendations  such as ........


Assorted mustards, chili, cheeses and sauerkraut dressed the dogs.  Also, beans baked with brown sugar and bacon were served.  Yum...

Autumn Tea

The invitations set the tone for today's tea.   It will be informal and service will include seasonal sweets:  mini carrot cakes, apple rugelach, coconut macaroons, and pumpkin spice cookies.  Earl Grey and a cinnamon tea will be brewed.  Two of my favorite sites for tea are Teavana and Adagio.

October celebrations

September was lost to back to school adjustments, a home improvement project, and weekends off Cape ( one would never leave in-season.)  So several parties are planned for October:  a Harvest themed dinner buffet, an Autumn tea and a Girls Night In.  For the tea party I xeroxed the invitation on the reverse of a fall patterned paper and traced a cookie cutter in a leaf shape around it.  The dinner, I think, will be on a scroll since I'm able to hand deliver them.  An email might suffice for the five women I want to have in for dinner.  Watch as the details of each party will be posted.

Substitutions

How many times have you dismissed a recipe because you may not have an ingredient on hand?  Yesterday's cookies called for buttermilk.  Why buy a quart when you need only a half a cup?  To make a cup of buttermilk, put a tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup measure and add milk to the cup mark.
    A teaspoon of Allspice is equal to a 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves.

A cup of sour cream can be replaced by a cup of plain yogurt.

A cup of bread crumbs as a topping can have several substitutions :  1  cup crushed cracker crumbs, or 1 cup crushed cornflakes or 1 cup crushed potato chips

Homemade Cookies Day

Tonight I'll be attending Candace's Octoberfest party.  She said to bring something German.  I just finished reading a Joanna Fluke book where  Hannah solves another murder while baking throughout.  Her recipe for cookies made with sauerkraut sounds like the perfect post for today's blog  and contribution for tonight's party. 

1 stick butter                                 1 1/2 c sugar
                    2 eggs, beaten   
1 tsp vanilla extract         1/2 cup cocoa powder    
                                                                         1/2 tsp. baking soda     
                                                      1/2 cup buttermilk      2 1/2 packed cups flour              
                                                      1 cup sauerkraut (drained, rinsed, dried and chopped)

Mix together first two ingredients, add eggs, then mix in next 3 ingredients.  Add milk and flour until well incorporated.  Mix in sauerkraut.  Drop 12 heaping teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  When cool frost with chocolate frosting or dust with confectioners sugar and top with half a maraschino cherry.  Makes 4 dozen cookies.

October celebrations

October is National Apple, Dessert, Pizza, and Popcorn popping Month.  Let's not forget National Roller Skating Month. (I'll probably celebrate the first four.)  Maybe the birthdays of Picasso, the Statue of Liberty or Little Orphan Annie.  But certainly a party is called for on the anniversary of the publication of the Peanuts comic strip or the first airing of Captain Kangaroo.  The month ends with Happy Halloween. Lots of spooky fun!