Halloween Birthday Party 2007

This was a very easy halloween dinner for me to fix last year, very little of it was handmade in the kitchen. Usually I make nearly everything from scratch and to be honest after years of being the holiday “fixer upper” it was beginning to wear thin. I was spending all my time in the kitchen and very little with the family. So this was the first year I opted to find good eats and spend more time having good fun. The menu that I choose was kid friendly and vegetarian (I have included options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu). This left me time for the all important pumpkin carving we have each year after the birthday cake and present opening. We have two birthdays the fall around Halloween my hubby on the 30th and my youngest boy on the 1st of November. So we always have a birthday/Halloween party and keep the 31st strictly for trick or treating.

Devil dogs – turkey franks or Lightlife Smart Dogs & whole wheat buns
Mystic muck – vegetarian chili
Shredded Mummy Wraps – Bavarian sauerkraut
Marsh Fire Mold – sweet relish
Milk Curds – shredded cheddar or cheddar style soy cheese
Revolting Rot – mustard
Voodoo Sticks – pickled okra
Spell Spheres – dill pickle slices
Enchanted Orbs – black olives
Bewitching Buds – pickled cauliflower
Gruesome Goo – potato Salad
Charmed Chips – tortilla/corn chips
Witchy Blend- salsa
Demon Dip – bean dip
Pond Scum – guacamole
Graveyard Gravel – Chex party mix & Fiddle Faddle mixed together
Dracula Dream Cakes – Crimson Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Moskowitz & Romero
Slime Sipper – 12 oz. frozen limeade concentrate mixed with 2 liter ginger ale and 1 tablespoons of green food coloring

Recipes that I used:

Gruesome Goo (aka. herbed potato salad)
4 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 Tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & black pepper to taste
6 Tablespoons mayonnaise or soy mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

In a large pot of water, boil the peeled potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, using a potatoes masher, mash toe potatoes to desired consistency. In a separate bowl blend together the chives, dill weed, parsley, garlic powder, salt & pepper, mayonnaise and mustard. Mix the potatoes and the herb mixture together until well blended. Put in the refrigerator for at two hours or longer. Serves 6


My Quickie Guacamole
4 pitted avocados
2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
½ to ½ cup chunky salsa (I use Pace)
Salt & black Pepper to taste

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados and mash up using a potato masher or fork. Add the lime or lemon juice, slat & pepper and ¼ cup of the salsa, stir to combine. Taste to see if you desire a snappier flavor, if so add another ¼ cup of the salsa, blend well. Serve immediately. Makes about 4 cups

Crimson Velveteen Cupcakes
with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

CUPCAKES~

1 cup soy milk (I use Great Value from Walmart, it has a creamier texture)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 Tablespoons read food coloring

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle.

3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and slat into a large mixing bowl and mix.

4. Add the oil, food coloring, vanilla extract,chocolate extract, and almond extract to the curled soy milk. Whisk well to combine. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, mixing until large lumps disappear.

5. Fill cupcakes liners about two-thirds of the way full as these cupcakes will rise fairly high. Place in a hot oven and bake 18 to 20 minutes until done, but be sure not to over bake. Let cool for a few minuets and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

FROSTING~

1/4 cup margarine, softened (I use Smart Balance Light)

1/4 cup shortening (I use Earth Balance Non-Hydrogenated)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sift if there are any clumps)

2 1/2 cups powered sugar, sifted

3 Tablespoons soy milk

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Cream together margarine and the shortening until well combined. Add the cocoa power and incorporate well. Add the powered sugar in about 1/2 cup batches and beat well, adding a little splash of soy milk after each addition. When all ingredients have been incorporated, add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy ( about 3 minutes with a hand mixer, 7 minutes if using a fork). I then put the frosting in a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe it around the cupcake into a nice swirly pile.