Halloween

Soon it will be All Hallows Eve. The ghouls and goblins will be afoot.I love Halloween. When I was a little girl, it was one of the best nights of the year.We dressed up in homemade costumes, a hobo, a witch, a ghost. something easy to throw together. We weren't that imaginative. And unlike today, there were no store bought costumes. The main accessory was the pillow slip. It held all the candy and apples and other goodies shelled out .

In those days, we didn't get a lot of candy. Ocassionally we would sell a milk bottle and buy a chocolate bar, a small one for 5 cents,and a large one for 10 cents . It was a real treat!

There were always "tricks" as well as "treats"on Halloween night. One of the most impressive one was when some hooligans burned down the old sawmill . It was a spectacular blaze. The sawdust that had been accumulating for 50 years of more,burned for days.

There were the run of the mill tricks, like turning over an outhouse. Or soaping someone's windows(if you didn't get a treat that's what you'd do),and of course egging someones house or car.

It usually rained on the Halloweens I remember. The streets would be dark and slippery with smashed pumpkins.

Along the way we'd compare the size of our loot and tell each other of the best houses to go to. I remember once knocking on a door, and being asked to come in and show off our costumes. I never forgot that,an adult actually taking an interest in us. Ocassionally someone would be in tears over some bully swiping their bag.Sympathetic friends would share some of their goodies to help out .

When the evening was over, we'd go home and spread our loot out on our bed and trade each other candies or treats we didnt' like. The apples would go to Mom for apple pie I think my favourite was MacIntosh Carmel , although I loved molasses kisses in Halloween wrap. I also cherished Kraft carmels.........mmmm ........I can still taste those.

Nowadays the stores are full of Halloween goodies. Costumes abound, not the tissue paper kind, but well made super heros and a plethora of princesses costumes. The boys are ninjas, or spiderman, pirates, soldiers and transformers. The girls are Snow White, Cinderella, Arial, the little mermaid ,or Tinkerbelle .

I don't get many children at my door, as I live at the end of the street. I always buy as if there will be hundreds, as there were in our old neghbourhood. We used to always have a pot of chili on the stove. Friends would make our house a stop over for a bowl of chili and a glass of wine or beer for the Dad's. There was always such energy and excitement.Trying to keep the dog and the cat in. Oohing and aahing over little ones, parents waiting discreetly by the walk.

the house in an October glow. Jack O Lantern in his place of honour, smiling or sneering ,presiding over it all. Bowls of chips and candy, given out in handfuls. It was almost as much fun to stay home to hand out the goodies as it was to go out trick or treating.

I always love walking to work the morning after Halloween, when the streets are littered with candy wraps, pumpkin pieces,lattened apples and other remnants of the debauchery. And isn't that what it's all about? All Hallows Eve. All that is holy, all that is 'halo-ed', the celebration before the death watch of winter.

Cabbage Rolls

It's fall! I have to start writing regularly. i was watching a T.V program about blogging .The blogger was advising "would be bloggers" to write often otherwise you could lose your audience.

Since I have an audience of 2-3, I can't afford to lose anyone.

This is a photo of my orange haired grandson taken last fall (not by me) he loves camouflage and is a bit of a chameleon.This photo captures him perfectly.

I wanted to post a photo of cabbage rolls , but we ate them. I had made a big pot of them and had 8 of my closest female friends over for cabbage rolls and pineapple squares. It was a wonderful evening. Lots of wine and laughs. Good medicine for the darkening days of fall.

Both recipes came from my mother-in law Mary Leonard.

She was a remarkable woman. you can read about her on my daughter's blog : http://www.notestoself.us/ and her cousins blog"hava honeymoon" only the later is by invitation only.

Mary was their fathers' mother. She was a brilliant , beautiful woman with real class. She was a teacher , mother , wife,fisher woman,and prankster she raised eight children all who have inherited her creativity. my daughter and her cousin are a lot like their grandmother, they too are beautiful and brilliant and have her gift of writing.

She also could cook. WhenI first met her she baked 8-10 loaves of bread a day.

Supper around her table was a lively affair.Lots of politics, religion and the arts. Grand arguments would erupt , kind of frightening for someone whose family around the supper table barely spoke . Sometimes the arguments were so heated I thought they would come to blows, but when the meal was over everyone left the table in good humour.

The cabbage rolls, came to Newfoundland via the Lebanese immigrants. Newfoundlanders took to the dish as it consisted of readily available fare. Ground beef, cabbage, and tomatoes.

I adapted the recipe from my mother in law. She used tomato soup in the sauce and tomato juice. I use tin tomatoes and tomato sauce. The adapted recipe is:

1 head of cabbage (leafy and large, I find the pointy ones work best)

Remove the leaves and steam them until they are pliable.

You may have to boil or microwave the whole cabbage to get the leaves off.

The stuffing : a pound or two of regular ground beef (the fat makes it moist and tasty). I sometimes use half ground moose meat.

A cup or two of white rice.Salt and pepper and a good tablespoon of garlic powder

mix with half a tin of tomato sauce. I find using my hands to mix is best,

almost like kneading bread.

Place a dollop (small handful) of mix on the steamed cabbage leaf and wrap it up,

I usually shave a bit off the spine of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to wrap.Tuck

in the sides and roll up. fasten with a sturdy tooth pick.(be sure to warn your guest

about the tooth pick)

Pack the cabbage rolls into a large stock pot. Be sure to put a cake rack the bottom.

You could line the bottom of the pot with left over cabbage leaves.

The sauce: 2-4 large tins of tomatoes, whole or diced, but not flavoured.

2-4 large tins of tomato sauce(Heinz or Hunts) also plain.

many many cloves of garlic. i sometimes have used 20, salt and fresh ground

pepper to taste.

Cover , bring to a boil ,turn down the heat to a rolling simmer and cook for 3-4

hours.

Some people bake the cabbage rolls in the oven, I find they tend to be dry.

if you do bake them I would suggest 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Cover the

baking dish with aluminum foil.

Now for the Pineapple Squares:

bottom: in an 8x8in' square pan, mix 1/2 cup of butter (real)

1cup flour

1 tbsp of sugar.

mix with your hands and pat into the bottom of the pan.

Bake at 375 for 10 mins or until the edges are light brown.

Cool and set aside.

Drain 1 in (16 oz.) of crushed pineapples.

Add 1 tin of cream (Fussels or Nestles)

Mix together and set aside

Middle:

1&1/2 sifted icing sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of soft butter (not melted)

Mix together with an electric mixer .

Assemble: Spread the custard (the middle) on the cooled shortbread bottom.

top with the pineapple and cream mixture. Refrigerate. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Warning: because there is a raw egg in the pineapple squares keep them

refrigerated .

There you have it. I'm passing along a wonderful family tradition. I hope it brings you as much pleasure as it has given me over the years.............

bonne appetite!