Happy November

Halloween is over. I cut out bats all night Friday and baked a cake then cooked up a storm Saturday after work, iced a cake and hung bats. So here are the results:


Marinara dip with Meatballs is in the chicken with a witch hat:

Home made meatballs. Served with garlic bread sticks. Joey didn't like these because of the bay leaf and basil BUT OTHER people said they were good:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage
Bread crumbs
egg
Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, bay leaf, whatever else
Cover cookie sheet with foil and lightly grease it. Broil for 10 minutes, flip them over, broil for 10 more.
Simmer in tomato sauce for however long you have.

Next up, the Cake:

Honestly, it's a cake box. I wish I had the time for a cake from scratch because I love to bake, but it was just fun assembling this.
Chocolate cake box makes 2 circular cakes. Bake and let completely cool. Ice in between the layers.
Melt squares of semi-sweet bakers chocolate with some candy wax stuff and poor over cake. Hang bats is a tangley mess.

The Delicious Swiss Fondue is in the awesome orange cast iron pot, I wish I took a picture of inside:

Swiss Fondue, from Martin's dad:
Emmental cheese
Gruyere or white cheddar
Dry white wine
Garlic
Bread (I like Germany ones- pumpernickel, rye)

Rub down pot with garlic cloves as you would buttering a pan. Leave in chunks of garlic. Chop up the cheese, equal amounts of each. Melt slowly over the stove, move to fondue stand. Lightly toast bread chunks. ENJOY Don't forget to stir it and scrape up the bottom of it occasionally or you'll scorch it over the Sterno.)

Mexican-ish. . . . More like Taco Bell-style. . . Mexican Dip:
Heck of a lot of white american cut into chunks
Lots of red pepper flakes
Green onions chopped up
Paprika
Fill up the pot with water to the top of the ingredients.
Melt slowly.

With all cheesey fondues you have to heat them slowly over low heat. In my experience, the longer the take to melt all together, the longer they have to infuse all those flavors (like the dry wine and garlic or green onions) Stir occasionally while still in watery/chunky phase, then stir vigorously when everything is starting to melt to get it a good consistency.

Enjoy.