Dennys World of Quotes: 73 Funny Halloween Quotes and Famous Poems

Dennys World of Quotes: 73 Funny Halloween Quotes and Famous Poems: From Denny:  Everyone have a fun Halloween night!  Attended our local symphony this week (awesome performance of complex Russian music) and didn't you know there was a middle-aged woman with the fun Halloween spirit.  (The kids in attendance sure enjoyed it.) She did her makeup like a zombie and quickly woke up the old guys snoring in the back row.  There is nothing more enjoyable than the unexpected just when you thought something would be oh, too predictable. :)

Halloween Spider Web Large Mug

Check out this glistening silver spider web for your Halloween and autumn entertaining!

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Ham and Cheese Slab Pies

I have never made a slab pie.  Actually, I'd never even heard of slab pies before I found this recipe on Better Homes and Gardens.  Their photo looks delicious and the recipe seems simple enough.  I decided it was worth a try.   

Ingredients (printable recipe)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons honey mustard
1  17.3 oz. package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (2 sheets)
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
1/2 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
6 ounces thinly sliced cheese (Gruyere, Swiss or Cheddar, we used American)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl stir together cream cheese and mustard. On a lightly floured surface roll each sheet of thawed puff pastry into a 15x12-inch rectangle. Transfer each pastry sheet to a prepared baking sheet; spread half of each pastry lengthwise with cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outside edges.

2. Add individual layers of ham, onion, and Gruyere cheese over cream cheese layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outside edges. In a small bowl whisk together egg and the water. Brush some of the egg mixture on the uncovered edges of the pastries. Fold uncovered portion of each pastry rectangle up and over filling. Use a fork to seal edges together. Brush tops with egg mixture. Cut decorative slits in top of each pastry for steam to escape.

3. Bake about 25 minutes or until pastries are golden on both the top and bottom. If top browns more quickly than the bottom, cover with foil. Slide pies and parchment paper onto wire racks; cool slightly. To serve, cut crosswise into strips.

Make Ahead Directions
Prepare as directed through Step 2, except do not preheat oven and do not brush tops of pies with egg mixture. Freeze pies on parchment paper-lined baking pans until firm. Wrap pies tightly with plastic wrap; overwrap with foil. Label and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg mixture; bake and cool as directed.

Source Better Homes and Gardens

The Results...
Good, but not great.  I had high hopes for this recipe because it looks kinda like a huge Hot Pocket and my family loves those things.  Everyone said it was OK.  I was surprised that it wasn't a bigger hit.

This recipe was still worth a try.  I like the idea of a slab pie and I would make one of these again, but I would change the filling.  I thought the filling was slightly bland and it would be fun to experiment.  Ham and Cheese Slab Pies were just alright.


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Pasta E Fagioli (Slow Cooker)

Olive Garden is one of my husband's favorite restaurants.  There is one not too far from us and we go there occasionally for a treat.  He almost always orders the Calamari and the Chicken Scampi.  I like their soup, salad and breadsticks.  Pasta E Fagioli is my favorite soup at Olive Garden.  I can't wait to try this copycat recipe and see if I can make it at home!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 onion, chopped small
3 carrots, chopped small
4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes undrained ( I like Hunt's Petite Diced)
1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained
2 (14.5 oz.) cans low sodium beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)--I used Franks RedHot Cayenne Pepper sauce
1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)
8 ounces ditalini pasta
Directions
1. Brown beef in skillet.
2. Drain fat from beef and add to slow cooker with everything except pasta.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours*.
4. Cook pasta separately on stove, following package directions.
5. Add pasta to each bowl of soup before serving.
*I don't know if it's because my slow cooker is older, but I've found that it takes about an extra 2 hours of cooking time to get the carrots, onion and celery soft.

Makes 12-14 servings

Adapted from   Food.com

I like veggies chopped small when I make soup.

I've made this recipe 3 times now.  One of the times, I tripled this recipe and cooked it in my 22 qt. roaster oven. This gives you approximately 36 servings!  I made this huge batch for my freezer group, but this would also be great for entertaining a big group during the holidays.  Just add a fresh salad and some breadsticks and you have a whole meal.

The Results...
This Pasta E Fagioli did taste like Olive Garden's.  It was warm, hearty and very tasty!  Perfect for the chilly weather we've been having.

This recipe does make A LOT of soup!  It filled my 6 qt. slow cooker up to the very top.  I couldn't have fit another thing in there.  We happily ate this soup for two days.  But, next time I make this just for my family, I will freeze the leftovers for another meal.  Cook once and eat twice is another thing I like about this recipe.  It's a keeper!

Freezing soup is quite easy. After it has cooled, pour into a Gallon sized Ziploc bag.  Make sure it is completely sealed and lay flat on a baking sheet.  Label and put in freezer until solid.  Remove baking sheet and stack soup.  Then, just thaw and reheat.  Cook the pasta separately and add to the soup when it's hot and ready to serve.

This recipe is featured at:
 
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Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

I pulled 2 large bags of mini bagels out of our freezer last weekend.  I needed some extra room in there.  I was wondering what to do with all those bagels.  Then, I remembered a recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese that I had pinned recently.  I had all the ingredients on hand.  So, I whipped it up hoping it would help those bagels disappear!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tablespoons brown sugar (Dark is best!)
Dash of salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.
  
Adapted from LaaLoosh.  (Original recipe is a low-fat/ less sugar Weight Watchers friendly recipe.)

The Results...
Pumpkin pie on a bagel!  If you like pumpkin pie then you'll like Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese.  It's sweet, creamy and pumpkin-y with just the right amount of spice.  Everyone gobbled this right up including my little toddler.  You can see her little hand trying to grab more in the photo!     

This is delicious for breakfast or anytime as a snack.  One bag of bagels did disappear along with this yummy cream cheese! 


Another recipe you might like is  Cherry Cream Cheese.

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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Sweet Hubby Corn Muffins

Corn muffins are quick and easy!  They are great with a bowl of soup.  And a batch can be mixed up and baked while the soup is still simmering.  I usually make corn muffins from the recipe on the back of a box of Quaker's Yellow Corn Meal.  Each time I make them, my husband wishes they were sweeter--he has a really big sweet tooth!  

I recently came across the idea to mix a yellow cake mix with a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix.  I don't know where to give credit for this idea.  If you Google Cake Mix Corn Bread you get a lot of results.  But, all the recipes seem to use Jiffy Mix.  I never buy Jiffy mixes, so I decided to combine my usual corn muffin recipe from Quaker with a box of Yellow Cake mix.

Will these corn muffins be sweet enough for my sweet hubby?

Ingredients (printable recipe)
Prepare recipe for Easy Corn Bread from the back of a Quaker Yellow Corn Meal box--minus sugar, recipe follows...

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Corn Meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten

Ingredients
*1 box Golden Butter Yellow Cake Mix and water, butter, eggs as directed on box

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a standard muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine dry ingredients from the Easy Corn Bread recipe. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Set aside.

3. In a large, separate bowl, prepare the box of Golden Butter Yellow Cake Mix with butter, eggs and water as directed on box.

4. Pour corn bread batter into bowl with cake batter. Gently stir until combined.

5. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full with batter and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

 *You don't have to use the yellow cake mix that calls for butter (that's just our favorite) any yellow cake mix should work.

Makes 24 standard muffins 

The Results...
Everyone said these were the BEST corn muffins I've ever made!  Sure, they're really half cupcake, but I never said these were healthy.  These muffins have a smoother texture than regular corn muffins, but still have that delicious corn taste.  The only thing that would make them even tastier would be to spread on some Homemade Honey Butter.  I finally made corn muffins sweet enough for my sweet hubby. :)


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A Truth Journal: Laugh: Jon Stewart Tells It Like It Is About VP Debate

A Truth Journal: Laugh: Jon Stewart Tells It Like It Is About VP Debate: From Denny:  Junkyard dog VP Joe Biden smacked down his snarky Republican opponent, Paul Ryan, in the first few nano seconds of the debate.

Then Biden picked up the dazed talking parrot and slammed him against the barn door for lying every time he opened his mouth with phony statistics and fantasy GOP sponsored "studies."  Debate done; Biden won hands down.  We were all cheering at our house as this was the best TV we had seen in years.

Just check out all the funny news clips Jon Stewart collected from the sore loser side, the Republicans.  These three video clips are hilarious; the truth revealed in fast time.  The best is how Stewart took my fellow journalists to task for some really childish reporting, something I've fussed about for years.

Life on the Bayou Shower Curtain - available in many styles of t-shirts too

For all the fans of TV show True Blood: My landlord is a FANGER. My boss? A WEREWOLF. And my partner is a real FAIRY. Life on the bayou...

Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!

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Homemade Caramel Dip

Apples dipped in caramel are a wonderful fall treat!  When I saw how simple this recipe looked, I wanted to make my own caramel dip, instead of buying the pricey little containers sold near the apples at the store.  

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (dark is the best!)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
1. In a 2 qt. saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
2. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and milk. Stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium or just below medium.
3. Stir constantly until mixtures starts to boil. (Use a spoon that doesn't melt!)
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
5. Serve warm or cool with apples or drizzle over ice cream.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Additional notes: For a thinner caramel, cook and stir mixture just until sugar completely dissolves.
Store extra caramel dip in the refrigerator. Microwave for a few seconds to soften before dipping. 

Source Tammy's Recipes

The Results...
Fabulous!!!  This caramel dip is rich, soft and sweet.  I liked dipping green tart apples into this caramel for a sweet and sour combo.  Homemade Caramel Dip would also be delicious drizzled over ice cream or a slice of apple pie.  Everyone agreed that homemade is better!

This recipe is featured at Southern Sundays @ A Slice of Southern

I also share recipes at these linky parties.

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Pumpkin Banana Muffins

What do you do when you have some extra pumpkin and ripe bananas?  And it's a perfect chilly day for some baking?  Make Pumpkin Banana Muffins!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or another cup of all-purpose flour if you don't have white whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tins with baking spray and fill empty cups with water.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the bananas, pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla, until well-blended.
4. Add banana mixture to flour mixture, gently folding until combined.
5. Divide mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups. 
6. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes for mini muffins / 13 to 15 minutes for standard muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes 15-18 standard muffins or 30 mini muffins

Source Alida's Kitchen

The Results...
Moist and full of flavor!  These do have a perfect balance of banana and pumpkin in them.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins are full of good things for you and there's just a little oil because the pumpkin and banana already help create a moist, flavorful muffin.

This recipe has white whole wheat flour hidden inside for some extra nutrition.  I sneak it into other things like pancakes, waffles, bread and pizza dough. When I replace half of the flour with white whole wheat flour, my family doesn't usually notice a big difference in taste.  

Pumpkin Banana Muffins are a wonderful fall treat that you can feel good about eating!

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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Moose Juice by Dr. Seuss

My family is very supportive of my goal to try new recipes.  My older kids even keep their eyes out for new recipes for me to try.  My 8 yr. old daughter recently brought home a Dr. Seuss cookbook from her school library, Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan.  This recipe is based on Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book...........

A moose is asleep.
He is dreaming of moose drinks.
A goose is asleep.
He is dreaming of goose drinks.
That's well and good when a moose dreams of moose juice.
And nothing goes wrong when a goose dreams of goose juice.
But it isn't too good when a moose and a goose
Start dreaming they're drinking the other one's juice.

In the cookbook, there is also a recipe for Goose Juice that has kiwi and lime sherbet in it, but we decided we'd rather try the Moose Juice.  The combination of orange juice, banana and orange sherbet seemed like it would be delicious!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup orange sherbet
1 banana, sliced
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream  or Cool whip
Candy Corn (optional for garnish)
Directions
1. Combine the orange juice, sherbet, banana, and vanilla extract in a blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and top with the whipped cream or Cool Whip. Add candy corn if desired.
Makes 2 servings

Adapted from  Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Gerogeanne Brennan

The Results...
Not bad.  It was easy to make and doesn't it look fun!  It was cool, sweet and orange-y, but it didn't blow us away.  My daughter thought it was good, but could've been better.  I was expecting it to be similar to an Orange Julius, but it wasn't.  It just tasted like really sweet orange juice.  I have a recipe for homemade Orange Julius that my mom use to make when I was a kid and it is much better than this.  Moose Juice was worth a try, but we'll stick to our Orange Julius recipe.

I share recipes at these linky parties.

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It's The Great Pumpkin Dessert!

When I first saw this recipe for Great Pumpkin Dessert, it made me think of the Halloween classic It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  (Yes, my mind works funny like that sometimes.)  Poor Linus waited in the pumpkin patch all night, but he never saw The Great Pumpkin.  We'll never know if it really exists!  I can tell you that The Great Pumpkin---Dessert does exist.  Here it is!

Sorry, Linus, but pumpkins were killed in the making of this dessert. 

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (18.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well and pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over top. Drizzle melted butter on top of cake mix. Top with chopped pecans. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Adapted slightly from Allrecipes

The pecans roasted on top while baking and they were sooooooooo delicious!

The Results...
Better than getting a rock in your trick-or-treat bag.  (If you don't get it---go watch the show!)

Much Much Much Better!

This is kind of a unique dessert.  The best way I can describe it is........if a pumpkin pie and a coffee cake got married, this would be their baby.  A sweet, sweet baby that would be loved by everyone!  That's the best I can do.  I guess you'll just have to make this and see for yourself. :)

This recipe is featured at:


I also share recipes at these linky parties.

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Orange-Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

First, I want to let  you know that I now have a Facebook page.  Click here and like my new page, pretty please! :)

Our family LOVES cookies.  Cookies never last long around here.  Cookies were the first thing my oldest learned how to bake, because he asked me to show him how.  I don't think I've ever made a cookie that no one liked. 

When I came across these orange-cranberry cookies, I stopped.  Orange/cranberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations.  I had never thought to put these flavors in a cookie.  I knew this was a must-try recipe and when my family found out I was making cookies....there was much joy in the house! :)

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest*
2-3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice*
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips (I like Nestle Premier)
1 cup Craisins
Directions
Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the chips and Craisins. Mix well. Then, stir in chips and Craisins. Drop by Tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

*I used the zest and juice from one medium orange.

Adapted from Served Up With Love

The Results...
A-Mazing!  The orange zest and fresh juice gave the cookie dough just the right amount of fresh orange flavor.  The tart Craisins and sweet white chocolate chips rounded out the rest of the flavors.  The only thing I will change for next time is slightly reduce the amount of white chocolate chips and increase the amount of Craisins.  I've already made those changes to the recipe.  

These will be perfect holiday cookies.  Orange and cranberry are flavors that I think of for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Maybe Santa will be lucky this year and find these Orange-Cranberry White Chocolate Chip cookies waiting for him at our house with a big glass of milk!

Other cookies we love:
Maple Brown Sugar Granola Cookies
Iced Spiced Surprise Cookies
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe is featured at:

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