[TxsChef]

Nightcrawlers In A Bait Bucket

1 childs plastic sand pail, labeled “bait” in black marker on the outside; or a new bait pail, thoroughly cleaned and dried

1 package whole wheat linguini, prepared, drained and cooled
1 can black beans, drained
1 c prepared pesto sauce
1/2 c shredded parmesan or asiago cheese
1 avocado, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 small can sliced black olives, drained

Puree 1/2 of the can of black beans in a food processor or blender. Add a little olive oil if needed to aid in pureeing.

Combine pureed beans and the remaining whole beans, as well as the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into “bait pail” and garnish with clean garden spade or the sand shovel that comes with the bucket. Lay a fake plastic fish or fishing pole next to the pail.

[TxsChef]

Baked Worms

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 C. chicken broth
1 large can tomato juice
1/2 C. stuffed green olives
3 T. chili powder
3 t. salt
1 lb. dry spaghetti
1 lb. processed American cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 C. dry sherry, optional

Poach chicken breasts.

Chop cooked chicken and set aside.

In a large pan, melt butter and saute the onion, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Add chicken, chicken broth, tomato juice, olives, chili powder and salt. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes.

Break the spaghetti up into worm size pieces. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water until tender, about 6 minutes.

Drain spaghetti and fold into simmering sauce. Stir in cheese and sherry.

Place in a large greased casserole. Bake 30 minutes.

Serves 10.

[TxsChef]

Anti-Vampire Spaghetti With 10 Cloves of Garlic Recipe

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Several pinches of hot red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as desired

1 pound spaghetti

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 head of broccoli, broken into bite-size florets

Freshly grated Parmesan, or other grating cheese

Put a large pot of water on the stove and start bringing it to a boil.

Meanwhile, warm about half of the garlic with the pepper flakes in the olive oil over medium-low heat. Take care that the fumes from the pepper flakes don’t irritate your eyes. If possible, open a window in the kitchen. When the garlic is warmed through, remove the pan from the heat.

When the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti and salt. When pasta is half cooked, still hard in its center, add the broccoli and finish cooking together.

When the broccoli is bright green and just tender, the spaghetti should be al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Toss the pasta and broccoli with the garlic-chile oil, and add the remaining garlic. Toss well and add a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water, shaking the pan over medium heat, adding a few more spoonfuls of water as you go.

The cooking water acts as a liaison between pasta and sauce.

Serve right away, sprinkled with cheese, if desired.

Serves 4

[TxsChef]

Cow Udder Eclairs

12 fresh lean cow udders
1 pint of whipping cream
1 cup of brown sugar
1 can artichoke hearts
1 stick butter
1 small filleted smelt
1 container of Nair

Soak the cow udders in Nair to remove the hair. Repeat several times if necessary until all hair is removed. Rinse in warm water. Place a stick of butter into a warm frying pan. Wait until all of the butter has melted, then add the cow udders. Fry them for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Chop the artichoke hearts and smelt on a cutting board into fine pieces. In
a large bowl, add the whipping cream, brown sugar and the chopped artichokes and smelt. With a mixer on low, whip until creamy with a consistency like vanilla pudding. Remove the udders from the pan and make a long slice down the side of each udder. Spread the pudding mixture into each slit. Serve warm or cold and have an “Udderly Wonderful” snack.

[TxsChef]

Mold and Mildew Dip

2 boxes frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and drained
2 cups mayonnaise
1 bunch thinly sliced scallions
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
green food coloring

Coarsely chop the artichoke hearts and place in a medium oven-proof serving dish. Add the mayonnaise, scallions, spinach, grated cheese, and spices. Add as much green food coloring as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and serve with sturdy crackers or bread rounds. Tortilla chips also go great with this dish.

[TxsChef]

Crispy Caterpillar Cocoons

8-oz. tube crescent rolls
8 cooked beef sausages
1 squeeze bottle yellow mustard

Preheat oven according to directions on the crescent-roll package. Prepare the sausages according to the directions on the package. Use tongs to remove the cooked sausages from the frying pan and place them on paper towels. Allow to cool ten to fifteen minutes. Cut the sausages in half lengthwise. Then use the rounded tip of a carrot peeler to scoop out a long, shallow trough down the length of each half. Squeeze a thin line of mustard into each trough.

Separate the crescent-roll dough into its pre-cut triangle pieces, and lay them flat on an ungreased cookie sheet. To form insect larvae, take two sausage halves and, with their mustard-filled sides touching, put them together to form a whole. Place a whole larva at the wide end of each dough triangle, and roll up dough as you would regular crescent rolls. Pinch the ends and seams of the rolls closed. Bake according to package instructions.

[TxsChef]

Bugs In The Bed

4 green apples
1 cup of chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup of chopped peanuts (optional)
1/2 cup of rice Krispies
1/4 cup of raisins

Cut the apples into quarters and remove the core, leaving it hollow for the filling. Mix the peanut butter, chopped peanuts, cereal and raisins. Spoon them into the apple hollows. Looks like bugs, but kids just love it.

Serves 14

[TxsChef]

Eyes of Newt

2 cans sliced ripe olives (2 1/4 oz each) — divided
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper — divided
1 package cream cheese (8-oz) — softened
1 clove garlic — minced
8 flour tortillas (6- to 7-inch)
16 slices deli roast beef

Reserve 48 olive slices, 48 pieces red pepper and 1 tablespoon cream cheese.

Chop remaining olives. Combine remaining cream cheese, olives, red pepper and garlic in small bowl; mix well.

Spread about 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture on each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 2 beef slices, overlapping slightly. Roll up tortillas, jelly- roll fashion. Trim off uneven ends of each tortilla; discard. Slice each tortilla roll into 8 (3/4-inch) pieces.

Using reserve cream cheese, attach reserved olives and red peppers to make roll-ups look like eyes.

Make 4 dozen pieces

[TxsChef]

Quicksand

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 jar (8 ounces or 1 cup) pineapple preserves
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 can (7 ounces) refrigerated breadstick dough (6 breadsticks)
5 rich round crackers, crushed
Cut-up vegetables such as carrots and celery, or fruit such as apples and pears, for dipping

Combine peanut butter and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Stir in preserves, milk, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce, if desired. Spread in 8- or 9-inch glass pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, sprinkle dip with cracker crumbs; serve with breadstick hands, vegetables and fruit. Garnish as desired.

[TxsChef]

Pumpkin Pizza

Crust
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
some chopped nuts, pecans are good, optional for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla; mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to the buter mixture and blend well on low speed. Remove and knead briefly into a smooth ball. Place the dough on a pizza pan and pat out gently to the edges. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden brown on the edges. Let cool before topping.

Cheese Layer
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Unwrap cream cheese, place in microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave on high for 20 to 30 seconds. Mix sugar and vanilla into cheese. Fold in about 2/3 of the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to assemble pizza.

Sauce (Pumpkin) Layer
1 cup cold milk
2 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2cup sugar
16 oz. can pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk pudding into milk. Mixture will be very thick. Stir in pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Assembling Pizza
Spread cheese layer over the prepared crust. Top with the pumpkin mixture. Then spread the remaining 4 oz. of whipped topping on top. If desired, sprinkle a few chopped nuts over the top.

[TxsChef]

Gumdrop Popcorn Balls

8 cups air-popped popcorn
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup orange gumdrops
1/2 cup red gumdrops
1/2 cup yellow gumdrops

Place popped corn in mixing bowl; set aside.

In small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, margarine, and salt to boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for ten minutes or until reaches hard-ball stage of 254 degrees F on candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

Wearing oven mitts to shield against splatters, carefully stir in vanilla extract. Pour over popped corn; using prepared spoon, toss until well coated. Stir in gumdrops.

Wearing rubber gloves, form into 2-inch balls; let cool on baking sheet.

[TxsChef]

Pumpkin Fudge

2 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients; heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

Continue heating until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling until candy thermometer reaches soft-ball stage (234-243 degrees).

Remove pan from heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add in remaining ingredients; stir to mix well.

Pour into a buttered 13×9 inch baking pan; cool to room temperature.

Cut into squares; store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Makes about 5 dozen squares

[TxsChef]

Butterfinger Caramel Apples

6 wooden craft sticks (found in cake decorating or hobby shops)

6 tart apples

1 package caramels

2 tablespoons water

Line tray or baking sheet with wax paper. Insert 1 wooden craft stick into stem end of each apple.

Microwave caramels and water in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 2 minutes; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Dip each apple in melted caramel; scrape excess caramel from bottoms. Quickly roll bottom half of apples in chopped Butterfinger, then place on prepared tray. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until set. Store apples in refrigerator in airtight container. Apples are best if they are served the same day as they are prepared.

[TxsChef]

Creepy Crunchy Donut Eyeballs

Makes 20 servings.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.

Melt chocolate morsels with vegetable shortening in a stainless steel bowl by setting bowl over a pan of simmering water and stirring until smooth.

Cut two 1/8-inch-slices from opposite sides of each donut hole. Drop the donut holes into the chocolate, one at a time. Using a fork, coat the donut hole in chocolate. Lift and gently shake to remove excess chocolate. Place on prepared cookie sheet, cut side down.

Repeat with remaining donut holes.

Reserve unused chocolate.

Place the jellied candies on top surface of donut holes. Refrigerate until set.

Re-heat chocolate if necessary. Place a small dab of melted chocolate on the chocolate candies and stick them onto the jellied candies. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix 2 drops of food coloring with 2 teaspoons melted chocolate.

Use a toothpick to draw “veins” on the eyeballs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

[TxsChef]

Bat Wing Soup

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes

1/2 cup whipping cream

6 slices bread, crusts removed

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

In a saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender. In a blender or food processor, process garlic and tomatoes in batches until smooth. Return all to the pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add cream and heat through.

Follow directions to cut bat wings from bread. (To make bat wings, remove crusts from bread. Flatten with a rolling pin. Using a kitchen shears, cut each slice in half diagonally, cutting wavy lines to resemble bat wings.)

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