Saturday, October 23, 2010

Tricks That Treat

It was a dark and stormy night.
Only hours from midnight and bodies were lurching in the streets.
Under the moonlight, you hear the sounds of shrill voices crying….
“Trick or treat!!!”

Okay, so it was Halloween and not so stormy.

But it was Halloween and we were looking at the probability of bags and bags of candy in our children’s immediate future. That’s a nightmare for most parents. Our youngest daughter was 4 years old at the time and we were trying to conjure something of substance for her to eat before her nocturnal adventures. Our solution: Blood Broth.

Tomato soup if you prefer the scientific term.

That night began a tradition that to this day continues with a new generation in our family. Yes when at our home, our grandchildren enjoy the traditional Halloween meal that our children consumed before heading out into the costumed evening. Since that first night when our little girl ate her first Hallowed Eve meal, my wife has added grilled cheese sandwiches, and home roasted pumpkin seeds to our festive tradition.

So I want to provide for you a Halloween meal idea that can turn into your very own tradition and a meaningful memory that someday might become a thing of legend. This will be what we are enjoying this year for our Halloween meal. Read and concoct your own variations.

Tomato Soup:
Take a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Well, buy it first and then take it.
Follow the directions. Yes, that actually works. If you can tolerate it, use milk. It’s make the soup mighty creamy and mighty good. Mmm mmm good!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
We’re using Village Bakery’s Seeded Sourdough French Bread
And Havarti Creamy Cheese deli slices

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Make use of your carved pumpkin by taking its seeds and roasting them for a seasonal snack.
Place the pumpkin seeds onto a baking sheet. Salt to flavor. Remember, sea salt only. Place into your oven and bake until roasted.

And for an added bonus throw on a vintage movie just to add atmosphere to the electric evening. We have enjoyed Cary Grant’s Arsenic and Old Lace. It’s a black and white movie that is family friendly, funny and a cinema classic. It’s a fun romp in Hollywood’s golden era of movies. Watch it, if you dare.

But remember, darkness will have fallen across the land.
Footstep sounds will be close at hand.
You’ll hear the pounding of your heart beat
And the sounds of shrill voices everywhere crying
“Trick or Treat!”
Now go explore!

2 comments:

Mandy said...

sounds sooooo good! tomato soup and grilled cheese is one of my fav combos! i love the idea of calling the soup "blood broth"... maybe i could get my boys to try it that way (and by "boys", i mean colby and greg)! paige is a lost cause if it has a fruit or a veggie in it:(

mangiawithmario said...

You might try "Vampire's Blood" with the boys. Or the "Crimson Cauldron". The little 4 year old (now an adult) read the blog and reminded me that she hated the tomato soup for a couple of years but grew to love it. She says that she's going to get a head starton that meal this week.