7th-16th Day of Halloween

Ok, so it's been a week since I've updated my blog.  It's been a time of family "crisis" of sorts, where we've been reexamining our priorities and what openness and honesty mean to us.  Needless to say, we've been dealing with "stuff", which is slowly making more sense to all of us.

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 Halloween Recipe:  Grilled Cheese Sand-Witches and Celery Broomsticks

Ingredients

Makes 4

8 slices cheddar cheese (4-by-4-by-1/8-inch)

8 slices (1/2-inch-thick) pumpernickel bread

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a witch's hat cookie cutter, cut out a hat from 4 slices of cheese; set aside.
2.Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Spread the unbuttered side of 4 slices of bread with the mustard. Place on a baking sheet, buttered-side down.
3.Divide remaining cheese, plus any scraps, between the slices of bread on the baking sheet. Top with remaining bread, buttered-side up.
4.Place sandwiches in oven and cook 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Place a cheese hat on top of each sandwich. Bake until just melted, about 2 minutes. Serve with celery broomsticks (below)
Celery Broomsticks:
Ingredients: 4 stalks celery, washed - Directions -
1.Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Leaving the wide end intact, trim each celery stalk to an 8-inch length. Using a sharp paring knife, make 2 or 3 horizontal 2 inch cuts, beginning at the wide end of the stalk. Cut lengthwise at 1/4 intervals, forming a brush. Repeat with remaining celery.
2.Place the cut bottoms into the bowl of ice water, and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Shake off excess water before serving.
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I realize I have omitted/deleted some ideas in this post. That is mainly because, looking back on this post I realized there were some copywrite issues that I couldn't fully rectify. I apologize and hope you'll find some fun activities to do for your Halloween celebrations!  Take time each day to enjoy family and nature.  Go for a nature walk and deeply inhale the amazing scent of autumn. Rake leaves with the kids and jump in the pile.  Cook some wonderful hot soups and stews paired with freshly baked breaks, topped with baked sweets for dessert and enjoy them at the table together as a family, talking about all the things about autumn that you all love.  Enjoy the season!