HALLOWEEN

Halloween is another fun time of year for our family.  We love witches, the green, pointy nose with wart, long fingernail kind, the scarier the better!  The inside of our home is transformed into a witches’ haven.  There are cackling witches on brooms or swings from the ceiling beams, there are witches that talk when you pass by them.  Witches propped on the fireplace mantel, witches capes that block doorways.  Where ever I can put one, one is there. 

My love of witches on Halloween goes back many years.  One year, while in my teens, I dressed up as a witch, painted my skin with green makeup, put on long black finger nails and slowly opened the door of my family’s house to lure children in – on Halloween of course.  (That might not be such a good idea nowadays, but back then, people were more trusting and innocent).  My mother always had a crowd at her house because of the “special bags” of candy she gave away.  They were the biggest find of the neighborhood, so everyone came!  One kid across the street, used to come back at least 6 times in a different costume each time.  After he was discovered, my mother began making them show her who they were under their costume mask.  This tradition still continues, minus the boy who came back 6 times.  It would be a little frightening now if he did as he is in his 40’s now.  So anyway, one year one of the teenage neighbors was going to have fun with this, so when I reached out to lure whoever in, he grabbed me and pulled me out!  It was a lot of fun.  You were able to meet a lot of different kids from around the area.  All the kids wanted to have a picture with the witch.   Years later some kids would come still looking for the witch.  I was replaced by a life size replica that stands in my mother’s dining room for our Halloween gathering to this day.

My replacement - the green one!

Cookies courtesy of Cheryl & Lauren

This “gathering” happens on Halloween.  Each year we are invited, by poem, by my mother who is head witch.  There is a theme to each party.  One year we all had to wear a witch’s hat.  Another year we had to decorate a broom.  Prizes are awarded, which are always Halloween related.  The menu is usually close to the same, soups and chili.  And recently Chick-fil-A nuggets have been added.  Any desserts for the gathering are usually Halloween related.  One year there was a witch face cake, another year witch hat cookies. 

"Salem the Cat"

Here are some pictures  from previous gatherings and also pictures of my little witches.  A Jewish apple cake recipe follows after pictures.  This is a "must try" for the fall!

The first to arrive for judging





 

 




"Witches (and warlock) in training"



Witch Christine



Witch Hannah

My favorite "all time" picture even though there are no witches.  Christine actually made little kids cry on that Halloween!

Jewish Apple Cake Recipe

5-6 large apples - Winesap (or any tart apple)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup oil

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Remove skin of apples and slice thin. Mix 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of sugar.  Toss sliced apples in this.  Grease and flour tube pan.  Pour 1/2 batter, 1/2 apples and repeat.  Finish with apples and sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees - 60 minutes or until pick comes out clean.  Cool in pan.  Enjoy!