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Preparation Halloween brings great seasonal fun—family-friendly activities and games, spooky and silly décor, imaginative costumes, and of course, trick-or-treating for candy. In recent years, however, another tradition has been gaining popularity: the “trunk or treat,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of walking from house to house, communities congregate in a parking lot or open field where kids can walk around from car to car to grab candy or non-candy treats from open trunks....

Aburaage (油揚げ) is puffed tofu pouches deep-fried to a golden yellow color. When served on top of udon or soba noodles, the dish is called Kitsune udon/Kitsune soba. When seasoned and stuffed with rice, it’s Inari sushi. What Is Aburaage Aburaage (油揚げ) is Japanese deep-fried tofu pouches made of firm tofu. It is made by cutting firm tofu into thin slices and deep-frying twice in vegetable oil. They are first fried at a lower temperature of 230-250 ºF (110-120 °C), which causes the tofu to expand in size....

Ingredients 3 cups Gala apples (about 3), peeled and diced 2 cups Granny Smith apples (about 2), peeled and diced 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 box (1.75 oz) fruit pectin Clean canning jars and lids Preparation In large bowl, mix apples, sugar, cinnamon and ginger; toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature 30 minutes. Place the apples and any collected juices into large pot, and mix in pectin....

These easy pancakes are great for breakfast or even dessert. What better way to start the day than with homemade pancakes? From the Classic Pancake recipe or the flavored Pumpkin Pancakes or the sweet Ricotta pancakes, you can’t go wrong with pancakes for breakfast. BANANA PANCAKES- These fluffy and easy banana pancakes are so good and loved by everyone! I love to make these pancakes when we have ripe banana pancakes on the counter....

Ingredients 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter, room temperature 3/4 cup milk 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate 3 to 4 tablespoons water...

Ingredients 1/2 cup caramel topping 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 large baking apples (about 2 3/4 lb), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 6 cups) 2/3 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats Preparation Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together caramel topping and the cinnamon until blended. Add apples; toss until evenly coated....

Ingredients 1 3/4 cups Wheaties™ cereal 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup shortening 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg 1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped nuts About 36 candied or maraschino cherries Preparation Heat oven to 375°F. Crush cereal; set aside. In large bowl, mix sugar, shortening, milk, vanilla and egg....

Ingredients 8 oz uncooked rotini pasta (about 2 1/3 cups) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (3 cloves) 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 can (14 oz) small artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped...

Ingredients 1 pouch Betty Crocker™ chocolate chip cookie mix 1/3 cup butter, softened 2 tablespoons water 1/2 cup hot fudge topping 1 quart (4 cups) cookie dough ice cream, slightly softened Preparation Blend cookie mix, butter and water; reserve 1/2 cup dough. Press remaining dough into greased and floured 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown on edge. Cool on cooling rack 10 minutes....

Ingredients 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons light rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract 1 cup whipping (heavy) cream 1 package (3 ounces) ladyfingers, (12 ladyfingers) 1/2 cup cold prepared espresso or strong coffee 2 teaspoons baking cocoa Preparation Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in rum on low speed; set aside....

Ingredients 2 boxes (4.7 oz each) Betty Crocker™ scalloped potatoes 1 cup diced ham steak 1 cup frozen sweet peas 4 cups boiling water 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives 1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (4 oz) Preparation Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, place both packages of potatoes and sauce mix (from scalloped potatoes boxes), the ham and frozen peas; pour boiling water and whipping cream over mixture, and stir....

Preparation Love it or hate it, many people consider the bouquet toss to be a staple at modern wedding receptions. Here’s how it works: All the single women gather on the dance floor, and the bride throws her bouquet into the crowd; whoever catches it will supposedly be the next to marry. Wondering whether you should incorporate the activity into your wedding reception? Here, two wedding planners offer some insight....

Ingredients 1 box (15.25 oz) Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Devil's Food Cake Mix or 1 box (15.25 oz) Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Yellow Cake Mix Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box Platter, tray or cardboard (14x10 inches), covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil 2 tubs (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting Black food color Betty Crocker™ red gel food color...

Preparation Rectangular piece of paperString or twineHole puncher Fold paper from the top lengthwise, leaving a 1⁄2-inch allowance at the bottom; unfold. Repeat, this time folding from the bottom up.Fold the left side in about 2 inches (fold in less for a longer purse or more for a shorter one). Fold the bottom corner up to meet the bottom crease; fold the top corner up to meet the top crease. Repeat on the right side....

Preparation Christmas is coming! Tree markets are starting to pop up with the familiar smell of pine in the air. So it’s only normal that you are ready to pick out a tree and with that comes the age-old question: How do you keep your tree looking fresh and healthy until Christmas? Well, a new study may have revealed a surprised answer. Researchers in Australia tested four ways that they suspected could prolong the health of cut Christmas trees and would counteract dehydration....

Ingredients 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup cold water 3/4 cup water 2 cups sugar Food color Flavored extract Additional sugar Preparation Lightly spray candy molds or miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. In large bowl, sprinkle gelatin on 1/2 cup cold water; set aside. In small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup water and 2 cups sugar to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens slightly....

Preparation WHAT TO KNOW When your pen bleeds onto your new blouse, your first action might not be to think about what type of ink you’re dealing with. But we think it should be. Here’s why: If the ink is water-soluble (like the ink in a felt-tip pen, for instance), it may “explode” and spread upon contact with water, whereas an oil-soluble stain (like the ink in a ballpoint pen) is less likely to run....

I’ve always made the classic Japanese potato salad over the stovetop, but when I discovered the method of steaming the potatoes with an electric pressure cooker, I was quick to test it out. True enough, the potatoes turned out ultra-smooth and tender in such a short time – 5 minutes to be exact – it’s almost unbelievable! Ready to give this Instant Pot Japanese Potato Salad a try? Japanese potato salad (ポテトサラダ) is considered as a yōshoku, a western-influenced Japanese dish (which is why we write in katakana)....

Ingredients 2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening 4 to 6 tablespoons cold water 6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (5 medium) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 6 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup Preparation In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas....

Ingredients 3 tablespoons butter 6 eggs 2 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 slices bread, cut into quarters, or 12 slices baguette French bread 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (1 to 3 kinds) 1 1/2 cups cooked diced or crumbled meats (1 to 3 kinds such as bacon, sausage or ham) 3 cups cooked vegetables (1 to 5 kinds such as cooked spinach, asparagus, bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, etc....