October 31, 2012

Lighting the Jack O Lanterns


Oh, the memories we have of our childhood Halloween! What an innocent and safe time it was. When our own children were of Trick- or- Treating age, we decorated the house inside and out, helped the children prepare their costumes, but we ate dinner as a family, before we set out on the night's adventures.

The Maine House prepared for Halloween night with a blanket of snow on the ground last year. Now that was a first for us...snow....in October? That was not to stop Maine kids from running hither and yon, from home to home, to fill their jack- o- lanterns!








It was all so  fun and magical. There was a quarter moon shining over The Maine House, casting deep shadows from tall hedges and rustling leaves flying against the black starlit sky. Pumpkins glowed from the houses and there was cheer on every porch. Muffled voices called to one another and Mother's and Daddy's kept a close watch on their little ones....tiny witches, adorable princesses, storybook heroes and knights in shining armor......a night to remember!

This is a great, hearty casserole that is easy to prepare and serve, before going out trick-or-treating, to keep your little goblin's tummy warm!



Sloppy Joe Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope sloppy joe seasoning mix
1 can (1 lb size) tomatoes
1 cup uncooked macaroni pasta
2 cups water
1 can (1 lb size) pork and beans
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook ground beef until brown. Pour off fat. Add seasoning mix, tomatoes, macaroni, beans and water. Cover and simmer at least 20 minutes. Before serving, top with the shredded cheese! My children always loved this!




Sweet dreams little goblins. 
Enjoy your candy and stories, and we'll see you next year my pretties.

11 comments:

  1. Ohhhh, I'm a little shivery seeing the snow on the ground! Yes ma'am, it was a different time when we trick or treated. Our neighbors prepared mostly homemade treats and often invited us in for punch and cookies. I can remember many Halloweens when it was too cold to go without a coat over your costume and that ruined the holiday! Growing up in Missouri, that's just the way it was... we may just have to have a little sloppy joe casserole tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  2. We had the same thing, Joy...invited in for punch and cookies at various neighbors...My earliest memory was dressing up as a bunny rabbit…a costume we each wore which was handed down from my brother…oy vey! I was also Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke, a June Taylor dancer from The Jackie Gleason show, and a flapper from the 20’s. I wanted to be Ann Margaret from Bye Bye Birdie…you know, wearing a strawberry blonde wig and borrowing a bra from my sister, stuffed with bobbie sox….Mother said absolutely not…probably a good thing! Happy Halloween Precious!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The casserole looks so good. Thanks for posting it, I am going to make it today! Hope the husband enjoys it, he loves casseroles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like we are all going to have the same thing for dinner tonight! Hope you enjoy this...Happy Halloween to all!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do have a question, is the can of tomatoes diced? do you drain them?

      Delete
  5. Exactly....one can of diced tomatoes and do not drain them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Estelle, I made it and my husband said "excellent!" and I gave the recipe to my daughter with a bunch of "littles" and they will love it. Thank you so much, you have a lovely site.

      Delete
    2. Thank you JMD...so very glad you enjoyed a new recipe and take time to visit my blog. This makes my heart sing!

      Delete
  6. Your casserole looks great! I think I'll tell Sid this is another one we will have to try (maybe tomorrow) :)
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya;ll may enjoy it Kim...easy to prepare and yummy! We made it last night and it was gone, baby, gone!!

      Delete

I so love receiving your thoughts and comments. I also hope you found something that made you smile.