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Homey Halloween Memories With Jeanie Kozar, Senior Editor, Betty Crocker Kitchens
As we re-launch our updated Web site, we thought you might enjoy hearing stories and tips from the real people behind the recipes – the experts in the Betty Crocker Kitchens. Whether you’re planning a dinner party – or just a quiet dinner at home – our experts are here for you with creative, inexpensive, and time-saving ideas that make every meal a success. We hope you enjoy getting to know them!
When you grow up on a dairy farm 10 miles outside rural Ashland, Wisconsin, trick-or-treating can be a challenge. Fortunately for Jeanie Kozar, visiting cousins who lived “in town” meant she could walk door to door – instead of driving from farm to farm – and collect a lot more treats a lot faster!
But Halloween night wasn’t the only time she enjoyed special fall treats; she and her three siblings made a feast of seasonal goodies right in their Mom’s own kitchen every year. “Mom and us kids would gather around the kitchen table to make homemade caramel apples and popcorn balls cooked the old fashioned way – with sticky syrup boiled from scratch using a candy thermometer,” Jeanie says. Of course, now she has a faster (and less messy) take on that old tradition – microwave popcorn held together with gooey marshmallow crème.
Back then – as now – no Halloween celebration would be complete without carving a pumpkin. But for Jeanie and her family, the resulting spooky jack-o-lantern was only part of the fun. The rest came when their Mom turned the pumpkin seeds and flesh into delicious snacks, breads, and pies.Of course, not all of Jeanie’s Halloween memories revolve around sweets … some of them revolve around the creative costumes she devised to get even more sweets! One of her fondest memories is of the year she and her cousin dressed in authentic flapper dresses complete with high heels, long strands of beads, and of course, lots of lipstick and rouge. (It helps to have an aunt who lived 101 years and kept a treasure trove of “dress up” clothes for the family kids!)
The trouble came when Jeanie realized she needed a hat. Where was she to find a flapper cloche? Well, who’s more creative than a kid on a mission to get candy? Jeanie promptly plunked a curvy lampshade on her head and hit the trick-or-treat trail.“Walking in heels slowed us down a bit,” she says, “but what really slowed us down were all the adults who thought we were so cute they invited us in for the whole family to admire!”
These days, Jeanie still maintains some of her family’s old traditions, and, as an expert in the Betty Crocker Kitchens, she’s making plenty of new ones of her own.
Helpful Halloween Tips from Jeanie
- There are few things that warm you up on a cool fall evening like a piping bowl of chili. No matter how hot you like your chili, there’s no limit to the number of ways you can “spice up” how you serve it. Jeanie’s favorite is simple, creative, and fun. She has a collection of inexpensive, two-handled sugar dishes that she uses instead of bowls. Whether you choose to buy new, matched dishes or to hunt for many different patterns at a local flea market or garage sale, this is a fun and festive way to dress up a simple, satisfying supper any night of the week. Click here for Jeanie’s favorite chili recipe – and don’t forget that chili freezes well, so make a big batch and enjoy it all season long. Just remember Jeanie’s tip: Add a little fresh lime juice and cilantro right before serving for added punch.
- Decorative, themed tablecloths really dress up your Halloween table, but you can make your own for a lot less. Jeanie recommends buying fabric by the yard and either cutting it with pinking shears to fit your table or using iron-on hemming tape to finish the ends. Layer your tablecloth with coordinating placemats, scarves, shawls, bandanas – anything you have on hand.
- Pumpkins and fall flowers can make beautiful Halloween centerpieces – but they can also get pricey and complicated. Jeanie has a creative solution that your guests will never guess costs much less! Alternate votive candles and small gourds in the cups of an antique muffin tin, leaving a few cups empty. Flank with a tall candle on each end for height, and you have an elegant centerpiece that will be easy to move out of the way when the table starts to fill up with Halloween treats!
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