If this were any other Halloween, I’d be busy making pretzel-dough Wicked Witch of the West Fingers with Dorothy Dip (farm-hand ranch) and Spicy Munchkins (Cheddar-sausage balls) right now. In case it’s not clear, I’ve decided on a Wizard of Oz theme this year for my family’s annual Halloween party. It’s fun and colorful, and cheerfully lacking in gloom and doom—which I think we could all use a little less of right now.
My problem is finding at least three ingredients in every recipe that are locally sourced. I know it sounds silly, but I really believe doing my part to “think globally, act locally” makes an impact—there’s no place like home indeed! So I’m taking this 30-day challenge seriously. The “I’m Melting, I’m Melting Queso” was a no-brainer. Our farmers market always has plenty of cheese on hand. Beyond that, though, this is requiring a little more effort than I bargained for.
Which brings me back to Wicked Witch Fingers and Spicy Munchkins. I can’t find a local source for pretzel dough or flour and sausage balls only really have three main ingredients. Biscuit mix is handy stuff, but it’s not local. However, after checking my Farmer’s Market in-season list, I discovered what I already knew: Apples are in season in abundance, and so is cider. So here’s what I’ll be testing today. Tell me what you think!
Taunt The Apple Trees Punch
2 quarts apple cider (local)
1 quart apple juice (local)
1 (32-ounce) Oregon Chai The Original Concentrate (local)
6 cups lemon lime soda
Apples, thinly sliced and seeded (local)
Mix cider, apple juice, and Oregon Chai Concentrate in a container. Refrigerate. Add soda before serving. Float thinly sliced apples in punch bowl as garnish.