Pumpkin + Spice = Everything Nice

There is no better excuse to throw a party with dope friends, food, drinks, and old movies than Halloween. With it's mid-week timing this year it has been an even a better excuse to hop around from homes to bars for MULTIPLE nights of celebration.

We sure as hell celebrated this weekend and will continue to do so until we have exhausted every last pumpkin flavored drink/food recipe and have emptied Trader Joes of every pumpkin pancake/beer/cake/pie items that our West Hollywood location can carry.

ms. pumpkin awaiting carving

fall sangria (recipe below)

white bean + turkey chili (recipe below)

spooky TJ's cookies

pumpkin chocolate chip squares (recipe below)

pretty pink blooms by the Beverly Center

• Turkey Chili
• 
  
• Ingredients:
  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed, drained

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Sautee onions until light brown. Add oregano and cumin. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink. Add chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add crushed tomatoes, and mix in stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Serve in bowls over corn tortillas and garnish with sharp white cheddar.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

(adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. The mixture will look somewhat curdled. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Cool bars completely in pan. 

Fall Sangria

Ingredients:

2 bottles pinot grigio (we used TJ's 2 buck chuck)

1.5 cups bourbon

1/2 cup triple sec

2 cups TJ's apple cider

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp whole cloves

1 granny smith apple

1 orange

1 lemon

**secret ingredient** ---->2 tsp Cholula hot sauce

Directions:
Slice up apples, lemon, and orange. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Serve over ice.