Horn family Halloween

Nick and I decided to begin our own Horn family Halloween traditions this year, being that this is the first that we've celebrated together. We still have to iron out a few kinks, but I would say that, all in all, we did a decent job honoring the day! In true Horn fashion, we shopped for candy at the very last possible moment, which actually proved to be a smart move so that we were unable to consume any unnecessary calories in advance. Nick decided that in addition to a couple of variety packs of small candy bars and blow pops, we should also buy a box of king-sized candy bars for those kids who have the best costumes. (I might save that tradition for the years that Nick is around--I'd rather not witness the reactions of the group while awarding one kid a king-sized bar while tossing the others some mini treats. But, I like where his head is--very creative tradition!)

Then we went to go see a scary movie: Law Abiding Citizen. Nick said that it was suspenseful but not scary...All I know is that I experience the same visceral response to suspense as I do to fear, so I considered it to be a scary movie. I put aside my distaste for both of these movie genres in the spirit of the holiday...Nick was ever-so appreciative knowing what a huge concession that is for me to make :-P. I think I can open my mind up to non-romantic comedy flicks once a year in the name of family tradition.

We spent the evening munching on Cheddar-Cider fondue with all the trimmings and Halloween candy while jumping up to answer the door and greet our many trick-or-treaters (and also to run out the door to chase down a couple of opportunistic dogs named Molly and Darla who made a break for it--hopefully this will not be a recurrent behavior)! The only thing missing from our Halloween celebration was a pumpkin presence on our doorstep or any photo documentation...Maybe next year!

Here is the yummy fall recipe for our fondue dinner (I slightly altered an original Food Network recipe)--we highly recommend it!

Cheddar-Cider Fondue

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle apple cider
  
• 3/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium canned
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
• 1/2 pound sharp Vermont cheddar
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

Fondue Dippers:

• sliced baguette
• beef sausage slices
• steamed red potatoes
• steamed broccoli & cauliflower
• apple slices
  

Directions:

Heat cider, broth, Worcestershire, and garlic in an electric fondue pot over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Toss the cheeses together in a medium bowl. Sift the corn starch over the cheese, and toss to coat lightly.

Using a wooden spoon, sprinkle some cheese mixture into the warm liquid and continue to stir in small amounts of cheese until it is all incorporated and the fondue is smooth and melted, about 15 minutes. Stir in cayenne and salt.

*You can use a medium pot on the stove to prepare the fondue over medium heat and then transfer to a non-electric fondue pot or double boiler.