Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween to all of you!! We love Halloween in our house. I think because we all love Fall so much. I am following the Brenda Photo Challenge and this weeks theme is "Halloween". http://brendaphotochallenge.blogspot.com/2009/10/next-challenge-and-theme-10-31-09.html

I like to bake cookies for the neighbors and for the adults to enjoy while the kids are trick or treating. We get between 100-200 kids every year. It is a fun night, I hope the weather holds up this year. It has been raining and cold the past few days. My husband bought me a wonderful present just for fun. It is a baking pan that has dividers for brownies or bars. When you are done baking and it has cooled slightly, you just lift out the divider and you have 18 perfectly cut pieces of whatever you baked. I have seen it on TV and mentioned it, so he surprised me with it.

I have used it for brownies and bars and it works wonderfully for both. It didn't do so well with a regular cake mix, it came up too much and baked over the divider and was hard to get out. I was just experimenting with it. The bars I have here are apricot bars and the recipe follows. You can use a regular 13x9 pan, I just wanted to show you my new pan.

Apricot Bars

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1 and1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 and 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter(1 and 1/2 sticks)
1 and 1/2 cups apricot jam(or any flavor you like)

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Preheat oven to 350

Grease a 9x13 inch pan

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In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter until very crumbly.

Pat 2/3 crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and then spread the jam over that. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 35 minutes and cool before enjoying.
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Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night. ~Steve Almond

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Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"~Dexter Kozen

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I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween. ~Author Unknown

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A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween. ~Erma Bombeck

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Be safe and have a wonderful weekend

Anne

Where Germs Live!!! Tuesday Tips

Please visit Kris at http://yesiknowwhatcausesthat.blogspot.com/2009/10/vinegar-uses-tuesdays-tips.html? for more Tuesday Tips!
Halloween is almost here and unfortunately flu season is already upon us. I found some tips and info that I thought was interesting to pass on to you:
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"Worried about you or your kids picking up the H1N1 flu or other diseases at school, restrooms or the mall? There’s good reason: Viruses and bacteria run rampant on surfaces you touch every day. We blow the lid on the 8 germiest public places. Plus, get tips for outsmarting infection... " Unfortunately, going anywhere people congregate can boost your chances of getting sick, says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., author of The Secret Life of Germs (Atria) and director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University's Langone Medical Center. That’s because disease-carrying bacteria and viruses live practically everywhere — shopping malls, grocery stores, playgrounds, petting zoos, restaurants. They can survive up to two hours on shopping carts, escalator handrails, even doorknobs before they find their next victim. "
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"We encounter about 60,000 types of germs every year, but if you’re healthy, there’s no need to fear going out in public,” Tierno says: Only 1-2% are potentially dangerous to people with normal immunity."
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Plus, the body has an incredible ability to fight off germs. Special cells called neutrophils and lymphocytes (white blood cells) attack any microscopic invader.
1. Grocery store Germiest items: Shopping cart handles and seat buckets
Germ-free fix: Use disinfecting wipes on handlebars and seats - many stores now offer these at the entrance. And be sure to wash veggies and fruits before eating them.
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1. Children’s playgrounds Germiest items: The swings, jungle gym and other equipment
Germ-free fix: Wash hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer after returning from playground, using the bathroom and changing diapers. (Rub hands together for 20 seconds under clean running water, the CDC advises.)
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3. Public restrooms Germiest item: Sink
Germ-free fix: Avoid touching moist surfaces and wash hands thoroughly after touching sink faucets and soap dispensers. And use a paper towel to turn the water off.
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4. Offices Germiest items: Telephones and desks
Germ-free fix: Once a day, wipe down your desk, phone and keyboard with anti-bacterial wipes or cleaners.
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5. Restaurants Germiest items: Table surface, high chairs
Germ-free fix: Carry sanitary wipes to swipe the tabletop and high chair when you’re seated.
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6. Libraries Germiest items: Countertops and surfaces
Germ-free fix: Use hand sanitizer or wash your hands after thumbing through books or touching countertops.
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7. Cruise ships Germiest item: Handrails
Germ-free fix: Wash hands frequently throughout the day and before touching your mouth or face, especially when smoking and eating.
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8. Malls Germiest item: Escalator handles
Germ-free fix: Don’t touch them. But if you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer afterward.
I took this from:
H1N1: Where Germs Hide
By Nicole McEwen, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published October 09, 2009
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At the day care I worked at they would have the kids sing"Happy Birthday" song while washing there hands. They had to wash the whole time until the song was done.That was a good amount of time to get the germies off.
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I hope you find this helpful. Stay healthy and enjoy the Fall. God bless you Anne