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HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Are you ready for trick-or-treat night? I thought I was but some of the candy seems to have disappeared. I wouldn't know ANYTHING about that. As soon as I’m done blogging with you, I’ve got to hightail it over to the supermarket for another surplus of candy. What’s on my list? Reese’s cups, Snickers bars, and Pay Days—all the favorites I had when I was a kid. And I think I’ll pick up some tootsie rolls in honor of my mom…those were her favorites!

Speaking of candy, I saw something on Facebook about trick-or-treating in the 70s (when I was a kid!) and it brought back so many memories. Back in those days, we didn’t have pumpkin pails to hold our candy, we used pillowcases. And, our costumes were homemade…well at least mine were because I was such a big kid. None of the store-bought costumes fit so I remember taking a white sheet, drawing circles on it, and cutting out the eyes myself to be a ghost. And then one year, I was a clown. I used my older brother’s shirt and pants…I rolled them up at the ankle, my mom sewed pompoms on my shirt, and I had white clown makeup. Many years later, I went to a fundraiser in Philadelphia and I was a Keystone Kop complete with the billy club and bucket hat. I loved that costume.

If you’ve got kids or grandchildren who are of the trick-or-treating age, have so much fun tonight. Or if you’re handing out candy, try and keep a few pieces for the kids, okay?

We’ll be into November when I see you Sunday on In the Kitchen with David. The holiday months are HERE, foodies. Can you believe it? In honor of Thanksgiving, our theme in November is Pies and Sides. Everyone loves the classics, but in case you’re looking for something fresh and different this year, we have plenty of ideas for you, starting with Oatmeal Pie.

Oatmeal Pie
Serves 10–12

This recipe is prepared with the KitchenAid Set of 3 Non-Slip Mixing Bowls (K34993).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 9" ready-to-bake deep-dish pie shell


• 2 Tbsp flour


• 1-1/3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal


• 1 tsp ground cinnamon


• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 4 eggs


• 3/4 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup light corn syrup


• 1/3 cup molasses


• 3 Tbsp melted butter


• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Place the oven rack on the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 350°F.


2. Whisk together the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set it aside.


3. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, molasses, melted butter, vanilla in a medium-size bowl until well mixed.


4. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk until the mixtures are evenly incorporated. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell.


5. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Best served at room temperature.

I hadn’t heard of oatmeal pie before we tested this recipe. This idea came from our girl Andrea, a chef on our In the Kitchen with David team who helps bring all our recipes to life. This recipe is one of her fiancée’s favorites and is now one of her favorites, as his family makes it every Thanksgiving. I love that it’s a hearty enough pie to serve for breakfast, but sweet enough to be a tasty dessert.

Foodies, I really hope you can join us this week AND next for In the Kitchen with David. The gentlemen in the photo above are part of the Clef Hangers, an a cappella singing group from my Alma mater, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. And, on November 9, they’ll be here in our QVC kitchens serenading us with some Christmas carols! I was part of the Clef Hangers back in the 80’s and I’m honored that they’re coming. I know I’ve got some throwback pictures of me with the choir in my blog before their visit….I’ll see if I can dig those up and share them here in my blog.

Your blog question today is what’s your family’s signature dessert? Do you make something out-of-the-box like Oatmeal pie? Or are the classics—like carrot cake, apple pie, or  brownies—the specialties in your house? Nana’s Nanner Pudding was one of the specialties in the Venable house for many years...and still is. I don’t care what season it is…there’s never a wrong time to eat banana pudding.

See you Sunday at Noon ET, foodies.

Keep it flavorful!
—David