Happy Halloween; Hello Thanksgiving Turkey Ordering Time

Halloween is the speed bump that forces us to stop and fully embrace October’s last gasp before we just speed head-first into Thanksgiving plans.

And I don’t know about you, but as a foodie, my mind is already wandering away from candy corn and carved pumpkins and toward thoughts of my favorite holiday of all: Thanksgiving.

And thoughts of Thanksgiving turn to meal planning, starting with ordering my fresh, all-natural, range-grown Diestel turkeys from the family-owned, local Tops Market on Eureka Way in Redding (the old Sunset Marketplace). Of course, the Diestel turkeys are available in Weaverville, too).

Here’s my recurring nagging thought: If I wait to reserve a Diestel turkey until after Halloween, will there be enough left?

Have I mentioned that Diestel Turkeys are grown, processed and delivered directly to Tops Supermarkets by the Diestel Family Turkey Ranch,  family-owned and operated since 1949? Have I also mentioned that Diestel Family Turkey Ranch is one of the last small family owned turkey growers and processors in the United States?

All true.

But first, Halloween.

In our family, chili and Halloween go together like cider and cinnamon sticks. You can’t imagine one without the other.

When the kids were little, we’d make a crock pot full of chili and serve it with chopped onion, sour cream and cheddar cheese. It was a tradition, and an easy one at that.

The rule was we ate first, and then the kids could bolt for their rooms to get dressed for Halloween. Chili was the perfect hot food for a chilly night, and if we left in it the crock pot, it was still there for hungry trick-or-treaters and parents who’d overdosed on mini Hershey bars and Reese’s cups.

I remember the year when Sarah was about 4 and she wanted to be a house for Halloween. I gave it a shot, with the help of lots of cardboard and duct tape. But on Halloween Eve she changed her mind and decided upon a Princess Leah/Fairy/Ballerina, and was upset when people didn’t automatically guess who she was.

There was the year that Josh dressed as an ax-murdered, no coincidence, I’m sure, that it was the year of his parents’ divorce. And my Joe, my youngest, he loved Halloween better than all the holidays put together. To this day, he’s carrying on his love of Halloween in the Czech Republic, where his and Marie’s Halloween parties have included Jello shot eyeballs and scary “finger” foods and now have lists of people who’ve invited themselves, just because they hate to miss such a great monster bash.

St.Joseph School students are dressed for the season. Photo from St. Joseph School Facebook page.

This year I’ll be passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, which should include two little Domke goblin grandchildren, 2-year-old Austin and 6-month-old Reagan. I do believe their parents will be tagging along, too.

And when they do, we can invite them in for chili. made from many of the items on special at Tops this week, such as S&W Beans (five cans for $5), and IGA canned tomatoes and tomato paste (five cans of tomatoes for $4; five cans of tomato paste for $3), and Tops’ own bulk sausage, ($2.99 a pound), and La Brea Sourdough bread ($1.99 per baguette) to go with the chili.

The chili and sourdough bread are the perfect meal to balance out a night’s worth of sugar.


And as we eat chili, we can talk about Thanksgiving, which might lead to talk of turkeys. And to keep our strength up, we might have to peek inside the grandkids’ Halloween candy and check for some Hershey bars.

Note: Please do not run screaming at first glance at this recipe. Do not be afraid of the chili’s long ingredient list. I’ll bet you’ll already have many of these on hand. If not, stock up now for next time.

Doni’s Harvest Halloween Chili for a Crowd

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large white onions, diced (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
4 pounds of ground beef
1 pound raw bulk sausage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup plain chili powder 
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano 
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
6 12-ounce cans of tomatoes, diced, with liquid
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 can of beer (your favorite)
3 cans (15.5-ounce each) dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can (15.5 ounce) black beans, drained
1 can (1.5. ounce) black olives, drained and chopped – divided in two 

In one of your largest pots, saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the meats and saute until nicely browned. Add in the garlic and continue cooking, being careful not to scorch the garlic (which renders the garlic as tough and bitter as a scorned woman). Drain off as much excess fat as possible.

Return the pot to the heat, and add all the dried herbs and seasonings. Stir well to incorporate.

Now add the wet ingredients: the mustard, the beer, the tomato paste, the tomatoes, the beans and half the can of olives. Stir well. If you want to use a crock pot, now is  a good time for the pot-to-crock-pot transfer. Otherwise, just keep the chili in the same cooking pot and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Top with grated cheese, chopped onion, chopped olives and sour cream. Serve with sourdough or cornbread.

Makes 15 to 20 servings

Tops Markets in Redding and Weaverville are now taking orders for your fresh Diestel all-natural range-grown turkeys. 

This recipe sponsored by Tops Market in Weaverville and Redding.

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Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Chamberlain was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Redding, CA.

Doni Chamberlain

Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded A News Cafe in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke. Chamberlain holds a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from CSU, Chico. She's an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She's been featured and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Slate. Bloomberg News and on CNN, KQED and KPFA. She lives in Redding, California.