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Recipe of the Week: Sweet Jack-o’-laterns

October 16, 2008 1 Comment

I got this really cute treat in my email last week, and I thought it would be a great recipe to feature as the recipe of the week. The idea comes from Taste of home and they call them Sweet Jack-o’-lanterns. These would be such a great treat to take to a school Halloween party or serve at home.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I love sweet treats, especially if they are easy to make and decorate (since I’m not much of an artist), and this definitely fits that mold. It’s something you can make even if you’re short on time, and it’s easy enough that you could even get the kids in on the action. And you can make something that’s very fun and professional looking without spending a lot of money and without having to be a culinary artist. Excellent!

Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix or cake mix of your choice
3-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons orange paste food coloring
12 gumdrops
12 black jujubes
Directions: Prepare and bake cake according to package directions for cupcakes. Fill 24 greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, in a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, butter and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Stir in food coloring. Cut a thin slice off the top of each cupcake. Spread frosting on 12 cupcakes. Invert remaining cupcakes and place on top; frost top and sides. For stems, place one gumdrop on each pumpkin. Cut jujubes into thin slices; use a bottom slice for each mouth. From remaining slices, cut one large triangle and two smaller ones. Position two small triangles and a large triangle on each cupcake for eyes and nose. Yield: 1 dozen.

Filed Under: cupcakes, fall, Halloween, Recipe of the Week

Easy & Inexpensive Halloween Costume Ideas

October 16, 2008 Leave a Comment

When I first started the blog last year, I began writing down a ton of post ideas, and of course once you start writing them all down, you never can get to them all. Anyway, I came across a list of “easy” Halloween costumes last year, and it prompted me to make my own list.

Most of these ideas, you can actually buy a costume for at Wal-mart or a costume store, but they can also be made using items you have around the house, or at least partially in addition to buying one or two accent pieces or props. Either way, these costumes are easy and inexpensive, and a few of the them would be quite interesting to see!

Witch/Wizard – wear all black, plus at a hat & broom.
Angel – wear all white, plus wings and a halo, which can be purchased at a costume store, or make your using wire (such as from a coat hanger) and cover it with material (for the wings) and glitter (for the halo.
Doctor – wear a labcoat and carry a toy/home stethoscope
Jailbird – wear black/white stripes
Cat – wear all black, and purchase ears/tail from costume shop, or make your own
Leopard/Tiger – same as cat, except wear the color of print for the animal you desire
Devil – dress in red, wear a cape/horns/tail. and carry a pitchfork
Cow – a friend of mine had a very cute homemade cow costumes. the pants were made from cowprint fabric, and then she wore a white sweatshirt and hotglued black spots made from felt onto it. (this could be done to make the pants if you can’ts sew)
Vampire – dress in black, and wear a cape & vampire teeth
Ghost – wear a white sheet. And for fun, if you have an old sheet that you never use anymore, you can cut a bunch of holes in it, and be Charlie Brown dressed as a ghost.
Cop – black pants & button up shirt, plus carry a badge & gun
Mail carrier – Wear Navy shorts & blue shirt (or wear brown and go as a UPS man)
Farmer – wear overalls or jeans with a plaid shirt, and perhaps a hat
Baby/kid – wear pajamas and put your hair in pigtails, carry a stuffed animal
Caesar -use a sheet or white material to make a toga, and wear a wreath on your head and sandals on your feet.
Athlete or Fan – wear a jersey of your favorite time. To dress as a fan, paint your face and carry a sign.
French Maid – Black dress/apron
Waitress – same as french maid, only with different colors
Tv Character – maybe someone from the Brady Bunch or Saved by the Bell, or perhaps The Fonz – just wear clothes from that time period

And now for a few unique concepts:
Store Shelf – save food boxes or other items and attach them to a piece of poster board, and attach the poster board to yourself (use pins or tie around you with string)
Bouquet of Flowers – buy several bunches of fake flowers & attach them to an old sweatshirt
Stop sign – make a big stop sign out of red poster board and attach it to your clothes
Playing Card -same concept as stop sign, only make a playing card design
Leftover – wrap yourself in tin foil
Block of Cream Cheese – wrap a box in tin foil, then cut holes in the box for your head/arms.

Mr. Clean – Jeans, white t-shirt, earring, and perhaps carry a mop or shirt. (I always joke with my dad, who’s hairless, that he should dress as Mr. Clean) I also think it would be cute to make a costume for other advertising icons like Mrs. Butterworth, the Pillsbury Doughboy, or perhaps a character from some Cereal commercial.

Blogger – This one would be funny & cute, if you have the stuff to do it with. Either use a kid’s toy laptop, or make something that looks like a laptop (maybe get a pizza box or cereal box and paint it). And then just find a way to attach it to your hip!

Filed Under: crafts, fall, Halloween

Candy Apples: Photos & Links

October 15, 2008 1 Comment

Fall is the time for Halloween and the country fair, and no county fair or Halloween party is complete without candy apples. I looked around the internet and found several sites that might be of interest to you. They include instructions/recipes to make candy apples, and they feature a variety of different kinds that you can make. (funny, growing up I’d only ever heard of 3 kinds: the caramel ones, the red ones, and the ones with nuts.)

Each link is described below, and as a bonus I posted a few delicous looking photos for you viewing pleasure.

Ehow – For directions on how to make candy apples
Maholo.com – another site that offers instructions on making candy apples
maholo.com (again) – facts & lots of links about candy apples
Cooking Light – learn how to make cinnamon candied apples
About.com – Video shows you how to make caramel apples
Wikipedia – the history of candy apples (for nerds like me)
Family Fun shows how to make mini candie apples (pictured below). Very cute!

myrecipes – This site has a gallery of 14 different kinds of candy apples. Below I’ve posted some a few of their photos. Visit their site to learn more about the photos and find out all the different kinds of candy apples you can make.

Personally I like the Granny Smith Apples with caramel, but that’s just me. Though I wouldn’t mind a taste of the chocolate or chocolate-peanut butter, and maybe the toffee flavored!

Filed Under: desserts, fall, Halloween, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Apple Crisp

October 3, 2008 6 Comments

This week’s recipe is from Taste of Home. It is a recipe for Apple Crisp. I don’t get a chance to eat this stuff as much as other cakes/pies/etc, but when I do eat it, it is absolutely delicious.

This is a really great recipe to eat on a cool fall or winter day. It’s perfect for harvest time and family get togethers, and it’ll warm your heart and soul. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
5 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup water

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples, pressing down to smooth top. Slowly pour water over the top; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Filed Under: desserts, fall, Recipe of the Week

Links to Fall Wedding Ideas & Items

October 2, 2008 1 Comment

During the summer I kept meaning to do some posts on wedding ideas, but I never got around to it. Then yesterday I found out that my best friend from elementary/high school is getting married next summer. This inspired me to do a post on stuff for fall/autumn weddings. Some of the most beautiful weddings I’ve been too were fall weddings. Fall colors are so pretty, and they create such a soft, romantic, and elegant atmosphere.

For today’s post I’ve compiled a list of links to fall wedding ideas. Some of these are retail sites which sale wedding favors and other items, while others provide information and/or photos about wedding flowers, decor, etc. Even if you, yourself, are not getting married, you may still want to consider these sites if you’re planning a wedding shower for a friend, or if you’re looking for some ideas for home decor or party ideas for the fall. Happy looking!

Simply Elegant Favors – sells a variety of favors for fall weddings and other occasions
Favor Ideas – more favors for weddings/showers
Fall & Autumn Wedding Accessories – candles, serving sets, guest books, favors, and other accessories
Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas – ideas for boquets, flower arrangments, centerpieces, and cakes in beautiful fall colors
About.com: Fall Wedding Ideas & Themes – ideas for fall wedding locations, decor, dress, etc.
BHG – candle centerpieces
Martha Stewart Weddings – fall bridal boquets and a ton of other wedding planning tips and ideas

BHG – Centerpieces – BHG has a ton of ideas for fall centerpieces, many of which would be beautiful for wedding reception or shower

Filed Under: decorating, fall, party ideas

Cute Invitations for Halloween

September 30, 2008 1 Comment

I’m finally starting to get my house in order….sort of. And I’m going to try and get back to my postings…though they may be a little disjointed for a while. For something quick and easy I was looking on BHG and found these really cute Halloween party invitations. Handmade invitations are so cute, and the scrapbooking industry has made it so easy to make unique, professional looking invitations.

Lovely Leaves – I love the embelishments on the outside of this invite. This would be a good project not just for Halloween but for any Fall or Thanksgiving activity. I think it would also make a lovely pattern for a fall wedding or shower invitation.

Come Hang Out With Us – I like this invitation because it’s a very simple pattern, but it’s still cute and fun. This one’s my favorite overall.

Shabby Spider Web – I think the shabby/tattered look goes great with the spider webs. It makes me think of a haunted house.

Dancing Skeleton – I really like the embellishments on this invite. It’s very bright, colorful, and professional looking, yet it can be made with just a few simple pieces of scrapbook materials.

Filed Under: crafts, fall, Halloween

Thanksgiving Recipe: Marshmallow Pilgrim Hat Cookies

November 19, 2007 2 Comments

INGREDIENTS:
24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
12-ounce package of chocolate chips
24 marshmallows
tube of yellow decorators’ frosting

Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax-paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.
One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.
Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.
Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators’ frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, desserts, fall, recipes, Thanksgiving

A Guide to Organized Holiday Shopping: Black Friday, Part 2

November 18, 2007 Leave a Comment

Here is part 2 of my Black Friday holiday shopping guide. I hope you’ll find it helpful.

5. Making a shopping list – On a sheet of paper make a list of each store you plan to go to and under each store’s name, make a list of the items you plan to buy there. Put a star next to the items you are most interested in. This will help you to prioritize your list.

6. Prioritizing & organizing the stores on your list – At this time you should prioritize and decide which stores you want to go to first. In my opinion, this is the most important step. There are a number of factors to base priorities on. You can use these factors to make one list, or a make a couple of lists based on these factors and coordinate the two.

Time of sale – Each store ends its sale at a different time. Some go until 11am or noon. Others are over by 10am. Then there are others that have sales for the entire weekend. Obviously you should first go to the stores that end their sales earlier.
Items you are most interested in – If a particular store has something that you especially want, you should go there first thing. Many of these items will be in limited quantities at the stores, so you should get there early.
Location of stores – In order to save time and gas, you should keep the locations of the stores in mind. Think of how close they are to your home and how close they are to one another, and map out your shopping route to avoid driving back and forth.
Normal everyday items versus the extraordinary – Keep in mind that many of the items in the sale ads are not going to sell out. In fact some of the items, namely bath and perfume gift sets, movies, and clothes, will be available for the next month, so try to save yourself time and buy these items later. Meanwhile focus your efforts on the “extraordinary.” Popular toys and electronics may or may not be available later, so you should put these as a top priority.
A store with one good item versus several – Some stores on your list may only have one thing that you want, whereas others will have an entire stock of things you are interested in. I would advise going to the stores that only have one or two items that you want first. Then when you go to the store that has several items, you’ll have more time to look around because you will have already been to the other stores. However, if you feel time slipping up on you, you may want to skip a couple of these stores that only have one item that you want, so that you can get to these other place before the sales end.

Once you have your priorities straight, and you have a well organized list, you should be ready to brave the shopping world. Don’t forget to bring your shopping list and your ads with you on your shopping trip. Also remember not to stress too much, and try to be patient and friendly with fellow customers. Getting the latest Elmo toy is not a matter of life and death. Don’t yell at someone if they get in your way or pick up the item that you wanted. The most important thing is to have fun and stay safe. Happy Shopping!

Filed Under: Christmas, fall, organizing, shopping, Thanksgiving

A Guide to Organized Holiday Shopping: Black Friday, Part 1

November 18, 2007 Leave a Comment

Many people buy into the “day after Thanksgiving” shopping hype, and if you don’t, then you at least know someone who does. And who could blame you, if you do? It is a great opportunity to buy quality Christmas presents at discounted prices. You may even find a few goodies for yourself. But before rushing out to battle the crowds…and I mean literally battle the crowds, here are a few “day after Thanksgiving” shopping strategies to keep in mind.

1. Making a list of what you hope to find – Before ever looking at any ads, think about what kinds of items you are hoping to find. Maybe you’d like to find a deal on a new computer or a digital camera. Or perhaps you are looking for sweaters to buy for family members. Make a list of exactly what you are looking for. This will help you to set limits for yourself and prevent you from going completely overboard.

2. Organizing ads – Nowadays you can view ads on the internet, but I like to do it the old fashioned way. Just buy a newspaper. There will be more ads than you will know what to do with. Start by discarding any ads for stores where you never shop and stores that have no items which you are interested in purchasing. Next sort the remaining ads into organized groups.(For example: Walmart, Kmart, ect. would go in one group. Electronic stores would go in another group.) Now that you’ve put the ads into like groups, you can pick up a small stack of ads at a time and look through them. By dividing the ads into groups, it is easier for you to compare prices and to stay focused on one thing at a time.

3. Viewing & Comparing Ads – As you view the ads, have a pen handy and circle any items that you find interesting. Place any ads you don’t like into the discard pile. As you are looking for the items on your wish list, you will find that some of the stores will have similar items. You may decide to buy one over the other by looking at the price or taking into account how close the store is to your home, or maybe you have a customer rewards card with one of the companies. (These three factors are especially important for items like clothing, movies, cds, and kitchen appliances, where the items will be the same or similar brands, and the items are pretty much interchangeable, regardless of where they are bought) However, some item comparisons are a little more involved. For items like electronics and tools put the ads side by side and read the specs for the items to decide which is actually the better deal. This all sounds like a timely process, but in the end it will save you money and time in the stores.

4. Create a stack of “good” ads. – After discarding all unwanted ads, and any ads that did not win in the price comparison race, you should be left with only small stack of good ads. At this time you may want to make a list of all the stores you plan to go to. If you still have a large stack, keep in mind, there are only so many hours in a day. Think of how much time you want to spend shopping versus how many ads you have, and try to weed out a few more ads.

Check back to read part 2.

Filed Under: Christmas, fall, organizing, shopping, Thanksgiving

12 Tips & Shortcuts for Your Holiday Party

November 14, 2007 Leave a Comment

Whether you are having guests over for the holidays, or you are the guest, nearly everyone is responsible for doing some cooking. It can be stressful, especially if you are not used to cooking for a lot of people and you have several recipes you have to make. Here are some short cuts and tips to help make your holiday cooking a success:

1. Potluck – If you are the host, have your guests to each bring an item. Even if you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, if someone asks you if she can bring something, make a suggestion. Chances are if someone asks to bring something, she’s going to bring something even if you say no. You might as well make a kind suggestion like, “yes, i really love your potato salad.” Meanwhile, if you are the guest, try to bring something to the party, even if your host swears she doesn’t need any help.

2. Gathering Recipes – The week before your holiday party, gather all your recipes so that you can begin making a shopping list of everything you’ll need to cook with.

3. Clean out fridge and pantry – You should clean out your refrigerator and you pantry. Check the expiration dates, and throw out old ingredients, in order to make room for all the new food you’re going to buy and so that you’ll have room for all the left overs. Also, you can use this opportunity to do an inventory and make a more accurate list of what you will need to buy.

4. Shop early – Buy everything you’re going to need the week or weekend before the big day. This way you can beat the crowds, and you won’t have to stress about the shopping trip anymore. Plus, if you wait and shop at the last minute, there’s a good chance the store might be out of something you need, and you’ll be more stressed and more likely to forget something.

5. Buy bags and containers – This would be a good time to buy extra ziplock bags and storage containers. Not only will you be storing leftovers, but you may also want to make a few “to go” plates for your guests.

6. Microwave – Consider using the microwave to cook certain items faster. You can use it for baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, and certain breads. It’s also a good place to keep your side items warm till the rest of the food is ready.

7. Rolls – Save time by getting rolls from a bakery, or buy rolls that can be baked within just a few minutes, out of the bread, frozen, and refrigerated sections of your grocery store.

8. Frozen Vegetables – Frozen vegetables are often better than canned and are the next best thing to homegrown. Depending on what you buy and your method of cooking, most frozen veges can be cooked up in 20 minutes for less.

9. Cooking several days before – You can save time by making pies several days before the party. Simply make your pies and then freeze them. Just don’t forget to get them out in time to thaw before the party. If you place pies that are traditionally eaten warm (such as apple) in the oven for a few minutes before your meal, they’ll come out tasting warm and fresh like they were just made. Holiday candies are also a good item to make several days ahead, especially the ones that take a long time to make. Just be sure to look at the instructions on the recipe to find out if they can be stored in a container at room temperature, or whether you need to have them chilled in the fridge.

10. Cooking the night before – Other time consuming recipes can be cooked the night before such as potato salad and deviled eggs. You can also make dressing and casseroles the night before. Simply mix them up, and place them in a dish, and then all you’ll have to do is bake them the next day.

11. Crock Pot – Often people forget about the slow cooker. What is great about it is you can place your ingredients in it, and it does the cooking for you. You don’t have to do a lot of prep work, and you don’t have to constantly watch it. Use it to cook your dressing, a stew, meat, beans, or side items.

12. Clean up – When you have a lot of cooking and baking to do, you may not have much time to clean your house. So try doing the majority of your cleaning the week before your party. Be sure to clean your bathroom, kitchen, and living area, and don’t forget to clean the guest room if you are having people sleep over. If you do most of the cleaning ahead of time, you’ll be a lot less stressed, and then you can do just a quick clean up the day before the guests arrive

Filed Under: fall, party ideas, planning, Thanksgiving