Posts

Showing posts from October, 2012

Halloween Porch and Garden Decorations

Image
I am sure you know by now....i love Halloween, it is my BEST time of the year.... Although here in the UK Halloween is catching on slowly, I wish we would embrace it like and friends in the USA. There are so many amazing ideas out there I could turn this blog into a devoted Halloween blog...Don't worry I wont. So I have had a REALLY hard time sorting my favourites out, there are so many to choose from, so here goes: Totally Reinvented From this to this.............   Kimn at  Reinvented  designed and created this stunning decoration for her porch. How fabulous is the contrast between the pumpkin colours and the black and white polka dots?  What a fresh new look to traditional orange/black Halloween colours. Door Decor Poundland Pumpkins - Cut them in half, spray and paint....Simples..... Scarily Refreshing The old watering hole provides plenty of drinks served up in pretty and practical pumpkin coolers. TIP: Line the pumpkin

Easy DIY Bubbling Cauldrons

Image
Easy Bubbling Cauldrons What you will need: Plastic cauldrons: one large and one medium Flowerpot saucer the same diameter as the large cauldron opening Aluminum foil 2 cans of spray-foam insulation for large cracks (We used Great Stuff.) Assorted rubber critters such as toads, lizards, rats, and bats Plastic eyeballs Crafts knife Lime-green acrylic crafts paint and paintbrush How to Make It: For the large cauldron, line the saucer with aluminum foil. Spray foam insulation into the tray until it is just a little more than full. Let the wet foam set up for about 10 minutes to form the "bubbling brew," and then insert rubber critters and plastic eyes as desired. On a separate sheet of aluminum foil, spray small blobs of the foam insulation. Use these blobs as decorative "drips" to glue on around the edge of the large cauldron. For the medium cauldron, cut a hole large enough for the cauldron to lie flat on its side. Protect a flat wo

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies

Image
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Cookies INGREDIENTS: 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated peanut butter cookies 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup orange decorator sugar crystals 14 twisted butter-flavor pretzel sticks, broken in half DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir cookie dough, egg yolk and flour until well mixed. Pour sugar crystals into small bowl. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls; roll in sugar crystals. Insert 1 pretzel piece into each ball for pumpkin stem. Using toothpick or tip of teaspoon, make lines around sides for pumpkin ridges. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or just until set in center when touched with fingertip. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. Makes 28 cookies Recipe from pillsbury

Wicked Witch Cupcakes

Image
***Wicked Witch Cupcakes*** Ingredients: 24 brown mini M&Ms, plus more for filling (optional) Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes Dirty Green Simple Buttercream 12 chocolate sugar cones 1 pound(s) black licorice laces, cut into 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch, and 2-inch lengths 12 candy corns Directions: Using a melon baller, scoop out the center of each cupcake, and fill with mini M&Ms, if desired. Cover the tops of each cupcake with a generous mound (about 1/3 cup) of buttercream. Insert one candy corn into each cupcake to form a nose. Using brown mini M&Ms, insert two into each cupcake to form eyes. Place two short lengths of licorice above the eyes to form eyebrows for the witch. Place the shorter licorice lengths above the eyebrows to form bangs. Place an inverted cone on top of bangs, pressing gently into buttercream to adhere. Place the longer licorice lengths under the cone hat to form the hair. Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes: Ingredients: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick

Tombstone Brownies

Image
***Tombstone Brownies*** Bake brownies in a 13"x9" pan and let cool. Cut into rectangles, and frost with chocolate icing. Use a tombstone cookie cutter to cut shapes into refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Bake as directed on package. If you can't find a tombstone cookie cutter, you can just use rectangular cookie cutters and shape with a knife. Let cool, and decorate as desired. Use a dollop of frosting to adhere the cookies to the brownies. Pipe green frosting "grass" and top with a candy pumpkin. Recipe found at halloween.holidayscentral

Ghoulish Petits Fours

Image
***Ghoulish Petits Fours*** For witch hats, make petits fours through step two. Then create a brim using a dab of icing: Affix each petit four to a 2-to-2 1/2-inch chocolate wafer cookie. Proceed to step three, coating with Chocolate Glaze instead of Butter Glaze. In lieu of step four, wrap one or two pieces of licorice lace around the base of the hat immediately after glazing. Ingredients Makes about 40 White Sheet Cake Confectioners' Sugar Icing Butter Glaze 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, for eyes and mouth Directions: Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from cake. Brush off any crumbs with a pastry brush. Fit a pastry bag with a plastic coupler, and top cake rounds with icing in a ghost or hat shape,about 1 inch high. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Set an iced cake round on a fork; hold over bowl of glaze. Using a large spoon, drizzle glaze evenly over cake and icing until completely covered. Transfer to wire ra

Night Owl Halloween Cookies

Image
***Night Owl Halloween Cookies*** INGREDIENTS: 1 roll (18 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1/4 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 20 whole cashews ¼ cup vanilla frosting ¼ cup chocolate frosting ½ cup M&M’S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies 2 cookie sheet pans Plastic wrap paper Resealable plastic bag DIRECTIONS: 1. Divide the sugar cookie dough in three pieces. Knead the flour into one piece of cookie dough until smooth, set aside. Combine the remaining two pieces of cookie dough and knead in the cocoa powder until smooth, set aside. 2. Roll the lighter colored cookie dough into a 1-inch round log about 10 inches long, and move it off to the side. Roll out the chocolate cookie dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10 x 4-inch rectangle. Place the light colored log of cookie dough on top of the chocolate rectangle. Wrap the chocolate cookie dough completely around the lighter colored log. Pinch edges to seal and roll the log smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at

Yummy Mummy Spinach Dip

Image
***Yummy Mummy Spinach Dip*** What You Need: 1pkg. (16 oz.) frozen pizza dough, thawed 1 egg, beaten 2sticks KRAFT or POLLY-O Mozzarella String Cheese 2 black olive slices 1cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream 1/4 cup KRAFT Lite Ranch Dressing 1pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained 1 green onion, sliced 1/2cup finely chopped red peppers 1/4cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese 1/4tsp. ground black pepper WHEAT THINS Original Snacks Make It: PAT dough into 12x6-inch oval on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Indent dough, about 3 inches from one end of oval, for the mummy's head. Let rise in warm place 20 min. or until doubled in volume. HEAT oven to 375ÂşF. Brush dough with egg. Bake 18 to 20 min. or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Pull apart string cheese to make about 16 strips; arrange on bread for the mummy's wrappings. Bake 1 to 2 min. or just until cheese is

Scary Skillet Shepherd's Pie

Image
***Scary Skillet Shepherd's Pie*** What You Need: 1pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans, peas) 1lb. ground beef 1cup beef gravy 4oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed 1cup milk, divided 1cup water 2cups instant potato flakes 1/4cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese Make It: COOK vegetables as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in gravy; simmer 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. MICROWAVE cream cheese and 1/4 cup milk in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; beat with whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in remaining milk and water. Microwave 2-1/2 min. or until hot, stirring after each minute. Stir in potato flakes and Parmesan until blended. Spoon into resealable plastic bag; cut one corner off bottom of bag. REMOVE 12 peas from mixed vegetables; stir remaining vegetables into meat mixture in skillet. Squeeze potato mixture into 6 mounds on meat mi

Scary Spider Cookies (Gluten-Free Recipe*)

Image
If you like the idea of spider treats, don't miss the Scary chocolate halloween spiders   recipe, so continuing on the 8 legged recipe treats I hope you like these cookies. ***Scary Spider Cookies (Gluten-Free Recipe*)*** Cookie: 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup Butter, softened 1 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Black decorator sugar Decorations: Gluten-free red or black licorice laces (string),cut into 192 (1 1/2 to 2 inch) pieces, if desired Decorator gel or frosting Decorator candies (candy eyes, red cinnamon candies, mini chocolate-covered candy pieces, candy sprinkles, etc.), if desired Directions: Heat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour blend, baking powder and salt. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Roll dough into 1-inch balls

Scary Chocolate Halloween Spiders

Image
I love Halloween, in fact i love it so much that my husband and I married on Halloween. We spend every Halloween either going to Whitby, in Yorkshire (where it is believed that Dracula landed - and inspired the story by Bram Stoker, or partying our little dressing up socks off. If you are having a party, or even if you just want something to amaze the kids, you need to check out these fantastic Halloween snack ideas. ***Scary Chocolate Halloween Spiders*** bellaonline For 24 Extremely Scary Spiders: 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons butter 4 cups chow mein noodles 48 red cinnamon candies DIRECTIONS: Measure the chocolate chips and butter in a large microwaveable container. Microwave 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir until melted. If the chocolate isn't totally melted, place it back in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir. Add the chow mein noodles and stir until well-coated. Drop the mixture onto the prepared ba