Halloween Post 2013

Happy Halloween!

Such a fun holiday! 

Today I am going to share a quick and easy 

Halloween recipe that you can throw together last minute 

if you are rushing to a Trick-or-Treat party tonight. 

So easy. So yummy. So cute. 

And then we will recap all of the Halloween recipes from this week.  

First things first...

FrankenGuac Cups

While, I'm excited to share this super cute recipe with you, 

I'm MOST excited to share this guac recipe. 

Seriously the most simple thing you will ever make 

and maybe the most delicious. 

1 packet. 2 Avocados. Mix. Done. 

No seriously. That's it. 

You'll wanna save this little gem for more than just Halloween. 

If you love guac like me, this little recipe will become a staple at your house.

Shopping List:

8 Avocados

4 packets Concord Foods Mild Guacamole Mix

1 bag Tostitos Blue Corn Chips

12 small Clear Plastic Cups

Method:

1. Mix avocados and guac mix packets using a potato masher.

2. Draw face on clear plastic cup. Full cup with Guac.

3. Add chips to top to create "hair." Enjoy.

Tip: To keep guac from turning brown, place pits back in mixed guac until, ready to divide into cups and serve. OR, cover top of guac with a thin layer of water. Just before dividing into cups and serving, pour of water.

Now let's recap...

On Friday, we celebrated Week #8 of Pumpkin Fall Fridays 

AND Halloween with these adorable little Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. 

How cute are these ghosts?!

On Sunday, I put together for you the perfect Trick-or-Treat night menu. 

You want to spend your time helping your little ones get dressed up 

and parading around the neighborhood collecting sweets, 

NOT slaving away over dinner... 

My crockpot Meatball Subs, Caesar salad, and Spiderweb Brownies 

are just the quick and easy meal you need!

Yesterday, my sister Hannah guest posted this delicious Spooky Snack Mix. 

So yummy. So festive. And will be enjoyed by the whole family!

Have a Spooktacular Halloween folks!

See you tomorrow for Week #9 of Pumpkin Fall Fridays!

Guest Post: Spooky Snack Mix

I feel so lucky that my sister is willing to 

contribute to this blog so frequently. 

Hannah and her husband Thomas

She always shares WONDERFUL 

recipes - often times YOUR favorite ones! 

And today she is getting in on the Halloween action. 

Last week she sent me this awesome Spooky Snack Mix 

she made from Fake Ginger, and I just knew it had to be posted. 

This kid-friendly recipe will be great to share with the family, 

or perfect to take to your next fall party. 

Maybe even pack it up and take it to the big game this weekend! 

Super easy, and so yummy. 

Thanks Hannah!

Spooky Snack Mix

Shopping List:

5 cups Corn Chex

2 cups cinnamon-flavored Teddy Grahams

2 cups salted peanuts

2 cups tiny twist pretzels

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups candy corn

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons coconut oil

Method:

1. Stir together cereal, crackers, peanuts and pretzels in a large bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

2. Combine sugar, corn syrup and butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently, bring to boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. 

3. Drizzle glaze over snack mix and toss to coat. Gently stir in marshmallows and candy corn; immediately spread on baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Melt white chocolate chips and coconut oil until smooth. Drizzle over snack mix and allow to sit for about 2 hours until chocolate has set completely.

5. Store in airtight container. Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Halloween!! 

We will recap all of the recipes from this week, 

as well as share one quick little recipe you can throw together last minute 

to take to your Halloween party tomorrow night! 

It's so cute!

The Perfect Meal for Trick-or-Treat Night

Halloween is upon us! 

I can hardly believe it. 

For me, this really is the first holiday of the holiday season, 

so naturally I am so excited!! 

I imagine most of us will be having Trick-or-Treat night 

at some point this week, and that means there's the question 

of "what to do for dinner" that night. 

If you've got kiddos, you're trying to get them home from school, 

homework done, dressed in costume, bundled for the cold, 

and out the door in time. 

If you don't have kiddos (like me!) you're racing home from work, 

picking up last minute candy from the store, 

and fixing your front porch Halloween decorations 

in time for that first doorbell ring. 

Dinner, is probably the LAST thing on your mind that night! 

We don't have time to be cooking up an elaborate meal during all this rush! 

However, I know I'm still thinking about 

how to get something substantial in me, 

before consuming mass amounts of sugary goodness later. 

Well fear not! I have put together the perfect, 

SUPER super easy meal that you can have ready for your family 

in minutes - because you only have minutes 

before its out the door in pursuit of bulging bags of candy! 

Through a few prepare-ahead items, and some grocery store cheats, 

you can have a delicious meal on the table 

for your family that will be fast and easy. 

Let's Get Started!!

Dinner: Meatball Subs

Meatball Subs are great because you can throw the meatballs 

in the crockpot that morning, and by dinner time, they are ready to serve. 

True Confession: At the grocery store I reached for the ground beef 

to make the meatballs, and directly next to them 

were already made meatballs - same amount of meat, and only 50 cents more! 

We are about quick and easy here, people! 

Which do you think I went with! 

Don't feel guilty on nights like these about getting a little help 

from the grocery store pre-mades. 

Do you want to spend your time laboring over dinner? 

Or with your little ones as they embark on 

one of their favorite nights of the year?

However, I know some of you. 

And I know some of you will still want 

to make your own meatballs - and I mean, you can make them ahead of time 

and even freeze them. For those of you who want to make your own, 

click HERE for a great recipe from Six Sisters Stuff.

Shopping List:

Pre-made meatballs

(From the meat section, next to the ground beef).

1 container Marinara Sauce

2 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Sub Sandwich Rolls

- OR-

Ingredients from the homemade meatball recipe

Method:

1. The morning of Trick-or-Treat night, place meatballs and marinara sauce in crockpot. Season with Italian seasonings, if desired. Cook 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

2. Assemble sub with a little extra marinara sauce from the bottom of the crockpot and some mozzarella cheese.

Side: Caesar Salad

Ok we need some greens right? 

So here is a fast and easy Caesar Salad. 

True Confession: I picked up a Caesar Salad Kit from my grocery store. 

I had all of the ingredients already in the package - even the dressing! 

But for you guys who want to make your own, you still can quickly and easily.

Shopping List:

Caesar Salad Kit

(With the bags of salad in the grocery store. 

I used Marketside Light Caesar Salad Kit).

- OR- 

Romaine Lettuce

Grape Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

(I actually used mozzarella since we had 

some left over from the meatball subs).

Croutons

1 bottle Caesar Salad Dressing

Method:

1. Assemble salad. That's it!

Dessert: Spider Web Brownies

So not all of us get to eat the candy on Trick-or-Treat night. 

And shouldn't the adults have something spooky and sweet to eat? 

YES! 

These brownies are so fun and you can make them the day before. 

I practiced the spiderweb design on a plate before, I tried it on the brownies. 

Shopping List:

1 box Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix

(I used Pillsbury).

1 13oz container Marshmallow Fluff

(I used Jet-puffed).

1 bag Black Cookie Icing for piping

(I used Betty Crocker).

Method:

1. Prepare Brownies according to box directions.

2. Remove brownies from oven and immediately spread marshmallow creme. Cool completely.

3. Decorate with black icing to create spider web. Enjoy!

There you go! Super, super easy!

You'll have this meal on the table and minutes and even have a few extra 

to snap some pics of your adorable kiddos all dressed up in costume 

before you head out the door.

Check back tomorrow for a yummy Halloween Munch 

guest posted by my sister Hannah.

All that's left to say is...

Trick-or-Treat!

Week #8 Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Today marks Week #8 of Pumpkin Fall Fridays 

and the first day of a week of Spook-tacular Halloween recipes! 

When I saw these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars on Pinterest from My Recipes,

I was a little intimidated at first because 

they looked difficult to make - especially those cute little ghosts!  

But I as I read the recipe, I realized they were actually very simple to make! 

And they are just so gosh darn cute, I couldn't resist. 

I practiced a few ghosts on a plate before I tried it on the actual bar. Easy-peasy. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Shopping List:

20 Oreos

2 1/2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 C Sugar

1 C Pumpkin Puree

3 Eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Tbsp Flour

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 tsp Salt

Cool Whip

Mini Chocolate Chips

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil.

2. Crush oreos in a food processor, add butter and pulse.

3. Press evenly in pan and bake for 10-12 mins. Cool slightly.

4. In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar. Then add pumpkin puree. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

5. Pour mixture into pan and place pan in a a baking dish. Fill baking dish with hot water. Bake for 40-45 mins or until sides are set and center still jiggles slightly. Allow to cool completely.

6. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Pipe cool whip to form ghosts and use mini chocolate chips to create eyes. Enjoy!

Such a fun Halloween Treat!! 

And the best part is we are just getting started!! 

Tune in Sunday as I put together for you 

the perfect Trick - or - Treat night dinner. 

And then Monday for a guest post from Hannah on another Spooky Snack! 

I can hardly stand the excitement!

Caramel Apple Cider Bundt Cake

I've said it before and I'll say it again... 

I just love Mix and Match Mama's blog. 

I read it almost every morning. 

She shares the best recipes with great photography, 

and her Family blog has made me fall in love 

with the Shull's without ever having met them. 

So when I stumbled upon her Caramel Apple Cider Bundt Cake, 

I absolutely had to try. 

I didn't even change one thing about the recipe 

because it was already absolutely perfect. 

It is seriously the moistest cake I have ever eaten! 

So so so yummy! In fact, 

I have made not one but TWO of these cakes in the last week for different functions. 

They are so perfectly Fall. You simply MUST try!  

Thank you Mix and Match Mama!!

Caramel Apple Cider Bundt Cake

Shopping List:

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

2 small boxes Instant Vanilla Pudding

1/2 C Canola Oil

1 C Apple Cider, plus a few splashes for frosting

4 Eggs

1 C Applesauce

2 Tbsp Cinnamon, divided

1 C Caramel Pieces

Frosting:

1 C Caramel Ice Cream Topping

1 stick Butter, softened

4 C Powdered Sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan.

2. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, instant pudding mix, oil, cider, eggs, applesauce, and 1 Tbsp cinnamon. Stir in caramel pieces. Pour into bundt pan.

3. Bake 40-45 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool for 10 mins.

5. Run knife around the outside of the pan to loosen cake. Invert cake pan and cool cake completely.

6. To make frosting, beat butter, powered sugar, 2-3 splashes of cider and cinnamon until creamy. Add more sugar to thicken, or more cider to thin until frosting is at your desired consistently.

7. Drizzle caramel topping over cake. Frost cake. Enjoy!! (And believe me... you will).

I'm so thankful its Fall!!

Stop by on Friday for Week #8 of Pumpkin Fall Fridays 

and the start of a week of celebrating Halloween 

with a few spoooky recipes that are to die for...

...Muahahaha

Chicken Gyros

I meant to get this up yesterday, 

but time always seems to get away from me. 

However, I am excited to share this recipe. 

My sister, while studying abroad in Europe 3 years ago, 

talked about how delicious gyros are. 

In fact, when she was in Greece, she didn't really like any of the other food, 

and lived on a diet of them. 

 I had to try one for myself. 

And immediately, I was hooked! 

And the tzatziki sauce in this recipe is perrrfect!!

Chicken Gyros

Shopping List:

2 Chicken Breasts

Cavender's Greek Seasoning

Red Onion, thinly sliced

Lettuce

Tomatos, diced

Pita Bread

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 C Cucumber, finely chopped

1/2 C Greek Yogurt

1/4 C Sour Cream

2 tbsp Pickle Relish

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tbsp Minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Salt

Method:

1. Season chicken with Cavender's Greek Season and grill. Slice into strips.

2. To prepare tzatziki sauce, mix ingredients well.

3. Assemble gyro. Enjoy!