3 Last Minute Halloween Treats

Yum

I have to tell you that my co-workers really get in to Halloween.  The other day I walked in and there were hanging bats, twinkling skulls light, cobwebs, and even a rat or two lurking around the aisles.

I love Halloween myself, especially the costumes and the make-up.  I was once a "cat" character from the play Cats.  I love doing the make-up on that one.  I also remember one year as a unicorn.  So many good times celebrating Halloween.  These days it has a totally different memory associated as it's also my and MGG's dating anniversary.  So our celebrations have taken a little different turn than the usual boo-fest!

This year my co-workers decided to have a potluck, with all Halloween treats.  Sugar heaven for sure!  So I went on to Pinterest and chose 3 treats that I could make quickly, but would be totally cute and wow my co-workers.

Treat #1:   Sweet and Salty Halloween Crackers
Found on Pinterest here.  This is an easy treat to make using store bought (bright) orange peanut butter crackers, black candy melts, and Halloween sprinkles.  Just melt the candy in a bowl according to the package directions.  Dip one corner in the candy mixture and place it on a sheet pan lined with wax paper.  Add sprinkles and allow to dry.  Simple!

Treat #2:  Frankenstein Monster Cookies
Found on Pinterest here.  This is a totally sweet treat.  Buy some chocolate wafer cookies, neon green candy melts, chocolate sprinkles, and candy eyes.  These are really fun and easy to prepare.  Just dip the wafers in the melted green candy and place on a sheet pan lined with wax paper.  Then sprinkle chocolate sprinkles on the top 1/4 to make the hair.  Add 1 or 2 eyes, then add another chocolate sprinkle for the mouth.  Allow to dry and then you have a cute treat to share!

Treat #3:  Savory Spiders
Found on Pinterest here.  I really like this one, and think it was the easiest to make.  Buy Ritz crackers, peanut butter, pretzel sticks, and candy eyes.  To make just take one Ritz cracker and add some peanut butter to the inside.  Break three pretzel sticks in half and add them horizontally to each side so they are sticking out like legs.  Add more peanut butter to the inside of another cracker and place on top of the one with the pretzels.  Push together so they adhere well.  With another dab of peanut butter add two candy eyes on the top cracker.  Repeat, repeat, repeat!


These will all be a big hit at the party.  They are almost too cute to eat!
Happy Halloween!

7 Halloween Party Ideas

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7 Halloween Party Ideas

For all the Ghouls and Goblins out there I bring to you 7 Halloween Party Ideas.  Whether you are having and adult party of one for the kids there is something for everyone!

Happy Halloween!

Screaming Pretzels

Monster Mash

Sloppy Guiseppe's

Crescent Roll Mummy Dogs

Pork and Pumpkin Stew

Baby Acorns

Crispy Chicken and Apple Salad

Screaming Pretzels

Yum

Boo! Halloween is almost here and I'm getting excited!

It's one of my FAVORITE holidays.  I have the BEST memories of dressing up for Halloween as a kid and as an adult.  I just love it.  I guess I'm secretly wishing to wear costumes and play dress up!

Since I'm into the costume side of it all I don't make too many goodies for Halloween.  However, this year I came across the most adorable treats on Pinterest. These Screaming Pretzels are too cute!  Just look at those eyes...they totally make these treats.   Plus...they are sooooo easy to make!  Not only will the kids love these but the adults will love them too.

Screaming Pretzels

I can completely attest to that, as I delivered these to my co-workers and they were all gone immediately, and....they asked me to make more!  This never happens.  My co-workers are healthy-picky.  The type that never touches a sweet.  But not today!  They ate these salty sweet dark chocolate dipped pretzels right up.  The flavors are just right.

The idea originally comes from the Oriental Trading website.  Only requires 3 ingredients and a little amount of time.  I used dark chocolate this time, but I'm thinking white chocolate next time for Screaming ghosts....or orange for screaming pumpkins.  Go ahead and make them your own.  In the end you'll have a cute inexpensive treat that all will love. 

Enjoy!




Screaming Pretzels

Ingredients:

Mini twist pretzels
Dark chocolate candy melts
Candy eyeballs

Directions:

Melt the chocolate candy melts according to the directions on the package in a medium bowl.

Dip the pretzels into the candy melts, coating both sides. Shake off excess chocolate.  Place the pretzel on waxed or parchment paper making sure the bottom hole (where the mouth would be) of the pretzel is not filled with chocolate. Note:  It's okay, and even helps, if the top two holes are filled with chocolate as they hold the eyes better.

Place a eyes into the top two sections. Allow to set until firm.

Ghoulish Halloween Treats

It's always fun to celebrate Halloween.

We've had some great parties at my house with Vampire Coffins, Witches Brew, and Jason hanging around amongst the fog and the dry ice patches everywhere.  Great times also calls for festive food.

A special punch is a must.  The rest, can be themed or not, but should be autumn inspired and easy on the preparation so you are spending time tricking or treating instead of cooking.

This year to get in the mood for Halloween we went to the Rise of the Jack O' Lanterns.  A huge display at Descanso Gardens of about 5,000 professionally carved pumpkins. Amazing work, amazing creativity!  We are in the mood now.
Take a look at some of my favorites.

Now, back to the food...
Here are some of my favorite ideas to serve this Halloween.

Monster Mash  - This is my all time favorite snack to make for Halloween.  Everybody loves this stuff!  The colors and the flavors all screammmm Halloween!

Sloppy Guiseppe's  - An Italian spin on a standard Sloppy Joe.  An easy dish to put together before trick or treating. AND, the kids love em'!!

Crescent Roll Mummy Dogs - who wouldn't love to bite into this little mummy?  Another easy dish that tastes sooo good.

Mom's Beef Stew - I'm actually making a batch of this right now!  Imagine that!  There is nothing more perfect that this hearty beefy vegetable soup on a chilly night.  I like to serve this in a hollowed out pumpkin used as a tureen.  Perfect!

Baby Acorns - These are so cute and totally remind me of fall.  Simple to put together and a great project to have the kids help make.  A wonderful little dessert or snack.

Chocolately Hot Chocolate - Let's not forget the best drink after a night of trick or treating. This hot cocoa will warm you up with it's creamy sinful flavor.

Make sure to have a safe and devilishly, ghoulish, and spooky Halloween!

Sloppy Guiseppe's

Even though it is fall it's still HOT around here.  We just can't seem to get a break. I'm missing the windy blustery days of October that remind me of football and Halloween. So to roll with the flow we are still grilling.  YEP we are.  

The other day I broke out a package of ground sirloin and we made some wonderful burgers and fries.  Whenever we do that I'm pressed to come up with something different to use the leftover ground sirloin.  I typically make a batch of goulash, or spaghetti sauce...but I was in the mood for something simple, yet delish!

Today's recipe is a twist on my Old School Sloppy Joes. Sloppy Guiseppe's is an Italian variation of the same satisfying sandwich.  Filled with Italian sauce, garlic and spices...oh and gooey melted cheese, these are hard to resist!  

They are the perfect game day meal.  Comforting, homey, and just messy enough to be fun.  Guys love them! Just serve them along with some chips and a salad or fruit and you have a wonderful hearty meal.  And...I think they will be the perfect meal to serve the kiddos prior to going trick or treating this Halloween!

What do you make with your leftover ground sirloin??

Enjoy!

Sloppy Guiseppe's

serves 4

2 T olive oil

1/2 c diced onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb of ground sirloin

3 c jarred tomato basil spaghetti sauce - or your favorite variety

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

1 c fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Add the olive oil to a large skillet.  Heat over medium heat. Add you dice onion and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ground sirloin.  Cook, stirring the meat to crumble it about 7-8 minutes or until no longer pink.

Add the spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and heat until bubbly and sauce starts to thicken. About 5-6 minutes.  

Divide the meat mixture among the 4 bottom toasted rolls. Add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the meat mixture and top with the top bun.  

Halloween Dinner Menu

Boo!

It's Halloween Time!

Are you planning anything for Halloween?  Do you still dress up and go out to parties, or do you host one of your own?

We typically go out on Halloween, sometimes dressing up to join in all the fun.  I remember many couple costumes such as Cleopatra and Marc Antony, Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Batgirl, and his favorite....Zorro and his dame.  This year we went to a Great Gatsby event down at a Malibu Mansion and go to dress up in roaring 20's attire.  So much fun.

Sometimes it's great to stay in, have some friends over for a cozy dinner, hand out candy, and watch scary movies!  

So I've planned a Halloween Dinner menu that you can pick and choose from whether you are taking the kids out trick or treating, or staying at home with the porch light off..!

All of these dishes are perfect for a cozy Autumn evening.  Below are the links to the recipes:

Apple Cider Iced Tea
Monster Mash
Cheesy Garlic Herb Bread
Pork and Pumpkin Stew 
Take Along S'mores

Happy Halloween!!! 

Crescent Roll Mummy Dogs

It's almost Halloween time, and I LOVE LOVE Halloween!

It's always been one of my favorite holidays.  Dressing up in all the fantastic costumes and putting on all the makeup.  Sooo many great memories of Halloween.  Several favorite costumes come to mind like being a Gypsy, or a Unicorn, or a Tiger like in the play Cats!  I even had a friend how once dressed up as a mummy, with tattered dirty sheets made into cloths.  She was perfect!

A couple of years ago we went away during Halloween (it's also our anniversary!) and the town of Cambria was having a scarecrow festival.  So many creative scarecrows placed strategically around town.  Aren't these incredible?

I usually don't make Halloween themed or decorated food because it usually is a time where we go out and party.  No time to eat.  But what I will do is make some themed or fall "esque" appetizers to have before the partying begins!

In honor of my mummy dressed friend Stephanie I decided to make some Crescent Roll Mummy Dogs.  You've seen them all over the internet no doubt.  They are quite popular and very easy to make.  But what you may not know is that they taste horrifyingly excellent!  The crescent dough just provides that needed bun like texture, but even better I would say, that you need with a hot dog.

Plus...who can resist these?  I mean, no one I know..and the kids go crazy over them.  And, aren't they cute??

So wrap up a hot dog in true mummy fashion this Halloween.  They may not fright, but they are sure to delight!

Enjoy!



Crescent Roll Mummy Dogs

adapted from Pillsbury.com


1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 

10  large hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard or ketchup, for dipping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.  Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough.

Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for the  "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs.  

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw eyes for the face.