Frogs on a Log

Big C was so proud of herself when she and her sister made these Frogs on a Log treats for her birthday party...

I realized that these would also be super cute for a "not-too-spooky" Halloween treat or a Letter F snack!

Frogs on a Log
Ingredients:
Hostess Ho Ho's
Gummy Frogs
Brown Candy Melts (or chocolate chips)
Wax Paper

Directions:
Unwrap Ho Hos and place on wax paper. Melt chocolate and drizzle lengthwise over Ho Ho's to give them a "wood texture". Place two gummy frogs on the top of each and let set completely, about 10 minutes.

Tips: after the girls drizzed the chocolate, I moved each Ho Ho a little bit on the wax paper so they didn't have big chocolate strings on the end. Or, you can just break them off after drying.

For the dessert stand, we simply bought a cross cut of wood at the craft store and Gourmet Dad cut a log for me. We used epoxy to glue them together and you have an instant rustic cake/dessert stand!

Candy Corn Coolers

We're having a big family Thanksgiving this year and I've been thinking about a fun and easy drink to serve. So, I created these "Candy Corn Coolers" and they were a hit with everyone I tried them on! They're definitely going on our Thanksgiving menu!I'm still working on other dishes to make--do you have some family favorites? Let me know, I'd love to try them! The recipe below is obviously estimates--you'll want to adjust depending on the size of your glasses. Basically, fill your glass half full with orange juice then add syrup and whipped cream. :)

Candy Corn Coolers
Ingredients
24 ounces orange juice or lemonade
18 ounces Torani orange syrup
refrigerated aerosol whipped cream

Directions
1. Fill six 8 oz. glasses half full with orange juice or lemonade.

2. Carefully pour 3 oz. orange syrup into each glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and serve!

Rat Infested Cupcakes

Need a Halloween treat in a snap?
How about some Rat-Infested Cupcakes?
Ewwww....and kind of cool...

I was making cupcakes last week and a couple of them got crumbly. Since I've had spooky ideas on the brain, I thought, "they look like they've been nibbled on by rats!"...Then I realized that it's actually a pretty good idea for Halloween!:)
This one is really enjoying his special treat!! :)
You can buy packages of small rats for $1 or so at Wal-Mart or Target in the Halloween section. The larger rats I got at our local party store.

Rat Infested Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Your favorite cupcakes
Icing
Sprinkles (optional)
Cupcake picks (optional, download here from Pumpkin Petunia)
Toy rats

Directions:
Quicky frost cupcakes and add sprinkles if desired. Using a fork, pick out a piece from the top and add a toy rat to look like it's nibbling the cupcake.

Print and cute out these cute cupcake picks from Pumpkin Petunia. BTW, she has GREAT party ideas if you're ever looking for inspiration. Tape or glue the circles to toothpicks. Thanks for sharing, Jo-Ann!

Add a pick to each of your cupcakes and you're done! So easy and super gross!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Glow in the Dark Spooky Drinks

I'm so excited to share the spookiest Halloween Drink EVER...
now don't these drinks look so cool?

How about kicking them up a notch and making them GLOW?!I learned this summer that Tonic Water contains quinine, which glows under UV light. Now, quinine is what gives Tonic water its bitter taste, so you have to add something really sweet to make it taste good! Well, I knew that it would be PERFECT for Halloween!!

You can add anything you like, I decided to use grenadine syrup (to look like blood). Plus, it sinks to the bottom and makes the drink glow more. Then, your guests can mix their drinks before consuming. I found the spooky skeleton glasses here.

Glow-in-the-Dark Spooky Drinks
Ingredients:
Tonic Water
Grenadine Syrup (or any flavoring syrup)
Black Light (I found inexpensive ones at Wal-Mart)

Directions:
Fill glass with tonic water. Add about 1/3 as much grenadine syrup (to taste). Turn off the lights & place by UV or Black Light. Serve! You can change up the ingredients to your taste, the sky is the limit!

Notes: I just heard that glowing drinks were published on Our Best Bites last month. Dang it, I thought I was being creative! If I use a recipe idea, I always credit the source and even though I did it unknowingly! They have some great pics and also made some glow-in-the-dark jell-o stars--too cute!

Ghoulish Goblin Toes

You can never have too many Halloween treats--we'll be featuring plenty in the coming weeks! These are are prefect project for the kids because the messier, the better! Goblin toes are supposed to be ugly!:) Also, "painting" the goblin toeneails was major fun for my girls!

Ghoulish Goblin Toes
Ingredients:
Golden Grahams Cereal
Cocoa Puffs Cereal
Peanut Butter cookies (we used Nutter Butter)
Green Candy Melts
Red Candy Melts
Wax Paper
Clean paintbrushes

Directions:
Gather your ingredients. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat green candy melts in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Dip cookies in green candy melts and set on wax paper. Place one Golden Grahams "toenail" on the end of each dipped cookie. Let set while you microwave the red candy melts (same technique as above).

Let the kids "paint" the goblin toenails with the red candy melts. My kids pretended it was a "Goblin Day Spa". :)

Press a Cocoa Puff into each cookie for a "wart". Paint over each wart with remaining green candy melts, if desired. Let set completely and serve. Will keep for up to 2 weeks in airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Disclosure: I was invited to contribute to Betty Crocker’s Cereal Spooktacular recipe collection. General Mills provided a $50 grocery card to cover ingredients and testing. I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Puffy Eyeball Truffles

Can you believe it's getting close to Halloween time? I love this time of year! We have some spooktacular treats and tricks for you so let's kick it off with
Peanut Butter Truffle Eyeballs

I had so much fun doing the Cereal Spooktacular last year that wer'e going to do it again! I justify making all the treats since cereal is vitamin fortified....;)

Peanut Butter Truffle Eyeballs
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. crushed Reese's Puffs Cereal
1 1/2 C. Peanut Butter
3/4 C. Butter, softened
4-6 C. Powdered Sugar
White Candy Melts
Red Candy Melts
Chocolate Chips (about 1/2 C.)
Wax paper
toothpick
Sucker Sticks, optional

Directions:
In large bowl, combine crused Reese's Puffs Cereal, Peanut Butter and butter. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a firm dough. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper.

Now, you can make these eyeballs stand-alone or put them on sucker sticks. We like making them into suckers, it's easier for the kids to dip them and they're fun to eat!
If making suckers, dip each stick in a little bit of melted white candy melts and push one into each peanut butter ball. Place in fridge for about 5 minutes to harden. (Tip: put your wax paper on a cookie sheet, then it's easy to transfer your treats to/from the fridge!)Dip each ball into melted White candy melts and set on wax paper to harden (about 5 minutes). When set, dip one side into melted red candy melts. Using a toothpick, drizzle some extra red around the edges to look like the eyes are "bloodshot". Press one chocolate chip, pointed side down, into the center and let set completely.
Here's an example of the "bloodshot" eyes! Thanks, Big C!:)
Little H wasn't sure which way her eyeball was lookin'...
Enjoy! We'll be featuring all kinds of Spooktacular fun throughout September and October!

Disclosure: I was given a $50 gift card from General Mills for ingredients to make creative cereal treats for Big G Halloween. I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Halloween Bentos

I'm a huge Bento fan and I've seen so many cute ones lately that I had to share! It's not too late to make up a spooky lunch next week!
In fact, the week after Halloween is the best time for a fun and spooky lunch--I'm hoping to lure my kids in to eat some healthy lunches and forget about all their candy!;)
Also, while you're getting recipes ready for the upcoming Holidays, you should know that Alouette and Chavrie are having a First Annual Facebook Fan Recipe Contest! The winning recipes will receive a $100 gift card from Cooking.com. It’s a great ‘starter’ contest assigned to a great food name. You can check them out here and here. I'll be working on some ideas!

Back to Bentos! Los Dragonnes has a ton of great ideas, this one is my favorite. Do you ever get the feeling your lunch is watching you??

This dastardly "Macbeth-inspired" pot of treats is from Cloud9Food. It would be so easy to add some string cheese and pieces of hot dog or olives to a bowl of soup or whatever you're serving for lunch.

Learn how to make this cutie at Adventures in Bentomaking:

Oh, do I love that Sherimiya from Happy Little Bento --she has some adorable ideas:
The "ghost" is a cut-out slice of mozzarella cheese.

It's not a bento, but what kid could resist "Monsters on a Stick" from Kellie at Little Nummies? I'm thinking you could use all sorts of tasty veggies, fruits, and pretzels to make some fun creations!

And, for a healthy and sweet treat, follow Obsessively Stitching's idea and put some electrical tape on the outside of an orange. Easy and so cute!

Mummy Suckers

These made-in-the-microwave suckers are quick and so fun to make! An adult has to do the hot sucker part, but the kids can drizzle the white chocolate "Mummy Wraps" and add eyes! I love the fact that they're cheap--less than 50 cents per batch to make.
The Gourmet Girls did a great job with these. Here were a few things I heard while they were making them...

Oh, Gourmet Girls, you are SO FUNNY! Do you have any more jokes?

OK....that's enough....:)

Microwave Mummy Suckers
makes 12
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
Food coloring (we used orange and purple)
a few drops orange oil, if desired (or any other flavoring oil)
Sucker Sticks or Popsicle Sticks
Wax Paper
White Chocolate (candy melts, almond bark, or white chocolate chips)
Edible Eyes (or whatever you want to use for eyes--choc chips, M&M's)

Directions:
Lay out sucker sticks on a cookie sheet lined with foil (shiny side up) or lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Mix sugar and corn syrup in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes 15 seconds. Remove from microwave, stir with a clean spoon, cover with a new piece of plastic wrap and microwave for another 3 minutes 15 seconds.
Remove from microwave and mix in any food coloring/flavoring oils that you want. Pour 1 tablespoon of hot mixture on top of each sucker stick. Let set completely (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan and you're ready to decorate!
Lay suckers out on wax paper. Microwave white chocolate in microwave safe bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring after each until melted. Give each child a spoon and drizzle over the suckers.

Add edible eyes (or chocolate chips, or M & M's...whatever you want to use for eyes). Remove from wax paper and set on a CLEAN sheet of wax paper (so you can get rid of the excess drizzles). Let set compeltely, about 10 minutes.

Hey, I think I found our new family portrait! Happy Halloween!

Slithering Snake Suckers

Ssssssay, how would you like to whip up some ssssslithering ssssnake ssssssuckers in less than 10 minutes?

I thought sssssso......:)

Slithering Snake Suckers
Ingredients:
Green Candy Melts (OR, you can use white almond bark or candy melts w/ a little oil-based green food coloring, see notes at end)
Trix Cereal
1 fruit roll up (for tongue)
Edible Eyes (or you can use chocolate chips)
Sucker Sticks or Popsicle Sticks
Ziploc Freezer Baggie

Directions:
Lay sucker or popsicle sticks on wax paper. Cut out "tongue" shapes from fruit roll-ups (if you wait until later, your suckers will have hardened and you're out of luck!). Melt candy melts at 30 second intervals in a microwave safe bowl, stirring after each interval until smooth and melted. Spoon into freezer baggie and snip off one end of the bag (about 1/4 inch or less). Pipe out an "S" shape with one extra curve onto each sucker stick. Squeeze the bag a little more at the top to make the head shape.

Insert fruit roll-up "tongue" into wet chocolate.
Add an edible eyeball or chocolate chip and a row of Trix Cereal.
Let set completely (about 5-8 minutes, if you can't wait you can make them on a cookie sheet covered w/ wax paper then pop them in the fridge, they'll set in about 2 minutes).

Go find your little sssssssssweeties and watch these treats ssssssslither away!

Notes on Candy Melts: Candy Melts are little round wafers of Coating Chocolate, when set they are very hard, so they're great for suckers and molded candies. You can buy white or brown Candy Melts (made by Wilton) at Wal-Mart in the craft/wedding section. You can also use white almond bark (suck as Candi-Quik), available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets. You can color this, just make sure to use oil-based coloring. I get most of my Candy Melts from Sugarcraft (look up Compound Coating Chocolate, they have about 12 colors). If you have a cake or candy supply store in your town, you can most likely find them there, too.

Haunted Fudge

Presenting a super-spooky Halloween Horror Story
straight from my toddler's dinner plate...

The Haunted Fudge!

"It was a dark and stormy dinner. Mom served one of her delicious 7 course meals that she makes every night (ha!). Mom said that after my veggies were gone I could have dessert. I just couldn't choke down that broccoli...and the platter of luscious fudge on the counter just sat looking at me....calling me....taunting me....I could hear it snickering 'don't you want a bite?!"...(mwahahaha!)"

I recently got a challenge from Carnation Evaporated Milk to try one of their recipes and to make up one of my own. They offered me 2 cans of Evaporated Milk and a gift card to get some ingredients. How could I refuse? I love a good challenge! In the spirit of the current season, we whipped up some Haunted Fudge, a twist on the traditional Carnation Famous Fudge.

Carnation also has a great Holiday Recipe book that is free to download, you can access it here. I love using evaporated milk, especially the fat-free version. In soups and other main dish cooking, it can really add a lot of richness without the fat and calories.

Haunted Fudge
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. (5 oz.) Carnation Evaporated Milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. (9 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 mini Reeses Peanut butter cups
Edible Eyeballs

Directions:
Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups marshmallows (save the remaining 1/2 cup), chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Let cool slightly while you prepare pan.

While mixture is cooling, unwrap Reeses peanut butter cups and cut into fourths.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. marshmallows and chopped Reeses cups into bottom of prepared pan.

Pour chocolate mixture into prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil and cut into small squares. Press edible eyeballs into each piece and enjoy seeing your dessert "watching you!". Boo!

From the Very Best Baking recipe library, we picked Turkey & Cranberry Encore Salad. The dressing is fabulous and definitely a keeper for my entertaining repertoire! I think this will be a new "after-Thanksgiving" tradition at our house!

Turkey & Cranberry Encore Salad from Very Best Baking
Ingredients:
DRESSING
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup jellied or whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

SALAD
1 bag (10 oz.) mixed salad greens of your choice (about 10 cups)
2 cups (about 10 oz.) cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
Directions:

FOR DRESSING:
PLACE evaporated milk, cranberry sauce and Italian dressing in small jar or container; cover tightly with lid. Shake for 1 to 2 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (Dressing can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Shake well before using.) TIP: For a smoother dressing, prepare in blender.

FOR SALAD:
TOSS greens, turkey, blue cheese and 3/4 cup dressing in large bowl. Sprinkle with cranberries and walnuts. Serve immediately and additional dressing, if desired. Refrigerate any remaining dressing.

Special thanks to Carnation and the One2One Network!