October 2009

It’s almost here. Halloween! Let’s try a bunch of  “spooky” food this week.

Spider Bites

Spider Bites

* 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet morsels
* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 6 cups pretzel sticks

Place parchment paper on baking sheet; set aside.

In a large glass microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Melt on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and stir until smooth.

Stir in pretzel sticks. With clean hands grab pretzel sticks and drop on prepared baking sheet in clusters to look like spiders.

Place in freezer for 5 minutes or until to chocolate is hardened. Remove and serve.

Black Magic Cake

Black Magic Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9×13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.

Carrot Fingers

Carrot Fingers

• 1 bag peeled baby carrots
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Cream cheese
• Bottled ranch dressing

Place a bit of cream cheese on the end of a baby carrot and place an almond slice face down on top. The almond should look like a fingernail on the carrot “finger”. Repeat until all carrots are finished.

Pour dressing in a bowl and stand a few carrot fingers upright in the bowl. Place the bowl on a platter and lay the remaining carrot fingers around the bowl.

Yummy Mummy Dogs

Mummy Dogs

• 1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ flaky dough sheet
• 2 1/2 slices (2.5 oz.) American cheese slices, quartered
• 10 large hot dogs
• Cooking spray
• Mustard or ketchup, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Crescent Rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles; press perforations to seal.

Recipe Creations: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.

With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).

Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese 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 “face.” On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 15 to 19 minutes.

With mustard, draw features on “face.”

Witches Brew (Crock Pot Hot Cider)

4 cinnamon sticks
16 whole allspice berries
1 square cheesecloth (6″)
1 length kitchen string (12″)
4 cups apple cider
4 cups cranberry juice
Orange slices for garnish

Wrap cinnamon and allspice in cheesecloth, tying into bag with string. Combine cider, cranberry juice and cinnamon packet into slow cooker.

Cook on low heat for 4 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag and discard. Garnish with orange slices, if desired.

Garnish with orange slices, apple wedges and fresh cranberries for a more colorful celebration.

Of course, you’ll want to carve a pumpkin. There are some great patterns here.

We like to have fun on Halloween. One year, I dressed as a witch and my husband put on a pig mask. Living in Arkansas Razorback country, pig masks (or rather hog masks) are easy to come by. When kids would come to the door, I would give them candy. My husband would come out and tell them that I turned him into a pig. The kids got a kick out of this. We did really tone it down for the smaller kids. One of the mothers, when she saw my husband, (as the pig) said, “I thought we left your father at home.” We thought that was pretty funny too.

We live in a small town where it is still safe for kids to go trick-or-treating down the street (of course, with their parents along). I’m so grateful to live in such a place.

Today’s Lagniappe: Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
After you carve the pumpkin, be sure to toast the seeds for a yummy and healthy treat.

• 1 1/3 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the pumpkin seeds with the garlic powder, salt,  and black pepper on prepared baking sheet and toss to combine. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until seeds are crispy and light golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to release any seeds that have stuck to the baking sheet, and cool completely before serving.

It’s a three-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday

Blessed with Grace’s Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

The Gypsy’s Corner’s Three or More Tuesday

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