Buckets of Halloween Ideas: September 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Decor I Love - On My To Do List

I have found so many fun Halloween things this year - I am putting them on my to do list for next year. Here are a few of those projects - I will save the rest for next year.

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Star Photo Halloween Ornaments

I love these! I want to take the photo's of our kids when they were little and make these stars for my Halloween Twig tree that is in the Halloween Village - if I have a minute I might try to get to them this year, have to wait and see. www.bhg.com/

Candy WreathI found this on a blog and I can't find the address - argh! I am so sorry about that. If this is your's please leave a comment so I can leave a link to your blog.

I have made Chirstmas Candy Wreaths before but never Halloween. Isnt' this so fun! As I remember she used pins and pinned this to a styro wreath.

People Feeder

This was shared with me by my friend Tamy, an online friend - isnt' it so fun! I have a Christmas Feeder, but not a Halloween one and I love this!

Ghostly Goodies to Try!

Love this tablescape over at Zoulah's!

http://redcouchrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/10/jell-o-popcorn-ball-halloween-cats.html

Taste of Home has all kinds of fun Halloween recpes - the index is at
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Halloween-Recipes

Here is one of them:

Get ready for an assembly line because these no-bake marshmallow witches from our Test Kitchen are easy to prepare, and kids will love helping. They're perfect for gatherings because a dozen can be put together in just 30 minutes. TIP: Whip up an extra batch, put them in plastic wrap, and tie with curly orange or black ribbon for festive party favors.
Ingredients
1/2 cup vanilla frosting, divided
36 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
12 large marshmallows
1 drop each green, red and yellow food coloring, optional
1/4 cup flaked coconut
12 chocolate wafers
12 miniature peanut butter cups
12 milk chocolate kisses
Directions
For the face of each witch, place a dab of frosting on the bottom of three chocolate chips; press two for eyes and one for nose onto each marshmallow.
For hair, combine green food coloring and a drop of water in a small resealable plastic bag; add coconut and shake well. Spread a small amount of frosting on sides of marshmallows; press coconut hair into frosting. Place 3 tablespoons of frosting in a small heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; tint orange with red and yellow food coloring. Set aside.
For hats, spread some of the remaining frosting in the center of chocolate wafers; press peanut butter cups upside down into frosting. Lightly spread bottoms of chocolate kisses with frosting; place on peanut butter cups. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert a small star tip. Fill the bag with frosting and pipe stars around the base of each peanut butter cup. Secure a hat to each witch with a dab of frosting. Yield: 1 dozen

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This darling recipe is from Cyndi T from one of the holiday lists I am on.

1 Batch Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

36 chewy caramels in milk chocolate
Black or red string licorice
1/3 cup (72) miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits
Black decorating gel (from 0.68-oz tube)

Total Time: 30 min
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until dough forms.
2. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately press 1 chewy caramel in center of each cookie. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
4. Cut licorice into 8 (2-inch) pieces for each spider. Attach legs by sticking into chewy caramel. Use baking bits for eyes and black gel to make pupils in eyes.

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CANDY APPLE RECIPES

We have 8 apple tree's with lots of apples, this is one of our favorite fall treats.

Old-Fashioned Red Candy Apples

8 medium sized apples

8 wooden sticks

3 cups white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1/4 teaspoon red food coloring (optional).

Wash and dry the apples. Remove any stems or leaves and insert a wooden stick into the end of each apple. Set apples aside. Heat and stir sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Boil until the syrup reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a little syrup dropped into cold water separates into breakable threads. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and food coloring, if using. Dip one apple completely in the syrup and swirl it around a little with the stick to coat. Hold the apple above the saucepan to drain off excess. Place apple, with the stick facing up, on a well greased pan. Repeat with remaining apples. If syrup thickens or cools too much, simply reheat briefly before proceeding. Let cool completely before serving.

Variations:

After coating each apple, quickly dip the end or press and swirl apples in shredded coconut, colored M&M's, chopped nuts, granola, gummy worms or colored sprinkles.

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Creepy Cupcakes

With chocolate bodies and licorice legs, these cute spiders on cobwebs will "catch" attention fast! They're easy to scare up, too—our home economists simply put a Halloween spin on cupcakes they baked from a purchased mix. Prep: 30 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling

Ingredients:1 package (18-1/4 ounces) devil's food cake mix1/4 cup butter, softened1 (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened3 cups confectioners' sugar2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk, divided1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractRed and yellow liquid food coloring or orange paste food coloring1 tablespoon baking cocoaRound pastry tip #39 chocolate kisses9 semisweet chocolate chipsBlack shoestring licorice, cut into 3/4-inch pieces18 white nonpareilsDirections: Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Fill greased jumbo muffin cups with 1/2 cup batter. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Cut a thin slice off the top of each cupcake. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla; mix well. Remove 1 cup; tint orange and frost cupcakes. To the remaining frosting, add baking cocoa and remaining milk. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip. Fill with chocolate frosting. Pipe a web on each cupcake; set remaining frosting aside. For spider, insert chocolate kiss, point side down, next to edge of cupcake. Insert chocolate chip, point side down, next to kiss. Place four licorice pieces on each side of kiss. For eyes, pipe two small circles of chocolate frosting on chocolate chip; insert nonpareils. cupcakes.http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Creepy-Cupcakes?pmcode=IIJDJ07T&_mid=808&_rid=808.1000.43662

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Nasty Spider Cake

The boys love this cake!

1 Cake mix

1 pk Green jello prepared

Black frosting

8 Licorice sticks

8 Gumdrops

Mix up cake mix and bake it in 2 metal bowls--1 bigger than the other. Once unmolded, cut the bigger one (the "body") in half, horizontally.CAREFULLY scoop out an adequate cavity in each half. FILL with well-whipped set green Jello, and reattach the halves. Frost black, arrange on serving platter. Use licorice stix as legs. Use 2 BIG green gumdrops and 6 little ones as eyes. When the cake is cut into, it spurts green goop, just like a real spider when stepped on. Why not add a red hourglass to the back and make it toxic?

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