Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  Although it doesn't feel at all like Halloween.  We have no school today, which you would think would send kids into a Halloween frenzy.  However, Halloween has actually been canceled in our town due to the downed power lines and trees littering the neighborhoods.  We'll probably still get a few trick or treaters anyway, since kids with no power need to get out of the house, but the mayor said to postpone trick or treating until Saturday, and even that might not be possible if clean up is taking too long.  Instead, he urged people to have something in their home. 

I couldn't imagine being a little kid and told not to trick or treat.  I know kids will come today (and the same ones will probably come back Saturday), but I can also see the value in having a Halloween party at home rather than wandering the debris filled neighborhoods.  Or, you can always do both :)

Here's a short list of items that would be fitting for a Halloween party.  Unfortunately, I was unable to make any Halloween-themed treats this year due to the storm.  But there is still a whole day left!

Drinks
Grownup Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes - For the parents.  Just remove the bourbon to make little monster pumpkin pie shakes

Dessert
Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Butterscotch Whoopie Pies
Funfetti Sugar Cookies - with black and orange sprinkles!
Pecan Pie
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing for decorating cookies
Sugar Cookie Sandwiches - fill with black and orange icing!

And don't forget the Pumpkin Pie Spice

Happy Halloween everyone!  And be safe!

2 comment(s)

Posted by Ali B at 8:30 AM

Creamy Bacon and Caramelized Corn Dip

I love dips.  I think I can safely say that if you give me something I can dip a corn tortilla chip or a crusty piece of bread into I'm going to love it.  And I think I'm starting to love football more because I love the food that goes with it.  Plus, I now have a team to root for, even if other teams are shredding through their defense...

I actually made this dip a couple of months ago in anticipation for football season.  My friends were hosting our annual draft and I brought this along with some blue corn tortilla chips (the best) as a little treat.  Well, as you can see by the only picture I have of the dip, it was snatched up in a matter of minutes.  This dip combines sweet and savory and includes ingredients you would never think would go together but DO.  I have been waiting to make this dip again and will probably pull it out for a Superbowl party.  That's also not to say you can't serve it at a regular party either, because blue corn tortilla chips always brighten up a plate :)

One suggestion that I do have for this dip is that if you have time, drain the yogurt in a sieve lined with a paper towel over bowl for a few hours (see this post for a better explanation).  This will remove a lot of the liquid from the dip.  Also make sure you drain the bacon and corn well too.

For all of you on the east coast, stay safe tonight!  And make this dip before your power goes out ;)

Creamy Bacon and Caramelized Corn Dip

Serves 6 – 8

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 – 25 minutes

Ingredients

- 4 slices bacon, chopped

- 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed

- dash of salt and pepper

- ½ onion, chopped

- 2 green onions, chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- ½ tsp paprika

- 1 (16 oz) container of plain yogurt

- 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican Cheese blend

Directions

If making this dip ahead of time, pour the yogurt into a sieve lined with a paper towel and place that over a bowl.  This will allow some of the excess liquid to drain and will result in a thicker, creamier dip.  If you do not have time to do this, this step is optional. 

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and fry the chopped bacon until crispy.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.  Leave a small amount of grease in the pan and add the corn to the same skillet, stirring often until the corn is golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove corn and add to a large bowl. 

Turn the skillet down to medium – low and add the onions and salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in the green onions and garlic and cook for an additional 2 – 3 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the corn.  Add in the paprika, yogurt, bacon, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese mixture and stir until well combined. 

Pour the contents of the bowl into a 2 quart Corningware dish.  Top with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes.  Remove once cheese is golden and bubbly.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve with tortilla chips or crackers. 

Note: can use fresh or defrosted frozen corn as well.  Also, you can make this recipe the day before, just pop it into the oven 30 minutes before you want to serve it. 

Adapted from: How Sweet Eats

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Posted by Ali B at 12:32 PM

Angry Birds Cupcakes

As you know, I love themed parties.  And it turns out I have a lot of friends whose birthdays are in July.  So, we gathered a bunch of our friends together and threw and Angry Birds themed birthday party!  Why Angry Birds?  Because I love that game.  And I was looking to make decorated cupcakes - I haven't whipped out my decorating tools in a very long time.

These cupcakes were so incredibly easy.  I picked which birds (and pigs!) I wanted to make and dyed my icing accordingly.  I iced my cupcakes and then began applying the details.  My favorite part was the white chocolate discs I bought to use as giant eyes, they really made the cupcakes.  I then went over and around the eyes using a Wilton #3 and #2 tips to apply the details to the eyes, beaks, and feathers.  One piece of advice I can give is that less is really more when it comes to details.  I wanted to keep adding things to my birds and pigs but when you add more details, sometimes the design becomes cluttered as the details run together.  



I think my favorite ones were the pigs.  They're so goofy, I really love the way they came out.  And the best part about these cupcakes was it took me about 20 minutes to decorate them!  If you look closely, I only used two different colored icing for my piping: black for the outlines and a gold color for some of the details and the beaks.  I would highly recommend trying your hand at these cupcakes if you're even considering having an Angry Birds party, you need very little detail to get such a fantastic result!

5 comment(s)

Posted by Ali B at 4:46 PM