Countdown to Samhain - Day 21

   Just wanted to start of today with a Witchy tip from the Facebook page "A Witch's Life" that I thought was nice.  :)

 

 

   Now, on to business!

 

 

   Our recipe today is a Halloween favorite and one I've been craving sicne seeing the picture! Candy Apples! But with a twist.

   From the blog, Lil Luna, comes the recipe for Blackout Candy Apples. Much nicer (and probably cheaper) than going to the store to buy enough for you and the family.

Ingredients

• 8-10 apples
• 8-10 skewers/striped straws
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. black paste food color
• 2 drops cinnamon flavor

Instructions

1. Place parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.
2. Wash your apples and let dry. Recipe will make 8-10 apples depending on their size. Add your skewers and/or striped straws.
3. Cook sugar, water and corn syrup in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and starts to boil. Cooking for 10-12 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees. Or you can cook until a small amount of mixture dropped into a cold cup of water separates intro hard candy.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon flavoring and food coloring. Mix well.
5. Dip each apple in mixture to quickly coat it and place apples on cookie sheet. Let set.

   I might have to make a midnight-pregnant-woman-craving run to Walmart and get some supplies!


Our craft today is aso great for kids, or nieces and nephews if you have them. It's SLIME! And what kid doesn't love slime at one point?  :)

  This is also from another blog, All Things Simple. I'll just provide the link for this one since she's got it all set up with pictures and seperate instructions for each step. Enjoy!

Countdwown to Samhain - Day 17

   Well ghosts and ghouls, we are a little more than halfway through October. About two more weeks till the real celebration begins! So let's continue on with our crafts and recipes to make sure we are all prepared and properly spooky!

   The lamp pictured here for our craft today was made out of an actual Ouija board, scraped and transformed for some eery room decor!

   Instructions can be found HERE, on crafster in a post made by NekoNeko.

  She gives great instructions on how to peel up the actual paper Ouija part off the board using a product called Un-do which normally removes things like stickiness from stickers, gum, grease, etc. Then it's transfered to a cheap lamp, embellished and ta-da! Try setting this out for your next seance with friends!

   (This would also work for other board games, she suggests, like Candy Lane, Monopoly, etc. for your kids)




   Now, I'm a huge cheesecake fan, though I do have to admit, the No-Bake cheesecake you can whip up out of the box is more to my taste than homemade.
  
  But for those of you who like cheesecake AND pumpkin, the Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, from Better Homes and Gardens is perfect for your tastebuds this October. Recipe below!

 

Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

 

Makes: 10 servings

Prep 35 mins

Bake 350°F 45 mins               

Cool 1 hr               

Chill 3 hrs

 

Ingredients

 

Nonstick cooking spray

• 1/4
  cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2
  cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 24 cookies)
• 1
  8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1
  cup sugar
• 3
  eggs
• 1
  15 ounce can pumpkin
• 1
  teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2
  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4
  teaspoon salt
• 1
  cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1/3
  cup whipping cream
• 2
  ounces milk chocolate pieces or white baking pieces (about 1/3 cup), melted (optional)

 

Directions
 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. In a medium bowl toss together butter and crushed chocolate wafer cookies. Spread into pie plate; press evenly onto bottom and up sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
 
2. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour pumpkin mixture into baked crust.
 
3. Bake about 40 minutes more or until mixture is slightly puffed around edges and just set in center. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
 
4. In a small microwave-safe bowl combine dark chocolate and cream. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 30 seconds to 1 minute; stir until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes. Pour chocolate mixture over the cooled pie, spreading evenly. Chill, uncovered, for 1 hour. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours more. If desired, drizzle with milk chocolate.


To make up ahead of time:                  
             Prepare as directed. Cover and chill for up to 48 hours.

The Bewitching Home Blog Party

   I'm late - I know! This past weekend was so full of stress and unexpected problems that I wasn't able to do anything internet-wise.

  However, in the midst of all of our problems, the hubby and I found a simple and quick sugar cookie recipe and made a night of it on Saturday with our daughter, Rayne. This will be her first year Trick-or-Treating and I'm trying to make the most out of it by carving pumpkins, watching Halloween movies and visiting some of the free events our town has going on. So that's the subject for my blog party post - our family night of cookie making.


  This is the recipe my husband found and luckily, we had everything in our cabinets already!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

Directions

Mixing the dry ingredients together

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. With a brush or fingers, moisten the top of each cookie with the remaining buttermilk and slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with raw sugar or colored sprinkles.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Watching the "expert"  :)

Rolling it flat. She LOVED this part.

Cutting out a pumpkin cookie
 

 

 

 

COOKIES! What a ham...  :)

 

Countdown to Samhain - Day 11

   So we all know we decorate (or at least most people) a tree at Christmas whether that be a real one or fake one.  But has it ever crossed your mind to do a Halloween/Samhain Tree?  :)

 

 

   There's not really a set of instructions to follow for this one - just go with what you like! I did a mini version of this using one of those pop out trees you find at Walmart for Christmas. I spray painted it black first and decorate with little Halloween charms and garland.

 

   I'm not sure where to find a larger Christmas-tree version of a black tree so if anyone does, please share!  I would start with a strand or two of Halloween lights in orange or purple or those cool candy corn ones and then go from there. Try some fall or halloween pics from the craft section of Walmart or Michael's - the ones you'd normally see in a wreath for your front door. They may even carry halloween ornaments specifically for a tree also. Try books about Halloween or ones that have spooky stories (Poe comes to mind), dolls, witches hats - anything you can think of that represents Halloween or Samhain to you and yours!

 

   Today's Shortbread Candy Corn Kissed Brownie Recipe comes from Pickey Palate and they look AWESOME! I love brownies, love candy corn (it's not really Halloween without it) and putting it all together with shortbread sounds delicious!  Recipe is below. If you make them, please let us know how they come out!

 

Shortbread Candy Corn Kissed Brownies

Makes 12 Brownies

 

1 family size brownie mix (9×13 inch size)
2 sticks softened butter
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 3/4 Cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag Candy Corn Kisses, or any flavor you like, unwrapped


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, set batter aside. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until creamy and light. Slowly add flour and salt until combined.

2. Press shortbread dough into a 11×7 inch baking dish lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Top shortbread dough with 50 kisses then pour brownie batter evenly over top of kisses. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

3.  Place remaining kisses in double broiler to melt. Spread melted chocolate over brownies, sprinkle if desired and serve.

 

Countdown to Samhain - Day 9

  Today's craft is a little insane but absolutely gorgeous! If I had the funds and the patience I would definitely give this a try!

  It comes from halloweenforum.com again and it's a DIY Beloved Tombstone :

 

   Yes, ladies and gents, that is all DONE BY HAND!

   The instructions are provided on the forum in parts, so to read in it's entirety click on the small yellow continue button at the bottom of each post. Enjoy this one, I did!


   And now for food!

 

    This blissfully delicious looking Polka Dot Cake recipe comes from Snowy Bliss. The actual polka dots were made using a cake pop maker (Walmart had a couple for sale around Christmas last year - not sure if they sell them year round or not), but the blogger does offer alternative ideas if you don't own one currently.

 

   There is also a little bonus at the end of the post as well. Happy Tuesday!

  

Countdown to Samhain - Day 7

  Today's is a quick post and a late one; our 2 year old daughter is deciding to have a "late night" and not go to bed so I'm posting on the run!

  While I don't think the author of this blog is pagan, her instructions are great to create a personal besom or just a simple decoration for Halloween. Click below to see how she does it!

 

 



  Our recipe comes to us courtesy of Closet Cooking and the minute I read the title, my husband yelled "Save it!" it sounded so good!

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin pureee
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped
• pinch salt

Directions

1. Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Countdown to Samhain -Day 5

Happy Friday everyone! Here's today's craft and recipe. These two would actually be pretty great ideas if you're throwing your own Halloween Party or get together.


Broomstick Treats

  This recipe comes from Mega Spooky: All Halloween, All the Time. The items are very simple to get if you don't already have them in your cabinets.

Here's what you need to make them:

 

A batch of rice cereal treats

Bag of chocolate chips/or any chocolate you like for melting.

Bag of Pretzel rods

Can of potato sticks

Black shoestring licorice

 

• Start with puffed rice cereal treats cut into squares or rectangles.
• Mush them onto cone shapes.
• Melt a little bit of chocolate. Dip the ends of pretzel rods into the chocolate and then stick them onto your cereal treats.
• Set them aside to let the chocolate harden.
• Once they are hard you can start adding potato sticks to the sides of the rice cereal cone. You'll have to melt more chocolate. Use an offset spatula or a knife to coat the bottom half of the cone in chocolate. Start adding your potato sticks, working from the bottom up until you've coated all the way around the bottom of the broom.
• Once they're coated, set them all aside to let everything harden.
• Last, but not least, wrap a  bit of black licorice around the bottom of the broom where the bristles start.

  And for the craft....

  Free printable Halloween Bingo Cards at Makoodle. There are 4 different designs with a set of 3 cards each, sized to be printed off at 5x7. To save for years to come, laminate them before use. For bingo makers, use your imagination! Candy corn, kisses, candy, anything spooky you can think of!

Countdown to Samhain

   I'm a day late starting, but that's okay. There's still 29 days to go.

   The plan is to share one ghoulish recipe and one haunting craft everday until the 31st. Now there are also some blog parties and tours going on, so this will be in addition to that. Now I will say that these are not mine, but a collection I have found searching the internet as well as pages shared on Facebook and I will link back where I can.

  So let the countdown begin!




   The first craft is actually a list, and I mean a LIST, of printable labels for apothecary jars, boxes, etc. It's a thread off of Halloween Forum and includes printables from a bunch of different members. Examples include:

 

 

   This recipe is for Homemade Candy Corn from La Fuji Mama. And who doesn't love candy corn?! Recipe as follows:

 

Candy Corn Makes 1 3/4 lbs. of candy (recipe can easily be doubled)
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. white corn syrup
1/3 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. powdered milk
food coloring (optional)
Let mixture stand until slightly warm to touch, about 20 minutes (though could take longer depending on the temperature of your kitchen).

 

To shape into traditional kernel pieces:

1. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; place each piece in small bowl.

1. Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup in pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium and boil 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

2. In a separate dish, combine powdered sugar, salt, and powdered milk. Add all at once to the mixture in the pan. Add food coloring if desired.

2. Add several drops of yellow food coloring to one piece of dough. Using plastic gloves to protect hands, knead food coloring into dough until smooth and color is even. Repeat using red and yellow food coloring (to make orange) with second piece. Leave last piece white; knead dough until smooth.

3. Roll each piece into a thin rope (don’t roll too thin or dough will break). Push three ropes together to form long rectangle. Using sharp knife, cut ropes into triangles. Using fingers, shape candy corn as desired.

4. Store at room temperature in airtight container, separating layers with pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking.

 

Enjoy!