halloween fun with the girls

Fall break, what to do, that was the question, so we decided to do Halloween rotations with neighborhood friends.  This afternoon we got the girls together to do some fun Halloween rotations (okay we also let a cute little guy, Ethan tag along) Basically what we did was 30 minute craft or snack time at four different houses.  It was really fun and gave the girls stuff to do, since school has started they haven’t got to get together and really play so this was their chance.  

It all started off at Amy’s house with pumpkin painting.  She got really cute, big, wood pumpkins at Michaels and had the kids paint, glitter, and sticker their pumpkins.  They turned out really cute and they had so much fun.  

Next they used the buddy system to walk over to my house for some ghostly fun.  We got black construction paper and I painted their feet and they stepped onto the black paper to make ghosts.  Then they painted a black face on their ghosts.  They turned out very cute.  Then we also did the very easy and  famouse Halloween tissure paper ghost with the Tootsie pops.  They really loved the ghostly fun.

Then they booked it over to Lisa’s house (across the street) for story time and snack making.  She made a delicious Halloween snack that she let them put together.  Here is the recipe if you are looking for a really easy and quick Halloween snack to make with your kidos for fall.

Halloween Snack Mix

6 cups caramel corn
2 cups salted cashews
1 1/2 cups candy corn
1/3 cup raisins
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.  Yield:  about 2 quarts.

Finally, it was onto Jackie’s house for a batty good time.  They made these really neat flying bats.  They turned out so cute.  You cute out a bat and then use some fun glittery ribbon type material to put around the middle and then put eyes and finally attach some fishing sting to it so that is looks like it is flying though the air on it’s own.  Spooky.  

The kids had so much fun we just all had to run to the park to get any extra energy they might have had out.  It was our lucky day because the sprinklers were on at the park and the kids had a blast being kids running though the sprinklers getting way wet and way dirty.  This was a great afternoon filled with exciting Halloween activities.  

another yummy salad recipe, a must try...

This salad is so yummy.  The title doesn't sound so yummy, but trust me it is so dang good.  This is a great salad if you are having company over.  It is one of my favorites.  I love it and it's a Pampered Chef recipe. 

Wilted Spinach Salad with Candied Pepper Bacon

Ingredients:
8  slices thick-cut bacon
6  tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon  brown sugar, divided
1  teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2  packages (6 ounces each) fresh baby spinach
1  medium Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2   cup thinly sliced red onion wedges
3  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4  teaspoons  Dijon mustard
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4  hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into wedges


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400°F. Line Large Bar Pan with sheet of Parchment Paper. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on bar pan. Top bacon slices evenly with 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake 22-25 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from bar pan to paper towel-lined plate and cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from bar pan. Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces using Chef's Knife.

2.  In Stainless (6-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine spinach, apple and onion. Whisk remaining 4 tablespoons brown sugar, reserved bacon drippings, vinegar and mustard in Small Micro-Cooker(R) until well blended. Cover; microwave on HIGH 2 minutes or until bubbly. Pour over spinach mixture; toss to coat using Bamboo Spatulas. Season with salt and black pepper. Top with egg wedges and bacon pieces; serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

peanut butter cup surprise cookies

These cookie cups are  so EASY and pretty fast to make, I found them on a really fun blog I love to check out called Picky Palate. I found that it’s a really fun recipe to have your kids help out with, they’ll have a blast making them with you, not to mention eating all the leftover candy. The peanut butter cookie dough consists of  only 3 ingredients. It doesn't get any better than Reeses Peanut Butter Cups tucked inside warm peanut butter cookie dough!  This is a very pretty cookie cup when finished and one that would be really fun to take to a Halloween party or a Fall Festival.  Enjoy!!!

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

*I think it is better to double this recipe since you have to buy all the stuff anyway.  Also, since I sell Pampered Chef I use a lot of our stuff like the mini muffin pan and the small scoop for the first half of the recipe.  

1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
12 mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
36 mini marshmallows
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 Cup mini M&M's

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place peanut butter, sugar and egg into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Scoop dough evenly into a 12 count mini cheesecake pan or mini muffin pan. Cook for 13-15 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each cookie with 3 mini marshmallows and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

2. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted smooth. Stir in 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream until silky and smooth. You can return back to microwave for 15 seconds to get a thinner consistency. Spoon chocolate over top of puffed marshmallows and sprinkle with mini M&M's.  Yummy the day after you make them.

Yield: 12 cookie cups

a cool treat

My Mother-in-law sent us a magazine subscription to Highlights (the magazine for kids) and Brielle and Cooper love to read it and make the recipes in it.  Last month was Monkey Muffins and this month was a recipe called “A Cool Treat” (basically Frozen Bananas).  It was way easy and way yummy.  If you are looking for a fun after school snack that your kids will love and can help you do, make these with them, they will love you for it.  Hopefully they will love you anyway, but maybe with these fun snacks they’ll love you even more.  

Frozen Bananas “A Cool Treat”

1.    Peel 2 bananas.  Cut them in half and push as stick into the cut ends.  Put them in the freezer on wax paper for 30 minutes.
2.    Mix together 1 cup of chocolate chips (we used half chocolate and half butterscotch chips cause that is what I had) and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Put mixture in microwave for 30 seconds or until the chocolate melts.
3.    Dip the bananas in the chocolate.  Put them back on the wax paper and in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Then enjoy.

apple pancakes anyone

If you ever love having breakfast for lunch or dinner here is a yummy recipe that is great for that. (It of course is also wonderful for breakfast.)  These lovely apple pancakes are a recipe I got from a cookbook my sister gave me from her church and it has been a family favorite.  Now I know it seems a bit weird to have sour cream on top, but try it it make these pancake so extra delicious.  Yummy- like I said a perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner anytime.  

Pancakes:

2 cups Bisquick
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup peeled and grated apples

Mix Bisquick, egg, cinnamon, and milk.  Stir in apples.  Cook on hot griddle.  

Syrup:

2 cups apple juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Sour cream

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon.  Add apple juice, lemon juice, and butter.  Cook until thick.  Serve over apple pancakes.  Top with spoonful of sour cream.