Craftastic Monday!

Ive been wanting to do this for such a long time, so I finally did it!

I entered Craftastic Monday on this AWESOME blog!! Check it out!

Cheesy Spinach Pie

Prep: 10 mins Bake: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 c. Fresh Chopped Spinach (or half bag of frozen, or one can, etc)
• 1 c. Diced Red Bell Peppers (these arent always expensive, i found some at the 99c store)
• 2 c. Cheese (you can use almoist any kind, but we used a mix of Jack and Parmesan, i recommend Cheddar)
• 2 tsp Minced Garlic (or a T. powdered)
• 1 T Minced Onion (or same amount dry or powdered)
• 4 Eggs
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1 Deep Dish Pie Crust (i found mine in a two pack in the frozen section at Target, but you can always make your own, its cheaper)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine spinach, peppers, cheese, garlic and onion in a medium bowl. Beat eggs, add to veggie mixture. Pour into deep dish pie crust. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes!

Feeds a hungry family of six!

HAND MADE GUM PASTE ROSES USING NO CUTTERS: FONDANT SUGAR FLOWERS MAKING...

I must say this is absolutely GOLD. A wonderful find on YouTube! Sometimes I am truly grateful for the internet!!

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep: 5 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz package Cream Cheese, room temp

1/4 c. Butter, room temp

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice

4 c. Powdered Sugar

2 T. Milk (or Cream)

Cream the cheese and butter together. Add vanilla while stirring.

Combine powdered sugar with pie spice, add slowly to wet ingredients.

Add milk to obtain desired consistency.

Pumpkin Squish Cakes!

♥Frosted by my 5 year old!♥

Prep: 5 minutes Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 box yellow Cupcake mix (or half box of cake mix)

1 T. Pumpkin Pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)

1 c. (1/2 can) Pumpkin puree

2 Eggs

1/4 c. Butter, softened

1 c. Milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together butter, eggs and pumpkin. Add the mix, stir. Add milk.

Line or grease cupcake pan. Scoop batter into pan with ice cream scooper. (if you dont have an ice cream scooper, use a 1/2 c. measuring cup)

Bake for 20 minutes. Cupcakes will be moist and Squishy, hence the name Squish Cakes!

Cool.

Frost with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.

Makes 12 squish cakes.

8-Minute Spiced Brownies (in the microwave...shh!)

Too hot to turn on the oven? Unexpected evening guests? 
Last minute bake sale?  No worries!!

This is a recipe everyone is sure to love and has been a well-hidden family secret for years! Not only is it easily adaptable to make it super healthy with whole wheat and sugar-free (without toxic splenda), but it's 100% yummy!

Prep Time: 2 min  Cook Time: 6 min

What you need:

• Microwave (this recipe is based on 1100 watts, adjust time accordingly to your appliance)
• 8"x8" Glass Baking Dish
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Spoon/Spatula

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of softened butter (1/2 c.) - may instead be melted in microwave (high: 30 seconds) in a pinch!
• 2 eggs
• 2 T. cocoa
• 1 c. sugar (may substitute 1-1/2 t. pure stevia powder for healthier, but still sweet, sugar-free version)
• 3/4 c. flour (may substitute whole wheat for healthier version without losing flavor or texture)
• Spices: Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves (just a sprinkling of each)

Directions:

• Mix ingredients in order listed
• Microwave for 4 min. at 80% power
• Microwave an additional 2 min. at 100% power
• Check bottom of glass dish for even coloring; if the center dark area is gone, it is ready!
• Enjoy! Tastes great topped with your favorite ice cream or drizzled with chocolate sauce!

Get Creative! You can easily mix it up by adding chocolate chips, vanilla chips, peanut butter chips, chopped walnuts, crushed peanuts, crushed candy canes, crushed cookies, etc. Make it your own specialty!

How to bake a Pie Pumpkin

First things first, did you buy a Pie Pumpkin?

They are usually small, about 2 pounds. Around the size of your hand.

Usually these pumpkins are labeled "Pie Pumpkin"

if not, then it will cook the same way (so long as its a similar size) the only difference will be the taste!

Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the stem if desired.

Scoop out seeds and flesh.

Save seeds if you wish to make my delicious Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Place pumpkin halves down on foil lined baking sheet

Cover each half with foil. (this makes sure the pumpkin stays moist!)

Bake at 450 F for 1 hour

(time may vary depending on size of pumpkin)

Remove from oven. skin should peel away easily, if not then cook for longer.

Place pumpkin in bowl and mix with egg beater/ kitchen mixer/ food processor.

a regular sized pie pumpkin should have made 2 cups of puree, which is exactly enough for one 9 inch pumpkin pie! (or two 8 inch)

Halloween Feast!

Rosmerta's Recipes - Butterbeer by Melissa*

Butterbeer! It warms you up AND tastes great. Now in take-away form from The Three Broomsticks. (Many thanks to Melissa for this recipe!)

Ingredients:

o 1 cup (8 oz) club soda or cream soda

o ½ cup (4 oz) butterscotch syrup (ice cream topping)

o ½ tablespoon butter

Directions:

Step 1: Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated.

Step 2: Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit.

Step 3: Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses; a perfectly warm Hogwarts treat for two!

Hot apple cider

Ingredients

· 6 cups apple cider

· 1/4 cup real maple syrup

· 2 cinnamon sticks

· 6 whole cloves

· 6 whole allspice berries (i used 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice instead)

·

Directions

1. Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large crock pot set to high.

2. Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice berries in the crock pot

3. Cook until the cider is very hot but not boiling.

4. Reduce heat to low. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.

Blood Spritzer

1 part Cranberry Juice

1 part Ginger Ale

Ghoulish Skull shaped Ice! (i found my skull ice trays at the 99 c only stores)

mix all ingredients and pour into martini glasses for a refreshing virgin spritzer!

Appetizers for Apparitions!

Pumpkin Pasties*

Makes about 3 dozen miniature pasties.

2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 1 lb. can pumpkin
(or 2 cups fresh, roasted in the oven then pressed
through a strainer to save your Pumpkin Juice to drink!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 2/3 cups evap. milk (1 can)
1/2 tsp. allspice
9 oz pie crust pastry (enough for two single standard pie crusts)

Bake the pie filling only (no crust) in a large casserole dish in hot oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temp to moderate (350 degrees F/180 degress Celsuis) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until table knife inserted in center of dish comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Make or purchase pie crust pastry. Roll thin and cut into circles approx 4" in diameter. Put a spoonful of the cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of the circle. Fold over the crust into a half-circle and firmly crimp the edges closed. Slice three small slits in the top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden-brown. Great served at room-temperature, then you don't have to worry about your guests possibly burning their mouths from the steaming hot pumpkin inside! :)

Bat Wings

Makes: 20 appetizers

Prep: 20 minutes
Marinate: 2 to 24 hours
Bake: 25 minutes

ingredients

• 20 chicken wings (3-1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder (curry)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp black food coloring
• 1 recipe Swamp Dip

directions

1. Place wings in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. In a small bowl stir together soy sauce, ginger, crushed red pepper, five spice powder, food coloring and garlic. Pour over wings. Close bag and toss to coat. Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove wings from bag, reserving marinade.

2. Place wings on a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Brush with reserved marinade (discard remaining marinade). Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Serve with Swamp Dip. Makes 20 appetizers.

Swamp Dip:

In a small bowl stir together a 8-ounce container of dairy sour cream and 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish mustard. Garnish with fresh whole chives. Serve with bat wings.

Pumpkin Soup

1 Pie Pumpkin, pureed

2 c. Heavy Cream

2 c. Chicken broth

2 c. Cheddar Cheese, Grated

½ of an Onion, minced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Ginger

Bake pumpkin, slice and puree.

Heat chicken broth on medium high. add onion, garlic, cinnamon and ginger. Cook 5 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, cook 5 minutes. Add cheese, cook until melted. Take off heat. Add cream.

Toast some French bread and cut into creepy shapes with Halloween cookie cutters for a perfect topper to the pumpkin soup!

Monster Salad

I took fruits and veggies that looked strange or creepy and my friend arranged them on a Halloween platter to look eerily delicious!

ideas for creepy veggies:

pickles

whole mushrooms

julienned tomatoes (cut lengthwise to create a long pointed red thing)

spinach leaves

green apples cut into small cubes

*Butterbeer, and Pumpkin Pasties recipes came to me from AWESOME Harry Potter fan websites such as

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/

http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/index.html

Secret Banana Muffins

(The secret is, you cant tell they are whole wheat!!!)

Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
5 Ripe Bananas
1/4 c. Butter
1/2 c. Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1 c. Chocolate chips (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mash bananas in a large bowl. Melt butter. Combine butter, sugar and egg with bananas. Combine baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour in a medium bowl. Add all at once to banana mixture. Mix together. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Garnish with chocolate chips if desired! Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Enjoy! Serves 4 to 6.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 60 minutes Assemble: 60 minutes


Cake:
1 c butter
2 c sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1.5 c pureed pumpkin
3.5 c flour

Cream butter sugar and eggs
add pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and mix
add flour and pumpkin
grease two pyrex bowls and add cake mix evenly
bake at 375 F for one hour

Pie filling:
1 1/3 c pumpkin puree
1 1/3 c sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c hot water

Mix all ingredients together in order
pour into greased round cake pan and bake for 1 hour at 375 F at the same time as you bake the cake sections so as to save time.

Frosting:
6 T butter
4 c powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 T vanilla
Orange and Green food coloring

mix all ingredients and color 1/2 c green and all the rest orange

chill the cakes and pie in freezer until ready to assemble.

To Assemble and Frost:

1 c. of chocolate chips
two half circle cakes
one pumpkin pie without crust
Frosting(cream cheese frosting would be a wonderful substitute for the buttercream)

place one half of pumpkin cake round side down onto serving platter. Sprinkle chocolate chips onto cake, then place pumpkin pie portion on top of cake, cut to fit. sprinkle more chocoalte chips then place other half of pumpkin on top of pie. this may smoosh out some pie filling, dont worry about it, as long as it isnt gooping off the cake you are fine!
take about 1/2 cup of frosting and color green, color the rest orange and begin to frost cake in orange starting at the top and moving downward slowly and evenly with rounded knife or frosting tool. after you covered most of the cake, take knife and frost in downward line pattern from top to bottom of cake.
Put green in zip bag or pastry bag or frosting bag, whatever you have on hand. starting at top of cake, frost in a circlular pattern to form a small stub resembling a stem, continue to "draw" leaves and vines on the cake in a pattern to your liking. if you like, also add grass or more vines at the bottom of the cake ( i like to do that if i messed up or didnt have enough orange frosting!)
Serve and Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

Prep: 2 minutes Cook: 10 minutes


2 c. Leftover Rice (brown or white)
2 c. Milk
1tsp. Cinnamon
1 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Egg

Cook leftover rice and 1 1/2 cups of milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining milk and egg in separate bowl. Pour into saucepan with rice, milk and sugar while stirring. Cook 5 more minutes, or until mixture start to thicken. Turn off heat and add vanilla and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon. Garnish with remaining cinnamon. serve hot or cold! Add whipped cream or ice cream if this dish is going to be a dessert. Enjoy!

S'more Pancakes

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

2 c. Pancake mix
1 1/2 c. Milk
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 c. Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. Mini Marshmallows

Combine all ingredients in bowl, stir until just moistened. Preheat pan on Medium heat. Scoop pancake batter into heated pan. Wait 1 minute or less (depending on your stove) flip, cook one more minute. Serve with whipped cream and crumbled graham cracker if desired and enjoy by a warm campfire!

Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 c. Coconut Oil
1/2 c. Butter, softened
9 c. Powdered Sugar
2 T. Milk
1 tsp. Coconut extract (optional)

Cream Coconut oil and Butter. Add sugar one cup at a time blending well between cups. Add milk, 1 tsp. at a time until frosting reaches spreading consistency. If the coconut flavor isnt strong enough for you then add the tsp of extract with the milk.
Liberally frosts a two layered cake or 24 cupcakes.

Flora's Fudge

This NO BAKE recipe comes from a 1959 Disney's Sleeping Beauty comic book that my mother saved from her childhood!

Prep: 10 minutes Chill: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 oz unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1/4 c. Butter
3 c. Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt unsweetened baking chocolate and butter in small sauce pan over medium heat.
Mix in half of the powdered sugar. Beat in the egg (remember it was the 50s, you can substitute egg for 1/4 c. vegetable oil) Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Press into 8x8 baking pan lined with wax paper (make sure to line it or it will be impossible to remove!) Chill for 1 hour, or until firm!

Basil Pesto

Prep: 5 minutes

Approx 15 leaves of fresh Basil
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend/ process for 1 minute or until garlic and basil leaves are finely chopped. Serve with pasta of your choice! Serves four.

Chocolate Marshmallow Fondue

Prep: 30 seconds Cook: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
1/2 C. Marshmallows
2 T. Butter
2 T. Milk

Combine all ingredients in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds, stir. Repeat until
melted, up to 2 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit, sliced apples, grapes, bananas, pineapples. Or graham crackers for a delicious chocolatey s'more treat!

How to Build a Cake

After building the Nemo Cake for my sons 2nd birthday, I thought that it was so much easier than those pros made it look! Making this easy marshmallow fondant from scratch was yummier than buying it pre-made, and it was super cute and custom made for CHEAP. the overall cost was approx 10 bucks!

Materials:

Cake:

Cake mix of your choice (Two for medium cake, four for large cake)

the corresponding amount of eggs, oil, and water

(or for a better tasting, richer cake, substitute oil and water for butter and buttermilk)

Double frosting recipe of your choice, or 2 cans of store bought

Two 8x11 cake pans

Non stick cooking spray and flour

Bread knife

Small sharp knife

Fondant:

1 part marshmallows (10 to 16 oz bag)

2 parts powdered sugar (1 to 2 lbs)

Food Coloring of your choice

Microwavable bowl (or double boiler)

Microwave

Non stick mixing spoon, or your hands covered in butter!

Wax paper

Mix the cake mix with eggs, oil, and water. one cake mix at a time, that way you wont have

one cake thicker than the other. Pour batter into sprayed and floured pan. Bake at 350 F for

25 to 30 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool at room temp for 4 to 8 hours.

While you are waiting for your cakes to cool down, go ahead and start on the fondant

because it will take a while for you to knead the fondant together and knead in the color.

Fondant:

Put marshmallows in microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and

repeat this step until marshmallows are smoothly melted, approx 2 minutes. if you are

using a double boiler, put marshmallows in the top above boiling water and stir occasionally

until smoothly melted.

Use kitchen stand with dough hook (spray or butter the metal bowl), or your own buttered

up hands (also heavily butter the counter top you will be using) to knead the powdered

sugar into the melted marshmallows. Place marshmallows in greased bowl or counter top and

dump half the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallows. Begin kneading. Keep

kneading until dough forms, gradually adding remaining powdered sugar until you reach a good

smooth texture. If it is too sticky add more sugar, if its too dry and cracking add some milk or

water 1 tablespoon at a time and knead in thoroughly. When you are done it should look like

white Playdough.

During the hard kneading process (after i mixed it mostly with mixer, what i did was, "flour"

my workspace with powdered sugar so it wouldn't be too sticky, instead of heavily buttering it.

Butter adds some flavor though. Kneading in the food coloring is the same as kneading in the

water, put about 10 drops of color into the middle of the dough, fold over and knead, i

recommend doing this on wax paper to minimize clean up!! Knead until color swirls are gone,

or minimal. Store fondant in plastic wrap separating the colors, as some colors bleed into each

other. Place wrapped fondant into storage bags and store in fridge or freezer. Since its

practically pure sugar fondant can last for a while. But i recommend using it asap, it can get

dried out. To use after refrigeration, microwave 30 seconds and knead until pliable.

Now to put the cake together! Place bottom cake on wax paper covered serving platter.

Frost top and place second cake on top of that, repeat until you have reached your desired

height. Do not frost the top and sides until you have shaped your cake.

Take a large bread knife for shaping and small paring knife for details.

For Nemo i took a sheet of regular printer paper because it was the exact size of the cake,

then i cut out Nemos body shape from a top view and used that as a stencil for shaping his

body. After cutting his body shape with the bread knife, i used the same knife to give his head

and body that tear drop shape, cutting off as little cake as possible (i hate wasting) once i got

my rounded tear drop shape, i began on the facial details with the small knife, i cut a half circular

shape for his eyes, not worrying about the parts that would be jutting out because that was

where the fondant would come in. After finishing the basic shape of his body and face, i frosted

the cake and added extra to any area where i had made a mistake.

Roll the fondant on a big flat powdered area to about an eighth (1/8) inch thickness, you can go

between 1/8 and 1/4 inch and it would look fine. You just dont want to tear the fondant because

it looks bad and you cant really fix it without it looking all funky, its not a big deal if you plan to

just cover with decorations like flowers or dots, etc. If it does tear while you try to transport it,

just suck it up and re-roll. It happens.

To transport from counter to cake, slowly roll fondant up onto rolling pin, being careful not to rip

it off the board, use a metal spatula to gently scrape any section that may have stuck to the

counter. Position fondant on cake beginning at one end and unroll over to cover the entire cake

(hopefully) thats where your own math skills will come in handy! Gently press fondant onto the

frosting, pressing into appropriate crevices you intentionally made in the cake! Trim excess

fondant off cake with small sharp knife. Use warm water and small brush or stick tools to touch

up fondant. Use remaining fondant for decorating, if desired!

You have just made yourself a $500 cake for only $10 or less!!!

Please leave a comment if you have made this recipe better, or if you are just glad to find it!