Scary Face Punch

We had a Halloween party with some friends and I thought it would be fun to make punch with a scary face.

Juice dyed green.

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the finished product but it was awesome.  

Ingredients:

Lemon-Lime Soda
White grape juice
another juice of your choice like apple juice
green food coloring
assorted candy like gummy worms, gummy bears, licorice, etc.
assorted fruit like lemons, limes, and apples

I used a silicone cake pan and froze some juice in it.  Once that was set I made a face out of candy and fruit.  Then I froze it again.  A few hours later I poured more green juice on top of that.  Don't worry if you can't see the face perfectly.  When you pour on the soda the juice will dissolve quickly and the face will appear again.

Once you are ready for the party place the frozen face in a punch bowl and pour more juice and soda on top.  The kids and adults loved this.

Eye Ball Pretzels

We had a Halloween Party with some friends and I had fun making spooky treats.

Halloween Pretzels

Ingredients:
One package pretzels
One package plain M&M's
One bottle red gel frosting
1 bag white chocolate melts

Lay out the pretzels on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or Silpats.  Melt the white chocolate according to package directions.  Put a dollop of white chocolate in the middle of each pretzel.  Then place an M&M in the middle of the white chocolate.  After it has cooled and set squeeze on the red gel.

My kids loved helping out with these.

Crocheted Leg Warmers

I needed leg warmers for my Senator Amidala costume for Halloween.  I tried a few patterns but none of them fit right.  So I kept unraveling and starting again.  This was very frustrating so finally I just made up my own pattern.

Crocheted leg warmers

You need a H hook and a large ball of yarn depending on how tall you are.

You will need to adjust this pattern by your calf size and your calf length.  I just kept trying it on over and over.  My yarn wasn't very stretchy so you do need it to fit over your foot.

Abbreviations : ch = chain; dc = double crochet; hdc = half double crochet; sc =single crochet; st(s) = stitch(es); tr = triple stitch

Leg Warmers (make 2)

1- Chain 60  Slip Stitch into the first chain to join.  Be careful to make sure the chain isn't twisted.
2-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
3- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
4- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
5- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
6- Repeat 5
7- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
8- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
9-  Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
10- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
11- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
12- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
13- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
14- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
15-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
16- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
17- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
18- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
19- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
20-  Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
21- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
22- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
23-Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, skip every sixth stitch, slip st into last chain to join
 (Try it on and see if you need to do another round of skips or skip less often.)
24-  Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
25- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
26- Chain 3, tr in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
27- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.  (You might need to skip here.  I did not.)
28-34- Repeat 3-5 until an inch from desired length.
35- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
36- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
37- Chain 1, sc into each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
38- Chain 2, hdc in each ch around, slip st into last chain to join.
Now use a needle to sew in the ends.

Homemade Bread

I have been making bread for years because I am a bread snob.  I hate the cheap store bought bread and I am too cheap to buy the expensive stuff.  I have been experimenting with different recipes and this is my current favorite.  

Multi-Grain Bread

Adapted from: Favorite Family Recipes Book (a great recipe book!)

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast 

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. flax seed

2 Tbsp. chia seeds

1 Tbsp. wheat germ 

About 5 1/2 cups of flour (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour)

Now this seems like a LOT of ingredients but you don't have to have the wheat gluten, flax seed, and chia seeds.  They are just an extra bonus of healthiness.   

Proof the yeast by adding it to the warm water.  When the yeast is bubbly add the rest of the ingredients and start mixing.  I use a stand up mixer but you can do this in a bread machine on the dough setting or by hand.  You will need to add a little bit of flour at the end to get the right consistency.  Add it cup by cup until perfect.  Knead for about 10 minutes.  Then put in a oiled bowl and let rise for an hour.  I never use a clean bowl.  I just add a little vegetable oil and put it back in the same bowl I mixed it in.  True confession.

When the dough as doubled in size.  Cut it into three equal pieces.  Then roll each piece out a pit to the size of a piece of paper and roll into a log.  Then place each one in three greased bread pans. Let rise again for another hour.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  If you desire brush some butter on the tops of each loaf in the last 5 minutes of baking.  

Cool on wire racks.  And enjoy!  I make this in batches and freeze what we aren't going to eat immediately.  

Caramel Apples

My kids love caramel apples.  As soon as there is a hint of fall in the air they beg for them.  

The most important rule for caramel apples is preparation.  You need the apples room temperatures, washed, dried, and Popsicle sticks inserted BEFORE you make the caramel.

 Caramel Apples
Adapted from Carnival Caramel Apples

 Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
a dash of salt
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10-12 Popsicle sticks
10-12 medium tart apples, prepped (I love Granny Smiths!)

Decorations like gummy worms, gummy bears, sprinkles, candy corn, peanuts, chocolate, etc (optional)

Prep your apples by washing and drying them, and inserting Popsicle sticks.  Make sure they are at room temperature or the caramel will not stick!

Mix the first four ingredients in a small saucepan.  Stir constantly on medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk and cook until it reaches 248 degrees or firm ball stage. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.   

 Now dip the apples one by one and swirl to cover them.

 Set to dry on a Silpat or on wax paper.  Now let your kids add decorations!

Enjoy!

Salsa from my Garden

We had a rough gardening year.  The place I usually do my garden was unavailable so we did a garden with our friends who had never planted one before.  It went great until the deer at everything but the zucchini.  But the good news is a friend asked me to babysit her garden for a few weeks while she was gone!  Huzzah!  Produce!

So with my excess of tomatoes and peppers I decided to make salsa.  I love fresh salsa!  I usually make a salsa from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook.  Its amazing, but she uses canned tomatoes.

Fresh Garden Salsa

Ingredients:

6 ish tomatoes or one 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes

3 peppers or 2 10 ounce cans Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies

1/2 onion

1 jalapeno

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

juice of one lime

1/2 cup cilantro

First prep your veggies.  Core the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds.  Some are fine.  

Cut the peppers and jalapeno in 1/2 and remove seeds and the fleshy stuff inside.  

I doubled this recipe so not all of the ingredients fit in my blender at one time so I blended the tomatoes first and then the rest of the ingredients.

And ended up with wonderful fresh salsa which is our favorite condiment other than Ranch, but that is just my kids.

Mint Brownies

There was a woman from church when my husband and I got engaged who made these killer mint brownies.  My husband (fiance at the time) begged me to get the recipe from her.  Here it is.

Mint Brownies

Ingredients for Brownies

1 1/2 cup butter (melted)

3 cups sugar

3 tsp. vanilla 

6 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa

2 1/4 cup flour

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Ingredients for the mint frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

5 drops green food coloring

Ingredients for the Fudge Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

3 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/3 cup milk

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Melt margarine in a microwave safe bowl, a big one so you don't have to wash another dish.  Stir in the cocoa and the sugar.  When its cool enough add the eggs one at a time.  Stir in vanilla, flour, nuts.  Mix well.  Spread in a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Cool for 1/2 hour and then frost with the mint frosting.  For the mint frosting mix the butter until fluffy and then add all the other ingredients. Beat well.

For the fudge frosting melt the butter, cocoa, and milk on a low heat.  If you heat it up too fast everything does not combine well and bad things happen.  I know, I've done it.  Bring just to a boil.  Take it off the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread this carefully over the mint frosting so you have two layers.  Add nuts if you want.  Cool and enjoy!