Skele-Cat Veggie Tray

My parents give one killer of a Halloween party every year, complete with the best and spookiest food! This year I was assigned a vegetable side...  and I came across this darling skeleton cat. Every body loved it and ate it right up! The bean dip is very healthy and tasty too but honestly not a favorite with the kids, I'm sure ranch would have been preferred... but then I wouldn't have had the "black" cat look! Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices. ;)



Arrange cat skeleton using whatever veggies you like (sliced peppers or green beans make great ribs!)

*I would have made the tail curve up and around more if I had more room. Also I would have made the legs a little longer and had more carrot "claws" on each paw.

Skele-Cat Veggie Tray - Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans


• 1/4 cup salsa


• 3-4 Tb lime juice


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/4 cup cilantro

Instructions

1. Mix together in food processor.

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Jack O' Lantern Mandarin Orange Cups

Today was my 4 year old's preschool Halloween party, and I was supposed to bring a treat to the party.  I worked 12 hours yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment this morning, I'm pregnant {enough said}, then I visited our dad in the hospital and let's face it… sometimes there just isn't time for a fabulous homemade treat, right?  These Jack O' Lantern mandarin orange cups were so perfect for my busy morning!  They took  about 15 minutes to make, looked adorable, and were the healthiest thing on the treat table at the party.  I felt great about them.  And more importantly, the kids gobbled them up.  So if you have a busy day and a Halloween treat you need to provide tomorrow (or if you just want to make these spooktacular little fruit cups for fun) stop by the grocery store tonight and get out your sharpie to have some fun! And have such a HAPPY HALLOWEEN tomorrow!

Jack O'Lantern Mandarin Orange Cups
Submitted by  Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Mandarin orange fruit cups
Permanent marker

Draw jack o'lantern faces on the top of each fruit cup, place in a big bowl, and serve!

Witches' Brooms with Reeses Cups

Well, hello again! Sorry for the little dry spell there!   I am back with a very simple, but oh so fun Halloween treat!  These are perfect for Halloween parties.  Kids get such a kick out of these little "witches' brooms" and they could not be easier to make or tastier to eat!

Did you notice that we have lots of frightfully delicious Halloween recipes listed down our sidebar and get even more ideas here.

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween!

Witches' Brooms with Reeses Cups

Author: Melanie

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Miniature Reese Peanut Butter Cups


• 1 bag of Pretzel Sticks

Instructions

1. Unwrap peanut butter cups and place top down on plate.


2. Carefully place a pretzel stick in the center.


3. Viola--you have  witches' broom!  Easy, fun and delicious:)

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*too make them gluten free, simply use a gluten free pretzel stick.  We think these ones are the best!

 

 

 

Spooky Spider's Nest 7-Layer {Plus} Dip

Are you getting excited for Halloween?  I know we are!  We have our decorations out, most of our costumes bought, parties planned, and now we are just enjoying the anticipation of one of our favorite holidays.  That includes making lots of good Halloween food to my kids mixed fright and delight.  And this Spooky Spider 's Nest Dip may top the charts this year.  It is soooo good and so fast!  You could throw it together in 10-15 minutes if you have premade guacamole, which I usually keep on hand from Costco for just these occasions.  The dip tastes a lot like 7 layer dip, only better because of the extra ingredients.  And it is certainly in the spooky Halloween spirit!  A definite Go-To Halloween party recipe you'll be using for years to come.

Spooky Spider's Nest 7-Layer {Plus} Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) can refried black beans


• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning


• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (or jalapeños if you like it hot)


• 1 cup salsa


• 1 cup sour cream


• 1 cup guacamole (If you don't have time to make it fresh, I like Wholly guacamole.)


• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese


• 2 green onions, sliced


• 2 cups shredded lettuce


• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato


• 1 can jumbo olives


• A couple large bags of tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the refried beans and taco seasoning.


2. On a large tray or bowl, spread the beans in an even circular shape.


3. Sprinkle green chilies over. Smooth salsa over. Smooth guacamole over.


4. Place your sour cream in the end of a ziploc bag. Cut the corner off. Squeeze sour cream on top of guacamole in several concentric circles (or octagon shapes for a more authentic look). Using a knife or the handle of a fork, run lines lightly through the sour cream to make the web shape.


5. Sprinkle lettuce in a circle around bean dip. Sprinkle tomatoes, green onions, and sliced olives over. Sprinkle cheese over.


6. To make olive spider, cut one olive length wise (body) and place in center of the web.  Cut 1/3 off the end of another olive (head) and place at top of body.  Cut one more olive in half length wise, then cut each half into 4 strips length wise and arrange on each side of the body for legs.   (You can substitute a plastic spider ring if desired)  Serve with lots of tortilla chips!

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Recipe adapted from: Divine Dinner Party

Swamp Juice

Swamp Juice is hands down my favorite Halloween beverage... especially for a party!  There is just something so wonderfully disgusting about that bottom layer of fish eggs made from tapioca pearls and the little swamp creatures "swimming" through them.  And the dry ice is a must to make the swamp juice come alive! It finishes the effect by adding that spooky mist that we all imagine when we picture a bog in our mind.  Halloween is tomorrow, so run to the store now to get all the ingredients.  You won't be sorry.  In fact, I guarantee your swamp juice will make a memory that children and adults alike will remember and love!

Now here are a few practical pointers:
The tapioca and gummy creatures stay at the bottom of the glass while drinking, so even non tapioca lovers should be able to drink this happily.  If you plan to eat the tapioca, use a spoon.
I have both dyed and not dyed the eggs, and I like it both ways.  The clear pearls almost look more convincing to me, but the colored pearls look a little better with a clear beverage as pictured above.
The bottom picture uses green kool aid, which turned out to be more opaque than I expected.  So I just added some lemonade to it, and it turned out to be one of my favorite colors of swamp juice.  Sprite mixed with kool aid tastes a little better to me, though.  Pink lemonade made surprisingly good swamp juice last year, too.
Don't be afraid to use bits of dry ice in each glass.  The effect is amazing, and it only takes a few minutes for the dry ice to bubble itself away.  Worth the effect for sure.

Swamp Juice
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found near the instant pudding at most grocery stores)
Food coloring (optional)
Beverage of choice (kool aid, lemonade, sprite, etc)
Gummy fish (Swedish Fish, JuJu Fish work great)
Gummy worms
Dry Ice

To make the eggs, bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls.  Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.

If desired, color the eggs by dividing the eggs into separate bowls (with their cooking water) and adding 4 drops of food coloring to each bowl.  Green, blue, and yellow are all great colors.  Stir the mixtures and allow to sit for 20 to 25 minutes to soak in the coloring. Then drain and rinse with cold water.

To assemble the swamp juice in a punch bowl, deposit the "egg" pearls to the bottom of the punch bowl.  Cover with beverage of choice and drop in the gummy fish and worms.  Add dry ice for effect.

To assemble individual glasses, spoon ~2 tablespoons of "egg" pearls into each glass.  Fill the glass with beverage of choice.  Drop in 1-2 gummy fish and/or worms.  Top with one worm coming out of drink.  Break the dry ice into nickel sized pieces and drop one into each glass just before serving.  (Remember to warn your guests to wait until the swamp juice quits bubbling before they drink it).

Recipe Source: Adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats

My friend Christa introduced us to these adorable little pumpkin treats and boy were they a hit!  Aren't they cute?!  My family absolutely loved them!  Each one holds a surprise in the center ( a little mini candybar) that delighted the kids.  What a fun Halloween treat that we will be requested around here every year, I am sure.  For those of you who do Monday Night Family Home Evening, this would make a quick and easy  treat for tonight:)

Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
submitted by Melanie~www.thesisterscafe.com

3 Tb butter
4 cups miniature or 1 10 oz package (about 40 large ) marshmallows
orange food coloring
6 cups Kellogs Rice Krispies  cereal
12 mini candybars (such as milky Way, 3 Musketeers or a ROLO would be great)
water, powdered sugar and green food coloring (for the vines)
Green gumdrop, tootsie roll or other suitable candy (for the stem)

In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and tint with orange food coloring.  Add the Rice Krispies cereal and stir until well coated.   Using 1/2-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into 12 portions.  Using buttered hands shape each portion into pumpkin shape around one candy piece.  In a small bowl mix together water powdered sugar and green food coloring and drizzle onto the top of each pumpkin for the vines.  Attach a green gumdrop, tootsie roll or other suitable candy for stem.  Enjoy!

Frankenstein Pudding Cups

I made this spooky treat the other night for Family Home Evening.  It was one of those days spent hurrying from thing to thing, and it was FHE time before I knew it.  You know those kind of days.   Thankfully  I remembered seeing something like this on pinterest, and I so I whipped some Frankenstein Pudding Cups together much to the delight of my kiddos (and my husband, incidentally, who had a childhood love for snack packs).  They turned out adorable and took about 5 minutes.  Of course real, homemade food is the ideal... but sometimes instant pudding and some oreos just can't be beat!

Frankenstein Pudding Cups
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 small package of instant pistachio pudding, prepared according to directions on the box
12+ oreos, chopped (I use my food processor to make short work of them)

 Spoon pudding into clear cups.  Top with chopped oreos to form Frankensteins hair.  Then draw a spooky face on the cup.  Chill if desired.  Voila!  The quickest Halloween dessert you will ever make!

Halloween Pretzel Bites

This is a Halloween snack for little fingers to make.  Amy and my crazy little boys (all younger than 5) were running around like little tornadoes at my house last week.  Desperate for a little more peace, I whipped out the ingredients to Halloween Pretzel Bites and let these little boys go to town.  Worked like a charm.  And I felt like the world's greatest Mom/Auntie to boot! They were so cute and intense putting these little treats together.  And so proud of themselves!  Isn't it cute how little people love to create in the kitchen?  Especially festive treats! I loved finding something that was at toddler level so they could really do it all by themselves.  I think these Halloween Pretzel Bites are perfect for a Family Home Evening treat to jump start the Halloween Season.  (These are a variation of Easy Pretzel Turtles)

Halloween Pretzel Bites
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

Small Pretzels (Snyder's Snaps work best)

1 bag Hershey's Hugs
Candy Corn

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place small pretzels on a cookie sheet (line with silpat or parchment paper for easy clean up). Top each pretzel with a Hershey's Hug candy. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. The Hugs will look shiny but will still hold their shape. Remove from oven and push a Candy Corn on top of each one. Let firm up for 30 minutes (longer if kitchen is warm).

No Bake Halloween Ghost and Witch Hat Cookies

Are you ready for the big night?  My boys are so excited they can't wait!  We are carving pumpkins after school and then we will be off to our friends home for chili and trick or treating together.  I love this silly holiday!  It is such fun!
Last week we made these super easy cookies and I thought I would share them with you as a last minute Halloween treat OR save the idea for next year!  These little ghosts and witch hats are adorable and so fun to make.

I hope you have a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN my friends!!

No Bake Halloween Cookies
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

Ghosts:
1 package of Nutter Butter Cookies
1 bag of white chocolate chips or white candy melts
mini chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate according to package directions.  I used candy melts from the craft store and melted them using the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute and then 20 second intervals, stiring after each one.

Dip the Nutter Butters in the white chocolate.  I like to leave the bottom bare--it reminds me of the cute ghosts that come trick or treating with their tennis shoes sticking out:)  Be sure to shake of excess by tapping the cookie on the side of the bowl and scraping the bottom too.

Lay on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or sheet of wax paper.  Apply 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes while the chocolate is still wet.  Allow to dry and set.  ENJOY:)

Witch Hats:
1 package of fudge stripe cookies
1 package of hershey kisses
1 tube of orange frosting (or make our own and pipe)

Turn the fudge stripe cookie upside down.  Take an unwrapped kiss and apply a dap of frosting.  Attach to to the cookie.  Take your orange frosting and pipe a ribbon around the kiss.  Viola--you are done!  ENJOY:)

Ghost and Mummy Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I love chocolate covered strawberries!  Eating them makes me feel pampered... or somehow like it is a special occasion.  Plus, they are the quickest dessert, and they are always a hit. Whenever I make them, people get excited.  And I'm talking big people, little people, and somewhere-in-between people .  Everyone.  So I thought why not for Halloween?  And I'm glad I did.  These ghost and mummy strawberries turned out darling!  I used an edible ink pen (I bought mine on Amazon- I included the link for you below, but I've seen them in the cake decorating section of Walmart, too.) for the ghost faces and the mummy eyes.  But you could also use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and melted chocolate for the mouth... though that would be trickier, I'm guessing.  I think I'll stick to the easier edible ink pen. Enjoy and have a Happy Halloween!

Ghost and Mummy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 pound strawberries
1 package of white chocolate chips (I like Guittard) or candy melts
1 edible ink pen

Wash and allow the strawberries to dry.  Set out wax paper or a silpat.  Melt the chocolate on 50% power in the microwave for two minutes.  Stir until the bowl no longer feels warm.  Then microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted.  Hold the strawberries by the stem and roll in the chocolate until covered.  Then gently place on wax paper.  Allow the chocolate to harden, then draw the ghost faces and/or mummy eyes.  Now pipe white chocolate onto the mummy strawberries to look like wrappings (I like these bottles better than piping bags).  You don't have to be careful when you pipe the chocolate. I just do a combination of rotating the strawberry and looping the piping hand around the strawberry, and they turn out pretty cute.

Ghoulish Goodies for your Halloween Feast!

Mindy posted about the Witch's Stew yesterday - a fantastic and fun way to present dinner to your Halloween crowd!  Today I thought I'd share some fun sidedishes that can go along with Witch's Stew.  Or a jack-o-lantern pizza... or whatever you else you decide to serve at your festivities!   There really is no limit to what you can do, the key is to come up with creatively spooky names and making cute little cards to explain what you're serving.  Believe me, it makes all the difference how you present things! You can make the same recipes you serve your family every week but give it a ghastly new title and it is a ton of fun from the adults to even your littlest guests! 

Here are some of our favorites. As pictured above at our family Halloween Party:

Bubbling Brew  Add a big chunk of dry ice to pretty much any drink, serve it in a black cauldron and you transform it into a bubbling, frothing brew!  Amy posted homemade rootbeer a few years ago, which is always a special treat.  But you can also do anything from lemonade to KoolAid.  A "bubbling brew" is a blast to serve and looks awesome with it's tendrils of mist snaking along the table! Another great thing is it actually gives the punch a fizzy kick that tastes great! Not to mention how cold dry ice makes liquid.  You can't go wrong with this one!

Bones and Blood  (breadsticks and marinara sauce for dipping)  Make your favorite breadstick recipe and add a knot to each end after you roll them out.  Easy and super cute!

Bat Wings (chicken wings) An old favorite and definitely a crowd pleaser!  This year I bought a big bag of honey bbq wings from Costco. Talk about easy prep!  Serve it with ranch and a drizzle of tabasco sauce on top, not stirred in, to look especially spooky!

Spider Eggs (gussied up deviled eggs)  I posted these earlier in the month. They are yummy and look amazing!

The ideas for desserts are absolutely endless!  We already have a lot of fun recipes posted (you can look them up under the Main Category of Holidays - Halloween)  There is one that I wanted to mention that I always tend to make at Halloween: Dirt Cake!  All it is is a chocolate bundt cake, frosted and covered in oreo crumbs.  Then you take gummy worms and have them draped all over the cake.  The kids love it and it looks great!

Remember presentation is everything! :)  As you can tell, you can go super simple on recipes but the way you serve it up is what makes it spectacular!  Not to mention that it saves you a bunch of time and energy.  When you are setting your table, go for lots of color.  You don't need expensive dishes and linens either.  You can always find cute and inexpensive paper products that look almost as good.

 If you need a fun centerpiece or decoration fill up some apothecary jars (or any glass jars you have at home) with your families favorite treats and write up little cards with fun, new creepy names to them!  Tie a cute ribbon around the jars and you have a fun way to serving up treats! 

Some of our favorites are:
Witch's Nails (candy corn - or for a more healthy option, roasted almonds)
Bat Droppings (chocolate covered raisins) *this one really grosses our mom out though, haha!
Cockcroach clusters (chocolate covered almond clusters) *this one grosses me out... but I still eat my fair share!
Wiggly Worms (gummy worms)
Twisted Salamander Tails (pretzels)
I hope some of these ideas come in handy this weekend as you have your own Halloween parties with family and friends!  Have a Spooktacular Holiday!!!  :)

Witch's Stew

Hello my pretties!

Imagine receiving an invitation to attend a a halloween bash hosted by Hagatha the Witch.  You arrive at the witch's home on a dark, dark night.  The only light comes from flickering jack-o-lanterns and spooky faced luminaries as you make your way up the walk.  Haunting music eerily emanates from the darkness.  Suddenly, the door swings open and cackling is heard just before a grinning witch welcomes you into her party.  Delicious and spooky looking food adorns the table, but the main course is still brewing... witch's stew!  All that is left to do is add a few final ingredients and chant the magic spell, and the witch's brew will ready...

Witch's stew is one of the best traditions we ever stumbled into!  Our seriously fun and creative mom started witch's stew several years ago, and it is the highlight of the party.  Seriously, the kids LOVE it.  You can use any soup recipe, as long as you come up with lots of spooky names for the ingredients.  Or you can even use soup from a can or mix.  Just choose some ingredients that can be added.  One of my favorite soups we've done for Witch's stew is Zuppa Toscana, because I think the kale looks so spectacular as swamp weed... and let's face it, that soup is delicious!

Witch's Stew
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 witch's hat
1 magic wand (Could even be a wood stick)
1 cauldron (or stock pot)
1 wooden spoon
1 recipe for your favorite soup  with spooky names for all ingredients
Containers for ingredients (examples include old honey jars, canning pint jars, glass votive candle holders, small drinking glasses.  Choose a few different containers if possible, because the effect is better)

Save out a little of each of the main ingredients and place in containers with assigned names (I made labels for each of mine, but you could even just use a mailing label or similar).  I think it is easier to save out ingredients and just microwave to cook them rather than trying to fish the ingredients out of the soup once it is all done.  Cook the rest of the soup as directed.  Now for the fun part!  Put on your witch's hat and assume character.  Gather all the children around the Witch (you) and tell them that the witch's stew is almost ready.  Now call for each ingredient by its spooky name and have each child add one ingredient at a time as you stir with a large wooden spoon.  After all ingredients have been added to the stew, wave your magic wand over the stew and chant the following spell:

Gobble dee gook
With a wooden spoon
The laugh of a toad
at the height of the moon

Boil and bubble
Dance a jig
If you eat all this
You're a polka dot pig

And believe it or not, that bewitching stew will make your party  one of the most amazing and memorable Halloween bashes you've ever had!

Example: Zuppa Toscana

ground sausage:         rat's brains
sliced red potatoes:    sliced troll's toes
chopped onion:          mummified toenails
chicken broth:            gargoyle sweat
whipping cream:       werewolf saliva (I like to say, "Werewolf saliva collected at the full moon" when I add it to the stew)
kale:                              swamp weed
Parmesan cheese:     white wood worms
salt:                               crushed spiderwebs
pepper:                         ground beetle legs
crushed red pepper:  dried fire ants

Other examples of fun names for ingredients:
toad's eyes
sliced vampire heart
monster brains
chopped bat whiskers
swamp slithers
frozen ghost mist
fish eggs
hair from a skunk's tail
ogre teeth
dried spider legs
(the possibilities are endless!)

Stay tuned for tomorrow... Brittany will share more ideas for scaring up ghoulish goodies for haunting halloween party!

Scary Spider Cookies

Are you looking for a fun but very simple Halloween activity for your little one? These Scary Spider Cookies are perfect! It doesn't get any easier than this. My four year old loves making his own spiders and my two year old especially loves eating them! I think these cookies turn out the cutest using black string licorice for the legs. Unfortunately, the store I went to didn't have black string licorice or Halloween Oreos:( Oh well, a quick project like this isn't worth multiple trips to grocery stores (in my opinion) so just grab what you can find and go! Have fun, your kiddos definitely will!

Scary Spider Cookies

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: adapted from Betty Crocker Celebrate

Black twist licorice (or black string licorice)
Oreos (any flavor works fine, but you might want to grab the orange-filled Halloween Oreos if you can find any!)
3 T. ready-to-spread frosting (chocolate is best)
Mini M & M's

Cut licorice in 1 1/2-inch pieces. If using twists, such as red vines, cut each 1 1/2-inch piece in fourths length-wise. If using string licorice, just pull apart 1 1/2-inch pieces. Carefully twist open cookie. Insert 4 pieces of cut licorice into the icing of each side of cookie to make legs. Push those legs into the icing pretty good and gently close the cookie. With frosting, attach 2 mini M & M's to top of each cookie for eyes.

Hearty Hunter's Stew with Ghostly Mashed Potatoes

I found this darling idea in the Taste of Home Halloween magazine.  As soon as I saw it, I knew my 4-year old would be delighted...and I was not disappointed!  He thought it was the coolest thing in the world to see a ghost rising out of his stew!  Thanks to that ghoulish apparition, he ate most of his dinner that night. Not a regular occurrence by any means!  You could easily make ghosts top your favorite stew recipe but in case there are those of you that would like to try something new, here is a delicious new recipe I tried out.  Since I knew I would be using mashed pototaes for the ghosts, I cut out the potatoes and used extra rutabagas.  Hope you enjoy this fun and deliciously spooky twist on a classic!

Hearty Hunter's Stew
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sister's Cafe

2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 Tb canola oil
4  cups water, divided
1 can diced tomatoes
2 medium onions, cut in wedges
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2-3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 medium carrots, quartered
2 large rutabagas, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tb cornstarch
3 lbs potatoes (8 medium), peeled and cubed
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 tsp salt

In a heavy pan, brown meat in oil over medium heat.  Add 3 1/2 cups water scrape to loosen any browned drippings from pan.  Add undrained can of tomatoes, onions, celery, Worchestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Discard bay leaves; add the carrots and rutabagas.  Cover and cook for another hour.

Stir in peas; cook for 10 minutes. (Reserve 16 peas for ghost eyes)  Combine cornstarch with 1/2 cup water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

About 30 minutes before serving, place potatoes in a large saucepan  and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain. Return the potatoes to pan; add sour cream, butter and salt.  Mash until smooth.  Place mashed potatoes in a large resealable plastic bag; cut a 2 inch hole in one corner.  Pipe ghost potatoes onto stew; garnish with reserved peas.

Yield: 8 servings

recipe source: adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

**Mindy and I both tried out these cute ghosts. She used the original instructions for making the mashed potato ghosts and that is her picture above.  When I made them for my family I was lazy and thought to try a short cut... good old Betty Crocker Butter and Herb mashed potato packet! I thought the flavored potatoes would be tasty and it sounded so much easier! However, as you can see from my own picture below, the ghosts did not turn out nearly as cute.  The instant mashed potatoes were much thinner and hard to smooth out into a ghost shape.  They were also not white!!  However, my kids didn't notice and it saved me a lot of time and hassle. So either way works!

Spooky Spider Eggs

This is one of my new favorite Halloween treats because they are soooooooo adorably creepy!! Personally I don't like the foods to be too gruesome looking...I lose my appetite, haha!  But these cute little spider eggs are perfect.  Just spooky enough to make the kids giggle and the adults ooh and aah at how clever they look.  I made these for Mom's famous annual Halloween party and they were a hit all around!  You will be hearing more about the big party soon... we have to share all of her wonderful ideas to create the best Halloween party ever!

Spooky Spider Eggs
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sisters Cafe

6 extra large hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp white vinegar
medium black olives

Shell eggs and cut lengthwise into halves.  Gently remove egg yolks and place in a medium bowl.  Mash with fork then add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and vinegar to the egg yolks.  Stir together until well blended. Scoop yolk mixture into egg white halves, heaping slightly.

Cut 6 black olives lengthwise into halves and set aside (these will be the spider bodies).  Cut more black olives lengthwise into halves.  Cut each half cross-wise into 4 or 5 thin spider legs.  (You will want to use a very sharp knife for this.)  Working with one finished devil egg at a time, arrange 4 thin slices on each side of the mound of egg yolk mixture.  After the 8 legs are in place, gently place an olive half, cut-side down, in the middle.  Arrange on a platter and refrigerate until serving.

*If you're having trouble making the spider bodies stick, place a tiny scoop of egg yolk mixture into the underside of the olive half before placing it.  This helped with mine!

Chili

This is my mother-in-law, Michel Walker's recipe,  and my personal favorite version of classic chili. The first time I had this was at my in-law's cabin in Idaho, and I was amazed by how delicious it was!  By the way, Fritos and sour cream are a must!  I use my food storage pinto beans with this recipe, but you can also use canned pinto beans. I serve this around Halloween-time every year.  I particularly like to serve it with Brittany's JalapenoCheddar Cornbread. It is the moistest and tastiest cornbread I've ever had. Yum!

Chili
Submitted by Erin  ~ The Sisters Cafe

2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, diced
3 cups of dry pinto beans, soaked overnight (or 3 large cans (29 ounces each) pinto beans, drained)
46 oz. (one large can) tomato juice
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
Cheddar cheese, Fritos, and sour cream, for serving

Measure three cups (which is 1 ½ lbs) of pinto beans out and look through them for small pebbles. Rinse them off, and place them in a large bowl.  Soak the dry pinto beans in about 15 cups of water. Measuring the water is not necessary; just add water until they are covered by a few inches of water on top. In the morning, the beans will have absorbed a lot of the water. Rinse the beans and place in a large pot with plenty of fresh water and simmer for 2 hours with the lid cracked.  *Instead of using dry pinto beans, you may use 3 (29-oz) cans of pinto beans. One 29-oz can is equal to 3 cups of cooked beans, or 1 cup of dry beans. Beans triple in volume after being cooked.*

After beans are cooked, drain liquid reserving about ½ cup of liquid, and set beans aside. In the same pot, brown the hamburger and onion. Drain grease. Add all remaining ingredients, including the cooked beans, and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a handful of Fritos, and a dollop of sour cream.

Jack-O-Lantern and Mummy Cake Pops

What's not to love?!  These pops are the cutest things ever.  I've made them a few times now, and they are a serious hit.  The first batch I made, I had a bunch leftover after my family enjoyed them.  So my 2 year old and I took some to his friend's family... but I still had more!  So I went for a walk in the neighborhood.  Only two kids in sight.  So I gave them each one.  Then it was the craziest thing.  Kids started materializing out of nowhere!  They were running toward me from up and down the street.  I think kid's have a sixth sense when it comes to treats.  Luckily I had exactly the right number of cake pops to go around.  The kids LOVED them.  Later, Brittany and I made them for a short Halloween class we taught.  They were a hit again.  So I think it is safe to say, if you make these babies... they are going to be a HIT!  (PS The directions are long, but these really are not hard. I just wanted to be very explicit with the directions to make sure your cake pops are a success!)

Jack-O-Lantern and Mummy Cake Pops
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1 cake (homemade or from cake mix, baked in 9 x 13 pan)
Frosting (homemade or one jar of store bought)
'Chocolate' Candy Melts - white and orange (If you live in Utah, I usually get my melts at Orson Gygi.)
Edible Ink Pen
Lollipop sticks
Green Tic Tacs
mini chocolate chips

1.  After the cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into a large bowl or your Bosch/Kitchen Aid.
2. Start with approximately 1/2 cup of frosting and add it to the cake.  Continue adding frosting until the cake forms a "dough" that can easily be rolled into balls.  I would say I usually use 1/2- 3/4 cup of frosting.  Your probably will not need the whole jar if you are using store bought frosting.
3.  Roll mixture between your palms into quarter to half dollar sized balls and place on cookie sheet.  Wax paper or silpat lined is easier so the balls won't stick.  Should make between 45-50 balls.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.  For the microwave, heat the chocolate at 50% power for 2 minutes.  Stir until the the bowl no longer feels warm, then heat in 30 second intervals at 50% power stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted chocolate and insert into the cake balls.  Insert about halfway.
6. Chill in the refridgerater uncovered for a couple of hours to firm up.  (I am told you can also place them in the freezer for a little while, but I haven't tried it.)
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered.  Once covered, remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off if needed.  Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too!
8. Immediately insert the green Tic Tac for the jack-o-lantern stem OR insert the mini chocolate chips for the mummies' eyes.
9.  Place in a styrofoam block to dry.  Sugar filled glasses works great, too!
10.  After you have dipped all the cake balls in white chocolate, go back and pipe white chocolate onto the cake pops to look like mummy wrappings.  (I think it is easier to use these bottles instead of a piping bag)
11. Once dry, draw jack-o-lantern faces with an edible ink pen and allow ink to dry.

Tips:
1.  Don't cover the cake balls when they are chilling.  The moisture that gathers on the outside of the pops can make the chocolate crack after you dip the moist pop.  Keeping the balls uncovered while chilling allows the outside of the ball to dry off to prevent cracking (don't worry, the inside will stay moist).
2.  Use the candy melts!  I tried chocolate chips (white and chocolate), and the chocolate ended up being too thick and it was hard to get the balls looking smooth.  The thick chocolate also made some of the cake balls fall apart while I was trying to rotate them to cover.  I also tried almond bark, which was too thin.  The cake balls wouldn't stop dripping.  Even after I waited and tapped them off, the chocolate still ended up running down the stick.
3.  If you are up for it, the thick melted chocolate from white chocolate chips was perfect to do the mummy wrappings.  So still use the white chocolate melts for dipping the cake pop, but then use the thicker white chocolate chips for mummy wrappings if you feel like melting yet more chocolate!
4.  If you forget to insert the chocolate chip eyes or the tic tac stem while the chocolate is still soft, don't worry.  Just dab the end of the tic tac or the back of the chocolate chips in melted chocolate and stick them on.  Not as clean looking, but I doubt anyone will notice.
5. Don't worry if they aren't perfect, they'll be a hit even if your pumpkins are nobby and your mummies faces are not quite round.

Recipe Source: Basic cake pop recipe adapted from Bakerella.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I thought this was the perfect recipe to welcome in October at The Sisters Cafe!  I love this time of year!  I am planning our annual 'Kicking off October' family party tonight.  We will watch the classic 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' tonight with warm apple cider and these delicious cupcakes.  I can't wait:)  I  made these for a baby shower over the weekend and they were a big hit!  It is that time of year when pumpkin treats just seem to hit the spot!  These were really easy to make, looked cute and tasted great! I prefer to make mini cupcakes for a little bite, but you could make them in the full size too.   The cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting is my favorite part.  I love the speckled look and the flavor it adds!   I will definitely be making these again!

Also, I am hosting a really GREAT giveaway today valued at $50 to help keep your family organized at my other blog Melandboys!

Check it out here.

Have a wonderful week and Happy October...one of my favorite months of the year!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1-15oz can pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cup flour
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp alllspice
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat together sugars and oil.  Add eggs and vanilla beating until well mixed.  Add pumpkin and buttermilk until incorporated.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and whisk.  Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until creamy.  Grease or line 24 muffin cups (36-48 mini depending on size of pan) and fill 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 18-22 (10-15 for minis) minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and top off with a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 1/2 -4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2-4 TB water

Beat together the cream cheese and butter.  Add half of the powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Beat until fully incorporated.  Add the remaining powdered sugar and water, until desired consistency is reached.  Beat on medium high until light and fluffy.  Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes and finish off with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar!  Enjoy:)

pumpkin patch biscuits

When I heard about how moist and delicious pumpkin biscuits were, I did a search online and found this fabulous recipe on Taste of Home. We love it around our house! I meant to cut out some cute little pumpkin shaped biscuits this time but at the end I forgot - oh well! This would be a perfect way to use up any leftover pumpkin from baking your pumpkin pies. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone - happy baking!!

Pumpkin Patch Biscuits
submitted by Brittany at The Sisters Cafe

printable recipe here

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk; stir into crumb mixture until just moistened. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out to 1 inch thickness; cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. (Or cut into squares with a pizza cutter.) Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet. Bake in 425 degree preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter if desired. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

Oh my goodness--this dessert is amazing! Seriously, it is one of my all time favorite fall desserts! Whenever I serve this, without fail people ask me for the recipe. I have to admit that this recipe beat me at a pumpkin themed recipe contest I was involved in at Thanksgiving Point years ago. I got second, but I had to completely agree with the judges choice. We got to sample all the entries and this was hands down the best (darn it:) I of course asked my fellow contestant for a copy of her winning recipe and she sweetly gave it to me. I have been making it ever since! This is perfect for fall and all of the holiday season. It is perfect for parties, looking very impressive and feeding lots (15-20). If you are not a pecan fan, like my husband you can use toasted almonds instead.

PS My weekly menu with recipe links here. What is on your menu?

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

submitted by Melanie courtesy of Gayle Holdman

Printable recipe here

First Layer:
1 pkg spice cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup vegtable oil (can do ¼ cup applesauce, and ¼ cup oil instead)
½ cup water
3 large eggs
1tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

Preaheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 baking pan with vegtable oil spray. Place all cake ingredients in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed from 1 minute. Scrape down sides and then increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more. Batter should look think and well blended. Pour into prepared pan and backe 32-39 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely. (cake can be frozen at this point. Thaw at room temperature before assembling trifle.) When ready to prepare trifle, cut or tear into approx. 1 inch cubes.

Second Layer (cream):
2 pkgs. (3.4 oz) cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
2 cups freshly whipped cream (unsweetened)

Combine pudding mixes with milk and blend with whisk until it starts to thicken. Fold in whipped cream, then quickly assemble trifle.

Third Layer (toppings):
½ cup chopped, toasted pecans or almonds
½ cup Skor toffee bits

To assemble trifle:
Place 1/3 of cake cubes into trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 of cream mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of nuts and toffee bits. Repeat layers two more times, ending with nuts and toffee on top. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered no longer that 24 hours.