I have some treats for my neighbors. I'm giving them candy so they don't have to steal from their kid's stash. I don't want to throw the candy in a baggie and hand it to them. I want my gift to have a little pizazz. Like I put some thought in it. These ideas work for any treat whether they are homemade or not.

I love my Halloween table this year. I took a nice black tablecloth, I used orange scrapbook paper for a placemat under each plate (yes there are only 5 of us). Then I used my everyday plates and white fabric napkins. The spider on the napkin is from Pottery Barn (clearanced from last year). I tied Halloween ribbon around the glasses and rested a plastic skeleton on each one.
The skeletons on the table are from Zurchers party store but you can get them at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I got the skeleton candle holders at Albertsons...can you believe that?! The little flower holders are from Ikea and I just wrapped some ribbon around them and filled them with orange carnations. I'm excited for dinner Sunday afternoon.

The countdown to Halloween is on. Just two more days and kids will be trick-or-treating at your door. Before my kids go out I usually do a quick dinner of soup and salad so they can have something nutritious before overdosing on sugar. This year I'm making some really cool beverages for the little goblins. Try them...your kids will be SO impressed!

Your kids will wonder how you got a "ghost" in their glass. Perfect for breakfast on Halloween morning.
You'll need some chocolate syrup (add a little black food coloring if you have it on hand), a paintbrush, milk and a clean glass. Lay the glass flat with the opening facing you. Paint the eyes and mouth on the inside of the glass. Pour milk in the glass and serve immediately.




This next drink would be great at dinner.
Isn't this cool? It looks like blood dripping down a glass. It is really easy to make and very impressive.

You'll need corn syrup, red food coloring and a clean glass. Mix the food coloring with the corn syrup. Dip the edge of the glass in the mixture and tap of the excess. Then turn the glass upright and wa - la. Let set for a while and fill glass with any beverage.

Mmmmmm... do you smell that? Cinnamon and pumpkin all mixed up and smelling delicious in the oven.
My son's pre-school teacher gave me this recipe last week so I thought I'd give it a try. These cookies are soft, not crunchy which makes them taste like little individual pumpkin cakes. They are delicious. Be warned: this recipe makes A TON of cookies and can easily be cut in half.

Pumpkin Cookies
*By Crystal A.

2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
1 small can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ground cloves

Cream shortening and sugar. Add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.
Add all the other ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Dough will be very sticky. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Frost with buttercream frosting.


Buttercream Frosting

1 cube butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
Dash salt
1/3 can evaporated milk
Orange food coloring
Powdered Sugar

Combine all ingredients, adding enough powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency.
(not too runny, not too thick) Printable recipe

I think an important part of parties is the ambiance. The decor, the lighting, the scent, and the music. I love going to a party that has a playlist specific to that party. My friend Lisa is a master party DJ. I came up with a little playlist for my Halloween party that I think is a keeper. To add a little game to your gathering, play the playlist and give a prize to anyone who knows the most titles and/or artists. Let me know what you think. Here goes:

Dead Man's Party (Oingo Boingo)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon)
Devil Inside (INXS)
Witchcraft (Frank Sinatra)
Moondance (Van Morrison)
Building a Mystery (Sara McLaughlin)
I'm Your Boogie Man (KC and the Sunshine Band)
The Ghost in You (Counting Crows)
Ding Dong The Wicked Witch is Dead (Ella Fitzgerald)
Witch in the Ditch (Erasure)
Hungry Like a Wolf (Duran Duran)
Walking After Midnight (Patsy Cline)
Black Cat (Janet Jackson)
Zombie (Cranberries)
Voodoo (Spice Girls)

Many of you have heard about the Palm steakhouse. Well I found this recipe from the Palm on the side of an A1 bottle and immediately tried it. My family loved it so I knew it was a keeper. It is so good I forgot to take a photo of the cooked steak *licking fingers* oops. Try this at your next barbecue. You will not be disappointed.


Steak Marinade
*By the Palm

1/2 cup A1 steak sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Mix steak sauce, mustard, Tabasco, curry powder and thyme.
Place steak in non-metal dish or plastic bag; add steak sauce marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Grill or broil until desired doneness. Printable recipe

When we were house hunting in Boise one of our good friends invited us over for dinner. She served these Lil' Cheddar meatloaves and when I tasted them I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They are seasoned beautifully and on top is a ketchup, mustard, brown sugar mixture that I can seriously lick right out of the bowl. I begged my friend for the recipe and she graciously gave it to me. It is one of my go-to meals for Sunday dinner and I often compliment it with Heavenly Potatoes (they are actually called Funeral Potatoes but I'm a glass half-full kind of girl).
The great thing about making these together is that they take the same amount of time to cook. 45 minutes and dinner is ready! I hope you enjoy.


Lil' Cheddar Meat Loafs
*By Erin R.

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup onions
1 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef

2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix egg and milk together. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Mix well.
Stir in beef to mixture. Shape into 8 loafs and place on a cookie sheet wrapped
in foil.

Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Spoon over loafs.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until beef is no longer pink on the inside.

Enjoy! Printable recipe



Heavenly Potatoes
*formerly Funeral Potatoes

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 lbs. frozen hash browns
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cornflake crumbs

Saute onions and butter until transparent. Mix together with next four ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with cornflake crumbs. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Printable recipe

This is one of my absolute favorite peach desserts. My husband's grandma makes it perfectly. It is so fresh and delicious and peachy and crunchy at the same time. I can honestly eat piece after piece of this addicting creation
and before I know it there is an empty pan glaring at me. I get more requests for this dessert than any other dessert I make. Please try this recipe soon and be prepared to amaze your family and friends.

Fresh Peach Cheese Cake (no bake)
*By G.G. Rowe

Crust and topping:
2 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1 cube butter
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
Mix together. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture for topping and put the rest
of the mixture in 9x13 pan. Smash down to form crust.

Filling:
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
3 oz. package peach jell-o
4 cups fresh sliced peaches
Mix water, cornstarch and sugar, cook on medium heat until thick. Remove
from heat and add package of Peach jell-o. Let cool and add peaches. Pour
over crust and chill.

Topping:
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tbsp milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups cool whip or prepared whipping cream
Mix cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar well. Then fold in
whipped topping. Spread on top of peach mixture, sprinkle
reserve crumbs over top and serve. Printable recipe

Ta dah! A darling birthday wreath. My kids love to put this on the door when it's their birthday. I learned how to make this from a wonderful woman named Carleen Tanner. It only takes about an hour to an hour and a half to make. This one is being sent to my sister (if she's nice).

Take two balloons and secure them with a floral pin. Bunch the balloons close together so they look like this:

Pin the balloons all the way around the wreath. Then to add a little pizazz, add some curling ribbon.

Curl about a yard of each color of ribbon and pin with a floral pin. How cute is that?!

You could do all pink or blue for a baby shower, all white for a bridal shower etc. etc. the possibilities are endless. Get creating!

Guess what I can make with a straw wreath,
about 300 twelve-inch balloons,
colorful curling ribbon,
and about 150 floral pins?
You'll find out soon!

Have you ever tasted something, and no matter how you tried, you could not get the memory of the deliciousness out of your head? That happened to me a few years ago when I tasted this delightful dessert. When I took my first bite, the heavens opened and angels sang. And there is zucchini in it! So, you're getting a veggie in with your dessert (two birds, one stone). Try this. I promise you will like it.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Adapted recipe by: Jill R.

1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk (2 Tbs vinegar in 1/2 cup milk...let sour for a few minutes)
5 Tbsp cocoa
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely diced zucchini

Mix together and pour into floured 9X13 in cake pan (I pour into 4 greased loaf pans).
Sprinkle with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.
Turn over on wire rack and drizzle icing on loaves before serving. Printable recipe

Get ready to hear the angels sing!

The saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". This recipe will help you eat (at least) an apple a day. This dip is creamy and sweet and crunchy at the same time. It compliments sweet and tart apples alike...I like it with honey crisp apples myself but any ol' apple will do. It takes just a minute to make but the impression lasts much longer. You only need a few ingredients and you're ready to go. Enjoy!


Crunchy Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Mix well until creamy. Then add:
1/2 bag Heath bits (that's where the crunchy comes in)
Stir together and serve with sliced apples immediately. Printable recipe

*Please note: this dip is great the next day but the toffee bits dissolve so the dip does not retain its crunchiness.