Candy Corn Mini Trifles

I love, love, love Halloween! So when I came across these I knew that I just had to try them. Besides, we love trifles so this is also right up Aaron's alley as well!

Ingredients:

• Box of yellow cake mix, plus oil, eggs and water needed to prepare
  
• Yellow food coloring
  
• 2 (4 serving size) boxes instant vanilla pudding, plus milk needed to prepare
  
• Orange food coloring
  
• 8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed
  
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  
• Candy Corn
  

Directions:

• Prepare cake batter according to instructions, adding yellow food coloring during mixing. Pour batter into a 9x13 inch pan and bake and cool according to box directions.
  
• Prepare instant pudding according to directions on box, adding enough orange color to make it a bright orange. Place pudding in the refrigerator while you prepare the topping.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in the Cool Whip until well blended.
  
• Crumble the yellow cake into an even layer in the bottom of each mini trifle bowl. Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and spoon on top of cake layer. Smooth out with the back of your spoon. Pipe whipped topping/cream cheese layer on top with a large star tip. Or, just spoon it on. No one will care.
  
• Top with a candy corn.
  

source: http://confessionsofacookbookqueen.blogspot.com

Upside-Down Pizza

This is a delicious twist on pizza. Give it a try, your kids will love it!

Ingredients

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 jar pizza sauce
1 can mushrooms
1 can olives, sliced
favorite pizza toppings (pepperoni, Canadian bacon, etc.)
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 C. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.




2. Brown beef, sausage, onion and garlic in large saucepan over medium high hear. Once browned, drain fat and stir in pizza sauce.




3. In a 9X13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce and pizza toppings. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, another layer of sauce and pizza toppings and the rest of the cheese.




4. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

source: A Little Yummy for Your Tummy cookbook put out by the FCCLA in Grangeville Idaho

Fun Halloween Idea: Black Widow Bread with Spider Eggs

This bread makes an awesome buffet centerpiece for any Halloween gathering! You can use it to make your own sandwiches with trays of cold cuts and cheese, or just serve it alongside whatever your main course is. We made it for a murder mystery dinner which our friends hosted a few weeks ago. It looked awesome on the table!

4 (1 pound) loaves frozen whole-wheat or white bread dough, thawed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons black poppy seeds or black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

The Head:

Divide one loaf in half. Knead half on a floured board to make a smooth ball. Set aside while forming the body and legs.

The Body:

Knead remaining half-loaf with one whole loaf into a smooth ball.

Center body and head on a greased baking sheet. Gently flatten head to make it 3 inches wide. Flatten body to make it 5 inches wide. Body and head should touch.

The Legs:

On a floured board, divide one loaf into 8 equal pieces. Roll each portion into an 8-inch log. Place ends of logs under head and body about 2 inches apart (two on each side of the head and two on each side of the body). Curve them to resemble spider legs. Make sure dough stays at least 2 inches from pan edge.

Spider Eggs:

Divide remaining loaf into 8 equal pieces. Shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place slightly apart on a separate greased baking sheet.

Let dough rise in a warm place until puffy, 20 to 30 minutes. Brush dough with beaten egg; sprinkle spider with black poppy seeds or black sesame seeds, and spider eggs with sesame seeds. Bake at 350 until bread is a rich golden color beneath seeds and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean (20 to 25 minutes for spider eggs, 40 t0 45 minutes for spider). Serve warm or cool on racks. If not serving immediately, wrap well. Can be made ahead and frozen. Serves 10 to 12.


Source: The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Cheesecake Brownies

Just recently we bought a case of brownie mix at one of our local grocery stores during their case lot sale. So now we have started looking for interesting ways to use those brownie mixes. This recipe is super easy and it tasted great!

Ingredients

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

Prepare the brownie mix as directed on box. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.
Bake according to box instructions. Brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then cut into bars and serve.


source: www.allrecipes.com

Caesar Salad Supreme

This was a delicious salad. The dressing is pretty thick though, so just be a little careful when you dress the salad.

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup mayonnaise
5 anchovy fillets, minced
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups day-old bread, cubed
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

Mince 3 cloves of garlic, and combine in a small bowl with mayonnaise, anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the remaining 3 cloves of garlic into quarters, and add to hot oil. Cook and stir until brown, and then remove garlic from pan. Add bread cubes to the hot oil. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove bread cubes from oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, remaining Parmesan cheese, and seasoned bread cubes.

source: www.allrecipes.com

That Good Salad

this is a surprisingly simple yet delicious salad. We made it exactly as the recipe called for and it was quite a refreshing salad. One word of advice.... Use fresh lemon juice. I did and I think it made all the difference. It ended up taking about 2 lemons.

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 heads romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 cup Caesar salad croutons

Directions

In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; cover and shake well. Chill. In a bowl, toss romaine, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, almonds if desired, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Shake dressing; pour over salad and toss. Add croutons and serve immediately.

source: www.allrecipes.com

A Useful Tool - The Citrus Press

I have recently rediscovered the usefulness of this tool. The Citrus Press. For a long time whenever I need fresh lemon juice I just use my good old hand to squeeze the juice out. I can never seem to get all the juice out. So I finally pulled out this beauty. It gets out all the juice and it keeps me from having to fish out the seeds. It is an inexpensive tool that will be useful for years to come.