Boo!!

Ive have been seeing all different halloween crafts out there in blogger land. So when I was out at the dollerama and came across these plates and holder, I had an idea come to mind.

I photographed a pencil beside the plates and holder so you can get a sense of thier size. I have to say this has got to be one of the ugliest butterfly decor's I have come across. I bought three of the butterfly sets as I dont mind so much covering them up.

I did like the fruit one and put it up in my kitchen. goes with my apple theme:)

I have a pad of halloween paper that I bought from Micheals. I tuned the plate over and traced it onto the back side of the paper. I then cut it out made a slit into the center of the paper about 2/3's the way in as the plates are concave. then I modpodged the plate, placed the paper on top. Let it dry then modpodged the top of the paper. After letting it dry I added sticker letters I had . (from Micheals too) Now it is on my wall, and I think it turned out really well:)

English Muffin Pizzas

This is also an easy homemade pizza fix. Primo now has pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle, probably not as healthy as the regular pizza sauce you can make or buy, but it is really handy to have on hand.


All you need are English muffins, halved
pizza sauce
meat of your choice. I usually do pepperoni but any sausage or ham will do.
cheese, I usually do cheddar or mozzarella
any other toppings you wish, just remember these are kinda small.

Preheat your oven to grill
Place muffins on cooking sheet.
Add sauce, usually about 1 tsp.
Add toppings, adding the cheese last.
place in oven
bake about 4 min under the grill
take out and serve.

This is a cheap and easy pizza and kids love them. The Preschool I used to work for made them for lunch quite often, and the children were always excited for "Pizza Day"

I have also made other toasted varieties on the English Muffin:
BBQ sauce and chicken with Mozzarella cheese

mustard and ham and Cheddar

The possibilities are endless.

I quite often make these for my husband for lunches when he is on the road. He likes them cold as well as hot. I prefer them hot, but then I don't like cold pizza either and my husband loves it.

Mustard, ham and cheese:
mustard and ham baked:

Regular pizzas: pepperoni and cheese:

These are also really quick and easy. Make on whole wheat English muffins for a healthier choice.

:)

Pizzadillas

These are super easy. If you have the ingredients on hand they are great for those times you are starving and not really interested in taking a long time to make something. I usually find that two of these per person is quite often enough.


All you need:
pizza sauce: probably about 1-2 tbsp
sliced meat, I like the pepperoni sticks
grated cheese, I usually have Cheddar on hand.
any other pizza toppings you would like.

heat your skillet on med heat.
spread pizza sauce onto half of the tortilla.
add topping adding cheese last.
place in skillet.
heat until the side on the skillet looks toasted
flip and heat until cheese is melted.

Primo now has pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle now. this is great for having some in your fridge for when you want it.

enjoy :)

Homemade Oreo Cookies

These Cookies were really good. Recipe originally found at Confabulation in the Kitchen.

Homemade Oreo Cookies:

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c unsweetened Cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 c sugar
1 c + t tbsp room temperature unsalted butter (or 2 1/2 sticks)
2 large eggs

Filling
1/4 c room temperature unsalted butter
1/4 c vegetable shortening
2 c sifted icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract.

Alternate filling:
I actually had a lot of icing left over. This filling was literally to die for. It was AWESOME!

Cream Cheese filling:
1/2 c butter
1 8 oz (250 g) package of cream cheese softened
3 c icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 f

In a food processor, or bowl with an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the eggs. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 min, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets n rack to cool.

Make regular filling:
place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat 2-3 min until mixture is light and fluffy.

Cream cheese filling:
beat butter on high for 1-2 min until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla beat until combined.

To assemble the cookies , in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip (or a Ziploc bag with a 1/2 inch hole cut in one corner) pipe teaspoon sized blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, of equal size, to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all cookies have been sandwiched with cream.



Beat until dough forms.

I decided to make the fillings Halloween coloured. Orange and purple.

I find it helps to place the bag in a cup to hold it. This way you can use both your hands for scooping the icing into the bag.

Pipe icing onto cookie.

Let icing harden before you start stacking the cookies so the filling doesn't get squished out by the weight.

Enjoy your cookies with a glass of milk or on their own:)

I made these and they have gone pretty quickly. The cream cheese icing was particularly yummy.

:)

Halloween Countdown

I have been seeing several different blogs that have done Halloween Countdowns, but this is the only one whom I can source. It's from HowDoesShe. com.I really liked the idea of this so, of course, then I had to do one of my own.







So Off to Micheal's I went. I found some 2 inch (5mm) cubes. Then I had to buy whittling blocks, that came in a pack of three, as I couldn't find anything else appropriate for the job.

I painted them black with Black Acrylic Indoor/outdoor paint. Then I scrounged around my scrapbook paper to find appropriate fall/Halloween type paper. I cut the paper just slightly smaller then the face side so that there would be a bit of a black frame around the paper.

Then I Mod Podged the paper to the wood. I then pulled out all the scrap booking stickers I had so I could find some the right size.

I used black stickers for the words and white for the numbers.

On the first cube put the numbers 0, 8, 1, 7, 6, 2. (the 6 will double for the 9)

On the second put 1, 5, 0, 4, 2, 3.

Isn't this the cutest? I was really pleased by how well it worked out.

So now the dilemma!!! I bought this at Micheal's so now I have some coupons I can redeem next week. Hmmmmmm......:)

What to make next!

:)

Stuffed Buns

This is a recipe I use all the time. In fact I made these today for my husband's lunches. The bread recipe I got off the Ellison's Best all purpose flour bag.

Jo-Ella's 2 hour Bread and Buns

2 tbsp/ 30 ml instant yeast
4 cups/ 1000 ml flour

2 eggs
8 tbsp/120 ml sugar
6 tbsp/ 90 ml oil

3 cups Luke warm water

3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt

In a large bowl #1, mix instant yeast and the 4 cups of flour thoroughly and set aside.

In large bowl #2 Mix flour and salt together, set aside.

In large bowl # 3 beat eggs, sugar, oil and add the Luke warm water.

Once combined, add the dry yeast and flour mixture from bowl #1 and beat thoroughly.

Add remaining flour and salt from bowl #2 until dough has formed.

Knead for 5 minutes.

Put in greased bowl and let the dough rise for 15 min.

Punch down and let rise again for another 15 min.

Make into buns, Cinnamon buns, breads or rolls and let rise for 1 hour.

Bake in a 350 f oven for 15-20 min until golden brown.

I lay out what I want to put into the buns. I take about a handful of dough.

Press it flat.

Add my sauce of choice.

Then the shredded cheese.

Then my meat.

then I fold the dough around the filling.

Place seam side down.

Place some grated cheese on top.

Then bake til golden brown.

The fillings that I have used:

Ham

mustard

Cheddar

chicken

BBQ sauce

mozzarella

pepperoni

pizza sauce

Cheddar or mozzarella

the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy:)