RSS Feed for Halloween Punch Recipes Halloween Punch Recipes
Halloween Ideas and Tips For Costumes
Halloween is that time of the year when we can exercise our imagination to come true by wearing spooky Halloween costumes and creating an eerie environment to experience the fear factor associated to Halloween. during the Halloween holidays people think up of lot of Halloween ideas, go for costume shopping to any local Halloween store near them or buy from any online stores.
Many online resources or a Halloween store can not only help their visitors to buy products by going through their online shopping guides but also give plenty of creative Halloween ideas and tips to turn their boring holidays into most enjoyable and thrilling time of the year. Halloween is all about scaring people for the purpose of having fun.
For convenience we can divide Halloween ideas in different categories such as costumes, party, recipes, games and safety. For instance we can make different costumes on Halloween. some of the most popular dresses are Queen of the Halloween, Cleopatra dress or Elvira’s dress can be bought from any Halloween store. Wigs and other accessories used along with these costumes are some of the other good ideas.
For the costume shopping you may have to spend a few hours at various shopping malls or costume stores. it is a good idea to buy these items in the start of your holiday season. some of the other Halloween costumes dressing tips are to buy Halloween jewelry.
Halloween jewelry shopping can also be done along with your costume. You can buy jewelry with flash lights. This will help you to create special effects when flash lights are on. it will give a real spooky look in the dark or dim light along with your costume and makeup.
Special effects and make up is another one of the popular Halloween ideas but you may also find some good Halloween masks that can also complement your costume and feel. Different kind of masks and makeup can be used to create some real eerie effects can be purchased at any local Halloween store.
Party invitation cards can also be decorated as they play a significant part in planning a Halloween party. some of card writing tips are that the information should be properly written in bold red font on your invitation card such as title, theme, hosts name and time of the party. Food recipes can also compliment the theme of the Halloween. You may try out a few of these Halloween ideas for recipes to turn your party food presentation into spooky one such as by using red food color to make vampire blood pudding or Halloween cookies, caramel corns and punch bowls.
Halloween games would keep your guests and children both flowing smoothly. Following games can be played at the party such as find the Halloween treasure, make a mummy, monster game or find the pumpkins. Halloween day is full of eerie fun and spooky thrill but we all want to have safe and happy Halloween. in order to avoid any mishap use all the safety precautions and measures.
Bread – The Must Have Recipe
Easy bread, wonderful aroma, this Must Have Recipe makes two French style loaves or 12 rolls or one loaf and 6 medium size rolls. The rolls will weigh about 115 grams each after baking.
It will taste and smell better if you do it all by hand. and the process is good for you and the environment. you save on electricity by not using a electric bread maker and you use your own calories to knead the dough, so you stay thing and , (To keep the dough from sticking to your hand, you can use the thin plastic gloves you find in the pharmacy.)
You need 1) a large cookie sheet for baking. 2) two bowls, one for mixing and one oiled bowl for the first rising 3) a small bowl for the yeast 4) a small bowl for the beaten egg 5) a pastry brush 6) a damp dish twel or plastic wrap 7) not necessary but extremely useful is a candy thermometer so you take the temperature of the water. you want it about 110′
Put a thin layer of cornmeal on the large cookie sheet. Oil a large bowl
The recipe: 5 and 1/2 cups bread flour 1 packet of active dried yeast 1 tablespoon of sugar 2 cups of warm water 2 teaspoons of salt 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
For brushing the tops of the loaves, you will need one egg beaten with a teaspoon of water.
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with the sugar. Water should feel pleasant to the touch, about 110′. Cover and set aside for ten minutes. It should become bubbly and frothy. if it isn’t the yeast is not active enough and should be discard. Open another packet and try again.
Empty the frothy yeast mixture into a large warmed mixing bowl/ Stir in the rest of the warm water plus 3and 1/2 cups of the flour. Mix with wooden spoon, adding as much remaining flour as required until the dough in the bowl leaves the sides of the bowl. Remove the ball of dough onto a floured wooden board and knead for about ten minutes, adding flour to the wooden board so the dough does not stick. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic about ten minutes.
Put the ball of dough into the oiled bowl and turn the dough round and then upside down so it picks up a light coating of the oil. Cover the bowl with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and put in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Tip the dough onto a floured board. Punch down and let it rest for ten minutes. The divide in half and shape into two loaves. do the shaping in the following manner. With your hands or a rolling pin shape into a rectangle about 16 inches long, three inches wide and about 1/2 inch thick. Now roll it up tightly lengthwise Pinch the bottom and place it bottom side down on the cookie sheet with the layer of cornmeal. Repeat with the second piece. Make 4 slashes in the top of each loaf. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. put in a warm place.
When the loaves have doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and place the bread in the preheated oven, 375′ for 30 minutes. Brush three times at intervals with the beaten egg.
You will know the loaves are done when you tap the bottoms and the loves sound hollow. Now, if you are not ready to bake the loaves, you can refrigerate them after you shape them, before they rise for the second time. when you are ready to bake them, remove from the refrigerator, allow to rise and then bake as above.
If you prefer rolls or want one loaf and 6 medium size rolls, you can divide the dough in half for making the one loaf and divide the other piece into six equal parts and shape accordingly. The raw dough for six rolls will each be about the size of an extra large lemon. The aroma of the baking bread will fill the whole house and smiles will be everywhere, especially in the kitchen if samples are given out with a glass of milk or a cup of steaming hot coffee.
Easy Savory Dinner Crepes With Mediterranean Filling
Growing up, my mom frequently made crepes from scratch. more often than not, she made the crepes for her cheese blintzes (which, by the way, were absolutely amazing!) Regardless of what she made them for, we always ate crepes as a sweet breakfast-y brunch food.
It wasn’t until recently I realized you can also eat crepes as a savory lunch or dinner food. I make crepes for a homemade manicotti that is to-die for delicious. but, I just the other day got the idea to use the crepes from my manicotti recipe for something similar to “taco night”, using crepes instead of taco shells. in case you’re not familiar with “taco night”, it’s a family-friendly dinner idea where you put out a bunch of ingredients and let everybody fill their own taco shells buffet-style. Kids love it! you can be super creative with the fillings. although I’m doing more of a Mediterranean theme in this recipe, you can go Mexican with pinto beans, salsa, shredded cheddar cheese and rotisserie chicken or vegetarian with seared tofu and roasted veggies, etc. the possibilities are endless…
As for the crepes, you can make them a super healthy “whole food” by tweaking the traditional recipe just a bit. instead of using regular all-purpose flour (which is a highly refined empty calorie carbohydrate) I use white whole wheat flour. the white whole wheat flour has the same nutritional properties of whole wheat flour, but it tastes and bakes more like the conventionally used (but not-so-healthy) all-purpose flour. I also spike my crepes with ultra healthy omega-3 rich flaxseeds. Packing a powerful nutritional punch, flaxseeds provide a fabulous source of highly anti-inflammatory vegan omega-3 fats and cancer-fighting phytoestrogens in the form of lignans. Flaxseeds are also loaded with tummy-filling fiber. but, to fully benefit from the broad spectrum of nutrients (and not just the fiber) contained within the seeds, it’s important the flaxseeds are ground. in addition to the nutritional boost, you’ll love the slightly nutty flavor the flaxseeds contribute to the savory crepes.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
3 free-range organic eggs
1 1/2 cups water 1 cup white whole wheat flour 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds (such as Barlean’s Forti Flax) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for skillet
1. Combine the eggs, water, flour, flaxseeds, salt and oil in a food processor or blender; process for 30-45 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. 2. Lightly brush an 8-inch skillet with extra virgin olive oil; heat over medium-high heat. Ladle 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat the bottom. Cook until underside is just set and lightly browned, about 30 seconds; flip and cook the other side for another 20-30 seconds. Invert crepe onto parchment paper to cool completely. Repeat until batter is gone. 3. Place a small amount of the Mediterranean fillings (see ideas below) on the top 1/4 of each crepe; roll and eat!
Mediterranean Filling Ideas:
Sliced green olives Wild Alaskan canned salmon Organic feta cheese Chopped roasted red peppers
To get free daily updates on whole foods nutrition, whole foods cooking video demos, nutrition advice, 30-minute workouts, healthy product reviews and more visit Ivy Larson at http://www.HotandHealthyLiving.com
Low Carb Cake
Just because you are on a low carb diet doesn’t mean you should never eat cake again. Reducing your carbohydrate intake is a lifestyle change and not a get slim quick diet. You should eat healthy because it is good for you, not because it makes you lose weight, that is just a benefit, although a very good benefit if you ask me.
When making low carb cakes, there are obviously some limitations since you cannot eat wheat flour and only a minimum of sugar. however, you can make some really delicious cakes, so low in carbohydrates you could eat cake every day if you wanted to.
Many people replace the sugar with an artificial sweetener such as splenda. Others don’t like to use artificial sweeteners because they think it is important to eat as much natural food as possible. Therefore they use only natural sweeteners, stevia and erythritol are the most commonly used natural sugar replacements. Others use a mix of natural and artificial sweeteners as they think that gives the best results. I find I don’t need things to be as sweet anymore as I used to, so I am sure a lot of carbohydrate addicts would not enjoy my cakes very much.
Nut cakes and cheese cakes are probably the most popular low carb cakes, you can also make some really nice dark chocolate cakes. My favourite is a dark chocolate cake which you can make using only butter, eggs, dark chocolate and your choice of sweetener. yes, absolutely no wheat flour and it tastes great too.
Low carb coconut cake
- 4 egg whites – your choice of sweetener to replace 1.5 dl of sugar – 2 dl shredded coconut – 75 grams of shredded dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa, but the darker the better)
Stiff beat the egg whites with your sweetener. Fold the rest of the ingredients into your egg whites. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes at 180 degrees C.
Make a cake filling of whipped cream mixed with shredded dark chocolate.
Halloween Party Appetizers – Easy Recipe For Bloody Ears
No party is complete without some great appetizers, but it is especially true on Halloween when your are searching for the most perfectly disgusting body parts. not only do they have to look bad, but they still have to taste good. Here is my favorite appetizer for everyone who loves shrimp, and it is both fast and easy to make
What you will Need:
- 1 lb medium-large sized cocktail shrimp
- 1/4 pound small cocktail shrimp
- toothpicks
- cocktail sauce
- rosemary sprigs for garnish
How to make them:
Go to your favorite grocery store or fish market and pick up some already-cooked cocktail shrimp. since the shrimp you are using is ready to eat, you will not have to de-vein or shell them, but you will have to cut off the tail. cut off the tails. next, take the medium large shrimp and slice them down the middle (on the inside of the curve) so that you are butterflying them. Tuck the small shrimp into the medium large shrimp and skewer with a toothpick. Skewering them will hold the ear together, giving it the appearance of a human ear.
Finish off by drizzling a little cocktail sauce over one of the ears so it appears bloody. this is your sample ear so prop it up for all to see… then place the rest of the shrimp strategically on a platter, with cocktail sauce drizzled around it (not on it, some people do not like it). finish by putting a few rosemary sprigs on the drizzled blood (cocktail sauce). have a bowl of cocktail sauce and some sliced lemons on the side for the guests to use at their fancy.
When you put this together, you will how this can be a very popular and easy appetizer for a disgusting Halloween party food. Bon appetit!
Micah’s Hawaiian Tuna Poke Recipe
First, choose your tuna.
Use yellowfin tuna – ask or look for sashimi-grade tuna. this is typically found in Asian grocery stores. You can also buy them on different website stores selling meat or seafood. If the website sells sashimi-grade tuna, they’ll know which cut you’ll need. If you are at a store, look for tuna fillets that are bright in color, not dull, darkened or dry looking. Buy loins or thick fillets (at least one inch thick is best).
Avoid Ahi tuna that has too many white lines in the flesh. this is a soft sinew and has a slight stringy texture, not suitable for sushi. this part of the fish is fine to cook, or it can be used for roll sushi. when chopped, the sinew will easily pull away from the flesh.
Basic Ahi Tuna Poke Recipe
For beginners, this is a good base to jump off from. Add avocado, tomatoes, sliced cucumbers for a delicious and refreshing taste.
4 cups ahi (yellowfin tuna, sashimi grade) diced 1/2 cup onion, minced 1/4 cup green onion, minced 1 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste
Season ahi with salt. Add all ingredients together, mix well then chill and serve with chopsticks.
Micah’s Ahi Tuna Recipe
My 13-year-old is a fabulous chef. Here’s her version of Tuna Poke. delicious!
1 pound tuna sashimi, sliced in 1/2 inch squares 2-3 stalks of green onions, chopped 3 tablespoons of soy sauce 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil 1 ripe avocado, cubed Sprinkle of sesame seeds salt and pepper to taste sugar to taste (optional)
Optional: Cherry tomatoes 1 cucumber, sliced
Add all ingredients together, cover and let this marinade in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve with chopsticks!
Twilight Halloween Party Ideas
This dusk on October 31 why not host a Twilight Halloween Party! ideas are so easy to come up with because Halloween and Twilight Party ideas are perfect together…just like Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. (Do you know another word for “Dusk”?)
Come this October, with everyone awaiting the release of the Twilight Saga’s sequel movie, New Moon…this is going to be a very popular Halloween party theme! There are plenty of great party ideas right in the Stephanie Meyer Book Saga for you to incorporate into your celebration…whatever it is for. This Vampire and Human romance movie and book sensation have created a whole new party theme genre. the characters have become Halloween costumes, the meals in the books and movie have become popular…everything about Twilight from cast to characters and a to Z has taken the unsuspecting Tweens and Teens by storm. a Twilight Storm.
I’m sure, by now, most Tween and Teen aged kids have read at least the first of this four book saga. and if they haven’t, I’m sure the Halloween Twilight Party Invitation you make and send them will spark their interest in doing just that. they will have to read the books to find a proper costume for this Costume party you are planning. Make sure to write on the invites that it is a Costume wearing get together…this way most of your guests will be sure to dress up as a Cullen, a Volturi, a Forks native or a Quileute. Maybe you will even have a Cullen car costume or two! Make sure you have a costume contest, with prizes for the most inventive costume, the best costume and the silliest costume. give the winners a Jelly Apple or a Golden Onion!
If anyone asks for a costume idea you can tell them anyone of the Cullen’s, Bella, the Volturi, the Quileutes, Werewolves and just simple, everyday people of Forks are all perfect costume ideas. Eric, Mike, Jessica and Angela went surfing in the movie, so give someone a wet suit and surf board costume idea. the more off the wall a costume is, the funnier and more imaginative it is. have fun with this great party theme…you have so much material in the four books and the movie to use.
Bella’s Apple Party Favor Idea
You can find inexpensive Twilight bookmarks to use as party favors or give each of your party guests a red Jelly Apple, they are easy to make, and are the perfect fruit to use as a focal point of your party.
Twilight Party Decorations
If you can, get a Vampire cardboard stand up decoration of James, or Laurent or Victoria and hide it in a place where it can “startle” your guests. some place they will go, but won’t be expecting a Nomadic, Blood Lusting Vampire to be. You can also take pictures of everyone with the vicious bloodsuckers. Twinkle lights and Twilight books are all you need to decorate. You can use black and red and white party supplies, you know plates, napkins and cups to set up a buffet table. Put some photos of the Cullen Clan around the room to give it a homey feeling…a vampire home that is. Put magazines with pictures of the movie cast around on tables for a little more mood setting.
Since it is Halloween I would also use some of the regular decorating tricks, like some spider webs, bats, witch fingers and eye ball appetizers. Of course, some Jello hands and there is always the skeleton vegetable tray with dip for some gory, but tasty treats!
Halloween and Twilight Party Game ideas
My favorite game is Twilight trivia. Let’s see who knows more than me…I mean You…about this Vampire Romance by Stephanie Meyer. It’s fun to play and it’s also fun to make up the questions. get your best friend, who I am sure is also a little Twilight Crazy, to help you out. You can also take those same questions and answers and turn this little trivia game into a Jeopardy game. Make sure to save the really difficult questions for the daily doubles!
Bingo, Quote the Cullen, or Name that Tune…using none other than songs from the Movie Soundtrack. I can name that tune in three notes…How about a fun game of Charades using the names of the songs from the soundtrack or the characters in the books.
Play some music and be sure to include Stephanie Meyer’s favorite group, Muse along with Paramore, Linkin Park and of course, Rob Pattinson in the mix. for you classical music lovers, there is always Debussy, one of Edward’s favorites.
Party Food Ideas
I love to have parties, but don’t want to work too hard in the kitchen…so I order a lot of pizzas…all different kinds. Be sure to include a mushroom pizza in the mix. Blood red icing on your cupcakes or making the cute, but easy to decorate, Vampire Cupcakes is always a good idea at a Vampire themed party. If you are not using the Jelly Apples for a party favor, put some out on the dessert table for those vegetarian vampires who feel like having something red to curb their blood lust. I even saw little edible cupcake images that you can have printed with the Twilight cast or just Bella and Edward. That’s a great idea, isn’t it!
Serve a blood red punch with an ice cream floater on top of it and you’ve got the perfect drink for this party. Use glow ice cubes for a freaky effect or freeze water in rubber gloves (tell everyone just in case there is a latex allergy) and let the frozen hands freak your guests out. I love to do stuff like this! it is little touches like this that your guests will remember and make your party Extra Special!
We see vampires in a new, and a less vicious light thanks to Stephanie Meyer and the Vegetarian Cullen Clan, but it is Halloween and what’s a Halloween party without at least one Count Dracula? not everyone will come in a Cullen or Forks native costume, but it will still make for a fun party, no matter who your guests dress as.
If you own the movie DVD you can play it in the background for music and for your guests viewing pleasure. This is a great party theme no matter if it’s for a holiday, movie watching or birthday party. everyone is sure to get into the fun games and delicious food you’ve prepared for them and make sure to tell everyone…Happy Halloween from Edward and Bella!
Construction Birthday Party Food Ideas
To make everyday food fun, create food signs that look like road signs to identify each food to coincide with your theme. We’ve got truckloads of construction food ideas to help you create a construction birthday party or a Bob the Builder party that is sure to be dynamite!
Roadside Munchies
Baby Shower Mother Goose Themed Food Ideas
When you plan a baby shower, the 2 most important things are the guests and the food! Sometimes, when you decide to throw a themed baby shower, it may be difficult to plan out the perfect food to complement the exact theme. But here are some suggestions on how to incorporate Mother Goose food into your baby shower:
1. For fun, write as many different nursery rhymes as you can think of on note cards. Make as many note cards as the number of your guests. Then cut each note card at the middle of each rhyme. Seat your guests by giving each the first half of a nursery rhyme and having her find the rest of the rhyme at a place setting.
2. You can also link your menu items to different nursery rhymes. For examples, you can place deviled eggs on a platter, then set a brick in the center of the platter and perch a toy Humpty Dumpty on the brick. Or you can salute Mary Mary Quite Contrary with a vegetable tray and the man that lives on Drury Lane with a basket of muffins. You can also serve punch in a galvanized bucket for Jack and Jill and hot tea for Polly Put the Kettle On.
3. Another awesome idea is to make a baby shower cake in the shape of Old Woman in the Shoe. There are many different recipes you can follow to make a simple pound cake. Then after you are done, carefully, remove the cakes from the pans. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for an hour to make for easier cutting. Once they are ready, remove the plastic wrap, then level the tops and sides of the cakes. Lay one cake on a cake board and stand the other cake upright next to one end of the horizontal cake. Bevel the top of the upright cake on both sides to make a rooftop. Round the free end of the horizontal cake to form the front of the shoe. Cover both cakes with white frosting. Use chocolate wafer cookies to form roof shingles. Squeeze brown frosting around the bottom edge of the show to form the sole. You can then use cinnamon candies and licorice to lace the shoe. Stick on a chocolate graham cracker door and window. Add frosting windowpanes and doorknob. Stand toy children around the cake.
This is truly an amazing cake to show off at your next Mother Goose Baby Shower and get the creative juices flowing into helping you come up with even more fun ideas.
Autumn Leaves Scrapbooking
Autumn leaves scrapbooking paper and supplies help bring out the fall foliage of reds, oranges and yellows as the fall season brings on a cooler evening. Prominent holidays include Halloween and Thanksgiving. The first day of fall is known as the autumnal equinox, when the day and night are of equal length. After the first day of this season has passed, the days are shorter and the nighttime longer. Depending on where you live, there may also be the time change, falling back an hour. Traditionally, fall is known as a time of looking inward, taking stock, giving thanks for the harvest and preparing for a time of dreaming about tomorrow. Let this be a time of showing these reflections in your autumn scrapbooking pages.
For those of us who use Facebook, you may be familiar with a game called Farmville. It’s rather addicting. I have learned some terminology in the game. I like the way someone once equated the changes people go through with the seasons. This season is a time when your past experiences are allowed to take seed, are renewed into wisdom, and reborn. The fall season is one of planting and harvesting, but also one where the land may be fallow – unplanted or inactive. This can be true for the lives of people as well.
Harvest autumn festivals are celebrated all over the world. In Greece, a festival is celebrated to harvest grapes for wine. Still today exists Oktoberfest, which begins the last week of September and is a time of much feasting and making merry. In China, autumn is celebrated on the night of the Harvest Moon, and is a festival of honoring family unity.
Have you considered scrapbooking about your favorite recipes? Create a recipe scrapbook. Take time preparing your food. Are others helping you in the process? That’s great. Catch some of these moments on film and include them alongside the recipe or menu plan.
For my family, one year, after dinner, we all carved pumpkins on the weekend preceding Halloween. Many changes had occurred with all of us up to that point. Halloween has always been my mother’s favorite celebration and I was happy for her that year so many kids trick-or-treated at their door.
Have you ever wondered about how to use those autumn scrapbooking stickers? How about a keepsake box? Well, one day, about a week before my youngest niece was born, as has been the tradition with me, I would make something for the newborn as a welcoming gift. So, I went about making a keepsake box for Penny. The materials were one unfinished box in the shape of a chest, acrylic paints, a pack of scrapbook papers, pennies, of course, and some dimensional stickers. All of these materials together held the richness of the fall season for my October born niece.
You can use your scrapbooking skills for any number of crafts to celebrate the fall season. Some ideas are autumn leaf sun-catchers, Halloween paper decorations, garland of fall leaves, and pumpkin tags. Make your fall family get-together particularly special by making personalized invitations, table decorations, gifts, photo frames and autumn scrapbooking quotes on greeting cards. Choose from coordinating seasonal patterned pages and use to make several one-of-kind projects limited only by imagination.
Speaking of imagination or inspiration, here are some idea sparkers that should help trigger some of your own:
o An Indian summer of warmth, falling leaves of green, orange, red, and yellow. o First day of school, books, new clothes, walking home, homework. o Santa Ana winds, the turbines spinning on the roof. o Pumpkin patches, scarecrows, children in costume trick-or-treating before the sun goes down. o Turkey dinners, vanilla candles, family get-togethers. o Visiting Grandpa; Grandparents Day. o A child’s artwork on the refrigerator. o Lunch-time: Aluminum pales, sharing or trading sweet snacks. o The playground with swings and monkey-bars. o The colors of amber and topaz. o Jumping into freshly raked leaf piles. o As a child, awaking from a nap and sitting on the ground outside in the warmth of the sun, allowing the warm dirt sift through my hands.
Some other books that are good for inspiration for the autumn season and crafting are “The Pumpkin Patch Parable” by Liz Curtis Higgs, illustrated by Nancy Munger, as well as “Hello, Harvest Moon,” written by Ralph Fletcher, and illustrated by Kate Kiesler.
More craft oriented books for consideration are “More than a Page: 200 Projects and the Pages that Inspired Them” by Memory Makers (Paperback, Apr 28, 2006); “The Scrapbooking Journey: A Hands-on-Guide to Spiritual Discovery” by Cory Richardson-Lauve (Paperback, Mar 2007), and finally, “Scrapbooking Plus! More Than Just Paper (Create and Treasure) by Kathleen Greco and Nick Greco (Paperback – July 2004).