Halloween Treats

We are going to Gigi’s Annual Halloween Party today and we are all so excited. I decided at the last minute (as in this morning) that I wanted to take some party treats.  I had pinned THIS idea for Easter, but decided to try a Halloween version.  It was perfect because you can get everything you need at the grocery or drug store.

Peeps, Graham Crackers & Hershey Bars

I wrapped some scrapbook paper around each package of Graham Crackers.  It is really not necessary, but I just didn’t like the look of the plastic bag.

Stack all the pieces in a clear bag with a bow…

Then I made this little tag…Get it… S’mores + Peeps = S’MEEPS.  Feel free to double click on the tag below and print your own.

Attach the tag…

All packed up and ready for the party!

Side note – look how perfectly they fit in this BEAUTIFUL wooden crate my uncle Tommy made for me as a housewarming gift !!!  It is a masterpiece and he is so talented!  I love it.

Check back later for all the spooky party pictures.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

I LUUUV me some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.  During the fall, I literally make a batch every week.  My boys love to eat them for breakfast, for after school snack and dessert after dinner.

I was “pinning” the other day and came across a 2 ingredient pumpkin cake recipe from Big Red Kitchen and then an adapted version from Sweet Verbena.  If you are on Pinterest, I am sure you have seen this muffins recipe all over.

I decided to change a few things and use a spice cake instead of yellow mix and added chocolate chips.  BTW - I like to use the mini CC for muffins.

THAT’S ALL!!!  No oil, no butter, no eggs or water.  Just these 3 ingredients.  It seemed a little weird and I was skeptical about how it would turn out.  I figured they would be a little dry or dense.

Ummmm…they were amazing!

While nothing beats the taste of made from scratch, this version comes very close.  I think the only difference is a slight increase with the spice taste on this version, but not overpowering at all.

And you MUST head over to the Big Red Kitchen and check out some more incredible recipes like…

Pool of Butter Biscuits -  Crockpot Grinders - Jalapeno Popper Dip - Stuffed Buns

Or for another fun cake mix recipe…check out this one for 2 ingredient Lemon Bars from Practically Living.

 

Ganny’s Red Velvet Cake

My grandmother “Ganny” (not to be confused with my other grandmother “Grammy” inventor of the Summer Cake) was famous for her Red Velvet Cake.  She would make it every Christmas and we would all be so excited when we saw it on the dessert table.  She would always say that she needed a quiet house and complete concentration to make this cake…and I now understand why.  I made it for Colton’s birthday party.  It was so yummy and brought back so many good memories.

Her original recipe was handwritten and passed down to my sister.  It has take several years and several people to figure out all the steps and ingredients involved because her writing was hard to read and the recipe card was so torn and stained.  But I think we finally got it sorted out.  It is very important that you follow each step and not just throw all the ingredients together.  You should be able to double click on the recipes below and print them.

And don’t forget to try THIS technique for “ruffle frosting”.

And here is a funny picture for my family members who read this blog…to make you smile!  This is Ganny attending a luau at her nursing home a few years ago.  My mom bought her a bikini koozie for her can of Shasta! HA!  She has not been doing well in the past weeks and she has been on my mind constantly.  We love you Ganny!

Summer Cake…for lack of a better name

This cake has been made in my family for a long time.  It was first introduced to us by my grandma, “Grammy”.  It never really had a name, so I am now calling it Summer Cake, since it is the best dessert to make in the HOT summer when you want something light & refreshing.

Rainbow Cupcakes For St. Patrick’s Day & BEST Frosting EVER!

OK, I think we have established several times on here that I do not like to bake and I am not very good at it…but I think I might be changing my mind lately on the whole baking thing.  I LOVED making these Rainbow Cupcakes.

I used a regular box white cake mix, separated the mix into bowls and colored them with GEL food coloring.  Please ignore the Elmo spoon and melon baller used to stir in the picture below…I was running low on clean spoons.

I tried a few different methods for layering the colors.  Ziploc baggies with a tip cut off worked the best for me.  You need to make sure each color touches the the side of the liner so you can see the rainbow from the outside.  I tried spooning the colors in and spreading them, but it started to swirl the colors and looked more like tie dye so using the baggie method was much faster and easier.

Watch them very closely in the oven.  You do not want to over bake at all because the colors do not look as nice once they start to brown.  Trust me.  And you will definitely want to use white liners so the colors will show through.