Zombie PUNCH!

aka Deadman's Hand Punch (serves 8 adults)

I had not intended to make this post but it is threatening rain and I had to make a back-up plan to trick-or-treating for the kids.  When we have a Halloween party I make this punch.

This would also be great served at a Walking Dead party.

You will need:

1 Nitrile Glove rinsed several times

1 2 liter of lemon-lime soda

1 can of Lime-ade frozen concentrate

1 16 oz bag of frozen Raspberries

2 bags of Gummy Worms

1 pitcher or punch bowl

• Take rinsed glove and add 2-3 tablespoons of frozen limeade.  
• Add lemon-lime soda until glove is 1/3 full.  
• Next, add the raspberries working them into the fingers.  The more raspberries, the more gory it looks!
• Add a couple of worms, more raspberries and limeade, until you only have half of the can left.
• Add water until glove is 3/4 full.  
• Tie glove or wrap a rubber band around opening several times.  
• Set in bowl upright so fingers are bent.  
• Allow to freeze for at least 3-4 hours or overnight

Mix remaining limeade with lemon-lime pop.

Add some raspberries

Add some worms and mix

Chill until you are ready to add hand.

Remove hand from glove by carefully cutting it away and carefully add to punch.

Serve cold!

Your hand may or may not be intact.  It doesn't really matter because ZOMBIES are rarely intact!  If you want a more solid hand then add more berries.  Feel free to add blackberries and blueberries to the mix.

Yummy!

If this is an adult party, feel free to add Tequila, Vodka, or Rum. YUM!

Have a Happy (fun and safe) Halloween!

Adorable Gingerbread Skeleton Cookies... Nailed it!

Goofy Gingerbread Skeletons

I am always looking for fun treats to make with the kids on holidays.  We've all seen those cute gingerbread skeleton cookies on Epicurious, oh and here, and here, right?  Well, we have been making them over the years.  You can see my work above.  I had fun and they taste good.  That's really all that matters!   

I like the recipe from Baking Bites.  The dough rolls pretty well and it tastes really good.  I use a recipe for the icing from All Recipes (love that site).  Just keep the extract out or use clear vanilla extract to keep the icing white.

Whenever we make any kind of rolled cookie I always give each child their own ball of dough.  I make a big enough batch that I have plenty of dough on reserve for what I need.
I tape down some wax paper for each one and then give them a little flour.  They love using their little rollers and all the different cookie cutters.  

It is amazing how quiet they get once they have their dough.  I just make sure to have enough cookie cutters and mini rolling pins to go around.  It's a messy good time with lots of laughing.   

They are yummy with or without icing.

By the time we have moved a couple of batches through the oven some of the kids have moved on to other things and some stick around to decorate.  Regardless of how they turn out we have a pretty good time.  They taste even better when the designs are really goofy!

Sometimes we make a haunted gingerbread house too!

Our kids were pretty young that year so my husband and I had a great time making it.  Did you notice Mr. Bill DID NOT heed our warnings about the haunted house?!

What are some of your favorite Halloween activities and treats?





  

Stuffed Jack-o'-Lantern Peppers for Halloween

Look at those faces!  Don't they look happy and excited?

I want my kids to have these same happy faces when I serve Halloween dinner.  I also want them to have a healthy and hearty dinner before they trapse around the neighborhood seeking sugary treats.  These stuffed peppers are a really fun way of having both.

I made these guys last year and I will be making them again this year.
I used my favorite meatloaf recipe below but you can literally use any stuffing you desire.  Just remember to adjust cooking times accordingly.

I found I had to adjust my mini-meatloaf cooking time from 30-40 minutes to 60-75 minutes so that the center cooked through.   A digital cooking thermometer comes in really handy for this.

This year I will be stuffing the center of the meatloaf with a whole black or green olive covered in mozzarella cheese.  You could also just use the olive all on its own.  This way, when you cut the peppers in half you will have an eyeball in the center peering out at you!   
I recommend giving this recipe and directions a once-over before getting started.  The raw meatloaf mixture can be made a day ahead to cut down on dinner prep time.

Rosa's Stuffed Jack-o'-Lantern Peppers 
with Mini Meat Loaves Recipe 
(This recipe makes 6 adult servings)

Ingredients:

6 medium orange bell peppers (or color of choice)

1/2 pound extra lean ground beef 
1/2 pound ground chicken (you can also just use chicken to lower saturated fat)
1 egg

1/2 cup of bread crumbs or crushed crackers

1/2 cup medium heat chunky salsa of choice, the chunkier the better!

1/4 cup of Ketchup (cuts heat from salsa without masking flavor)

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

4 ounces cubed Mozzarella or 3-4 cheese sticks
12-24 whole green and black medium size pitted olives
Toothpicks (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cut cheese into 1 inch cubes or quarter cheese sticks and set aside to warm at room temperate.  This will allow the cheese to be pliable and formed around olives without crumbling.

2. Wash and cut the tops off your peppers with a paring knife, careful to cut around seeds to remove.  Cut the hole large enough to place stuffing inside.  Rinse out inside and remove all seeds.  

Next, pick two sides on each pepper to cut faces.  Be careful to carve faces directly opposite of one another.  Include the kids and have fun with it!  Use kid-safe pumpkin carving tools so the kiddos can carve the faces.  At the very least, little ones can choose a face for you to carve on their pepper.  

Allow for extra prep time when involving the kids.  The younger the kids and closer the age spans, the more prep time you will need.  Basically, start at least an hour earlier than your target time.  Otherwise, you will have a very late dinner and cranky kids!!! Trust me, you don't want that.  Moving along...

3. Mix salsa, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, minced garlic and bread crumbs together until well mixed, beat in egg and set aside.  I like to use a large measuring cup for this job because it makes it easier to pour into the next bowl.

4. In a large bowl mix ground meat, Old Bay, onion powder, marjoram and thyme until seasonings are well distributed.  Next, add your wet ingredients and mix well.  The consistency should be that of a firm dough.  It should hold form when you shape it with your spoon.  If it is too wet just add more bread crumbs!   

5. Take your cheese and place one cube in palm, mash with palms until flattened.  Set aside and grab a second cube and do the same.  A rolling pin may also be used with the cheese set between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap.  You can get more done at one time this way.  It is personal preference really and I like to keep it simple.  I just use my hands!  I can better gauge the thickness of the cheese.  

Now, take an olive and blot off any juice with a paper towel.  Set the olive long-ways onto one piece of cheese, place second piece on top and mold to olive careful to keep note of orientation of the long side of olive by placing a toothpick into the pitted hole of olive.  Just remember to remove the toothpick before placing into meatloaf.  Repeat until all of your olives are covered.

6. Fill each pepper with only half of the filling.  Place cheese covered olives with long side down and pitted ends oriented to each pepper face.  You can add as many "eyes" as you would like!  Fill each pepper evenly with the remaining mixture.  

7. Finally, spray or lightly coat a 13 x 9 inch bakeware with olive oil.  Place peppers well-spaced into dish and onto the middle rack of oven.  Bake for 50-75 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center of filling (careful to avoid the olive) registers 165 degrees F. Once finished, remove from oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For presentation, place stuffed jack-o'-lantern on child's plate and remove tops.  Use a steak knife to cut down the center of pepper to reveal the "eye"!  Serve with a rice or pasta side for a hearty Halloween meal.  

Take the top off...

Cut down center between faces

I SeE YOU!

These peppers are even better the next day.  Serve half and save half for the littles the next day or for Dia de Los Muertos.  That is, if you can keep them that long!

Do you have the perfect side dish to compliment this Halloween meal?
Please post it in the comments.  Or, better yet, post it on your blog with a linkback to this recipe!