Thursday, September 25, 2014

IT'S A BLOODY CAKE!


Hello Halloweenies!

I know the countdown clock is just ticking away.... and I've got bunches and bunches of e mails asking for the easiest (and fast!) Halloween cake idea..... well here it is....

It's a Bloody Cake!

Now you want to talk about easy as pie.... well... easy as cake, really. You can do this in 10 quick steps. You should already have a tub of plain white frosting and red food coloring in your Halloween pantry. Then it's a quick trip to the bakery and the halloween store, and here's what you'll do:

  1. Go to your favorite bakery
  2. Buy a cake with white frosting
  3. Stop at the Halloween party store.
  4. Buy a fake (plastic) knife or ax
  5. Go home.
  6. Take the cake out of the box.
  7. Take a tub of frosting, add a few drops of red food coloring, mix well until it turns blood red
  8. Heat the icing in the microwave for about 40 seconds to 1 minute (you want it to be a bit runny)
  9. Pour over the cake, spread evenly, letting it drip over the sides
  10. Stick the plastic knife or ax in the middle
Told you... 10 easy steps. *Poof!

Keep in mind... if this is an all-grown-ups-party, you could use a real knife and it would look.... killer!

But if little monsters will be anywhere around, I suggest you stick to the plan.... and go all plastic.

And there, I've just revealed one of my many magic tricks, to be a Halloween Hostess.

You're welcome.

Monday, September 15, 2014

PROJECT: PACKING TAPE GHOST

Happy Project Day, Halloweenies!

Now is the time to start organizing and preparing your front yard haunts for all your Halloween guests and trick-or-treaters! It's sooooooo exciting! And here's a FAB-BOO-LOUS idea that I found on thecraftygeeks.com to make your very own ghost for the front yard!

You'll need to find an old dress frorm (or any other human-ish form, you could even make one out of wire hangers, using a pair of needle nose pliers)

Now, according to thecraftygeeks.com.... From inside the house to out, here’s an easy but slightly more time consuming project to make an awesome and unique ghostly figure for your outdoor Halloween decorations.

You'll need to have on hand: 3 rolls of clear packing tape (give or take depending on size) a dress form, mannequin, or other human-ish shape to form your ghost over. (They used a dress form and a wig head)

To start, use decent lengths of packing tape, sticky side out, to wrap your form. Do it in pieces and cover the whole torso. It is okay if the tape sticks to itself in places – the wrinkles will be desirable in the final shape. Make the skirt from long vertical strips, folding the ends over to the length you want. It is okay if there are some gaps in the bottom, but you’ll want to keep these gaps when you do the next layer.

Once you have a complete sticky layer, go back over with the sticky side in (so sticky side to sticky side). Use longer pieces to wrap horizontally, pulling it tighter to your form, creating both better shape and better wrinkles. You’ll want to make sure you cover all sticky places.

If you are doing as they did and using a dress form and a wig head, do it in two parts and combine them after they are done to better match the necks.

When it’s all covered, cut a slit up the back until you can remove your tape construction from the form. Once it’s removed, take the slit back together.

All told, you’ll end up with about three layers of tape. If you have a tall tree, you can hang your ghost. Or, if you're putting her in an open yard, pound a piece of PVC pipe into where you want her standing. Use a straight connector for another piece so that the total height is greater than the height of your ghost, making her appear to float. Then paint the pipes dark green to better hide in the yard. At night, the pipes will barely be seen.

For the final piece to complete your illusion, you'll need a small spotlight. The crafty geeks used a blue LED one from Spirit Halloween, but you can use one in whatever color you like. Shine the light up her skirt and it will catch all of the tape wrinkles you created. You now have a creepy, striking figure for your Halloween display.

How SPOOK-TACULAR is this? Thank you Crafty Geeks!

Friday, September 12, 2014

YUMMY!

Happy Friday Everyone!
I was thinking about whipping up some fun little goodies in the kitchen this weekend, and I think this may just do the trick....

This idea is so BOO-tiful I can hardly stand it! It comes from the fine folks at therecipecritic.com, and it's one the little goblins will gobble up, for sure!

After all who doesn't love Oreo cookies? Well this recipes is more like "Oreo Truffles"....how divine, is that?! Here's what you'll need.....

1 Package (8 oz.) CreamCheese, softened
36 finely crushed golden oreo cookies (you can use regular oreos, but it makes them very dark)
14 oz Bakers white chocolate
1 small bag of mini chocolate chips (for the eyes)

Here's what you'll do:

Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended.
Shape into 1 inch balls.
Freeze for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the Baker’s chocolate as directed. DIP balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer on waxed paper-covered rimmed baking sheet. (Re-freeze balls if they become too soft to dip.)

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. MELT remaining chocolate as directed on package; spoon into small resealable plastic bag.

Press out excess air from bag; seal bag. Cut 1/8-inch piece from one bottom corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe chocolate onto each ball for the mummy’s eyes; immediately add the mini chocolate chips for the eyeballs.

Pipe remaining chocolate onto balls to resemble gauze strips.

Refrigerate until firm.

Enjoy!      

Thursday, September 11, 2014

IT'S ANOTHER PINTEREST PROJECT!

I want to thank one of my faithful Halloweenies, Carlee for sending this to me. She found this idea on Pinterest and you know The Queen.... I LOVE anything you can do with jars!

This project calls for mason jars, but I think you can use any old jars you've collected. Just make sure they're washed and dried very well, before you start.

Now, you could do this project several different ways, but here's what I think would be the easiest....

Hop on the www and find some Halloween templates you can run off on a printer, reduce or enlarge the image to the size you'll need to fit on the jars. Cut out the blacked out portion (throw it away, you won't need it) of the template, and tape the cut-out portion to the jar.

Then use some gloss back acrylic craft paint, and carefully paint the exposed glass through the template.

Once the paint has completely dried, carfeully remove the template. If you have any paint marks you want to remove around the edges, just get a sponge (with a green scrubby side) and gently rub until the paint is gone.

Make sure to do the painting on the outside of the jar, not the inside. (Not a good idea to have paint that close to a flame)

I can just see these lined up on a window sill, or as a spooktacular centerpiece for a dinner party!

Remember, only use votive candles, and if you're going to have little monsters around, be sure to keep these cute, little lanterns out of reach!

For more crafy ideas, check out yourhomebasedmom.com, and thanks for the tip, Carlee!


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

HAPPY E BAY DAY!

Happy Wicked Wednesday to all you Halloweenies!

What a wonderfully wicked Wednesday it is.... it's E Bay Day! As I was flying around the www I found this little gem, and I can't wait to give it a listen!

I for one, just looooove Miss Elvira, (does she have the coolest job, or what?) and this cd has been out of stock for quite a while, I was so lucky to find it.

Check out the songs on the cd:

1. Monster Mash - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers 2. Haunted House - Jumpin' Gene Simmons
3. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
4. Out Of Limits - The Marketts
5. The Blob - The Five Blobs
6. The Creature From The Black Lagoon - Dave Edmunds
7. The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
8. The Addams Family (Main Title) - Vic Mizzy
9. Welcome To My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
10. Twilight Zone - Neil Norman & His Comic Orchestra
11. Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo
12. Halloween Spooks - Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
13. Horror Movie - The Skybooks
14. I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
15. I Was A Teenage Werewolf - The Cramps
16. Voodoo Voodoo - LaVern Baker
17. Full Moon - ELVIRA

How perfect for the annual Halloween bash at The Manor! Be sure to check out lots of Halloween goodies on e bay, they've got quite a lot. Remember.... only 50 more days to go....            

Friday, September 5, 2014

BAR B Q BAT WINGS REVISITED

It seems that a lot of you are in full swing party planning mode.....
(fab-boo-lous!) and I've gotten lots of requests for my world famous Bar B Q Bat Wings recipe. 

In case you missed it the first time... let's visit the ghost of blog posts past.... enjoy!

What party wouldn't be complete with some really good appetizers? And who isn't a fan of hot wings?

You can do it really simple and buy them in bulk, and just throw 'em in the oven...or you can do it from scratch!

They're so easy to make and the presentation really completes the special effects!

INGREDIENTS:
~24 chicken wings (3 to 4 pounds)
~1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
~3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
~1/2 cup beef broth
~1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
~1 cup ketchup
~2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
~2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
~1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
~1 tablespoon sesame oil
~1 teaspoon hot sauce

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Stretch out each chicken wing to resemble bat's wing. Arrange wings, skin side down in single layer in large roasting pan.

Combine soy sauce, molasses, broth and ginger in small saucepan; heat over low heat until mixture is smooth and well blended. Pour evenly over wings. Bake wings 30 minutes; turn and bake 30 minutes more or until sauce is thick and sticky.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 8 servings and 1-1/3 cups sauce

Thursday, September 4, 2014

SPOOKY SPIRIT BOTTLES

Good Morning to all you Halloweenies!

Are you looking for a project today? Here's a fun one.... Let's dress up those plain old wine and spirit bottles to get them ready for Halloween!

Now, I have to admit, The Queen has quite a few bottles in the wine cellar of The Manor, and I'm always looking for a new way to serve them up, during the annual festivities.

With just a bit of spray paint, and acrylic craft paint, you too can make these spookified bottles to serve up the spirits to your guests.

Keep in mind that if you're going to use spray paint, be sure to do it outside or in a well ventilated area, because the fumes can be pretty overwhelming.... safety first!

Spray on the first layer of paint to cover the bottle, and be sure to let it dry completely, before you add the decorative touches with the craft paint. (DO NOT SPRAY THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTLE! This is to decorate the outside of the bottle only!)

Once they've dried, spray several thin coats of clear enamel gloss to keep it shiny, and from getting nicked up. Let dry according to instructions on the spray gloss.

Once they're done, give them a quick hand wash* and dry before you add your favorite wine or spirits. Finish off with a cork, and you're done.

Wouldn't these look just fab-boo-lous at your next dinner party?

*Hand was only! Do not put hand painted bottles in the dishwasher!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

MAKE YOUR OWN OUIJA BOARD PILLOW

How fun is this? Believe it or not.... you can make this cute ouija board pillow yourself! No, really you can. It can be a bit time consuming, but it's not too difficult.

Now all you'll need is some fabric, fabric paint, paint brushes, poly-fill for stuffing, and your sewing machine.

If you think you've got some decent painting skills, take the fabric paint and recreate the design on the fabric you want to use for your pillow. The best part about this is, it's mostly lettering (you know how to print the alphabet, right?) and you can add the moon and stars.... maybe a jack o'lantern or two, and it's your own original design!

Or you can simply hop on the www and buy some fabric with the ouija board print. Either way is just fine....

Once your fabric has been washed and dried.... it's ready to go. This is where you cut it (remember to get enough fabric for the back of the pillow, too!) to the size of the pillow you want.... remember to leave about a half inch or so around all sides, for sewing.

Take the front and the back pieces you just cut, and be sure to place the design side and the back side pieces facing each other.

Once agian, make sure the front and the back sides you want to show ARE FACING EACH OTHER. This is important, if you've never sewn pillows before.... because after they're sewn together, you'll flip them right-side-out, and the pillow will be ready to stuff. (Believe it or not, when the Queen was first starting out.... I made this mistake, and actually felt quite silly, once I realized what I had done!)

Make sure both pieces are even, and run all 3 sides through your sewing machine. Once you get to the last side, this is where you flip the fabric inside out. You'll see your pillow start to take shape. Add your poly-fill stuffing, and sew the remainig side (trim off the excess fabric) to complete your pillow.

Now most people will do a fancy edge to finish it off, so you can hand stitch the last section, or run it throught the sewing machine and add a fancy trim with some lace or fabric. Take a few pieces of your scrap fabric and play with it, and see what look you like best.

The best part, when someone asks where you found this amazing pillow, you can smile and say, ""I made it!"

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

CAN I INTEREST ANYONE IN SOME SQUID INK PASTA FOR DINNER?

Well you just got the little monsters off to school, and you've got a busy day ahead of you, I'm sure. So, what are you planning for dinner tonight? The Queen is here to help!

If you are looking for a simple Halloween (or any night of the week) dish that makes a big statement, then you have to try this!

From what I hear, this is a favorite recipe from expert Halloween Homemaker Morticia Addams....Prepare some squid ink pasta and serve it with a simple, red sauce. (Monster marinara is my personal favorite)

Now don't fret....if you just don't have the stomach to serve up some squid ink pasta, just use black food coloring. All you need to do is, cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Then once you drain it, put it in a zip-lock bag and add a few teaspoons of food coloring. Shake it up a bit, and let it sit for a few minutes, for the color to soak in. Remove it from the bag, give the pasta a quick re-heat in the old microwave, and you're good to go!

But if you want to give it a try, you can  find Macchiaiolo Traditional Squid Ink Pasta on Amazon.com!