IT'S KIDS STUFF

Happy Monday, Halloweenies!

I'm betting that you all had a busy weekend of projects, planning, and decorating for Halloween.... and you know that I'm all about spookiness and fun, but what about our little Halloweenies in training?

So, that leads me to another subject that I've gotten quite a few questions about.... what craft projects can we do with our little monsters? It seems that many of you are asking about crafts and classroom projects that you can do with the kiddos, that aren't too complicated.

Well, leave it to the professional crafty ones at The Chirping Moms.com! These moms are at the top of the list for craftiness, and they've got 30 fun Halloween projects that your little ones will just love!

Everything from making Ghost Pops, to Black Cat Masks and Yarn Spiders is all you'll need to give the kids hours of spooky crafty fun! These projects are just faBOOlous!

For step by step instructions to all 30 projects, click here!

BOSTON "SCREAM" PIE

 

Happy Friday Halloweenies! How would you like something devilishly sweet today? Here's a spooky twist on a favorite classic, the Boston Cream Pie! Every good Halloween Homemaker should have this recipe in their bag of tricks....

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup(s) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoon(s) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, combined with above, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon(s) coarse salt
• 1 can(s) (15-ounce) solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup(s) heavy cream
• 5 ounce(s) (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
• 1 1/3 cup(s) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup(s) heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon(s) light corn syrup
• Spiced Pastry Cream (Recipe below)      
• Candy spiders (optional)

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Directions

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, line bottom with parchment, and butter parchment. Dust with cocoa powder, and tap out excess.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk pumpkin, oil, and cream in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with flour. Divide batter between pans, and spread evenly.
3. Bake until testers inserted into centers of cakes come out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, remove parchment, and let cool.
4. Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisking to combine. Pour over chocolate, and process until smooth.
5. To assemble the cake: Trim top of 1 cake to create a flat surface. Reserve trimmings for another use. Place cake, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread chilled pastry cream over cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with remaining cake, bottom side up, and press gently to spread pastry cream to edge. Stir chocolate glaze, then ladle over top of cake so some drips down sides. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight. Decorate with candy spiders if desired.

Spiced Pastry Cream

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup(s) sugar
• 3 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup(s) whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon(s) freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 ounce(s) (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter

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Directions

1. Whisk yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Mix cornstarch and flour in another small bowl. Bring milk, salt, and spices to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk cornstarch mixture into yolk mixture, and then immediately whisk 2 tablespoons milk mixture into yolk mixture. Whisk in remaining milk mixture in a slow, steady stream.
2. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken and registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, and whisk in vanilla and butter until smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day).

For more spookified recipes, be sure to check out Delish.com!

DIY HALLOWEEN LANTERNS

Happy Halloween Countdown!

Projects, projects, and more projects! I've got lots of 'em to keep you busy right up until the big day! And here's another one of my favorites...

You all know how much I love to save cans and glass jars for projects, and this is the reason why.... you can recycle all those metal cans into Halloween lanterns!

All you'll need is a bunch of cans, (washed, dried, and labels removed of course!) some spray paint, a Sharpie marker, some floral wire, a large size nail, and a hammer.

Take the cans, and using the Sharpie marker, make a dot pattern of the image you want (look at the photo above) and keep in mind, the more simple the pattern.... the easier it will be to do, (and tell what it is) so don't make it too detailed. Think simple.

Once you have a pattern that you like, take the nail and hammer, (use the dot pattern as your guide)  and lightly tap the nail on each dot, until it makes a hole through the can. (You 'll want the hole to be big enough to been seen once the candle is lit inside)

When you have the design completed, you'll want to make a hole on each side of the can, and add the floral wire, to make a handle. (Again, if you're not sure, look at the photo above)

Give each can a good coat of spray paint, let dry, then add your battery-operated votive candle. These look great hanging from trees, and you don't have to worry about them being a fire hazard!

But if you want to use actual votive candles, be sure to keep them away from children, leaves, or anything that could catch fire. Also be sure not let them burn overnight! Spooky is good, but always remember, safety first!

Now, let's get moving.... I've got lots of cans that need washed! I'll only need about 200 of these to decorate the outside of The Manor.

 

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!

Yes, black is beautiful..... actually, nothing replaces black. It's classy. It's macabre.... it's all the things that you want in creating great looks for Halloween.
As you all know, I'm a huge fan of black spray paint. Flat or gloss.... black paint is the best! And every Halloween Homemaker needs to keep a hefty supply in your craft closet.
 
You can transform everyday objects and make cool collections, just by grouping a bunch of objects together and giving them a good coat of black spray paint.

*Remember, these are strictly for decorations only! Do not paint anything that will have any food or beverages in them!

Now if you're new to spray painting, here's a few suggestions. First of all, work in a well ventilated space anytime that you are using spray paint.... the fumes can be overwhelming, sometimes. Also read the directions, and always apply spray paint in several thin coats. You never want to spray too much in one spot, or it'll run and cause drips..... (unless of course you want to do that.... I've been known to create some pretty cool bloody pieces with red paint.... but that's for our next lesson....)

Start simple. Get a can of  flat black, and a can of gloss black spray paint. Pick a few things, like some artificial pumpkins, candlesticks, old picture frames (remove the glass), maybe some old jars and books..... then spray some of the items with the flat, and some with the gloss. Let them dry, and then group the objects together. Set on a mantel always looks good..... or on a side table in the corner.

Maybe spray paint a few dried flowers, while you're at it, and put some in the jars... you get the idea.

 

Now you've just learned how to create a pulled-together look.... and all it took was some old junk, you had lying around the house.... and some black spray paint! You're welcome.....

 

TOP SECRET!

Over the last several weeks, I've had several requests for my special secret fudge recipe, that I posted last season.

So, if you missed it.... here it is, the top secret family recipe for the Halloween Queen's Famous Pumpkin Fudge.

Ingredients:
2 tbs. butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
7 oz. marshmallow cream
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Line a 9x9 pan with foil.

2. In 3 quart saucepan, heat milk and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon.

3. Mix in pumpkin and spice, bring back to a rolling boil. Cook (stirring occasionally) for 18 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and white chocolate chips. Stir in until creamy and all chips are melted.

5. Pour into foil pan. Let cool. Remove from pan, cut into squares. Store in air-tight container.

Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility. Enjoy.

FREEBIES FOR MY HALLOWEENIES!

Happy Monday, Halloweenies!

I hope you all had a frightfully fantastic weekend! And I know it's back to work for most of us today, but we've still got lots of prepping and planning to do for Halloween. Since it's probably a busy Monday, here's a little something to make your life a bit easier today....

How about a good freebie? These awesome, FREE printable apothecary labels are from the crafty fiends at the Party Planning Center blog, and they're pretty faBOOlous!

Just go to their blog, click on the link, and you can print out these super cute labels for FREE! Yes, I'll say it once again.... they're FREE!

Once you print them out, cut them to size, add them to some jars and bottles (that have been washed, and the labels removed) with some Mod Podge, and you'll have some pretty nifty decorations to add to your Halloween bag of tricks!

And who said they didn't like Mondays? Enjoy!

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Well, Happy First Day of October!!
'Tis the spooky season.... and that means lots of projects and decorations to get ready for the big day! Only 29 days to go, so let's not waste a moment....

I really love those decorations that are the show-stopper of the neighborhood, like this! These window clings and silhouette are very popular for the holidays. But they also can be pretty expensive. But if you have some minimal art skills, you can pull this off, and do it on the cheap, too!

All you need is a few rolls of craft paper, some craft paints, scissors, an exacto knife, clear tape, and a pencil.

You could handle this project several ways, but let's go with the simplest one.... I suggest measure the inside of the window, and cut your craft paper to fit. Then take your pencil and draw a very simple design (it might be a good idea to use a picture as a reference) then cut it out with scissors and/or your handy-dandy exacto knife.

Then place it back in the window to check your measurements, and also check it out from the outside too, to make sure it looks the way you want it to. Then after you're happy with it, take it down and apply the craft paint. Let dry, then put up with clear tape.

Remember, when doing a project like this, the more simple the design, the better it'll look. Keep in mind, you want it to be recognizable from the street, so don't make it too fancy, think simple shapes.

This also is a fun art project for kids of all ages!