Halloween 2010

So...I never posted about these cookies that I decorated for Halloween...My bad. I made eyeball cookies for a church gathering.


I didn't have time to make sugar cookies, so I bought some fake oreos (foreos?).

Then, I mixed up some cookie icing. I use this cookie icing from Allrecipes, but sub vanilla extract for almond.


I like for the icing to be a bit thick, because it's easier to spread around on a cookie that way. (I spread it on using a fork.) Decorating with sugar icing will take patience and practice, so bear with it if you're just starting!

After the cookies are iced with the white layer, let them dry.  I think these dried in 45 min or so.
Add some blue food coloring to some of the leftover white icing. Place in a piping bag with a tip, or just snip the corner of a bag and go at it.

I would recommend icing a few at a time, and then immediately adding a chocolate chip in the middle of the blue layer, so that it doesn't dry before you can add the "pupil."

Once these babies are dry, you can leave them as is, or for a creepier effect, use a toothpick and some red food coloring to add vein or pools of blood around the iris...


I hope you'll consider doing this for your next Halloween party!

Festive Drink Idea

Instead of the same old fireworks, we're going to be celebrating the New Year with these:

Cranberry Sparklers

These Cranberry Sparklers are simple, cheap, festive, and seasonal! Rather than mixing the frozen juice with water, you can substitute vodka, or whatever else you'd like! For a nonalcoholic version (really? but why??), you can sub sparkling white grape juice for the champagne. Happy drinking, everyone!

Happy Holidays

Season's Greetings from my nephew and dog, Toto!

We really hope your holidays are wonderful!

What happened to my post T-giving posts???

Here are two great things to consider this Christmas:

The Advent Conspiracy:


And cookies. With sprinkles!!!

"Let It Dough!" by Christoph Niemann

Post dedicated to Greg

Thanks to Greg for sharing this with me. Let's discuss how motherloving disgusting this is...

Photo by Amy Wisniewski for Chow.com

This cake contains: ground turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, marshmallows, and cranberry sauce. WTF. I don't like food touching. I've gotten much better at "being ok" with some things touching on my plate, but the KFC Famous Bowl still grosses me out. This just takes it way overboard for me. Sorry. I. Just. Can't.

One more thing about dessert...

Watergate Salad Photo: Taste of Home

What is watergate salad? The picture doesn't really help, does it? I encountered it for the first time in Virginia when I was 15 years old. My sister and I went to our first "southern bbq," and watergate was on the dessert table. Curious, we checked it out...It was fluffy, like Cool Whip, but with chunks of fruit and marshallows...and it was green. Watergate salad may look/sound interesting, but it's actually delightful. We like it because it's not too sweet, and it's fast to make. The first time I ever made it for a family gathering, my cousin became obsessed with it. After getting the recipe, she made a batch for herself, and ate the whole dang tub. What an amazing feat.

I'm not sure if they eat watergate salad in the Pac NW. I've only seen it served in southeast US, but I don't actively look for watergate salad when I'm traveling, either. It's nice to have this as a light dessert. Refrigerating it for 2 hours will also make it a bit more refreshing during the hot summers months. It will be on our Thanksgiving dessert menu, and I hope you'll try it too.

There are many different variations on watergate, but here is ours:
1 tub of whipped topping (I use the reduced fat version)
1 package of instant pudding, pistachio flavor
2 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 sm. can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: Mix everything together really well. Eat. Enjoy.

Sweet Talk

Oh, Natalie Dee.

There are plenty of pumpkin pie recipes out there, so I won't be sharing one. Truthfully? I can't stand pumpkin pie. I know. It's a beloved and classic pie, and most people change their positive opinions of me once they hear that I don't enjoy it. You don't know shame until you've lost a friend over pumpkin pie. I think it's the texture I don't like, but can't really be sure. I like custards, and pumpkin pie is just a big round custard, isn't it???

Pumpkin swirl brownies

If there are any readers out there who share my dislike for pumpkin pie, this is my reconciliation dessert. Pumpkin swirl brownies are great because: 1. It has seasonal flavor of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 2. It has chocolate. 3. It's not pumpkin pie. According to my friend Jonathan, these are great because "you can only eat so many brownies." The pumpkin adds a balance to the deep chocolate flavor and dense texture. Use any brownie mix you want. (I subbed a small portion of the oil for the brownies with pumpkin puree. It didn't change the texture/flavor at all, but added nutrients and reduced some of the fat.)

MMMM

I love carrot cake, because...well, because it's DELICIOUS. This Joy of Baking recipe is pretty standard, but I feel like carrot cake is under-appreciated, and wanted to share the love.

Pecan Tarts

I made these last Christmas. Pecan pies are one of my all time favorites, and these tarts are perfect. With a cream cheese crust, and a filling that's not so sweet it overwhelms the pecan flavor, I just didn't have the heart to even try to make this into a lower fat recipe. (I keep telling myself that they're smaller portions, so it's ok that they're full fat.) These are absolutely fabulous, and let's be honest, mini-pies are cute.
*Edit: Do those look like poop pies to anyone else?*

I hope you'll try some of these desserts for your post-nap Thanksgiving treat!