My Favorite Childhood Halloween Treat: Dirt Pudding

This Halloween treat is a classic that everyone should recognize, so why not bust it out for your Halloween bash? Check out "My Favorite Childhood Halloween Treat: Dirt Pudding" below and 'dig' in!

Dirt Pudding
Yield: A lot! Probably close to 20 servings
Recipe by bakeeatrepeat.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
2 packages oreos
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) melted butter
4 Tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups milk
2 small boxes instant pudding (mix and match chocolate and vanilla or find your own favorite combo)
16 oz Cool Whip
Gummy worms (optional)

Directions:
1. Place oreos in a large ziplock bag and seal. Use a rolling pin to crush oreos. Pour melted butter in the bag and shake to combine.
2. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth, about 2 mintues. 
3. Add milk and pudding. Beat on low until partially combined then switch to high speed and beat until pudding begins to thicken. Stir in Cool Whip.
4. Place a layer of oreos at the bottom of a large bowl. Put a layer of the pudding mixture over top. Repeat until both are gone, beginning and ending with the oreos. Place gummy worms on top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

(Images: Neighbor Food )

Original Article Here: http://www.neighborfoodblog.com/2011/08/dirt-pudding.html

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Music for Halloween: The Ultimate Party Playlist

The decorations are up, the food is ready, and the games have all been decided. But wait! What music should you put on for your Halloween Party? How about "Music for Halloween: The Ultimate Party Playlist"?

Dark, deviant, vampy, trampy, nutty, smutty. Pants optional. 'Tis the season for Halloween parties! Here's a little playlist for all the zombies and sexy Dorothies. For all the Batmans and Robins...and Mileys and Robins. For all the giant foam bananas in pajamas. For the year-late Honey Boo Boos. And for you too, obscure Russian poet who no one knows so you have to explain your costume all night. Get out there and work it, twerk it, shake it 'til you break it.

Check out the track list below for ideas to add to your own mix. You can alsoaccess the full Halloween Playlist on Spotify. Just like a recipe, feel free to add and subtract to your taste. You know, toss in some Joy Division, maybe a dash of Thriller, and please add your favorite Halloween party tunes in the comments below.

1. Sun Ra - Door To the Cosmos
2. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek a Boo
3. Daft Punk - Give Life Back to Music
4. The National - Anyone's Ghost
5. Blondie - Atomic
6. Sleigh Bells - Demons (Spotify version is a remix by Diplo)
7. The Five Blobs - The Blob
8. ELO - Evil Woman
9. The Magnetic Fields - Strange Powers
10. John Holt - Strange Things
11. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
12. Bonobo - Nightlite
13. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
14. ESG - Dance
15. Blur - Girls and Boys
16. Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree
17. Janelle Monae - Dance Apocalyptic
18. The Sonics - Psycho
19. Floating Action - Modern Gunslinger
20. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers Revisited
21. Wild Belle - Keep You
22. Vampire Weekend - Unbelievers
23. The Velvet Underground - After Hours
24. M83 - Midnight City
25. Suicide - Ghost Rider
26. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
27. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
28. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
29. Carl Perkins - Put Your Cat Clothes On
30. Tom Waits - Temptation
31. Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
32. Crystal Stilts - Bright Night

(Image: Shutterstock)

Original Article Here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/get-your-freak-on-halloween-party-playlist-196118

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10 Easy Halloween Themed Snacks

Do you need to make Halloween themed snacks for a party? Check out these ten great recipes below. They are simple to make and come out perfect for any occasion. What are you making this year? Learn more at money crashers.

1. Witch Hat Cookies

Decorate your Halloween party table with fun Halloween-themed accessories. Attach plastic spiders to napkin rings, use black paper bats on top of cookie plates, and place orange votive candles around the table for a spooky good time.


Witch Hat cookies charm party guests and work well with your Halloween-themed decor. Even the most inexperienced chef can make these easy, no-bake cookies. A Hershey kiss is placed on top of a store-bought cookie, and wrapped with a little icing to create a tiny witch hat.
Ingredients

• 1 package of Hershey’s Kisses
• 1 package of round chocolate covered cookies
• 1 small container of chocolate icing
• red decorator’s gel icing pen

Directions

1. Lay one cookie on a flat cooking surface.
2. Unwrap a Hershey’s Kiss. Place a small amount of chocolate icing on the bottom of the Hershey’s Kiss and press it onto the center of the cookie.
3. Use the squeezable icing to create a ring around the kiss, like you would see around a hat. Repeat for each cookie.

Pro Tip: Run the icing tube back and forth in your hands for a few seconds to warm the icing. This makes the icing easier to apply to the cookies.

Witch Hat Cookies - Cheryl’s Crafty Jewelry

2. Spooky Chips and Dip

You can use Halloween cookie cutters for more than just making cookies. You can also use them to make tortilla chips, which you can pair with some red salsa for a festive snack. Create ghoulish notes describing your Halloween treats. Cut out paper jack o’ lanterns, bats, or skulls, and use them to display creepy goodies like Spooky Chips and Dip.
Ingredients

• 1 package of white flour tortillas
• cooking spray
• 1 jar of salsa

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a tortilla on a flat cooking surface. Press the cookie cutter into the tortilla and gently pry the shape free.
3. Spray each side with cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
4. Bake for six minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for an additional seven minutes, or until brown.
5. Season with salt to taste.
6. Serve alongside the salsa.

Pro Tip: If you have trouble getting the cookie cutter through the tortilla, heat the tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds. This makes the breading softer and easier to cut.

Spooky Tortilla Chips and Guacamoldy Dip - Veronica Benzing

3. Brain Punch

Grocery stores and hobby and craft retailers sell molds in the shape of brains during the Halloween season. Use these cheap molds to make an easy theme punch.
Serve the punch in ghostly cups that you make at home. Using ordinary paper, plastic, or Styrofoam cups, and use a black Sharpie marker to draw faces on each of the cups. You can also paste paper pumpkin cut-outs to the cups when serving brain punch to guests.
Ingredients

• 1 package of strawberry JELL-O
• 1 container of frozen fruit punch

Directions

1. Mix the JELL-O according to the package instructions.
2. Pour the JELL-O into the mold and allow it to chill completely.
3. Fill a punch bowl with the fruit punch mix and water. Place the fruit punch in the fridge and allow it to chill.
4. Immediately before serving, slowly lower the brain mold into the center of the fruit punch.

Pro Tip: Do not overfill the punch bowl. Make sure you allow for enough room for the top of the brain to rest on top of the punch.

Human Brain Dessert - Emma’s Thoughtful Spot

4. Severed Fingers

You can quickly turn a few almonds and some crescent roll dough into creepy severed fingers to serve at a Halloween party. Once baked, you can arrange these around a bowl of dip or piled onto a serving plate. They look pretty realistic.
Black, orange, and silver dishes all work well on your Halloween party table. During September and October you can also find Halloween-themed paper plates at party stores to display your Severed Fingers.
Ingredients

• 1 package of pre-cut crescent roll dough
• 1 6-ounce container of sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unroll one crescent roll square onto a flat cooking surface.
3. Grab one of the longer ends and gently roll the dough into a finger shape.
4. Press a sliced almond into one end of the dough with the white side facing outward, to make a fingernail.
5. Use a butter knife to cut small lines slightly below the almond and across the middle of the dough, to create knuckles.
6. Place the dough on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough squares.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly brown.

Pro Tip: You can use red food coloring to dye the almonds. The red food coloring makes the almond look like a painted fingernail.

Severed Finger Cookies - Living It At Home

5. Mini Mummies

With mini bagels and a few ingredients, you can create spooky toasted pizzas that look like mummy faces. Prepare Mini Mummies ahead of time, and then pop them into the stove to bake during the party. That way, everyone can enjoy the tasty treats right out of the oven.
Ingredients

• 1 package of mini bagels
• 1 jar of premade pizza sauce
• 6 to 10 mozzarella cheese sticks
• 1 jar of stuffed green olives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice a mini bagel in half and lay the bagel on a flat cooking surface.
3. Spread one tablespoon of pizza sauce across the inside of the bagel half.
4. Pull a cheese stick into strings. Starting at the bottom, lay the pieces of cheese across 2/3 of the bagel to look like bandages.
5. Slice a green olive into flat pieces. Place two green olives near the top of the bagel to look like eyes.
6. Place a few more cheese sticks just above the eyes to look like head wrappings.
7. Place the bagel half on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining bagel halves.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted.

Pro Tip: Leave a small amount of space between each cheese strip. After the cheese melts, the tiny slits will look more like bandages.

Mini Mummy Pizzas - Busy Little Kitchen

6. Frozen Ghosts

Bananas, icing, and chocolate combine to make these frozen ghosts on sticks. Best of all, this no-bake recipe is kid-friendly, so your little ones can help out in the kitchen, too. Frozen Ghosts have to chill out for a total of five to six hours, so make them the night before the party.
Ingredients

• 6 ripe bananas
• 1 package of vanilla icing
• 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 12 Popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Peel the bananas and remove any excess strings.
2. Cut the banana in half and push a Popsicle stick through the cut end, being careful not to push the stick all the way through the banana.
3. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place the bananas on top.
4. Freeze the bananas until solid, about two and a half hours.
5. Remove the frozen bananas. Use a butter knife or spatula to cover each banana with vanilla icing. Add three chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth.
6. Place the bananas back on the cookie sheet and put them in the fridge until chilled, about three hours.
7. Serve cold.

Pro Tip: You can substitute brown decorator’s icing gel for the chocolate chips.

Frozen Ghosts - Teach Mama

7. Chocolate-Coated Spiders

These snacks are addicting and simple to make. All you need is chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels to create these realistic looking spiders. Chocolate-coated spiders need to rest in the fridge for four hours before you can serve them, so make these the night before your party.
Ingredients

• 12-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 8 cups of pretzel sticks

Directions

1. Combine half the chocolate baking squares and the peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the chocolate and peanut butter melt and blend.
3. Break up 4 cups of the pretzel sticks and add them to the chocolate and peanut butter mix. Blend well.
4. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop a spoonful of the mixture onto the wax paper to create the spider body.
5. Microwave the remaining chocolate squares in a microwave safe dish until melted.
6. Dip one end of a pretzel stick into the chocolate. Gently press the coated end of the pretzel stick on to the body of the spider to create a leg. Repeat for the other seven legs.
7. Pop the finished cookies in the fridge until firm, about four hours.

Pro Tip: Sort the pretzel sticks before adding them to the chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Some of the pretzel sticks will break in the bag, so this way you can reserve the full sticks for the legs.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spiders - Not Just a Housewife

8. Dirt Pails

Pudding dirt and worm cups are a much beloved kid’s favorite, mostly because they look gross and a little creepy. However, they’re also a tasty theme snack for an adult’s Halloween party. Repurpose plastic cups into individual serving dishes for this recipe. Add googly eyes to the outside of the cups to up the level of creepiness in your Dirt Pails.
Ingredients

• 1 package of chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 package of Oreo cookies
• 1 package of gummy worms
• 12 plastic cups

Directions

1. Mix the pudding mix and milk according to the package instructions. Set aside.
2. Use a food processor or a cooking mallet to crush the Oreo cookies into fine pieces that resemble dirt.
3. Mix one cup of the Oreo pieces into the pudding mixture.
4. Fill 3/4 of a plastic cup with pudding and top with crushed Oreo cookies.
5. Place 1-3 gummy worms on the top of the cup.
6. Place the cups in the fridge until chilled, about two hours.

Pro Tip: To make the gummy worms look more authentic, press half the gummy worm into the Oreo cookie mixture to give the appearance of a worm crawling out of the dirt, or hang a worm off the side of the cup.

Dirt Pails with Gummy Worms - Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrows

9. All-Seeing Eye

You can create a quick and spooky centerpiece with a pie from your local bakery store. A bit of decorator’s icing turns the pie into a giant eye that follows your guests around the buffet table. The whipped topping needs to thaw and the pie needs to chill before serving, so make this All-Seeing Eye at least one hour before guests arrive.
Ingredients

• 1 banana cream pie
• 1 container of frozen whipped topping
• 1 kiwi
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 tube of red gel icing

Directions

1. Allow the whipped topping to thaw, about 30 minutes.
2. Cover the entire pie with the whipped topping to create the surface of the eye.
3. Peel and slice the kiwi.
4. Place one kiwi slice in the center of the pie.
5. Place the maraschino on top of the kiwi and hold in place with a toothpick, to look like an iris and pupil of the eye.
6. Using the red gel icing, draw squiggly lines from the kiwi out to the edge of the pie, to look like a bloodshot eye.
7. Serve chilled.

Pro Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the kiwi. The peeler will allow you to keep most of the fruit intact and circular shaped, while a knife creates pointed edges.

Halloween Eyeball Cake - Cakefullness

10. Grave Robber Chili

A coffin made from cornbread and stuffed with chili makes up this perfectly themed Halloween dish. Begin making this Grave Robber Chili two hours before the party begins, then stow the dish in a warm oven to serve when guests arrive.
Ingredients

For coffin:

• 2 packages of cornbread mix
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• black food coloring
• ketchup

For chili:

• 1/2 pound of hamburger
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup pinto beans
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 4-ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 packet of chili seasoning
• 2 cups of water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the cornbread mix, milk, eggs, and 3-4 drops of food coloring in a medium bowl until moist and sticky.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 5 inch bread loaf pan.
4. Bake the cornbread for 30 minutes, or until cooked entirely.
5. Shred the hamburger into small pieces.
6. Cook the hamburger in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
7. Add in the onion, bell pepper, pinto beans, black beans, tomato paste, chili seasoning, and water. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
8. Allow the cornbread to cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut off the top of the corn bread loaf with a butter knife to create a coffin lid. Set it aside.
9. Scoop out the cornbread from the remaining loaf to create the main part of the coffin. Leave a 1/2 inch thick edge and bottom.
10. Drain any excess water from the chili. Pour the chili mixture into the coffin.
11. Use the ketchup to write “R.I.P” on the top of the coffin lid.
12. Place the coffin lid over the chili mixture. Serve warm.

Pro Tip: Use a toothpick to test the cornbread. If the toothpick pulls out clean, the cornbread has finished cooking.

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe takes a lot longer than the ones we've posted here previously, but we promise that it's worth it! Just take a look at that delicious bowl of soup below and tell us that's not worth waiting for! Check out "Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup"!

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Serves 6

For the soup:
Neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Mexican-style chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock, plus more for thinning if needed
1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
2-3 pounds chicken thighs, skins removed (See Recipe Notes)
Heavy cream, to taste (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, optional

For serving:
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Cilantro

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeño and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker. 

Add the corn, beans, and chicken thighs to the slow cooker. Cover and set on low for 6 to 7 hours (or high for 4 hours). Shred the cooked chicken using two forks (if using bone-in thighs, remove the chicken to shred; discard bones and return meat to the soup). Stir in a splash of heavy cream if desired. Season the soup with additional salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. 

Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and cilantro for garnish.

Recipe Notes

• You can use bone-in or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I used bone-in for a rich, complex soup, but boneless are easy because you don't have to pull them out.
• This recipe can easily be doubled and frozen for another time. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe plastic bag labeled with recipe name and date. Press out excess air before sealing. Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. (Once frozen, the bags can be stacked neatly.) To thaw, transfer to refrigerator overnight or set bag in a stockpot of warm water. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat; season to taste. 

(Images: Nealey Dozier)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/slow-cooker-recipe-chicken-enchilada-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-193675

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5 Tips for Throwing a Dinner Party in a Small Apartment

Have you ever thought about or talked about throwing a dinner party with some friends at your place? If you have, but have never gone through with it or at least not recently, maybe all you need is a little push to having a great evening with some friends. Well here's that push! Check out "5 Tips for Throwing a Dinner Party in a Small Apartment"

1. First of all, throw a dinner party.

The number one deterrent to throwing a successful dinner party in a small apartment is... not throwing one at all. (Surprise!) Seriously. If you've been holding off throwing a party because you think your place is too small, or you're embarrassed that it's unfinished or not decorated like you want, or you have some archaic idea that parties should be big, or glamorous, or whatever... stop. 

Wherever you live, you can throw some kind of dinner party. It may only be for three people, or maybe you'll surprise yourself by fitting in 15 people or more. But if you have a desire to bring people into your home, if you love your friends and love cooking and want to share food with them, you can and should do it! Everything else can be worked around or managed, but you have to commit to throwing a party first.

2. Don't be afraid to rearrange furniture for the evening.

I talked about rearranging my living room in my main dinner party post on Wednesday, and this was really the thing that changed everything as far as decorating goes. By swapping my dining and living areas, i.e. I moved my dining table into my living room, and shifted a few living room lounge chairs to where my dining table used to be, I made my table the focus of my apartment. Would I normally keep my dining table there? No. On a day to day basis it sits pushed up against a wall, but for a party it made sense to move everything around to create more space and a better flow.

Beyond rearranging, you can also just remove things from the room. Make the other rooms in your apartment storage rooms for the evening. Move that end table into your bedroom for the night. Prop the coffee table upright against the wall in your office. Yes, now you can't walk around your bed, but remember, it's just for one night! 

3. Go for mood lighting.

I believe that almost anything is improved with good mood lighting. If you can help it,don't use overhead lights. The overhead lights in my apartment use energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs — great for never having to change a lightbulb, but terrible for atmospheric lighting. I rarely use them if I can help it!

Instead I rely on lamps with a warm white light, tea lights and candles, and string lights. For this party I hung globe string lights from Target over my dining table. That, again, is another reason it helped to move the table! By putting it in the center of my living room, I was able to use my bookshelf as a hook for the lights on one side. I also put tea lights all over the table.

A softer, warmer, dimmer light is just cozier overall, but it also serves to mask any apartment imperfections you might be concerned about. For example, had I had my overhead lights on my friends may have noticed the few small stains on my living room carpet. Or the fact that I didn't get a chance to dust the bookshelf. And my curtains could really use a good washing. So whatever your insecurities about your small place, good mood lighting makes everything look and feel better.

4.  Make it a collaborative experience.

One commenter on Wednesday's post asked why I chose to put up a menu on the wall when there was nothing unusual about the ingredients or courses. A good question! I wanted to put a menu on the wall because I think it's a lovely detail for any dinner party. I was initially inspired to do a menu when I attended an outdoor dinner party last summer in Tel Aviv, an experience I wrote about here. I like how a handwritten wall menu at a small dinner party is a touch of the formal in an informal setting. I also think it draws guests more fully into the experience by giving them a glimpse into what the evening holds. 

I think anything that engages your guests in some way — gets them participating, talking, thinking, anticipating — is always a good thing. 

5. Realize it won't all be perfect, and that's okay.

My final tip for having a successful dinner party with friends in a small apartment is really more a reminder that friends are friends for a reason. If the dumplings for the soup don't come together perfectly, or dessert is a little late, or you have to run out for more wine, or you're exhausted by the end of the night and just want to sit and listen and not play "hostess" anymore.. that's all okay. The whole reason you threw a dinner party in the first place is to get together and enjoy each other's company and some good food. Good friends will undoubtedly understand if things don't go perfectly, and will probably even jump in and offer to help out. I'm not Martha Stewart. You're not either. (Unless you're reading this, Martha! Hi!) 

So without getting too sentimental, it's good for us all to remember what's really important, no matter how small your apartment. Thank you, friends and guests, for coming out tonight. Thank you for crowding around a table to enjoy a meal together. Thank you for ignoring the fact that the bathroom is right off the kitchen. Thank you for not noticing the pile of dirty plates in the kitchen you should so clearly be able to see because this is a studio apartment. Thank you for lighting candles, and lifting glasses, and dancing in place. Let's do it again soon!

Photographed by Gabriela Herman
Follow Gabriela on Twitter → @gab

Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/10W9Tl2

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