Tombstone Taco Dip

Ingredients

1 16-ounce can refried beans with green chiles

1/4 cup bottled salsa

2/3 cup bottled ranch salad dressing

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken

1 7-ounce pouch refrigerated guacamole

1/2 of a 2 1/4-ounce can chopped pitted ripe olives, drained

shredded lettuce

10-inch tortillas

Directions

In a small bowl, combine refried beans and salsa. Spread refried bean mixture in a 2-quart rectangular dish. In a small bowl, combine ranch salad dressing and taco seasoning; stir in chicken.

Spoon on top of the beans in an even layer. Spoon guacamole in small mounds on top of the chicken mixture. Carefully spread to an even layer.

Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours before serving. Just before serving, place tombstone characters into dip. Sprinkle the graves with chopped olives and shredded lettuce.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Tortilla Graveyard Characters: Using cookie cutters or a knife, cut 10-inch tortillas of any flavor into gravestones, cats, owls, bats, fence rails, and a tree. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until firm and crisp. Cool on rack.
*If you have a favorite mexican layer dip you can substitute with that.  Then add the effects shown here.
Joni

Eeeeeek!!!!!



As much as I dislike (that's putting it mildly) spiders of any kind, I had to show you these.  Aren't they absolutely hideous?  Very real looking!  Great for a real scary Halloween party.  These come from http://www.bhg.com/.  I love that site.  You can always find a great idea there for any holiday.
Joni

Love Those Crocs!



Great deal on Crocs, but only for a few more days!  Click on Frugal Living above to get code and website.
Joni

Hey everybody!  If your looking for a great deal, click on Frugal Living in the bar above and check out the Dollar General coupon deal.  Hurry!  It only lasts until Saturday 10/23/2010.
Joni

Great Pary Ideas!!!



If you need help planning one of your childrens birthday party, this is the place to go for help!  This is the most awesome site I have ever been on.  Wow!  These girls are amazingly talented.  Great ideas and links.  Check it out.  http://www.karaspartyideas.blogspot.com/

Witch's Wands

Find this great recipe idea at Our Best Bites.  Click on the Button at the botton of my page!



Maple Leaf Cookies

Sometimes you just are not into the Halloween thing and you just want something awesome for Fall.  Here is a great idea.

This recipe came from http://www.beatuntilfluffy.blogspot.com/ I love her site.

Be sure to check it out if you love amazing recipes and ideas.

Joni 



Maple Leaf Cookies


1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg (room temperature)

3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour





In your mixer bowl, mix butter, sugar and baking power until well-combined. Add the egg, maple syrup and vanilla and 'Beat Until Fluffy.' Mix in the flour and chill the dough for an hour or until easy to handle. Heat your oven to 375 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8" to 1/4" thick, cut with cookie cutter, place on cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Cool on wire racks.





For Icing:





2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

2 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup

4 Tbsp Milk (you’ll need a little more after you’ve whisked in the first amount to get a dipping consistency)

1/4 Tsp Maple Flavoring

Food Coloring Kit (I used the recipes on the back of the box to make the brown and orange)







In a smallish bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Keep slowly adding milk until you get a slightly thick, spread-able icing. The icing will settle out and smooth nicely once you’ve applied it. I set aside an amount in 3 extra bowls with icing and colored it from there. I then dunked the cookies face-down, let the excess drip off and turned them iced-side-up to dry on wire racks. By all means, if you prefer, put the icing in a zip lock bag and snip off a corner for a make-shift icing bag. This icing will set fairly quickly, allow a little extra time if you ice thickly.





Courtesy of Dawn @ BeatUntilFluffy.com

Some Rights Reserved

Cool Pumpkin!

I found this cool idea on http://www.pinkapotamus.blogspot.com/
There is a complete tutorial under the heading of Holiday Helps.
Check it out!



More Great Ideas from Little Inspirations

This idea uses plain brown lunch bags.  You simply cut slits in the bag, fill and put in a stick and tie with raffia or ribbon.  Use your imagination!  This has lots of possibilities!!

Great idea and Quick!  Just fill sugar cones with fall colored candy and top with a chocolate frosted cookie.  You could add candy embelishments if you want.

Frosting Lover's Halloween Delight*)

If you love frosting the way I  do, you will love these awesome halloween cupcakes!  The cupcake recipe that follows is Great!, but if you are pressed for time a cake mix will do.  But, be sure to use the frosting recipe!  It won't be the same without it.
Joni

Ingredients


Cupcakes:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup root beer, flat

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

8 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 pinch fine salt

1 teaspoon banana extract, or more to taste

1 to 2 drops pastel food coloring, optional

Candied eyeballs

Equipment: 12 cup standard muffin tin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray footed cupcake holders with nonstick spray.



Put the butter, root beer, and cocoa in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on HIGH until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk to combine.



Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla together in a small bowl.



Whisk the hot cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir in the sour cream mixture just to combine; take care not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full, about 1/4 cup per cupcake. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely in the tin on a rack. Remove from liners and return cakes to a rack.



For Frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until eggs beat up into a cool stiff meringue, about 5 minutes. Add a few drops of desired extract and/or food coloring and lightly beat into the meringue.



To decorate: Using a spoon, offset spatula or piping bag, dollop, spread or pipe about 1/2 cup meringue on top of each cupcake to make a ghost or monster of your choice. Decorate with candied eyeballs or other candies. These can be finished 2 to 3 hours in advance and held at room temperature.



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