Knorr Vegetable Dip in a Pumpkin

this is super cute. Unfortunately I had to steal this picture because for some reason my picture poofed off my camera. But I am sure you can use your imagination if you didnt see it in person .:)


recipe
Small hollowed out pumpkin
Knorr vegetable dip/soup packet
1/2 cup mayonaisse
16 0z. sour cream
Assorted Vegetables
Mix ingredients and chill. Fill pumpkin and serve with assorted vegetables.

Pumpkin Cheeseball

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
1 packet of hidden valley ranch
several slices of cooked bacon bits (fresh not jarred)
2 green onions diced
several dashes of worchestshire
chopped pecans (toasted)
Broccoli piece for stem
Assorted crackers

Mix ingredients and chill. Toast pecans and let cool. When cheese is firm enough.
then mold it into a ball. Roll in pecans and create lines to shape into a pumpkin. Place Broccoli "stem" on top. Arrange on platter with crackers.
This recipe can be adapted with any cheeses or spices you prefer.

Autumn Cheesecake bites

Here is another attempt at the quick take dessert. This took me a little more time

 and didn't present as well as I would have liked. Apparently it was very yummy though :)

I bought a frozen cheesecake and cut out circle shapes. I garnished them with

some of the caramel dip for the apples and some melted chocolate

chips and quick toasted pecans. They each sit in a small brown paper baking cup.

 I placed the plate in the center of a fall wreath for presentation. :)

Fun Pinterest Projects :)

I love this super easy friend gift. Great little hostess gift too :)

An individual caramel dip with an apple :)

Another fast one for the kiddos or class party. You can 

either use the already cut apples for super duper fast or cut them yourselves

 and toss with some lemon juice.

A big container of caramel dip is like $3 at walmart.

That is a candy corn nose and two milkdud eyes.

Make me some happy boys Meatloaf :)

Here is how I throw it together:

Biggest package of 93% hamburger

1/2 onion (chopped)

a few stalks of celery (chopped)

an egg or two

a couple cups of shredded up bread

lipton onion soup mix

throw some worcestershire (?) on that baby til it looks good

splash some milk on there to wet it up

Mix it up

Form it into individual loaves. 

Mine makes 14.

Cook that at 375 for about an 45 to 60 minutes

here is the magic....

Mix ketchup about a 1/2 cup with about 4-5 tablespoons of brown 

sugar and a teaspoon or two of dry mustard. spread on top and bake

another ten minutes. Let rest. Yummo!! Yay Mom!

Katie's Cupcake Tower

Took me forever to finally get these up :)

That is a Giant solid chocolate guitar on top.

The Cupcake tower was an idea adapted from Pinterest. It is styrofoam squares and cake boards that are covered in wrapping paper and hot glued together.

Here is another example :

So fun and can be adapted to any event or size :)

Some cute packaging ideas

Courtesy of Martha Stewart today I found a cute economical way to package fudge for a friend. Several of these could be made for favors or gifts for any occasion. Here are two.

Instead of cutting up the fudge I cut one large slab and wrapped it in wax paper.

you can decorate with paper ... gift wrap... bows...you name it. Cute Idea Martha!

My fancy it up Quiche

Puff Pastry Quiche

5 eggs (beaten)
1 1/3 c. heavy cream
8 oz. meunster cheese (shredded)
4 slices ham (chopped)
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 cups frozen spinach

1. Add a little olive oil to a frying pan. Cook onions til translucent. Add ham to pan and get some color on it. Add frozen spinack and let cook through til wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool off a bit.
2. Beat eggs in a bowl. Stir in heavy cream. Add shredded cheese. Stir n vegetables and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Roll out puff pastry squares onto lightly floured surface. cut with cookie cutter ( i used flower shape but you can use circle) Place shapes in a greased mini cupcake pan. brush tops with an egg wash for browner tops ( 1 egg and 1 tbsp water beat together). Fill with 1 tbsp of egg mixture and Bake for 15 minutes at 400. Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack. Serve Warm.
Note: Quiche is one of those things that have endless variations. Substitute your favorite cheese or meat and veggies.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge Cut Outs

Alton Brown's Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

• 8 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar (1/2 bag)

Directions

Combine the butter and peanut butter in a  microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. (Use caution when removing this mixture from the microwave, it will be very hot.) Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will become hard to stir and lose its sheen. Place parchment paper in a baking dish and spray with non-stick spray. If you want thicker fudge put in an 8x8 pan. For cut outs spread in a 13x9. Place in fridge or freezer to chill. 

                       

                                                         Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge

• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tsp heavy cream
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. or a 9x 13 for cut outs.

2. Chop the chocolate into even pieces with a large knife. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating.

3. Place the softened cream cheese and the heavy cream in the bowl of a large stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth. (Alternately, a hand mixer can be used.)

4. Stop the mixer, add the melted chocolate, and beat until well-mixed. Stop the mixer again and add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix until the fudge is smooth and well-combined. Stir in the nuts by hand, if you’re using them.

5. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Let it set at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Once set, cut the fudge into small squares and serve at room temperature. Fudge may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

                     You can decorate as shown with either chocolate drizzled or colored white chocolate.