Easy Halloween Batdogs Appetizer Recipe

Holy Batdogs! I know the kids are just going to go crazy over these Batdogs I created for them.  For six of the kids this will be their first Halloween party over here, that's how crazy things have been in our family, six more babies in last 2 years alone.  One of my nephews is a huge Batman fan coupled with the fact Ms. Katty from Kattyskitchen posted a Batdad video on my FB wall the other day, I just couldn't Batman get out of my head.   

I was in Trader Joe's with the biggest kid around here (Hot Dog Dude) and when he spotted mini hot dogs he threw them in the cart faster than I don't know what.  They sat in the fridge for a least a week, all the while he kept reminding me I needed to do something with those hot dogs.  That is when it occurred to me they would fit in perfectly on my diabolical Halloween menu.  

First thing you need to do is heat up the bat oven to 350 degrees F.

Secondly, open a roll of crescent roll dough and unroll the whole thing in one sheet on your cutting board. Cut the dough into 2-inch strips and then in 2-inch squares and then cut the squares in half on the diagonal. Lay the hot dog on the triangle as pictured and wrap up the cape and pinch it securely. Place the hot dogs with the small side of the cape down on the baking tray lined with parchment paper or sprayed with no-stick spray.  Wrap the rest of the hot dogs the same way. Bake for 5 minutes, turn them over and bake 5 more minutes until the cape is browned.

While the Batdogs are in the oven make the caped crusaders masks. Cut 1/4-inch or so off of a large sized pitted black olive, the side without the large opening.  Then stand the olive on the cutting board and cut a slit down the side.  Then turn the olive so the slit is towards the backside and cut a v-shaped notch in the front of the olive.  Place the olive masks on the Batdogs and pipe mustard eyes on with a little mustard placed in a piping bag.

My two kids disposed of those Batdogs faster than Batman rids Gotham of crime.  I'm sure the kids are going to love them too on Saturday.  Sometime I wonder who likes these parties more, the kids or me.

I just wanted to thank you guys for your continued support of this little hobby of mine and to let you know I'm having some major technical difficulties with the site and just short on time and energy all the way around in life and probably won't be posting anymore or at least not until after the holidays are over or my clone is ready. 

Happy Halloween,

Gina 

I prefer my rattler with extra Nutella or nothing at all!

I'm officially changing my name to Halloween Queen.  I had way too much fun making all the Halloween recipes you've seen this week.  I have no idea where some of my ideas come from, but I was fooling around in the kitchen and before you know it I was making a s'mores rattlesnake.

I wanted it to be easy enough for a kid to make with a little help.  Take a large square of graham cracker and cut the corners off to make a diagonal shaped head. Cut graham cracker squares down the center into rectangles. Cut a tail piece out of a rectangular piece of graham cracker.

Smear Nutella on the pieces and cut marshmallows in half with kitchen scissors and place them cut side down on the snake.  For the tail piece pipe a few stripes of peanut butter with peanut butter placed in a disposable piping bag and add a few chocolate chips as rattles.

Then blister the top of your marshmallows under a broiler or use a kitchen torch.  Just be careful not to melt the marshmallows, just give your snake a nice sunburn.  Attach a few snake scales (toasted sliced almonds) with the peanut butter in the piping bag.  Give your snake a couple of candy eyes and a licorice mouth.

I decided to have my rattler snake around the celery and carrot sticks but you could have him slither anywhere you'd like.

I have to get on costume making duty for the next couple of days, but hope to have the final two recipes up for you next week so we can keep this party going.

Enjoy,

Gina

Halloween Cheese and Crackers, Albino Cheese Rats that is.

When it comes to kitchen hygiene I'd say I'm pretty much up there with OCD clean.  I'm the type of person who will go behind you and put your cup in the dishwasher before your done using it.  Unfortunately one of the folks I live with doesn't abide by my sanitary standards.  That same person likes to come downstairs after I have completed my 40-point cleaning inspection and gone to bed.

While the pigeon is in the kitchen in the wee hours of the night it makes and leaves all sorts of messes. I'll come down and see the spotless kitchen I left the night before tore up, dishes everywhere, food left on the counter, and that is when I usually lose it and have to start with the lectures.  "You know you are going to attract rats with this mess."  "You probably have them sleeping with you in your bed right now since that is a pig pen too."

Well you know what, one morning I came downstairs and thought I'd faint when I saw a bunch of Albino (honey goat and cream cheese with red pepper eyes and rice noodle tail) rats scurrying across my cutting board leaving their gross (yet tasty and briny olive rat turds) everywhere.

"I will kill you Rat Bastards if it's the last thing I do", I screamed.  Poor Ted went and hid under his blanket.

That afternoon I planned my counter attack to rid this house of the vermin.  Then it hit me, I shall drown them in a bowl of delicious Raspberry Red Pepper Jelly that the lovely Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook sent me this summer.  Thank you again Claudia for sharing part of Minnesota with me.  Then I tied 4 grissini (thin Italian bread sticks) together with knots that would get me kicked out of the Navy.  Some celery rungs were added for extra traction.  Lined the pool deck with whole-grain pita crisps and waited for the victims to come along.

Come on little kiddies, everyone into the pool.

I'm happy to report we no longer have a rat problem around here.  Hey, don't think of it as inhumane, think of it as family fun and games.  The kids can play chop the rat's head off with a cracker, or how many rat turds can you pile on one cracker.  It's fun for the whole family people.

I got the mold for the mice from Sarah-Jane Silicone Moulds she has tons of cool ones.  I used half goat and half cream cheese about 3 ounces each and put the rats in the fridge until they were firm, then arrange them for your unsuspecting guests prior to their unfortunate arrival.

Gina

Sunflower and Parsley Pesto Bread Twists

Sunflower and Parsley Pesto Bread Twists the name sounded like a tongue twister to me. After whipping up these delectable bread twists I was left to ponder what exactly to call them. I tossed around a few ideas: Seven Seagulls Sunbathing on the Seashore Swigging Sangria? (Nah, but it is catchy.) Seven Serpents Slithering Sideways Sun Tanning with Santa Claus? (Hmm, no, but that's a visual.)

Fine I'll go with the obvious. I have to confess though I'm still stuck on the idea of sun tanning with Santa Claus, especially if Sangria is involved.

As I've been flitting around the blog-o-sphere this week, I've noted a discerning trend of "I've hit the creative wall". I have to confess to hitting that same wall many of times. After I've hit it enough times as to induce swelling it occurs to me that it's time to change gears. Usually I have to walk away completely and immerse myself in something else and if it was meant to be, I'll come back to it. Or sometimes I just need to chuck all that crazy talk in my head and go make something.

Sunflower and Parsley Pesto Bread Twists 

Bread Dough
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water, 110 degrees
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pesto
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
3/4 of a bunch of flat leafed Italian parsley (leaves only)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Also needed
1/2 cup finely grated Fontina cheese
1/2 tablespoon melted butter
Coarse salt

Add yeast and water to a large bowl or bowl of a mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt, all-purpose flour, spelt flour, and olive oil and mix with a dough hook or by hand until combined. Once dough has formed a ball, place it on a floured cutting board and knead a lit bit until dough is smooth. Place dough ball into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise one hour.

If you don't have the spelt you can sub all-purpose flour, but it did add an extra nuttiness to the dough.

Add garlic, sunflower seeds, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse. Stream in olive oil and keep pulsing until mixture is nicely chopped.

Place the dough onto a floured board and roll into a rectangle about 12-inches by 8-inches. Spread the pesto over the dough leaving about 1/2-inch around the edges. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the pesto. Cut the edges off to square up the dough and cut dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch strips. I got seven out of my dough.

Place the strips on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, parchment or buttered. Hold both ends and twist each stick turning it over on itself a couple of times till reaching the center and repeat. Brush tops of sticks with melted butter and sprinkle with a little coarse salt.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned.

Can you smell them?

I've been busy this week preparing for a Valentine's Craft Party for the kids I'm having soon. I'll show you some of the prepping really soon. Rest assured though, their shall be glittering and bedazzling.

Enjoy,

Gina

Sour Cream and Chive Cracker Recipe - A little Halloween fun

Trick-or-Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!  Sorry, the immature Queen just couldn't help herself.

It's here, it's finally here, October my favorite month of the year.  Time to pull out the Halloween decorations and stop worrying about the cobwebs, they will blend in anyways.  I'm a little late this year; I usually have my decorations up and am working on my costume by now.  I'd fire myself; if I didn't work for free.

Who doesn't love all the little goblins and ghosts that will soon descend upon our doorsteps.  I know I do, and as much as the Queen enjoys hopping them up on candy and sending them home, she felt it was only practical that a non-sugary option be available.  Who wouldn't want to gobble up these cuties? 

Sour Cream and Chive Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

4 tbsp. butter, cold, cut in 1/2" pieces

2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup sour cream

Small amount of black sesame seeds

In the bowl of a food processor place flour, salt, pepper (optional if your little ghouls don't like any spice), and the cheese, pulse one or two times.  Add butter and pulse a couple more times until mixture is looking crumbly.  Add chives and sour cream and pulse until the mixture is starting to ball up.

Substitution:
I used fontina cheese, but Parmesan or white cheddar would also work well.

Place cracker dough in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/4" thick and cut out with small ghost shaped cutter and place them 1/2" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.  Place two black sesame seeds for eyes and one for the mouth.  I love mini cutter sets such as these, your local craft store is a good source too.

Bake 13-15 minutes.

Makes 36 crackers.

You guys didn't think I would trick you did you, only treats are to be found here.

Enjoy,

Gina

Farm Stand Pot Stickers

I was trying to come up with a name for these pot stickers, looking over the list of ingredients it struck me, everything but the farm stand is in there; so hence the name!  I've been craving pot stickers for a while, but the boring grey interior doesn't grab my attention; so color it will be inside.  These yummy pot stickers were a perfect way for me to use up all the bits and pieces I had leftover in the fridge from previous recipes.

I made my own dough, but you can also buy round wraps in the fridge section.  They will work but are a little flimsy and rip if you aren't careful.  It's not that much work to make the wrappers and you will be rewarded in the end for it.

Pot Sticker Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup boiling water

1/3 cup cold water

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine water, flour and salt.  Knead dough till smooth, then wrap with plastic wrap and set aside till done with filling.

Pot Sticker Filling

2 ears yellow corn, raw, cut off the cob

1/2 lb. uncooked shrimp, chopped

1 tomato, chopped finely

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1/2 of a lime

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

In a bowl combine corn, shrimp, tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and lime juice.  Look at the beautiful bouquet of colors inside of them!

If you omitted the raw shrimp, the veggie salad would be a wonderful side dish (hint, hint)!

Cut dough into 24 equal pieces and roll into balls.  Put flour on your cutting board and roll balls into disks about 3-4 inches in diameter.

 

Fill the dough with about a tablespoon of filling.

Have a bowl of water next to you and dip your finger in and wipe across the top of dough.

Press dough together in half circle and pleat top.  By the end of the batch you will get so good; they may hire you in a shop in Chinatown.

Heat a skillet on medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of oil, then half of the pot stickers, cook for 2-3 minutes add 1/3 cup of water, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes until all the water has evaporated and the bottoms are starting to brown, remove lid for last 2 minutes or so.  Repeat steps and cook a second batch.

I served mine with a soy and hot chili oil mixture.  I used a lot of hot chili oil in mine and it lit up my mouth like the Fourth of July!  I was in heaven.

Enjoy,

Gina