Boo Bugs with Spider Web Dip

This is a great appetizer for a children's Halloween Party!

For the Bugs

• 1 can (11 oz.) Pillsbury® refrigerated breadsticks
• 24 cocktail-size smoked link sausages (14 oz. package)
• 3.4 cup shoestring potatoes or chow mein noodles
• Ketchup, barbecue sauce and/or mustard for decorating

For the Spider Web Dip

• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1 tablespoon ketchup or 1 tablespoon marinara sauce

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°. Unroll dough and separate at perforation into 12 breadsticks. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick in half crosswise, making 24 pieces.
2. Wrap each piece of dough around center of each sausage, pinching to seal and leaving each end of sausage showing.
3. Place seam side down and 1/2" apart on large ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Immediate remove from cookie sheet and place on serving tray. Cool 2 minutes.
5. Insert shoestring potatoes into baked dough to resemble legs and antennae. Decorate "bugs" with dots or stripes of ketchup and mustard.
6. Spread ranch dressing in a 9" glass pie plate or dinner plate. 
7. Spoon ketchup into a small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal and cut a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners. Squeeze bag to draw a coil of ketchup or marinara sauce over ranch dressing.
8.  Drag toothpick through coil from center out, created a web. Serve dip with "bugs."

Enjoy!

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This is not my original recipe but from Pillsbury's Halloween, October 2006 cookbook.

Southern Sweet Tea

What holiday weekend in the South would be complete without Tea? Here is a traditional Southern Sweet Tea recipe.

Southern Sweet Tea

3 cups water
2 family size teabags
1/3 to 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you want it*
7 cups cold water

Bring the 3 cups of water to boil. Place teabags in pot, cover and steep for 10 minutes.

Remove teabags and pour tea into your pitcher. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Then add 7 cups of cold water, stir.

Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slice on glass and be sure to have extra slices for those that like more lemon taste.

After completely cooled, store in refrigerator. If you place in refrigerator before cooled completely, it will get cloudy!

* If you want unsweetened tea, simply omit the sugar. Because I am watching my sugar intake, I use Stevia Extract In The Raw® instead of sugar. I use about 1/3 cup and have packets available for those who like it sweeter. 

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Creamy Lemon Pie

My husband loves lemon pie. His Mom used to make a lemon pie that he and his family loved, but no recipe has been located for it. I had tried many recipes but none met with total approval. Then along came this recipe that is easy, healthy and is GOOD! Thanks to Weight Watchers, this pie is a hit!


Ingredients
6 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
2 Tbsp. salted butter
11 oz. fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grind graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Or, place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Melt butter on stove top or in microwave and pour over graham cracker crumbs, mixing with a fork until completely moistened. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan; place crust in refrigerator while preparing lemon filling.

In medium bowl, combine condensed milk and eggs, mix until smooth. Add lemon juice and zest, stir until incorporated and our into prepared crust.

Bake pie for 15 minutes. Cool completely and for best flavor, serve chilled.

Serves 10.
Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 4 per 1 piece serving

Note:
I also have made this using Key Lime juice and lime zest. Delicious!

If, like my husband, you like meringue on your pie, just use your favorite recipe and follow direction for baking the meringue on your pie.

Pie may be baked and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Defrost and serve chilled.

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Photo Blocks

Photo blocks are another versatile craft. I would like to share some that I have done to provide some inspiration for you!

              These make great gifts!

 
                               These make great recipe holders.

Baby cube was customized with "new baby" information. Middle cube was a keepsake for my Grandson. Third cube was created for the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Miss Texas Pageant.

As you can see, the possibilities are limitless! Use your imagination!

Supplies

• Now to make these, you first need the photo blocks. These wooden blocks with the metal holder are available from Oriental Trading, currently priced at $13.50 per dozen.
• Mod Podge
• Sponge Brushes
• Beads, Ribbons or other embellishments
• Spray paint in your choice of color the metal photo holder
• Acrylic paint or spray paint in your choice of color for the wooden block
• Artwork of your choice (I cover all 6 sized of the cube. I created the bottom piece with personalization - my name and date created.) 
• Glue
• Polyurethane Spray to seal the finished project.

Instructions

1. Measure the side of the block so that you can size your artwork to fit on each panel. 
2. Print your artwork and cut, set aside.
3. Remove the metal photo holder from the block. Spray the metal photo holder is you want it another color besides black. (I take an old piece of packing Styrofoam and inset it into and then spray. Once dry, inset other end into styrofoam and finish spraying so that it is completely covered with new color.
4. Gently sand any rough spots on the wood block. Then wipe the block to remove any sanding residue. Paint all sides of the block, let dry overnight.
5. Starting on the sides of the block, one side at a time, cover with Mod Podge and place your artwork on and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles. Continue working about the cube until you have all four panels done.
6. Once you have all four panels done, you will apply a coat of Mod Podge to the four panels. I have found that if I inset a bamboo skewer into the top where the photo holder was removed, it makes turning the cube and holding it easier for this step. Once all four sides are coated, let it sit over night to dry.
7. To finish the top and bottom, apply a coat of Mod Podge, place your artwork and smooth out wrinkles and air bubbles. Before it has dried, be sure to punch the hole through the artwork in the top for the photo holder to be reinserted. Then, put a coat of Mod Podge over your artwork on both the top and bottom. Let this sit overnight to dry.
8. Once the cube is dried, if you want to add embellishments to the photo holder, like beads, place them on. Dip the end of the photo holder into glue and inset back into the wooden block. Let this dry completely.
9. Sit up to dry overnight and then spray the cube with Polyurethane spray to seal it.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Be glad to help!

Enjoy and until next time,

Beach Sue

Strawberries, Cheesecake, Easy!

These are not only perfect for Valentine's Day, but anytime when you want a great little strawberry snack.

 

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries   
Recipe found on The Sweets Life • Recipe from Nutmeg Nanny

Ingredients

• 1 lb large strawberries
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
• 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• graham cracker crumbs

Directions

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture.

Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs.

If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

How much simpler could you get?

Use Philadelphia Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling!

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Are You Wearing Red Today? I am!

This recipe is from Kraft Foods. I had saved this recipe from a calendar I received from them years ago. Hope you share it with someone you love!

Strawberry Heart Pillows

Makes 16 servings, 1 heart each
Prep: 1 hour 10 min.

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
4 large strawberries, each cut into 4 slices
1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unfold pastry. Cut into 16 hearts with 2" heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. (I always line mine with parchment paper.)

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Cut each heart horizontally in half. Spread 1 tsp. jam onto bottom; top with 1 tbsp. of whipped topping and a strawberry slice. Cover with tops of hearts. Drizzle with chocolate.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.

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Sweeties for Your Sweetie

Planning a special Valentine's evening doesn't require an expensive bouquet of roses or that expensive dinner reservation. To me, I think it's way more romantic to have a nice candlelight dinner at home with the one you love, your favorite drink (alcoholic or not), soft music playing and a great after dinner dessert.

I'll be sharing several recipes I've found over the next couple of days to make for your Sweetie and to share with others!

Pink Lemonade Pie          Recipe from Hoosier Homemade

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 8 minutes

Yield: 1 full size pie or 8-10 mini pies (with leftovers) 

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
1 {8 oz.} package cream cheese, soft
1 {14 oz} can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate, thawed & undiluted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-4 drops Pink Coloring, if desired
2-4 tablespoons sugar, depending on your taste
Whipping Cream Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Garnish
Wilton Micro Mini Hearts

Instructions   

Crust
Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter
Press mixture into heart shaped silicone baking cups, or pie plate
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until golden brown
Let cool completely

Filling
Pour milk into large bowl, add softened cream cheese and beat until well combined
Add pink lemonade concentrate, lemon juice and Pink coloring, mix well
Spoon into cooled crust
Freeze until firm

Whipping Cream Topping
Pour heavy whipping cream in a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters
Whip on medium speed until cream starts to thicken
Add vanilla and beat on high speed
When soft peaks form, gradually add powdered sugar
Beat on high until stiff peaks form
Add a dollop of whipping cream to pie

Garnish as desired

Now doesn't this just look and sound yummy! Enjoy and until tomorrow!

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