DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Now, on to this crazy delicious dessert.  Before December hits, I wanted to post one last pumpkin recipe.  I made this turtle pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it terrible.  Just kidding.  How could a creamy pumpkin cheesecake combined with all of the deliciousness of turtle-ness be terrible?!  As you can imagine, it was rich, decadent, and over the top.  But it was Thanksgiving and calories didn’t count.  A fun thing about this cheesecake was how it looked pretty impressive and made it appear like I have some serious cheesecake skills.   Here’s a little secret: if you can drizzle chocolate and caramel, you too can make an impressive looking cheesecake.    Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake makes 9″ cheesecake for the crust: 1 whole package of Oreos 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought for the cheesecake: 32 ounces (4 8 oz blo...

Austria-    In Austria, some people leave bread, water, and a lighted lamp on the table when they go to bed. The reason why it is done is that it was believed by doing so it would welcome the dead souls back to earth for this particular night was a night of strong cosmic energies. In Austria Catholics celebrate the entire period between October 30 and November 8 as  Seleenwoche  or Alls Souls' Week.     On All Saints' Day Catholics attend church services in honor of the saints, the martyrs and those who have died for the Catholic faith. People may also visit their family’s graves to beautify them with wreaths and small lanterns. Sometimes a mass is said at the gravesite and the grave sprinkled with holy water.    On November 2 or All Souls' Day, Catholics attend a special Requiem masses, where they remember those who may be close to them that have died. Prayers for the dead are said and votive candles are lit to honor their memory. ...

       I  thought these would be cool for an adult halloween party.  Who wouldn't want to attend it after getting these in the mail.  Brought to you by  www.trulysmitten.blogspot.com  .  May your party raise the DEAD!!   DIY Ghoulish Halloween Invitation    With my favorite ghoulish holiday fast approaching, I thought I'd share with you an antiquated and creepy DIY Halloween invitation I made over the weekend. Hope these come in handy for your halloween festivities! What you'll need: - kraft paper (5.5 x 8.5) - white envelopes - white card stock (4 x 6) - 2 black tea bags (I used Twinning's English Breakfast). **You can download my invitation template  here  and a portrait of the unfortunate uncle  here .    The longer you soak the paper, the darker and more antiquated the paper can look. I soaked for a good 10 minutes. ...