DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This recipe comes from www.tasteofhome.com  .  A really, really great looking cake for the Holidays. Halloween Layer Cake Recipe P rep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. Yield: 12-16 Servings 20 30 50 Ingredients 1 cup  butter, softened 2 cups  sugar 4 eggs 3 cups  all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon  baking powder 1/2 teaspoon  salt 1 cup  milk 1/4 cup  baking cocoa 1/4 cup  water 1/2 teaspoon  vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon  orange extract 1 tablespoon  grated orange peel 10 drops  yellow food coloring 6 drops  red food coloring GLAZE : 3 ounces  semisweet chocolate 1/3 cup  heavy whipping cream Candy corn for garnish Directions In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk to creamed mixtur...

   This great tutorial was found at www.lifeartcollide.blogspot.ie .  Being a home haunter and loving Halloween, this  hit me right between the eyes, as something I've always wanted to do.  These are really cool and would make great pics to have around during Halloween. Make Your Own Freaky Family Portraits For Halloween Making your own freaky family photo arrangement is super simple using PSE (Photoshop Elements). You don't need any previous experience manipulating photos to create these fun portraits. Over the summer I scoured garage sales for used picture frames, never paying more than 50 cents per frame! Believe me, people were more than happy to get rid of them. I often went home with an armload for less than one dollar. Here are some of the before and after examples I used. The pictures are greatly altered in the final product so the original person is unrecognizable . To find suitable photos hop on the net and type "Victorian ...

   This recipe comes from  http://www.ourbestbites.com  .  A treat for your ghosts and ghouls and easy to prepare ahead of time.     White chocolate covered popcorn with candy corn,peanuts, and peanut butter candies. But  M o N s T e R  m U n C h  sounds way more fun and Halloween-ish, right?   Have you noticed that I have a popcorn mix for every season?? It’s because they’re so great. It makes a ton, pleases everyone, and involves no cooking! Can’t beat that. This one mixes sweet and salty- a combo I LOVE.    If you’ve never bought almond bark before, you can find it in most normal grocery stores in the baking isle. It’s usually by the chocolate chips on either the very top or very bottom shelves (why? I know not). It comes in a 1lb brick, scored into squares and it melts really easily in the microwave or stove top.  It tastes like white chocolate, but is much easier to work with. Monster Munch   ...

   Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. The Legend of "Stingy Jack"    People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a...

   This diy comes from www.modpodgerocksblog.com .  Simple and very neat! DIY Mod Podged Halloween blocks. Hello Podgers! It's time for Halloween - and in a big way. I'm ashamed that it's almost the end of September and I have barely started Halloween crafting. I gotta get on the stick this weekend. Black glitter isn't going to sprinkle itself! Luckily Man Podger David has begun Halloween crafting, so he is totally saving my butt this week. These Mod Podged blocks will make a great addition to your home decor, especially to those decorative mantles that so many of you do. Here is the complete tutorial, straight from David. It’s 98 degrees here in Los Angeles but my mind is on fall. These rustic blocks are a variation on the Halloween Tea Light Holders I sell in my Etsy store. This version is easy to make, inexpensive and, I think, very versatile. You will need : 4 x 4 wood post cut down into 3.5" blocks (due to th...

   The history of  Halloween costumes  ~On November 1st over 2000 years ago, in what is now known as the United Kingdom, Ireland and northern France, the Celts celebrated their new year. This date marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the cold, dark winter season, often associated with death. It was Celtic belief the on the night before the New Year the veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead because blurred. This night they celebrated Samhain. Celts believed ghosts haunted the land and damaged crops. This night was also thought to allow the Druids and Priests to possess a heightened ability to predict the future. For the commoner, these predictions would be a comfort and an insight into the coming dark winter that lie ahead.    Druids built large bonfires where the people would gather to sacrifice crops and their animals to ancient deities.    The Druids also wore costumes consisting of anima...

   This drink recipe comes from www.cookmee.com  .  Nothing like something with pumpkin to bring in the fall season. Ingredients 1 c cold brew coffee* 1 c milk (any kind) 1/4 c pumpkin butter* 2 Tbsp agave nectar 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice Preparation method To prepare cold brew coffee, place 2 cup ground coffee – the bolder the better – into a bowl, top it with 4 cups of water and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Strain in the morning and reserve the leftover in the fridge. Prepare milk ice cubes in advance by pouring your milk of choice into a bowl and mixing in pumpkin butter, agave nectar and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to ensure even distribution. Pour mixture into an ice cube tray, covering lightly with saran wrap, and freezing overnight. Choose non-dairy milk to make this vegan friendly. I went with 2% for an extra creamy texture. In the morning, place 1 cup coffee and 8-10 pumpkin ice cubes in a blender and blend until smoot...