DIY Sundae Bar

..using a silverware caddy!
Great idea for a kid's birthday, or a family gathering 

{Even the big kids will find this useful!}

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Garlic Roasted Mushrooms

Looking for a great appetizer to serve this holiday season?  Or perhaps a mouth-watering side to a main course?  This is an easy, but delicious little dish you can prepare and cook in a matter of minutes. Any mushroom lover would be an instant fan, and those who aren't normally mushroom eaters may be asking for the recipe. 

Items needed:

7-10 Button mushrooms

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter (melted)

1-2 tbsp minced garlic

1-2 tbsp bread crumbs

1/8 cup shredded

mozzarella cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.  Clean mushrooms and sauté (stems up) in frying pan for about 4-5 mins. {You just want to start to cook the mushrooms, not cook through.} While that's cooking, mix butter and garlic together. Next arrange mushrooms (stems up) in an oven safe bake dish. Drizzle the butter/garlic combo over the mushrooms, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lastly, throw some shredded mozzarella over it all and then salt and pepper.  Place in hot oven for 10-12 minutes, then broil on low for an additional 2 minutes.  Let cool before serving as it will be HOT! 

Now, try not to eat them all before the guests can try them ;p

Jo

Friday Favorites October 25th, 2013

Welcome to another Friday Favorites round up! This week I'm bringing you all things Halloween.

Favorite Decor

Dollar Store Witch Hats hung from the ceiling. Fast, easy and inexpensive.

Favorite Food

Mummy Dogs From OurOrdinaryLife.com

Favorite Kids Activity

Alien Gourds from Craft Klatch

Favorite Treat

Pumpkin Oreos by US!

Favorite Costume

Junior Secret Agent Available on Amazon (still 6 days to order!)

Favorite DIY

This Amazing Deer Make-up Tutorial

Favorite Song

What else? The MONSTER MASH!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Halloween Roundup of our Friday Favorites!

XO 

Jess

Thirsty Thursday Spooky Sips

For all your Halloween hosting needs, we've collected the best party perfect drinks to serve to your ghouls and goblins this October 31st!  

Looks spook-licious, right!?  Ok, let's go check out each one and what you need to make these yourself.  Plus, check out some bonus drinks below!

Bloody Punch with Floating Hand

Source: spoonful.com

Ingredients:

3 cups cranberry juice

1-1/2 cups apple juice

1-1/2 cups grape juice

2 cups caffeine-free cola

1 cup frozen strawberries

Directions:

In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine the cranberry juice, apple juice and grape juice. Stir, then refrigerate until you're ready to serve. At the last possible moment, add the cola, the strawberries and, of course, the Floating Hand of Death.

For the Floating Hand of Death: 

In a measuring cup or jar, stir a few drops of green food coloring into some water -- not too much, just enough to give it a slightly decomposed tint.

Pour the greenish water into a disposable rubber glove (the stretchy kind -- make sure it's not powder-coated inside) and tie the top securely. Place in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

At serving time, peel the glove off the hand and deposit icy hand in chilled punch. Yum

Slime Punch

Source: parents.com

(Note about recipe: Make sure to use a very large bowl or a saucepan with high sides when making this frothy mixture. The meringue powder will really foam up when you start whisking.)

Ingredients:

2 tubes red decorating gel

Lemonade mix to make 2 quarts

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. meringue powder

2 liters seltzer

10 drops green food coloring

4 drops yellow food coloring

Directions:

Squeeze red gel down the inside of 12 small, clear glasses. Let dry about 10 minutes.

In an extra-large bowl, combine lemonade mix, sugar, and meringue powder. Slowly pour in seltzer, whisking continually until combined. Stir in green and yellow food coloring. Pour punch into glasses and serve.

Boo-Nilla Shake Recipe

Source: marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

2 pints vanilla ice cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

For the faces: Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high until melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; stir. Using a small brush, paint chocolate inside glasses (if it hardens too soon, microwave 20 seconds more). Let set a few minutes before adding shake. Prepare glasses up to a day ahead, but don't fill until ready to serve.

For the shakes:

Blend milk and 1 pint ice cream in a blender until smooth. With machine running, add remaining pint ice cream, one scoop at a time; blend until smooth. Pour milkshake into six 8-ounce glasses decorated with chocolate faces, filling them 3/4 full.

Next, put cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe spiral mounds of whipped cream on top of milkshakes. Serve immediately.

Candy Corn Smoothies

Source: pillsbury.com

Ingredients:
2 cups coconut sorbet (slightly softened)
6 tablespoons milk
2 cups orange sherbet (slightly softened)
2 cups lemon sorbet (slightly softened)
4 drops yellow food color
Candy corn (if desired)

Directions:
In blender, place coconut sorbet and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Cover; blend on high speed 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Divide evenly among 8 glasses. Place glasses in freezer. Rinse blender.
In blender, place orange sherbet and 2 tablespoons milk. Cover; blend on high speed 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Pour over coconut mixture in glasses, dividing evenly. Return glasses to freezer. Rinse blender.
In blender, place lemon sorbet, yellow food color and remaining 2 tablespoons milk. Cover; blend on high speed 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Pour over orange mixture in glasses, dividing evenly. Garnish with candy corn.
Serve or freeze until serving time.

Swamp Juice

Source: spoonful.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup small tapioca pearls (found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores)

Food coloring

4 tablespoons sugar

8 gummy fish

Seltzer water

Lemonade

8 gummy worms

Directions:

To Make The Eggs: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls. Reduce the heat slightly and boil the pearls, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.

To color the eggs: Divide the pearls, with the remaining water, between two bowls. Add 4 drops of food coloring (in the picture colors used were, 3 drops of yellow and 1 drop of green in one bowl, and 4 drops of blue in the other) and 2 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl. Stir the mixtures, then allow them to sit uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and rinse the pearls with cold water.

To Make The drink: Spoon 2 tablespoons of pearls into each glass and drop in a gummy fish. Fill the glasses with seltzer water, then add a splash of lemonade. Place a gummy worm around a spoon as shown.

And...
For the Grown ups!

Liquefied Ghost Cocktail

Source: hgtv.com

Ingredients:

2 oz. vodka 

1 oz. vanilla simple syrup 

1 oz. cream 

2 oz. soda

Directions:

Mix vanilla simple syrup, cream, vodka and soda together in a cocktail shaker, then serve in a chilled martini glass.

Witches' Brew

Source: hgtv.com

Ingredients:

2 oz. mixed pineapple and cranberry juice 

2 oz. 7-Up or Sprite

1-1/4 oz. shot Malibu Coconut Rum

Directions:

Mix juices and 7-Up or Sprite in a highball glass. Pour shot of rum down the side of the glass right before drinking.

So, now you're all set for your Halloween party, or just relaxing after all the spooky little monsters finally crash and head to bed.  Hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween.

Enjoy! :)

Jo

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Tuesday's Time Out To... DIY Halloween Costumes!

Are you stuck for a last minute costume this Halloween??  We here at This is How We Mommy have scoured the internet and rounded up some of our favorite DIY costumes to share with you all. 

Now get out your scissors, paint and fabric... Here we go

Source: Alphamom.com

Source: Sew Pretty Sew Free

Source:  Craftbaby.com

Source: Costumepop.com 

Source: Parenting.com

Source: Spoonful.com

Source: Threadbanger.com

Source: Pinterest

Source: Pinterest

Source: Buzzfeed.com

Source: Coolest Homemade Costumes.com

Source: Partiesforpennies.com

We hope this sparks an idea or helps you create just what you, or your loved ones need!! 

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Jo

Tuesdays Time Out To... DIY Halloween Treats

It's that time of year again! Here's some of our favorite Halloween treats for kids and adults alike. Perfect for class parties, Halloween parties or even October Birthday parties. We've added a few healthier treats for those of us watching our waistlines or those of us with younger children.

Witch's Teeth

What you'll need:

Apples (any Kind)

Peanut Butter

Slivered Almonds

How To:

Slice and core Apples (toss with lemon juice to prevent browning if they're not being eaten right away)

Spread peanut butter on 1 side of each slice.

Wedge almond slivers into the apple slices, peanut butter sides facing each other to form "teeth".

Pumpkin Oreo's

What you'll need:
Oreo's (any kind you like)

White chocolate to melt

Orange food coloring

Black frosting

Green Apple flavor Twizzlers (optional)



How To:

Melt Chocolate according to package instructions, add food coloring to desired color is reached.
Dip Oreo's in chocolate using toothpicks until fully covered.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.

Pipe black frosting pumpkin faces.

Add stem...you can also just pipe a stem on top as well.

Witches Hats and Broom Sticks

What you'll need:

Witches Hat
Cookies (any kind with chocolate bases is great)
Frosting
Food coloring of your choice (something bright is great)
Hershey Kisses
Witches Broom
Mini Reese Cups
small pretzel sticks

How To:

Witches Hat: Place a dollop of frosting in the center of the cookie (chocolate side up) and center Hershey's Kiss.
Broom Sticks: Simply poke a pretzel stick through the center of a mini Reese's Peanut butter cup

Marshmallow Frankenstein and Pumpkins

What you'll need:
Big Campfire marshmallows
Small pretzel Sticks
White chocolate to melt
Green and Orange food coloring
Edible eyes(or you can pipe them yourself)
Green apple Twizzlers (for the stems of the pumpkins)

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Split it in two bowls. Add green coloring to one and orange to the other until you desired color is made.
Dip marshmallows in melted chocolate using toothpicks.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Once hardened make hair for Frankenstein by piping black frosting. Take a toothpick and poke a hole for the pretzels sticks, insert pretzel sticks.
Pipe frosting to make faces for both the Pumpkins and Frankenstein's.

Count Dracula Cookies

What you'll need:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sliced Almonds
Mini Marshmallow
Any kind of a red frosting

How To:
Cut the cookie in half.
Add frosting to one side of each half.
Place marshmallows, Then layer the other cookie on top...add almonds for that extra Dracula touch!

Halloween Donuts

What you'll need:
Any of your favorite doughnuts
Colored frosting of your choice
edible eyes(or you can pipe them on yourself)
Vampire teeth

How To:
Dab Frosting to hold eyes in place
Push in Vampire teeth to hold in place.

Ghost Chocolate Strawberries

What you'll need:
Strawberries
White chocolate to melt
Black frosting for the face

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip Strawberries in melted chocolate using toothpicks until covered.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Pipe frosting to make faces

Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies

What you'll need:
Nutter Butter Cookies
White Chocolate to Melt
Black frosting for the face

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip top half of cookies in melted chocolate.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
Pipe frosting to make faces.

Orange Pumpkins

What you'll need:
Oranges (I find clementine's work well)
Celery for the stem

How To:
Peel oranges
Cut celery to size for your oranges. Push the celery stem into the center of the orange. 

Halloween Pretzels

What you'll need:
Big Stick Pretzels
White chocolate to melt
Black frosting for face
Sprinkles or decorative sugars

How To:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.
Dip top half of pretzels in melted chocolate.
Gently roll pretzels in sugar or sprinkles while the chocolate is still soft.
Place in refrigerator on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to harden.
For Ghost Pretzels pipe faves on with back frosting after the chocolate has hardened

Pumpkin Platter

What you'll need:

Cucumber

Baby carrots

How To:
Cucumber - slice, cut half of it into triangles and half into half circles.
Arrange baby carrots into a circle (preferable on a round platter. Place triangle slices for eyes and nose, and half circles for mouth.

Spider Lollipops

What you'll need:
Tootsie Pops
Black pipe Cleaners
Google eyes (peel and stick are best, if not you'll need to glue them)

How To:
Wrap 4 pipe cleaners around lollipop and bend them to form legs.
Attach google eyes.

Skeleton Veggie Platter

What you'll need:
Bell Peppers
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes
Spinach
Baby carrots
Block olive
Veggie dip

How To:
This one has no exact directions. Just cut your veggies and arrange them how you'd like to form a skeleton! Some tips: Cucumbers make a great spine, bell peppers are perfect for ribs. Thin slices of olives work great for the eyes. The rest is up to you! Be creative.

Skull Cookies

What You'll Need:

This Sugar Cookie Recipe

This Cookie Frosting Recipe (white pink and black colored)

This Cookie Cutter (If you don't already have a skull and crossbones cookie cutter)

How To:

Make your cookies and frosting according to the recipe instructions. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before frosting.

Frost the Cookies first entirely with white. Then pipe the black outline and faces, then if you want girly skulls add a pink bow. Let them cool completely until the frosting is hardened. Store in an airtight container.

Hope you enjoy these fun Halloween Treats! If you make them we'd love to see pictures.

XO

Jess

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

If you enjoy asparagus, and are feeling a little fancy, try this out.  It's a tasty little dish. 

Ingredients:
-Desired amount of asparagus spears, trim ends.
-1-2 tablespoon olive oil
-Kosher salt
-Ground black pepper
-Parmesan
-Thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

Directions:
Blanch the asparagus spears, (place in boiling water for about 2 mins, then into an ice bath to stop cooking)
Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle it with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss until the spears are evenly coated with the oil. Transfer them to the large plate and set the baking sheet aside.
Wrap each spear with 1 slice of prosciutto in a downward spiral toward the cut end, just barely overlapping the seams of the prosciutto. Space out each piece on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until desired crispiness .
Enjoy :)

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Tree Birthday cake

Do you know someone who loves trees?

How about a doing a birthday cake in a tree theme. I did this for my daughters 1st birthday.  I admit, I'm the one who loves trees, but I also designed her room with a tree theme, so it seemed like a good idea.  :)
I decided to go with 2 different sized cupcakes for those at the party who might want to control the portions, or for any little kids who couldn't handle an entire cupcake. It ended up adding to the overall design, which was an added bonus.
As for the decoration, you'll see in the picture, I started with chocolate cake for the cupcakes.  For icing I used 2 different shades of green to add to the detail of the leaf part of the tree. Chocolate frosting for brown trunk and branches. I just went over top of the already frosted green cupcakes for the branches.  Then I used a lighter brown color for some lines in the trunk for detail.  I also used some lighter shade green to make grass at the bottom of the tree.

Finding a circular platter to put it on was "the icing on the cake" (hahaha, sorry for the bad pun) because I find it framed the whole thing well. 

Overall, it was pretty easy to make, and turned out really nice, at least I think so. So now you can make a tree birthday cake too (or any occasion you might need it for) 

:)

Jo

Rigatoni Pizza

Ingredients:

4 cups of pasta sauce

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella

2 cups spinach

10-15 slices of pepperoni 

1 tsp dried basil.

Special note: A spring form pan is ideal for this, but, if like me you don't have one, you can use a casserole dish.  Be sure the sides are straight up and down, not a gradual slope, otherwise the pasta will not come out.  Grease the dish well!

Directions:

Cook the rigatoni until it's slightly underdone. Drain, and run under cold water. Once rigatoni has cooled, arrange in the dish, tightly packing them, and standing them on their ends. Next, you can use a bag to pipe the sauce into the noodles, and then add a layer over top of the full noodles. 

Now add your toppings.  I used a layer of spinach over the sauce, then a layer of shredded mozzarella & parmesan cheese, then arranged sliced pepperoni on top. Last, I placed a few pieces of shredded cheese over that, and sprinkled some dried basil over top.

Prior to placing in the oven, I used a butter knife to separate ingredients from the side of the dish.

Bake at 400 for 20 - 25 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

After it's cooked, again using a butter knife, slide around edge, separating from the edge of the dish.

Let cool about 15 minutes.

Once cooled, place a plate on top of dish,  flip upside down onto plate, quickly place a second plate on top of the bottom of noodles, and quickly flip again.  Remove the first plate from the top of the pizza and let stand about 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

:)

Jo