Halloween Spiders and Bloody Nails

Happy Halloween! This may come as a surprise, but Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I actually don't like it very much. I don't like being scared, I don't watch horror movies, and I have a phobia about people in masks. Halloween is fun in theory, but really it freaks me out. 

However, any excuse to make a fun dessert, well, I'll take it!  

Sorry for the less than fabulous photography, its getting darker earlier now. I don't get very much daylight when I get home from work anymore!  Anyway....I made these little spider cakes for my coworkers.

I also thought I'd be festive and give myself a Halloween manicure. I followed this fun tutorial by Andrea, at Andrea's Choice.  Check out how it turned out!

The red polish is really very red, but looks orange in this photo. 

This is about how festive I get for Halloween.  However, Thanksgiving and Christmas......now that's another story!

Whether this holiday is your thing or not, I hope you enjoyed it no matter what you did!

Soup Week: Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup

As promised, here is tonight's second post. I am in love with this soup. Roasting the tomatoes and eggplant really brings out the flavor.  

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup

(Slightly adapted from Campbell's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 Medium Eggplant, peeled and diced

4 Roma Tomatoes, sliced

2 Cloves of Garlic

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth (I used chicken because its what I had on hand)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil

1/2 Cup Shredded Pepperjack Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Roast for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned.

3. Place vegetables, 1 cup of the broth, and 1/4 cup cheese in blender. Pulse until mixture is smooth.

4. Transfer to a large saucepan, heat to boil. Reduce heat to low and add basil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Soup Week: Sweet Potato Soup

Sorry friends for missing the post yesterday! Some unexpected things came up and I was unable to get to my computer and write my post for the day.  So, today you get two soup posts!

Today's recipe is for Sweet Potato Soup.  I've been experimenting with different, hearty soups that are still within a calorie range I dont have to feel guilty about.  This soup fits the bill!

Sweet Potato Soup

(Recipe from Campbell's Kitchen)

Ingredients:
5 Medium Sweet Potatoes

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Large Onion, Chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, Chopped

6 Cups of Chicken Broth (or veggie broth could work!)

1 Medium Potato (I used a baking potato) Peeled and cut into cubes

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup

Pepper

2 Tablespoons Light Cream

Directions:

1. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour until they are tender. 

2. Allow to cool slightly.  Cut in half and scoop out the inside flesh, set aside in a bowl.

3. Heat butter in a large sauce pot.  Add onion and celery to pot and cook until tender.

4. Add the broth and baking potato.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook until potato is tender. Approximately 15 minutes.

5. Add syrup and reserved sweet potato.  Season with pepper if desired.

6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup.  Or, you can be like me and pour a little bit at a time into your regular blender, blend until smooth, and transfer to a large bowl, until the whole mix is pureed. 

7. Return to pot, add cream, and heat on medium until hot.   Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

This soup is really good with some of those Chinese noodles as a topping.  I cant take credit for that idea, that was all my boyfriend who discovered that one.  Turns out, he was right!

Enjoy!

Soup Week: Taco Soup

Soup-er Soup Week Continues!! Today, a house favorite, Taco Soup.  You'll love how simple this is, and it also freezes well, so make a double batch!

Taco Soup

(From Cub Foods Flyer)

Ingredients:

1 Pound Ground Beef

1 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

3 Cups Hot Water

1 (15 oz) Can Tomato Sauce

1 (14.5 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes (preferably the kind mixed with green chiles)

1 (15 oz) Can Black Beans

1 (15 oz) Can Whole Kernel Corn

1 (4 oz) Can Diced Green Chiles

1 Cup Small Shell Pasta

Directions:

1. In a large pot cook and crumble beef with onions until no longer pink.  Drain.

2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked.  About 10 minutes.

3.  If desired, top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips or sour cream.  Or hey, just eat it as is, totally delish no matter what you choose!

Soup Week: Beer Cheese Soup

I am Soup-er excited to share all kinds of soup recipes with you this week! I've decided to dedicate this whole week to soups! Its autumn, its getting cooler, and there is nothing better than curling up on the couch with a warm fuzzy blanket and a steaming cup of soup! I've been on a soup making kick all week!  I tried some new soups, made some "old" soups, hopefully these recipes will inspire you to have your own soup week!

Today's recipe, Beer Cheese Soup!

Beer Cheese Soup

Adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life

Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Diced Carrots

1.5 Cups Diced Celery

1.5 Cups Diced Onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

3 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Cups Beer (I made this with Guinness and with a local dark brew. Guinness was the best in my opinion)

1/3 Cup Butter

1/3 Cup Flour

2 Cups whole milk

2 Cups Half and Half

6 Cups Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, stir carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. 

2. Add in hot sauce, salt and pepper. I never really measure salt and pepper. I just add a heavy dash and then add more as I go along, if necessary.

3. Pour in chicken broth and beer.

4. Simmer until vegetables are tender. About 10-14 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large pot on medium high heat.

6. Stir in flour, and with a wire whisk stir until mixture is brown. About 3-4 minutes.

7. Gradually stir in milk and half and half, while stirring, to prevent scorching.  Allow to thicken.

8. Turn heat to low, add cheese.

9. Add vegetable mixture to cheese mixture and mix in Worcestershire sauce.

10. Bring to a simmer, cook for about 10 more minutes.

Some people like to top their beer cheese soup with popcorn, but I'm a good old oyster cracker kind of girl!

Another tip, I like to make big batches of soup and freeze them in these Ball Freezer Jars. They are safe in the microwave so you can defrost them in there, or let them thaw and then microwave. Each jar holds 2 8 ounce servings. Our freezer is stocked full of these babies!

Stay tuned for more soups in my Soup-er Soup Week!  Whats your favorite kind of soup?

Burberry Inspired Puppy Party

My little pup Sookie recently turned 3 years old. I put together a small Burberry inspired puppy friendly dessert table! Sookie's leash and collar are faux Burberry print. I decided to incorporate that into her birthday theme.  I cant wait to share the cuteness! Be prepared there are a lot of pictures!

I made this Pup Cake and it was completely dog friendly! 

Sookie loved her slice of cake!

I served her food on a silver platter....exactly how she deserves.

 

I had a variety of chewy treats

There were also mini pup-cakes!

I couldn't resist these mini donut dog treats!

I did have to include one people friendly treat. Vanilla cupcakes with Burberry cupcake toppers! Check out my Etsy Shop, these toppers are part of a newly listed Luxury Collection!

Both of our dogs loved all of the treats!

Caesar really loved sniffing around the table!

You cant have a birthday without a few birthday photos! Here is my sweet Sookie.

Whats a party without a party hat?!

Here is Sookie rocking her birthday coat! I got it from this fantastic shop 

Rose Ridge Creations

We had such a fun afternoon. I cant believe my little girl is 3 years old!

A Pirate's Life For Me

Recently I had the honor of making cupcakes for a now 3 year old Chloe. Chloe's Mom, Vanessa asked me to make the birthday dessert for her daughter again. Check out Chloe's 2nd and 1st birthdays. This year, Chloe was really into Neverland Pirates. Vanessa and I decided to design cupcakes after the girl pirate and parrot on the invites, as well as treasure chests and pirate flags. Another boy attending the birthday party was also celebrating a birthday, so I made a pirate cake just for him too.  

I think the parrot is my favorite! Thanks Vanessa! Happy 3rd Birthday Chloe!