Spooktacular Starters

You're probably in one of 3 sitatuions for Halloween.

1. You're having a party.  You've got to plan a costume, plan the menu, shop, decorate, send the e-vites and get the house ready.  The food needs to look festive- taste great- and there needs to be lots of it.
2. You're going to a party.  THis means you've got to have a fabulous costume and bring a fabulous dish to pass.  You want everyone to gush over the dish you made- how cute it is, how great it tastes, and you'll of couse want to be asked for the recipe like 20 times. 
3. You're staying home, passing out candy and watching a scary movie with your sweetie.  You know you're being lame and want to spice up the evening.  A few festive snacks to go with the all night movie marathon are a must!

Ok- so regardless if you fall into Category 1, 2 or 3 you don't want to spend the next 2 weeks surfing the web and testing recipes.  Don't worry!  That's what 365.entertain.everyday is for!  Here is my top 5 Spooktacular Starters.

Mummy Dogs

The have 3 big wins: tastey, cute, EASY!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Litl-Smokies-Mummy-Dogs/Detail.aspx

Pumpkin Face Pizza

Pizza! A perfect party food.  Though I love this cute concept, go with your own favorite pizza recipe and then do the cute veggie pumpkins on top of that!

 (I always used the refridgerated dough or a pre-made crust)
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/jack-o-lantern-pizza

Pumpkin Cheesball
If you've been to a party with me you know I hover by the cheeseball. MMMM! Here's a fun one for Halloween!  (ditch the apples though and serve with crackers!)

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=347718

Bone Breadsticks

These cute easy treats are sure to be a hit.  For a hidden suprise, wrap the dough around a mozzerella cheese stick for an oohy-gooey center before you bake them.

http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=16018

Italian Eye Ball Bites

A last taste of summer!  Tomato and mini mozzerella balls (with olives) are layered on basil leaves and drizzled with EVOO. Love it!

http://www.blisstree.com/articles/tasty-eyeball-food-art-for-halloween-241/

(Image courtesy L. Marie’s flickr.)

Top 10 Halloween Party Games

If you're throwing a Halloween Party or looking for some fun activities with your kids, Martha Stewart has some really easy, cute games on her website. 
Check these out at this link: Top 10 Halloween Games

My Favorite is doughnuts on a string!  (picture on the right from Martha Stewart.com ) Click the link to get the instructions. YUM!

Fall Decor under $20

I love to be festive around any holiday but hate spending a small fortune on all the cute little things for my house because frankly who has the extra cash for that?! I could get new clothes or go on a fab dinner date or whatever... BUT I can't stand not getting out a box of decorations and putting up all of the fun themed things. So here iis a quick easy way to get a lot of "look" for less!

I recently got inspired while grocery shopping. I saw all of these awesome sugar pumpkins, squash and Indian corn in the produce section and thought to heck with eating these, they would be a great way to decorate the mantel. Then a stop at the Dollar Store for a few cheap strands of leaves and things and I was set. I barely spent $20 for this great fall look!



To get this look for your mantel you'll need:
2- sugar pumpkins (1 orange, 1 green)
2- gourds (1 yellow, 1 orange)
2-mini pumpkins

2-bundles of dried Indian corn

2- strands of fake fall leaves

1- Halloween themed sign or figurine for you focal point (I used a wooden witches hat sign)

Start by putting your Halloween themed centerpiece in the middle of your mantel. Then on each side place your Indian corn upright (use the centerpiece for balance). Next put your orange pumpkin/gourd on the far ends of the mantel. Then fill in the remaining spaces on either side of your Indian corn with your green/yellow pumpkin/gourds. Weave the stands of fall leaves through the pumpkins etc. to fill in the gaps. Finally place your remaining mini pumpkins throughout to add pops of color. (see pic for a visual aid) I also had a fake mum plant wrapped in craft paper that I added to mine in the pics above.

*** SHOPPING TIP-Another great place to get fall decor is Hobby Lobby-- everything is 50% off so it's a great time to pick up a new candy dish or serving platter.

Not Cho' Ordinary Nacho Dip!

This week's entertaining topic is Snacks! MMMM! Today I'm featuring #2 of the Top 3 Chip and Dip Recipes. I love #2 sooo much and it comes from my good friends Traci & Toby Weston. I tried this recipe at their engagement party a few years ago and had to have the recipe. The best thing about this amazingly delicious chip and dip recipe is that you can customize it to your own taste! BUT if you do be sure to keep the sausage/beef combo it's what makes it spectacular! I love to make this for 4th of July. I mix it up in the morning, spend the day on the boat, then come back and feed the hungry crowd.  (picture courtesy of ehow.com)

#2 Chip & Dip Recipe
Traci & Toby's Famous Nacho Dip

1 and 1/2 packs velveeta cheese
1 brick of cream cheese
1 small can of chilies
1 soup can size of diced tomatoes with pepper mix (fiesta mix)
1 pound ground hamburger, cooked, and seasoned with taco seasoning
1 pound ground sausage (mild or spicy), cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning
milk as needed to water it down (the Velveeta can get thick)

***(notes from Traci) sometimes we add a can of hormell beanless chili and Toby adds extra 'love' into his queso dip he says! ha ha Really, you can dress it us with anything you have in the cupboards...corn, black beans....it's usually or way to empty our cupboards!

Melt the ingredients together in a crock pot and keep heated on low. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!