girls night in

1 Tray, 4 Ways for the Holidays

- Mama Leave a comment

Put your favorite decorative tray to use this holiday season by checking out these great holiday ideas! From family time to girls' night in, this is the perfect Christmas idea for using those super cute trays you find in stores! | christmas idea | holiday decoration | christmas party |

I’ll admit it, I’m obsessed with those adorable decorative serving trays you find in stores. Every time I go to Target, I lust after the newest one they’ve released, and every time, I pass it by. I mean, how will I use it, outside of breakfast in bed? I’d really love to use it, but I mean, is it practical? I ask myself every time. After passing up this particular tray all last season, when I saw it reappear at Target, I knew I had to have it! So, I sat down, determined to figure out ways I could use this tray before I spent the money. And trust me, I was not disappointed with the ways I’ve been able to use it. Are you longing for a beautiful serving tray?

Read more

All Stressed Out Stress Doll Tutorial and Free Printable Pattern

- Mama 3 Comments

Okay, so these stress dolls kiiiiiinda look like VooDoo dolls. Because, well, what cuts out the stress more than a little fake VooDoo? Now, I’m not going to get into all of that hocus pocus voodoo stuff. That’s just not my interest area. I just know that when I’m stressed out, it’s nice to have a little soft thing to squeeze, or step on, or throw across the room in frustration… without actually taking that stress out on anyone else around me.

Now, if you are in need of a little stress relief of your own, I’ve got just what you need. By the way, these also make great Halloween Girls’ Night In Party Favors, and it’s even better if you have your guests make them at the party themselves. I bought broadcloth for $2.99/yd at Hobby Lobby, and you can easily get 8 of these dolls out of a yard.

Start by printing this free downloadable pattern (click on image to take you to the free download page):

On the fabric, cut out two copies of the pattern for each doll you plan to make.

Pin them inside-out, or if you’re like me and forgot to buy pins, use some paperclips.

Start sewing. Use small stitches to make sure your seam is tight, and can hold up to the abuse. Make sure you leave at least a one inch gap in order to turn the doll inside out and stuff it later.

Once you’ve finished your stitching, turn the doll inside out and stuff him full of stuffing. Then, stitch the opening closed. You can stitch it closed invisibly if you’d like, but I decided my doll would have a little more character if I added red stitches on the outside of the doll in a few places to make him look like he’d really been through the ringer.

Check out these two super cute examples from my party!

Pow! Right in the heart.

Poor little guy.

So, in the end, I can’t instruct you in how to create an actual working VooDoo doll, but I can definitely vouch for the fact that these help at least a little bit when the ref is being a total idiot and practically playing for the other team when I’m watching a Sporting KC game, or it’s great when Jeffrey is slurping his cereal milk. Again.

Prevents a lot of bloodshed, y’know?

Bleeding Hearts Fondue Fountain

- Mama 4 Comments

A spooky party needs an equally spooky centerpiece or focal point, and this deliciously creepy Bleeding Hearts Fondue Fountain is perfect to simulate dripping blood in a very, very tasty way.

If you don’t have any vampires among you, it’s okay, because this fondue is made from Almond Bark and tinted red, instead of being bloody for sure.

Melt two packages of White Almond Bark in a double boiler on the stove, stirring frequently. Once melted, remove it from the heat and stir in a stick of butter, cut into cubes. When the butter melts, slowly spoon some chocolate into a bowl of whipping cream until about half of the chocolate is in the whipping cream. Then, pour the whipping cream mixture into the remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Add in red Americolor food coloring until you achieve the desired red.

Typically, I’ll suggest that you use Wilton or Americolor, but in this situation, Americolor seems to work best at getting a very true red.

Pour your fondue into your warmed fountain, and turn on the motor. Watch the magic happen.

Serve with dippers like apples or graham crackers.

Or VooDoo cookies, of course.

While this fondue is specially formulated to be thin enough for a fondue fountain, it is still suitable for a regular fondue pot, as well.

Spooky Sparkle Vanilla Fudge

- Mama 3 Comments

Not very long ago, I saw a delicious-looking post on The Land of Swoo with a recipe for Glitter Fudge from Pizzazzerie.

I just had to try it! It looked so…. sparkly! And pretty! And pink!

But I wanted to find a way to make it work for my Halloween party, and luckily, I did. I decided against using Disco Dust because the idea of plastic edible glitter doesn’t totally appeal to me; instead, I used some yummy sugar sprinkles from Wilton!

Start by beating half a block of cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy. Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of salt while stirring. Melt a package of Black Wilton Candy melts, then add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon of butter extract.

From there, I noticed that my fudge was a lighter purple, so I opted to add in a little bit of black food coloring– Wilton or Americolor gel colors work really well.

Line a 9×9 pan with foil, and then press the fudge mixture into the pan. Sprinkle on Wilton Red Sugar sprinkles and press gently into the fudge, then refrigerate for an hour until the fudge is firm.

Cut it into triangles, squares, or other fun shapes using a knife or cookie cutter.

It helps if you have expert help in the kitchen for this one.

Black Sparkle Fudge
Adapted from Swoozie’s Glitter Party Fudge from Pizzazzerie.

4 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3 C. powdered sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 package Black Wilton candy melts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. butter flavor
Red Wilton Sugar Sprinkles

Beat cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt as you continue to beat. Melt Wilton candy melts, stir in extracts, and add candy melts into powdered sugar mixture. Line 9×9 pan with foil. If desired, add Wilton food coloring gel to get a deeper black color. Fudge may be a lighter purple-grey without added color. Press fudge mixture into pan. Gently press Wilton sugar sprinkles into fudge. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour. Lift out of pan using foil, then cut into triangles or other fun shapes.

Creepy VooDoo Cookies

- Mama 3 Comments

A spooky-ooky party calls for some spooky-ooky cookies, and when I saw how much my gingerbread man cookie cutter resembled a doll shape, I decided that a VooDoo cookie would be just right for Halloween.

First, you’ll want to make your favorite shortbread recipe or any other cookie recipe that doesn’t spread too much. If it spreads too much, it won’t keep it’s shape very well. You can find my personal shortbread recipe below.

Roll your cookies out to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, then recruit some help and cut those cookies out!

Bake them and let them cool completely.

Whip up your favorite Royal Icing recipe and tint them… red or pink, brown, and black. When making my brown frosting, I added a teaspoon of cocoa powder to add a rich chocolate flavor and make the color a little deeper.

Put your icings into decorating bags or a Ziplock with a very small tip cut out. You’ll want a very fine tip for detail work. Start drawing patches, stitches, facial features, and other embellishments onto your cookies.

If you’d like, take some toothpicks and jam them into the cookie the same way you’d stick a needle in a VooDoo doll, to add some extra character.

The best part of these cookies is that, if a limb falls off when removing them from the pan, it just adds extra character to the cookie… add some icing stitches and you’re good to go! You can decorate each cookie differently and add different features and character, too. They have so much personality!

I can’t decide if my favorite is the guy missing the arm or the one with half a head! They’re all too much fun!

These cookies aren’t just for Halloween Parties, either. Take them to your bestie who is going through a nasty breakup, bake them for a friend who just lost their job, or whatever else, and cheer them up. Or, for a little sick humor like the kind my friends would appreciate, if you have a friend having surgery, make a bunch of these cookies with stitches or toothpicks where their ailment is (in the knee for knee surgery, the abdomen for appendectomy… anything!) Oh, and, uh, Valentine’s Day Singles Appreciation Day is the perfect occasion for them, too.

Simple Shortbread Cookies

1 C. Soft Butter
½ C. packed brown sugar
½ C. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
4-5 C. flour, plus more for flouring cutting surface

Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon. Then, add flour, one cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. You may need to knead the last bit with your hands if it is too thick. Roll out the cookies into ¼ to ⅛ inch thickness, and use gingerbread man cookie cutters to cut them out. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place on wax paper or cooling racks immediately.

Wilton Royal Icing

I love this recipe, borrowed from the Wilton website, because it’s positively fool-proof and always turns out perfectly. Please feel free to substitute in your favorite Royal Icing recipe.

3 Tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
4 C. Powdered Sugar
5-6 Tablespoons lukewarm water (thinner for spreadable frosting, thicker for piped frosting)

Divide this icing between bowls and, for the voodoo cookies, tint some brown, some black or grey, and some pink or red using Wilton or Americolor gel colors.

Pipe stitches, faces, and patches onto cookies as desired. Make them all look different or all look the same, whatever you desire! If a limb or part of the head or torso fell off following baking, add some stitches along the edge. Perfect!

 

 

SNAP!

Death By Chocolate Girls’ Night In

- Mama 2 Comments

Watch this post today, because, as the day goes on, I will be updating links to the recipes and craft tutorials shown here to help you throw your own spooky Girls’ Night In without a hitch!

Are you looking for a spooky, scary, sparkly, and super-duper chocolatey Halloween party? You’re also wanting to plan it on a budget, and get some serious WOW factor in there? Never fear… this Death by Chocolate Girls’ Night in is perfect for you and your girlfriends to get together and enjoy an evening in, and you get to be the hostess with the mostess as you impress with this tablescape.

Start from the ground up… I started with a plain black tablecloth from Party City ($1.99) and a spooky-ooky backdrop from Walmart (Freaky Fabric, Halloween Department, $2.97– I grabbed two and hung one above the other to cover plenty of backdrop). These little details will set the stage for your party.

From there, I dug through my party stash. I’ve found that buying items after holidays on clearance can save big money for party time… don’t worry about buying season-specific items, but instead focus on those items that can be used again and again. Check out those silver chargers I’ve displayed my food on… those were purchased half price after Christmas several years ago, and they’re my go-to party staple. The mirrors? My mom scored them for me on Freecycle… that’s right– FREE! If you love to entertain, keeping an eye on freecycle and craigslist, as well as hitting the after holiday sales, is your best bet for getting some great party basics for next to nothing.

If you don’t have the chargers, though, and love the look, you might check Michaels or Hobby Lobby– I recently found chargers in many colors for only $1.00 each at Michaels!

Several years ago, one of my close friends was kind enough to indulge my obsession with fondue, and purchased a fondue fountain for my birthday. There are many, many fondue fountains available for rent or purchase. Amazon has listings starting at around $30.00, but you can also serve this awesome blood fondue (recipe here) in a standard fondue pot for a laid-back look. I just loved how this looked like flowing blood thanks to some Americolor food coloring!

As soon as I saw that styrofoam glitter skull, I knew it would match my glitter pumpkins perfectly! I found it in the Bargain Spot near the front of my Target store for only $2.50, and as a bonus, it even came in assorted colors– I chose the black skull, but they even had green and purple!

My ice gems were an after-Christmas purchase a few years ago, and I’ve repeated them in several parties again and again, and I decided to add in a little more silver by putting a vase of silver twigs I’ve had for awhile now, which adds a little height and interest behind the fountain.

Check out these fun little spiders on the edge of my plates! It took these fun silver chargers from Christmas party to Halloween party in nothing flat– and the whole 8 pack of spiders cost me just a couple of dollars at Walmart, pre-glittered and everything! These little touches can take a solid colored item from any holiday’s post-holiday sales and update it for a different gathering. I loved how it instantly changed my fondue dippers from a plate of dippers to a glam, spooky plate of dippers!

For beverages, I grabbed some wineglasses I had on hand and a tube of red gel icing (sold at most stores for less than $2.00) and rimmed each glass. You can also use light corn syrup tinted with food coloring if you’d prefer not to purchase the gel. My black punch was very simple– I took water, added some Mio in my favorite flavors (Strawberry Watermelon in some and Blueberry Lemonade in others) and swirled a toothpick with Wilton black food coloring gel (from Hobby Lobby or Michael’s) into it. However, right now, Target has limited edition “Ghoul Aid” in Scary Blackberry that would be perfect for a Halloween event!

For the spiderwebs, I squeezed silver glitter glue in spiderweb patterns onto waxed paper. Once it dried, I peeled it off and laid it on my tablecloths and mirrors for a spooky but glam touch. These pumpkins got the glitter treatment, too… you can find a tutorial for them here.

Finally, I added several tealights on the table to give some ambient lighting and really set the mood for the dark, girly, spooky evening.

This meatball recipe I’ll be sharing later today has been my go-to for Girls’ Night since I was in college, but here it is jazzed up with cocktail forks purchased from Party City– 20 forks for $3.99– and the best part is that you can either throw them away after the party since they’re so affordable, or you can handwash them and use them again.

I also jazzed up some tomato soup and put it in some mini cordial glasses, also from Party City, and skewered a two-cheese faux grilled cheese on top for a lovely appetizer option. The glasses, like the cocktail forks, were budget friendly (10 glasses for $4.99) and had the option of being tossed away at the end or handwashed again and again. Since I’m frugal, I handwash mine and store them for the next party.

For the three appetizer recipes, you can check out the recipes here.

Mini Death By Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Cheesecakes add to the very very chocolate side of things (recipe can be found here), while Vanilla Black Sparkle Fudge is decadent without the cocoa (recipe here).

The VooDoo Doll Cookies I served added a touch of whimsy (tutorial and recipe here), while the Black Forest Bars were decadent and almost sinful with their rich, glorious flavor. You can find the recipe for the Black Forest Bars here.

My favorite part of this fun girl’s night in is to play up the voodoo doll side of things. Not only do you have an amazing PMS kind of party with all of this chocolate, but you have the perfect opportunity for venting over a nice glass of… well, whatever your black punch of choice is. For my Death By Chocolate party, I decided to allow my guests to create these adorable little mock-VooDoo dolls (tutorial and free printable pattern can be found here). While creating them, we were able to gripe about our VooDoo inspiration of choice (be it our bosses, our exes, our mothers-in-law, or whoever happened to be on our last nerve at that point). It was the perfect PMS-fueled activity for our very chocolate evening! And didn’t they turn out so cute? These adorable dolls are just perfect for beating the stuffing out of on a stressful day, or cuddling with if you really need a hug.

Add a little more chocolate into the mix, and you’re looking at the perfect girls-only Halloween party.

Want this look for yourself? Check out the tutorials and recipes here!

1. All That Glitters Sparkly Pumpkin Tutorial.
2. Black Forest Bars Recipe.
3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreo Mini Cheesecakes Recipe.
4. VooDoo Doll Cookies Tutorial and Recipe.
5. Vanilla Black Sparkle Fudge Recipe.
6. Bleeding Hearts Fondue Fountain Recipe.
7. All Stressed Out Stress Doll (VooDoo Doll) Tutorial and Free Printable Pattern.
8. Sweet Microwave Meatballs, Pepped Up Tomato Soup Shooters, and Faux Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipes.

 

 

SNAP!