Nutter butter ghosts

Honestly I have seen this in so many different places on the internet that I have no idea where the original idea is from and who to give credit to :) I originally heard about it from one of my crafty friends.

But they are a cute and very easy little Halloween treat!

All you need is Nutter Butter cookies, white chocolate (you could also use white frosting and just spread over the tops if you wanted) and chocolate chips.

Just melt the white chocolate, dip the cookies and add some chips for eyes. Let cool on wax paper.

Tada! My kids loved them :) You can't go wrong with a peanut butter and chocolate combo :)

From the kitchen of Kelly.

Pumpkin Frozen Dessert

Here is a cold, delicious, fall treat we love at my house. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to make it though, because it does take a while to set up!!

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 quarts vanilla ice cream (I like Vanilla Bean for this recipe)
or frozen yogurt, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
Whipped cream (for topping)
Pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)



Directions:
Combine butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into a 9x13 inch pan. Freeze. Once crust is frozen, spread softened ice cream or frozen yogurt over crust. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sugar. Whip cream and fold into mixture. Spread on top of softened ice cream. Freeze until firm. Top with whipped cream (sweetened with sugar and vanilla) and chopped toasted pecans.



From the kitchen of Tannie

Lemon Candy Cookies

Cookie:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 (4 ounce) package lemon candies, crushed

Glaze:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Put sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add butter and mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs one at a time. Then add vanilla and lemon extract. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Stir in crushed lemon candies.

Roll into 1inch balls. Flatten slightly and bake on baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until edges start to brown and center is almost set. Let cool completely.

Make a glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon juice. Spread over cookie tops.

From the kitchen of Kelly {I got this recipe off the internet,but it was a while ago and I don't remember where I found it :( }

Bean & Cheese Burritos

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can refried beans
1 can cheddar cheese soup

tortillas

enchilada sauce (optional)
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger. Drain fat and season to taste.

2. Add chopped onion, cook until soft.

3. Add refried beans and cheddar cheese soup. Heat through.


4. Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll (see below). Place in a sprayed 9x13 pan.

5. If desired, top with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tips for folding burritos:

1. Top tortilla with burrito filling.


2. Fold in sides of tortilla.


3. Roll from bottom up.


4. Place in pan seam side down so everything will stay inside.


5. If you coat the bottom of the pan with enchilada sauce, the burritos will not stick to the pan after being baked.

Enjoy!

Bonus:

Made from scratch Enchilada Sauce--

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil

1 t. dried onion
1/2 t. oregano
2 1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. basil
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 t. cumin

6 oz. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. water or chicken broth
1/4 c. salsa

1. Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant (about 30 sec.).

2. Add tomato paste, salsa, and spices. Stir.

3. Add water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

from the kitchen of laura w.
(i even made this one up myself)

Copycat Olive Garden Salad

Sorry I don't have a picture of this, but I think most people have had Olive Garden's yummy salad :) This is a copycat of that recipe.

Salad:
1 bag romaine + iceberg salad
4-5 slices red onion
4-6 black olives
2-4 banana peppers
1/2 cup croutons
1 small tomato sliced
freshly grated parmesan cheese (I have also used non freshly grated)
**Place the bag of salad in bowl. Place red onion, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons on top of the lettuce. Add parmesan cheese. Serve with generous amount of salad dressing on top.

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. romano cheese ( I have left this out when I didn't want to run to the store and it still tasted great)
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
sugar (optional, but I usually start with 1/4 cup and add more if I want a less zangy taste)
**Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed (approximately 30 seconds). If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

From the kitchen of Kelly (adapted from a recipe I got from my friend, Stacie Williamson)

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Brownie:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/8 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min in a 9x13 pan. Completely cool in fridge before spreading next layer on top.

Mint:
3 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp melted butter
3 Tbsp milk
3-4 drops mint flavoring extract
green food coloring (enough for the color you want--I usually just do a few drops)
*Mix together and spread on brownies. Completely cool in fridge before spreading next layer on top.

Chocolate topping:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
*Melt butter in microwave. Dump chocolate chips into hot butter. Stir and then spread on cooled mint layer VERY FAST. Chill.

Hint: Leave brownie in fridge, but take out 2 hours before cutting to serve otherwise the chocolate layer will crack.

From the kitchen on Kelly (originally from Cheree Aldrich).

Mini Pigs in a Blanket

This is a new twist on an old favorite and is SUPER kid friendly.

Ingredients:
1 Package of refrigerated pie crust (comes in pack of 2 crusts)
1 Package of lil' smokies
1-2 eggs
Water

Directions:
1 - Cut the pie crusts into as equal of pieces as you can. I usually get 16 out of one crust. I use a pizza cutter to slice the crust up, but a knife would work well too.


2 - Form pieces of crust around each smokie by wrapping and pinching the dough. Then, use a fork to press around the fold and make it look pretty (this also serves the double purpose of making sure it holds tight).

3 - Beat the egg in a bowl with a small amount of water. Then, using a pastry brush, spread the egg mixture onto each of the pigs. This will help the crust to be flaky and will keep the blanket closed over the pig.

4 - Place pigs on a LARGE cookie sheet (I use a jelly roll) that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

5 - Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes (times may vary depending on your oven).


Serve warm with ketchup and mustard. Watch out! They are hot. They also fall apart very easily because the crust is flaky.

Tips: Don't make your own pie crust - it WILL save you money, but homemade pie crusts are generally even flakier that refrigerated and I believe you'd have a hard time forming the dough around the franks.

You will have left over smokies. I like to keep them in the fridge and then cut them in half and put them in macaroni and cheese for lunch. They are also good just warmed up with ketchup for kids to eat as a snack.

Yield: 32 Pigs