Jumping on the Pumpkin Bandwagon.... a/k/a my annual Pumpkin Hater Post. {Pumpkin Cheeseball Recipe}

Pumpkin Cheese ball Recipe

It's common knowledge among my blogging friends that I'm a pumpkin hater. 

Not that I dislike pumpkin. 

Au contraire, I actually love pumpkin, it's my favorite pie [my Nana used to bring one home every Friday when we lived with her special just for me!], I love pumpkin bread [my sister in law is famous for hers!] and I love pumpkin seeds [better than smoking or nail biting!]....



What I hate is that come October everyone vomits pumpkin.... it overwhelms me. Pumpkin Martinis,  Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispy Treats, even Pumpkin Dog Treats. swear to God. Click it. I'm not sure why but I stroke out a little with each new post.... and I'm sure they are fabulous [I've given you the links because I know each and every one of you will want a darn pumpkin martini.....]. I just cannot do it.  

But I do make my only little pumpkin every year.... twice. Once for Halloween and once for Thanksgiving. And I love it. It's think it's adorkable and yummy. Sometimes I'm more successful than others in my sculpting but it's always elementary school cute at a minimum.

And now I share with you.

What you need:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup diced white onion
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely crushed Cheeze-its
1 bell pepper stem, stick or pumpkin stem
What you do:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in skillet; add garlic and white onion. Cook over medium–high heat, stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes or until just starts to brown. Remove from heat.

Use mixer to combine garlic mixture with softened butter and cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Form your pumpkin. Place crushed crackers into large shallow bowl or pie pan. Roll cheese ball into crackers; press evenly to coat. Place onto serving plate.

Create stem for top of pumpkin from bell pepper slices [see right hand pumpkin in picture], a stick [bottom picture] or use a real pumpkin stem [top or left picture].

Cover; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to blend flavors.
Serve with crackers and vegetables.

Poof.  You are Martha Stewart!

Happy Fall :)

BOO! {A Gaggle of Spooky Foods for your Halloween Party}

Halloween Treats & Fun

OK, I LOVE HALLOWEEN.
I love the kids dressed up.
I love my house spookified.
I love creepy cocktails.
I love the friends gathering.
AND
despite all my Pumpkin hate.
I actually LOVE a good cheese ball shaped like a pumpkin....
it's the thought of adding pumpkin to my coffee, risotto or even yes.... *shudder* my Martini that KILLS ME.


So, spooky food.....
arm me with a variety of Pillsbury products and I can bake up one killer Spooky Food Banquet. 
And I do.
Every Halloween.
It's one of my favorite things....
nothing gourmet.
Not fancy.
Probably bordering on 4th grade level execution
BUT F.U.N.

So, I want to share.... all the recipes are links,  I created NONE of this, I cannot take credit for the creativity but the execution [good and bad] is all me & my kids.... the crappy photography.... all me.  But none of this was done for a blog... this was done for the love of it.

I hope you love it too & HAPPY HALLOWEEN {I know it's early but what good would this post be ON Halloween! You'd be annoyed}!



Halloween Cheese & Dips

My pumpkin cheese ball is my FAVORITE I use for Halloween

and of course for Turkey Day

Super easy.  The top I actually rip a stem off a real pumpkin.... the recipe called for using a green pepper. 

I like my way better :)

 

The web dip was just on Yummy Mummy with a video that I'm linking, that's Ranch with Ketchup for dipping little mummies but you could use any dip in my opinion.

 

The fingers out of the dip below are baby carrots with red pepper triangles.  Cute and easy! 

 



Halloween Spooky Food with a little help from Pillsbury



On the far left are serpent "hoagies"

                    then little bugs.... a/k/a pigs in a blanket with dots

                                              then a couple examples of every one's favorite....

                                              the Cordon Bleu Mummy. 

                                              Do not make less than 2.  Actually delicious.

                                                                                        & bringing up the rear are the meatball caterpillars.... CUTE!



Quick Fixes to fill out the Spooky Banquet
Deviled Eggs with Olive Spiders
& Witches Fingers PBJs



 

& even with ALL THAT CANDY.... dessert is a must!





SPOOKY HALLOWEEN SWEET TREATS

 

The top right is a spooky log pound cake...

That is really as talented as I get.

I'm VERY proud of that.

 

That's Dylan with our "Witch's Hat" Cake.  BOO!

 

A friend of mine brought the Kitty Litter Cake.

Too freaking funny

& pretty darn tasty

presented in a real litter pan of course.

 

And finally my Candy Corn Trifle

I think that with practice it will end up being

a great addition but that was my first attempt!

It was yummy :)

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. I promise a spooky cocktail post within the week!

 

 

NOTE:  The links in this post are mostly from the original source but a couple I could not find so I chose a blog rendition that I felt was accurate & useful; a few I couldn't find anything other than the picture I had gone from and so I leave you with my picture as your guide... the log [which is a saralee pound cake cut in half, iced and marshmellows, M&Ms, gummiworms and almond slivers], the spider eggs and use your own yummy recipes!