yum and fun...

I hope everyone had a very Happy Halloween! I will definitely post more about our night, but today I wanted to share two fun things.

The first is a recipe for the most delicious cupcakes. I made them for our Halloween festivities, but they are just as yummy any time of the year. They are the Barefoot Contessa's chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. I LOVE the Barefoot Contessa. She makes the best food and her desserts are to die for. These cupcakes taste like a big peanut butter cup. Quoting the Contessa, "How bad can that be!!" :)

Here is the link to the recipe from the Food Network website. I love this site because you are able to select your desired recipe card, print and go. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

I added peanut butter cups that I cut using a bat cookie cutter for decoration, but totally not necessary for enjoyment!

And I share these next photos to show the truth of how my kitchen looks after I bake...

...and how my son looks...



I don't know how the Barefoot Contessa keeps her BEAUTIFUL Hamptons kitchen beautiful even while she bakes!

I have to first apologize for just sharing this next item now. It is a fun, super easy Halloween craft I made with Gavin, but unfortunately I am just now getting around to posting it. Sorry! I have been busy enjoying the Halloween weekend! Hopefully, if it is something you like, you can either save it for next year or see my note how to possibly vary it for Thanksgiving or other events.

Pumpkin Lanterns

I used to make these when I taught. They are a great simple craft that kids love. I found that my students loved to carry the lanterns around and make them bounce. If you move the lanterns up and down... the pumpkins bounce up and down!

You will need:

• A piece of orange construction paper (I will show 2 completed lanterns in different sizes)
• A piece of green construction paper
• Various other colors of construction paper for decorations--ie. black for jack-o-lantern face/blue or purple for bats/red, orange, yellow for fall colored leaves
• Scissors
• Stapler or glue (I like a stapler)
• And possibly crayons or markers

First, take your piece of orange construction paper and position it portrait style (or as I used to explain to my students, hamburger instead of hot dog style) fold it in half

Cut strips that are about 1-1 1/2 in. apart starting at the fold and ending about an 1"-1 1/2" at the bottom edge of the paper. If you are having your own children do the cutting it is helpful to draw a lite line in pencil for them that can be erased later.

Once cut unfold the paper and role it forming a cone. Staple (or glue) either end. (I do like staples for the project because I found that kids could never wait for these pumpkins to dry before playing with them!)

Cut a strip of green construction paper for the long side of the paper about 1-1 1/2 in. thick. Add this to the top of the lantern as a handle.

Next comes the fun part. You can add any decoration you want. Of course a jack-o-lantern face is perfect for Halloween, but you can also add bats, moons, stars, whatever you desire! To adjust the decoration to fit Thanksgiving you can add fall colored leaves. I could even see these lanterns made out of more sophisticated patterned paper found at a craft store in any color to decorate for any party, even adult. Of course Gavin is way to little to cut, but I let him color the different decorations and then we assembled everything together.

Have fun!!


worst picture ever, but he is having fun!