Halloween Cookies

This isn't a recipe so much as a place to post pictures of my fun Halloween cookies.  

I rolled out slice and bake cookies and used a cookie cutter to make pumpkin cookies.  

I then mixed orange food coloring gel into a container of cream cheese icing and frosted the cookies with the orange goodness.  

After baking, cooling & icing the cookies, I set out a container of black gel for folks to create their own jack-o-lanterns.

Pizza Roll

As Berkley struggles to eat a healthy dose of veggies these days, I decided to try and hide them!  So, I hid a spinach/pea/pear puree in a yummy pizza roll.  It worked & he loved it!  Thankfully, it also tasted good to me & Stephen!  

Since I was making up this recipe, I only put puree on half of the roll, and I probably put too much on the half I used.  Berkley didn't know the difference, but Stephen & I could taste the puree just a little bit too much for our taste.

PIZZA ROLL

Refrigerated Pizza Dough

1/2 Jar Pasta Sauce

Vegetable Puree

6 Slices of Turkey

8 Slices of Cheese

Roll out pizza dough on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes to "prep" dough

Spread thin layer of veggie puree on pizza crust

Spread pasta sauce on crust

Top crust with slices of turkey and cheese

Roll dough lengthwise & bake according to dough directions or until browned

Cut into small slices to serve

C

1st Birthday Cake

For Berkley's first birthday, I made a rainbow ball-shaped cake.  I've mentioned (multiple times on multiple blogs) that I like rainbow foods, and this seemed like the perfect excuse to make a rainbow cake!  I found a ball-shaped mold at A.C. Moore, and it worked surprisingly well.  

While the directions for this cake aren't much more difficult than making a normal cake, I want to make sure and document the cake-making process in photographs here.

RAINBOW BALL CAKE

Cake mix

Icing

Gel food coloring

Starburst & Jolly Rancher fruit chews for decoration

Make cake according to box.

Separate mix into several bowls and add food coloring to each bowl.

Pour each color into the mold, taking care to pour into the center of the previous color

Cook as directed.

Once completely cooled, ice cake.

Put unwrapped fruit chews in microwave for 10-20 seconds until pliable.

Roll or "mash" them into thin pieces and use small cookie cutter (or a knife) to cut desired 

 shapes.

Place shapes on cake icing.

Cake Balls

For Berkley's 1st birthday party, I wanted to have a "ball theme".  So, all of the decorations, activities and food were ball shaped.  The week of the party I saw my college friend, Shea talking on Facebook about making cake balls, so I snatched her recipe (Thanks, Shea!) and made an attempt at these sugary treats.  I'm big into rainbow foods (cakes, pancakes, etc.), so I made the cake balls in three different colors.  Since I don't eat chocolate (Shea's covering of choice), I coated the cake balls in candy melt.

The cake balls were so fun looking, but they were a little sweet for my taste.  I think a chocolate coating is probably a little less sugary, and I probably should have used a little less icing when mixing the balls.  I will try them again though, and perhaps next time I'll leave the coating off all together.  I kind of like the colored balls as they were.

Cake Balls

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
food coloring (the paste kind, not liquid)
1/2 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package candy melts or chocolates
wax paper

Cook cake as directed on box. (I divided the cake into thirds & added food coloring to each 1/3).

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

Mix thoroughly with 1/2 can cream cheese frosting (I used 1 can & it was too much).

Roll mixture into balls and lay on cookie sheet.  (I made the balls way too big- they should be about half 

this size.)

Put in freezer for several hours until solid.

When ready to serve, melt candy or chocolate in microwave 

Roll balls in candy/chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

 

Ice Cream Tunnel Cake

I found this recipe in the July edition of Parenting magazine.  It's a 4th of July-looking dessert, but since we didn't have any big plans on Independence Day, I decided to make it for a dinner with friends.  It's easy to make, and very good to eat!  The final product didn't turn out as pretty as the picture (I think they staged it differently than it's actually made.), but it was definitely tasty!

ICE CREAM TUNNEL CAKE

1 lb. strawberries, sliced

2 T sugar (I used Splenda), divided

2 C. fresh blueberries

1 prepared angel food cake (the bigger the better, I think)

2 C. strawberry ice cream, softened

Toss the strawberries with 1 T of the sugar.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 T of sugar.

Using a serrated knife, slice off the top inch of the cake and carefully set it aside.

Cut a "trench" into the bottom part of the cake- leaving an inch on either side and an inch or more on the bottom.

Layer strawberries, ice cream, and blueberries into the trench.

Try to stay level with the top of the "trench" wall- you'll have some fruit left over.

Place the cake "lid" back on.

Freeze for two hours or overnight.

Just before serving, spoon remainig fruit over top of cake or serve with each slice.

Strawberry-Limeade Punch

I got this recipe from a recipe card in the produce section of the grocery store.  I thought it looked good & easy, so I gave it a try. One of my favorite drink treats is a strawberry-limeade from Sonic, and this is a great homemade alternative.  Next time I'll make sure & buy some pellet ice from Sonic and it'll be even better!

STRAWBERRY-LIMEADE PUNCH

1 package fresh strawberries, stems removed

1 12 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed, undiluted

5 cups cold water

Fresh mint sprigs

Place strawberries in a food processor to puree

Lightly pulse until smooth

Pour pureed strawberries through a strainer into a bowl

In a large pitcher combine limeade and water

Stir until limeade dissolves

Stir in pureed strawberries

Pour over ice & top with mint sprigs

Cake Mix Cookies

My childhood best friend's mother used to make these cookies & my mom got the recipe from her.  They are so tasty, and you can make them with any flavor.  Folks are always surprised that these cookies are made from cake mix.

CAKE MIX COOKIES

2 eggs

1 package cake mix (any flavor)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix together eggs, cake mix & oil in a bowl

Place heaping spoonfuls of batter on cookie sheet

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes