Another great site!

picture from Fun snacks 4 kids

A few weeks ago I found this cute blog called Fun snacks 4 kids.

This blog has some fun snack ideas. I love her bones

dipped in blood idea. Check it out for some more fun ideas.

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Dip

2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
15 oz. can pumpkin
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger

Mix sugar and cream cheese together beating until well blended.
Beat in remaining ingredients.Store in airtight container in
refrigerator. Serve with gingersnap cookies and apples.
*You could also serve the dip in a small pumpkin.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

This is a yummy light meal I made for dinner the other night. We loved it!

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add broth and Neufchatel cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese; mix well. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add chicken and vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

Recipe courtesy of Kraftfoods.com. Photo courtesy of me!

Hot Apple Cider

1/2 gallon apple juice or cider (whichever you like best)
1 tsp. whole allspice
1 tsp. whole cloves
1/2 c. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks

Put juice, spices, sugar, and lemon juice in a large pan.
Boil for 20 minutes. Strain to remove spices. You can
serve in mugs with orange wedges.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce

12 corn tortillas (I actually was able to make 18)
vegetable oil for pan-frying
3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast halves, shredded (I used 2 cans of chicken and it was good!)
10 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas (one at a time) for 5 seconds on each side to soften and make them pliable. Add more oil to pan as needed. Drain between layers of paper towel and keep warm.
Divide chicken, 10 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, and onion among the 12 tortillas. Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a greased baking pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until mixture begins to boil. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a whisk until thickened. Mix in the sour cream and chiles, heat thoroughly but do not boil, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over the enchiladas.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com. Photo courtesy of me:)

Macaroni Beef Soup

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion

2 cans tomato soup

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 (32 oz.) carton beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion. Mix all ingredients in a pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Halloween Goodies

I thought I would post some fun food ideas for Halloween.
Last year I posted a recipe for dinner in a pumpkin. I
make this every year and my family loves having dinner
come from a pumpkin.

Kraft foods has some fun and easy recipes for
Halloween like this Skeleton and Brain Dip.

Maybe I can get my kids to eat their vegetables this way. :)

I think these witches hats are such a cute idea from
Betty Crocker.

I know my family would love these Yummy Mummy Dogs
from Rhodes. Check out their site they have some more
fun recipes for Halloween. What are some of you favorite Halloween goodies?

If you have any favorite Halloween recipes

please share them.

Spider Web Cupcakes

My cute friend Holly showed me how to make
these cute spider web cupcakes last year.

Prepare your favorite cake mix and follow
the instruction on making 24 cupcakes.

Bake cupcakes and cool. Use white frosting.
You can also tint the frosting orange. Squeeze circles of
decorating gel (I like to use Betty Crocker's black

decorating gel) on each cupcake; using a
toothpick or a knife, pull outward to make a web.

Place a plastic spider ring on
each web.

Apple Pie Dip

Ingredients for Apple Pie dip:
1 1/3 cups peeled, cored, and diced apple
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons apricot preserves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients for chips:
5 (6-inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl, then cover and
refrigerate the mixture until chilled. Brush the tortillas
with butter, then cut them into wedges. Arrange the
wedges on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with
cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 350° until golden
brown, about 10 minutes. Let them cool before serving.

Recipe and picture from Family Fun

Pumpkin Bars

2 c. pumpkin
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. all spice

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin till light and fluffy. Stir
together flour, baking soda,, salt, and spices. Add to pumpkin
mixture; mix well. Spread in a 15x10x1 1/2 inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly and frost.

Frosting:
1(3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. margarine softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. milk

Cream together the cream cheese and margarine. Stir in vanilla.
Add sugar, milk and beat until smooth.

Mexican Lasagna

I made this the other night and it was delicious! The recipe and photo is from Kraftfoods.com, but I omitted the brand names they recommended because I don't think it matters. I used storebrand cheeses and it was great!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2-1/2 cups mild salsa
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
12 corn tortillas (6 inch), divided
1 container (16 oz.) cottage cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Brown meat in large skillet on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet. Add onions and peppers; cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add salsa, corn and seasonings; mix well.

LAYER one third of the meat mixture and one half each of the tortillas and cottage cheese in 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat layers; cover with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and olives.

BAKE 30 min. or until heated through.

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Chinese Stir-Fry

I found this recipe on the Kraft website a few days ago. We tried it and loved it!

1 tsp. oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices
3 carrots, sliced
1/3 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and carrots; cook and stir 5 min.
Stirin dressing and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 7 min. or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add onions; cook 1 min. Serve over rice or lo mein noodles.

Try adding different vegetables-broccoli would be a delicious addition too!

Caramel Apple Dessert

1 1/2 cups Original Bisquick mix
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 medium cooking apples, peeled and sliced(2 cups)
1 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Mix Bisquick and sugar in a bowl. Stir in
milk until blended. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. Top with
apples; sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon;
sprinkle over apples. Pour boiling water over apples. Bake
50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

The caramel sauce forms while it bakes.

This Mama Loves to Cook Fall Giveaway

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