Homemade Halloween Decor

Check out designer Eddie Ross' website for great step-by-step instructions on making your own cute and festive Halloween decorations like centerpieces, wreaths and napkin rings. He provides detailed instructions and pictures for these spooky and cute creations: http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/2009/10/fiendish-feather-wreath.html

Fun ways to decorate your pumpkin

Ways of decorating your pumpkin are as endless as your imagination. The pictures above from Martha Stewart and the Better Homes and Gardens website show new twists on the traditional idea of pumpkin carving. Try using doilies, black marker, tacks, ribbon, glitter or other spooky accessories like plastic mice to dress up your pumpkin.

Fun Find: Make your own Halloween Candy Bouquets

The Incredible Edible Crafts website gives you step-by-step instructions to create cute candy bouquets including this Halloween bouquet.

Sign up for their e-mail newsletter and they'll send two free books with detailed instructions on making candy bouquets, fruit and vegetable arrangements and edible crafts for kids.

The website provides great pictures and ideas for making crafts and gifts. Here's the link: http://ediblecraftsonline.com/index.htm

Recipe Du Jour: P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

My husband and I are huge fans of P.F. Changs (and Pei Wei's) Mongolian Beef. This dish, with its tender beef, mushrooms and green onions is so delicious. I finally found a recipe that is pretty darn close to the original. I've made it several times and have been really pleased with the results.

When you can make food like this at home, who needs take out. To get the recipe, click here.

Fun Find: Spider Web Dip

A great Halloween-inspired idea for dressing up a traditional layered dip is to use sour cream and a plastic spider and voila you've got a spiderweb dip. This recipe comes from the Octoberlicious website - a site dedicated to providing Halloween tips and recipes.

.Ingredients.
3 large plum tomatoes, sliced
1 1/2 cups thick and chunky salsa
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend

.Bean Layer.
16 oz each) lowfat refried black or pinto beans
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp hot Mexican chili powder
1 tsp minced garlic

.Guacamole Layer.
4 ripe Hass avocados
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp minced red onion
2 large jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 tsp salt

.Decoration.
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
a clean plastic toy spider

.Serve With.
blue, red and yellow corn tortilla chips


.Instructions.
1. Bean Layer: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Scrape the mixture onto a 12- to 14-in. round serving plate and smooth into a 10-in. circle with a spatula. Arrange tomato slices around edge of bean layer to make a border.

2. Drain salsa in a strainer to get rid of excess juice. Spread over bean mixture, leaving some of the bean layer showing around the edge. Sprinkle cheese over salsa, leaving some of the salsa layer showing.

3. Guacamole: Halve avocados; remove seeds and spoon flesh into a medium bowl. Add lime juice, onion, jalapeños and salt, and mash until fairly smooth. Spoon over cheese layer and spread into an even layer.

4. Place sour cream in a ziptop bag; seal bag and snip a small tip off one corner. Pipe a spiderweb design over guacamole and onto the plate. Decorate with toy spider. Serve with tortilla chips.


.Tips.
* Plan Ahead: You can make 4 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate.

Fun Find: Halloween Cheese Ball

Dress up your Halloween party buffet table with this creative - and yummy sounding - pumpkin-shaped Caramalized Garlic Cheese Spread from the Land O' Lakes website.

The recipe for this appetizer can be found here.

Fun Find: Creative Halloween Favors

I made these party favors last year for my friends and their children. They turned out really cute and were equally great giving as gifts as they were on my table as decorative centerpieces.

The directions for making these broomstick favors can be found here.