Rat's Nest Halloween Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe

Hola Amigos! There is no party without a good dip right? I love spinach and artichoke dip! That is the first and  pretty much only appetizer I order other than stuffed mushrooms (those will be coming soon). Also I like mine warm but if I'm desperate, I really don't care how it is ...just pass the chips!
This particular recipe is my SIL's !!! I'm sure you probably make it a similar way since it's such a simple and easy recipe but boy!...so good!

What I love about it is that it has tons of cheese and equal amount of spinach! I've found some places cut the amount of spinach short and add a fillers  like water chestnuts instead!

Chips are an important part of this dip. Don't get the thin ones! This particular dip is thick and chunky so you need a good chip to get a hold of all the goodness!

And why the Rat's Nest name for my this particular one? well think about it, Rats are omnivores, but they love cheese there are 3 cheeses alone on this one! Rats like warm moist places, this dip has the right amount of moisture thanks to the spinach and since it's baked...it's steamy hot! And rat's are messy...there is a mess every time you eat chips right? crumbles everywhere...or maybe just when I eat them,  lol

So there you go my friends, short and sweet! What's your favorite appetizer? Do you order the same one every time you go out? It was great to have you here for appetizer time! Remember everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Rat's Nest Halloween Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained

8 oz Chives and Onion Cream Cheese, softened

1 package Vegetable Dip Mix

14 oz (1 can) Artichoke Hearts, chopped and drained

8 oz (1 can) Water Chestnuts, chopped and drained

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the mozzarella cheese. Spoon everything on a oven safe container and top the mix with the mozzarella cheese. 

Put in the oven and and bake for 15 minutes or until dip is hot. Serve with chips and enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                   Cooking Time: 15 minutes                   Servings 3 Cups

Sharing some Spooktacular chips and dip at these Fa-BOO-Lous Parties:

Ducks 'n a Row, Lady Behind the Curtain, Made to be a Momma, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, The Shady Porch, My Girlish Whims, Crystal and Co, The Well Crafted Home, The Everyday Home, Kitchen Meets Girl, Thank You Honey, The Trendytreehouse, Dream a Little Bigger, White Lights on Wednesday, Smart School House, Polkadots on Parade, We Like to Learn as We Go Real Housewives of Riverton, SNAP, 733, This Silly Girl's Life, Someday Crafts, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Memories by the Mile, The 36th Avenue, 52 Mantels, Sweet Haute, A Handful of Everything, Katherine's Corner, The Mandatory Mooch, What's Cooking, Love?, Lamberts Lately, The Crafty Blogstalker, Live Laugh Rowe, Gingerly Made, The Brambleberry Cottage, Recipes for my boys, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, The Answer is Chocolate, My Turn (for Us), Simply Sweet Home, Living Better Together, The Pin Junkie, Tidy Mom, Just Us Four, Home Maid Simple, Dear Creative, Diana Rambles, 504 Main, Tatertots and Jello, A Little Claireification, Sewlicious Home, Angels Homestead, The Thriftiness Miss, Craft Dictator, Sara Howe, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters Stuff, I Gotta Create, Be Different Act Normal, It's Overflowing, Twigg Studios, WCFS, Your Homebased Mom, Dessert Now, Dinner Later, Pink When, Who Needs a Cape, Nifty Thrifty Things, Flamingo Toes, Spatulas on Parade, My Mixing Spoons, I Should Be Mopping the Floors, The Casual Craftlete, Cooking for the Seven Dwarfs, This Gal Cooks, Between Naps on the Porch, PandP Kitchen, The Tumbleweed Contessa, Titi Crafty, Create with Joy, Feeding Big, Suburbs Mama, Rain on a Tin Roof, A Pinch of Joy, Setting for Four, Huckleberry Love, The Gunny Sack, Ladybug Blessings, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Home Stories A to Z, Our Table for 7, Under the Table and Dreaming, DIY Home Sweet Home, Mad in Crafts, A Southern Fairytale, Jam Hands, Jembellish, Sugar Bee Crafts, Nap Time Creations, Memories by the Mile, Cozy Little House, Fluster Buster, Townsend House, Frugal Foodie Mama

Graveyard Mud Halloween Brownie Milkshake Recipe

Hola Amigos! I woke up this morning with that "I need chocolate to start my day" feeling and I just knew how to get the job done! A milkshake...is milk after all right?
Recently I brought home a box of cosmic brownies. I just loved the way those little sprinkles looked against the fudgy icing. I'm not a big fan of store bought brownies or brownies in a box, but I couldn't resist, what can I say? lol

I've never put actual brownies on a chocolate milkshake before, but I didn't stop there,  I used my seasonal Butter Pecan Ice Cream..oh yeah! this is the season this ice cream pops in every store freezer!

The mom in me started to feel guilty for preaching one thing and practicing another (no ice cream for breakfast),  I gave in an added some cereal, just to top it off.

Voila! Breakfast was served. And believe me, after having this I was bouncing off the walls, lol
I love it! It's thick, rich and delicious, but of course if you have to much of the good thing...eventually you will join "Bones" here...so everything with moderation!

I hope you are enjoying all the Halloween recipes so far. As I mentioned a while back, I like to do all my Halloween decorations in the month of September, and now that I'm blogging. well why not tie my blog to what I'm doing doing here in my house. Everything you see here is exactly what we are eating or is displayed in my house at this very moment.

If you don't celebrate Halloween, I hope you don't get discouraged or offended  by my posts, I will be sharing Fall related recipes on October plus celebrating the blog's 1st anniversary, which happens to be on October 31st!

Thank You for stopping by the blog today! Have a Fantastic week my friends! Remember everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Graveyard Mud Halloween Milkshake
Ingredients:
1 Cup Milk (Chocolate Milk will make it even sweeter)
2-3 Frozen Cosmic Brownie Bars
1 Cup Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Pinch of Salt
1/2 Cup Cocoa Puff for topping
Whip Cream for topping (optional)
Skeleton Candy (optional)
Directions:
Put milk, brownies, ice cream and a pinch of salt in a blender. Pulse a few times since you want to keep some chunks of brownies.
Serve on a tall glass, squirt some whip cream, top it with Cocoa Puff and some powder cocoa (mainly to give it the dusty effect). Place some skeleton candy pieces on top of the "dirt". Grab a spoon and Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 Minutes                                                                                  Serves 2 (8 oz glasses)

Sharing "Bones" and his Mrs at these Fa-BOO-lous Parties

Twelve' O Eight, My Mixing Spoon, Bowdabra, Cupcake-n-Bake, Jembellish, Keep It Simple, Alderberry Hill, Under the Table and Dreaming, Ms. enPlace, Between Naps on the Porch, Rain on a Tin Roof, The PandP Kitchen, The Tumbleweed Contessa, Claire Justine oxox, Cozy Little House, Made in a Day, The Blackberry Vine, Mad Skills, Love Grows Wild, Home Stories A to Z, Hun...What's for Dinner, Table for 7, LadyBug Blessings, I Gotta Create, Chef In Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Nap-Time Creations, A Southern Faiy Tale, Huckleberry Love, Jam Hands, Not Just a Housewife, This and That, Ducks 'n a Row, Lady Behind the Curtain, Made to be a Momma, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, The Shady Porch, My Girlish Whims, Crystal and Co, The Well Crafted Home, The Everyday Home, Kitchen Meets Girl, Thank You Honey, The Trendy Treehouse, Dream a Little Bigger, White Lights on Wednesday, Smart, School House, Polkadots on Parade, Real Housewives of Riverton, SNAP, 733 Blog, This Silly Girl's Life, Someday Crafts, We Like to Learn as We Go, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Memories by the Mile, The 36th Avenue, 52 Mantels, Sweet Haute, A Handful of Everything, Katherine's Corner, The Mandatory Mooch, What's Cooking, Love?, Lamberts Lately, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Live Laugh Rowe, Gingerly Made, The Brambleberry Cottage, Recipes for my boys, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, The Answer is Chocolate, My Turn (for Us), Simply Sweet Home, Living Better Together, The Pin Junkie, Tidy Mom, Just us Four, Home Maid Simple, Home Maid Simple, Dear Creatives, Diana Rambles, Tatertots and Jello, Angels Homestead,  a Little Claireification, Sewlicious Home, The Thriftiness Miss, Craft Dictator, Sara Howe, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters Stuff, Be Different Act Normal, It's Overflowing, Twigg Studios, WCFS, Your Homebased Mom, Dessert Now, Dinner Later, Pink When, Who Needs a Cape, Nifty Thrifty Things, Flamingo Toes, Spatulas on Parade, I Should Be Mopping the Floors, The Casual Craftlete, Cooking for the Seven Dwarfs, This Gal Cooks, Titi Crafty, Suburbs Mama, A Pinch of Joy, Townsend House, The Inspiration Network, My Love 2 Create, Made from Pinterest

Toe of Frog Halloween Lemon Cupcake Recipe

Hola Amigos! We are finally getting into some Fall temperatures here! It has been so hot the last couple of days! I mean really hot...we needed a little break! Today I'm sharing with you a very easy recipe, a simple twist on one  I made before. I was in desperate need of something sweet with some ingredients that I already had and that I could together with  very little thought to it. See, I suffer from migraines and some days are worse than others...but back to the cupcakes.

This is a pudding poke cupcake. I used pistachio pudding to take a little bit of the bite of the lemon cake! Besides I thought the combination on green and yellow was just too pretty!
Since I had a few frogs hopping around the kitchen, I used them as the centerpiece decor and theme for my cupcakes. When I was little I heard so many things about frogs, and believe me, non of them had to do with kissing them to transform them into a prince...that happened later, lol

My "abuelita" (gradma) used to say that if I was to touch a frog I would get Warts!!! EEWWW! Yucks...no way...so never touched one..on this cupcake the warts are made out of mint green mints M&M's

She also used to say, if you squeeze a frog (why would I do this...I don't have a clue) the frog skin would secrete some slimey, almost mucus like substance...YUCKS!!!...on my cupcakes I recreated the slime with Wilton"s  green candy melts! you can see it just running all over the top!

But forget about the mucus if you can for a minute, these cold blooded amphibians can magically be born in water...they grow legs...(toes included) and then, they Walk Out of the Pond and live the rest of their lives hiding on the muddy surfaces near the pond in case they needed a quick refreshing bath! My pond is represented by the pistachio pudding topping and my dirt by a crumbled cupcake!

There you go my friends, this is my Frog story and I'm sticking to it! On time I learned to love these guys to the point of refusing to dissect one when I was in HS earning proudly I should say, my first F!! oh well...there's a frog out there owning me her life!

Thanks for visiting my friends! I love Halloween because even a non fancy, not perfect and everyday home baked cupcake, can turn into something out of a children's tale with just a little bit of imagination and a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Toe of Frog Halloween Lemon Cupcake 

Ingredients:

1 Box Lemon Cake

(and everything you need to put it together according to the box)

1 packet (4 servings) Pistachio Instant Pudding

(and everything you need to put it together according to the box)

Key Lime mini marshmallows (optional)

1/2 bag Wilton green Candy Melts

1 small bag of Mint M&M's

Decorative Gummy Frogs (or any other slimey critter you might have)

Directions:

Mix your cake according to instructions. Cup the mix into Jumbo Muffins non stick tin pan. At this point I decided to add a couple of key lime marshmallows I just found at a local store for .99. Delicious!

Bake at 350 F for about 18-20 minutes. Let them cool.

While they cool prepare your pudding mix according the the packet instructions. 

Pull your jumbo cupcakes out of the tin pan. Poke a couple of holes in the cupcakes using the handle of a wooden spoon and pour the instant pudding mix on them. *Note: Don't over mix your pudding, since it's instant it will start to set super fast. perhaps just a couple of whisks or use some regular Pistachio Pudding not instant.  I got distracted by the phone while whisking and very little went into the "poked holes". Refrigerate.

If you have some extra pudding top and cover areas of the cupcake  that were not covered with the initial pouring add a couple of M&M's on each cupcake

Melt your candy tablets and spread them on the cupcakes to create the slime.

Crumble the less pretty looking cupcake on top of the slime and  top them up with your Frog or critter! Enjoy!

Prep Time 10 minutes                                 Cook Time 18-20 minutes                    Serves 6

Hopping over with my Sweet Cupcakes to these Fa-BOO-lous parties:

The Wondering Brain, Cheerios and Lattes, Or So She Says, It's Overflowing, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Suburbs Mama, Twig Studios, Nifty Thrifty Things, Flamingo Toes, Navy Wifey Peters, Spatulas on Parade, VMG206, Titi Crafty, Cookin' For the Seven Dwarfs, Who Needs a Cape, Summer's Scraps, Twelve O' Eight, The Velvet Moon Baker, Your Homebased Mom, My Mixing Spoon, Bowdabra, Caft-O-Maniac, The Chicken Chick, This Gal Cooks, Cupcake-n-Bake, A Pinch of Joy, Jembellish, Keep It Simple, Alderberry Hill, DIY Home Sweet Home, Say Not Sweet Anne. Lines Across, Flour Me with Love, Under the Table and Dreaming, Ms. enPlace, Between Naps on The Porch, Rain on a Tin Roof, The PandP Kitchen, The Tumbleweed Contessa, Claire Justine oxox, Cozy Little House, Made in a Day, The Blackberry Vine, Mad Skills, Love Grows Wild, Home Stories A to Z, Table for 7, Ladybug Blessings, I Gotta Create, Chef In Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Nap-Time Creations, A Southern Fairy Tale, Huckleberry Love, Jam Hands, Not Just a Housewife, This and That, Ducks 'n a Row, Lady Behind the Curtain, Made to be a Momma, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, The Shady Porch, My Girlish Whims, Crystal and Co, The Well Crafted Home, The Everyday Home, Kitchen Meets Girl, Thank You Honey, The Trendy Treehouse, Dream a Little Bigger, Smart School House, White Lights on Wednesday, Polkadots on Parade, Real Housewives of Riverton, SNAP, 733 Blog, This Silly Girl's Life, Someday Crafts, We Like to Learn as We Go, Memories by the Mile, The 36th Avenue, 52 Mantels, Sweet Haute, a Handful of Everything, Katherine's Corner, The Mandatory Mooch, What's Cooking Love, Lamberts Lately, The Crafty Blog Stlaker, Live Laugh Rowe, Gingerly Made, Brambleberry Cottage, Recipes for my boys, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, The Answer is Chocolate, My Turn (for Us), Simply Sweet Home,Living Better Together, The Pink Junkie, Tidy Mom, Just Us Four, Home Maid Simple, Dear Creatives, Diana Rambles, 504 Main, Tatertots and Jello, A Little Claireification, Angels Homestead, Six Sisters Stuff, Be Different Act Normal, Delish

My Hand Will Go On Halloween Meatloaf Recipe

Hola Amigos! Today sharing a macabre twist on a favorite of most, Meatloaf...one thing though...after today, I'm not quite sure you will look at this dish the same way!
We all have meatloaf recipes. I don't have a particular one...is one of those meals that you put together as you go and with whatever you find at hand!

As I've said before, everything you cook on everyday basis could be transformed into the spookiest looking dish ever. It just takes a little patience and imagination. (Noticed the bent fingers on this creepy pic) lol

My little one was all hands on when it came to prepare it! And things got even better when he got the chance to literally pull the finger of the meatloaf and have a bite!

My hand here even has a bone...oh yeah...for those of you who like eggs in your meatloaf! They have the perfect color and even come with marrow..yikes!

I know you are probably thinking what the heart has to do with anything...well...I was just trying to give the meatloaf something to grab on while in the oven.

Cooking is about having fun my friends, when you have to do it everyday of the week, you better get creative with flavors, colors and even shapes when possible. Have a Happy day and Bon Appetit (if you can, lol) and remember everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

My Hand Will Go On Halloween Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Groud Beef ( I use 90/10)

3/4 Cup Mild Chunky style Salsa

1/2 Cup Onion and Garlic Refried Beans (or any other you have handy)

1 egg (slightly beaten) 

2 small bags of Doritos Cool Ranch Crushed

2 Coocked Eggs

salt and pepper to taste

4 Slices on Bacon cut in little 1 inch squares.

For skin texture

1 Cup Ketchup + 1/2 Cup BBQ

1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard + 1/4 Cup Honey Mustard Dressing 

Directions:

Pre Heat Oven at 365

To make the meatloaf mix beef , salsa, refried beans, slightly beaten egg, salt and pepper and crushed Doritos. Once is mixed. Place the mix on a parchment covered cookie sheet. and shape it as a hand if you choose to do this particular one, using yours as the model, Manipulate it at little into fingers, hand, Radius and Ulna (not much, just a little bit of these last). To make the Radius and Ulna make an indentation on the meat mold and place the eggs in this indentation one next to the other. Cover them with more of the beef mix.

Cover hand with little bacon squares.

Cover the entire hand with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Once the 45 minutes are done, pull it out, remove aluminum foil brush your hand with a mix of ketchup and bbq sauce. After is all covered, brush very lightly on the Mustard mix. 

Place back in the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Serve on a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Prep time 20 minutes                   Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes                          Serves 6-8

Sharing my Creepy Meatloaf at these Fa-Boo-lous Parties:

Real Housewives of Riverton, Maid in a Day, SNAP, All She Cooks, The Everyday Home, Real Coake, Made to be a Momma, Sew Much Ado, White Lights on Wednesday, Pink Recipe Box, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Glitter, Glue and Paint, The Shady Porch, Creative Geekery, The Brambleberry Cottage, Artsy Fartsy Mama, Living Well Spending Less, My Turn (for Us), The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, Tidy Mom, Home Maid Simple, One Tough Mother, 504 Main, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, Happy Hour Project, Living Better Together, Food Done Light, Dear Creatives, The Wondering Brain, Cheerios and Lattes,Or So She Says, It's Overflowing, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Suburbs Mama, Twig Studios, Nifty Thrifty Things, Flamingo Toes, Navy Wifey Peters, Spatulas on Parade, VMG206, Titi Crafty, Cooking For the Seven Dwarfs, Who Needs a Cape, Summer's Scraps, Twelve' O Eight, The Velvet Moon Baker, Your Homebased Mom, My Mixing Spoon, Bowdabra, Craft-O-Maniac, The Chicken Chick, This Gal Cooks, Cupcake-n-Bake, A Pinch of Joy, Jembllish, Boogieboard Cottage, Keep It Simple, Alderberry Hill, DIY Home Sweet Home, Say Not Sweet Anne, Lines Across, Flour Me With Love, Under the Table and Dreaming, Ms. enPlace, Between Naps on The Porch, Rain on a Tin Roof, The PandP Kitchen, The Tumbleweed Contessa, Claire Justine oxox, Cozy Little House, The Blackberry Vine, Mad Skills, Love Grows Wild, Home Stories A to Z, Hun...what's for Dinner, Table for 7, LadyBug Blessings, I Gotta Create, Chef In Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Nap Time-Creations, A Southern Fairytale, Huckleberry Love, Jam Hands, Not just a Housewife, This and That, Ducks 'n a Row, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Dessert Now, Dinner Later, Made from Pinterst, Call Me PMc, Frugal Foodie Mama, Foodie Friends Friday