Halloween Decor 2011 Ideas

I know I am way behind the decorating curve, but since I just got back into town last week, I am just barely decorating for Halloween.  I was looking around for some fun ideas and here are some that I found:

Of course Pottery Barn always has great ideas and I loved these:

And as they say... "Put a bird on it!"

Well, and if you can't put a bird on it, why not a bat!  I love this idea:

And I think this picture from Country Living has been around awhile, but I still totally love the idea, how fun would this be for a Halloween party!  ...Man I wish I had a fireplace, but hopefully soon!

Forget the pumpkins, I want these caramel apples, and I don't even really like to eat caramel apples.

(also from Country Living)

I love this idea from Sunset for drinks at a Halloween party!  Where can I get one of these glass flanks, (ha just did a Google search and found some!)

Here is a set of 5 of those for $21.00 bucks, I don't know how big they are but they would be a cute Halloween decor grouping anyway!  I haven't bought these, so hopefully they are a good product?!

Um, I love these little black pumpkin cats... probably because I have a black cat!

Love this from Country Living, it is fun but not crazy!

I don't like spiders much, but I do like these cakes!

Note to self, buy a mini Bundt pan, they are so stinking cute!

Okay that is it for now, which idea is your favorite?!

Remodelaholic is written by Cassity and Justin. Cassity has a degree in interior design and Justin is a landscape architect, so we adore everything that makes up a HOME! We love to share home remodeling ideas and projects we’re working on. From huge kitchen renovation ideas to small bathroom remodels, there isn’t anything we won’t try to tackle (at least once!). We are in the midst of our third whole home renovation, (check out house 1 and house 2 as well, so there should be a lot more inspiration coming your way. We hope that you will stop by often for home design inspiration, tutorials, interior design tips, delicious recipes and what going on in our family life.

Read more...

Pumpkin Roll and Recipe Link Up Party

Okay, I thought that it was time to add another festive recipe to the mix..nothing earth shattering, just a pumpkin roll.  But technically I have had this recipe for 9 years, and I think I have only made it once ( I got it at a church activity)  So I thought it was time to give it another go!

image source

Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup nuts (optional)

Filling:
1 cup Powdered Sugar
4 oz softened cream cheese
4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp vanilla or lemon extract

Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare a 15 x 10 cookie sheet, by lining with wax or parchment paper, spray with cooking spray.  Prepare a thin kitchen towel by sprinkling powered sugar over the top.

Beat eggs for several minutes.  Slowly add 1 cup sugar.  Add pumpkin, combine,  add lemon juice and combine.

In another bowl combine dry ingredients flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Fold dry ingredient into wet, until just combined  Pour onto waved paper on cookie sheet spread evenly over sheet.  Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Turn cake out onto sugared towel and roll up like a jelly roll.  Allow to cool.

Prepare filling mixture.  Un-roll cake spread mixture over it and re-roll.  Place in fridge and cool.

ALSO, I had to try and change it up a bit!  Chocolate Ganache I thought would do the trick?  Yes, because any excuse to add chocolate to a desert is probably valid... at least in my mind.

An hour or so before you are ready to serve, place roll on serving dish and top with chocolate ganache.  Allow chocolate to harden a bit before serving!

image source

Remodelaholic is written by Cassity and Justin. Cassity has a degree in interior design and Justin is a landscape architect, so we adore everything that makes up a HOME! We love to share home remodeling ideas and projects we’re working on. From huge kitchen renovation ideas to small bathroom remodels, there isn’t anything we won’t try to tackle (at least once!). We are in the midst of our third whole home renovation, (check out house 1 and house 2 as well, so there should be a lot more inspiration coming your way. We hope that you will stop by often for home design inspiration, tutorials, interior design tips, delicious recipes and what going on in our family life.

Read more...

Paper Plate Skeleton; Kids Craft!

Well, I am sorta  late with this post... I have been trying to carve out (notice the Halloween pun, huh?- Good one!) the time to make this for weeks, but it just hasn't happened until tonight.  I got the idea from my friend Michelle last year who has made these since she was a kid.  And she was nice enough to email me the instructions, thank you Michelle!

I thought it would be fun to make with Etta... She loved drawing around her feet and hands, but that is about as far as she went... and then she wanted to play outside.. Oh, well I tired!

But I did manage to finish one...

Beware scary pictures ahead 

(and I don't mean the skeleton, I mean the make-up-less grease ball... me!)

Here is my messy work surface.  We were having family night, and Etta got a Chocolate Carrot Cake Cupcake, once the frosting was gone she lost interest and decided to throw it up in the air a few times for good measure.  Just sorta makes me laugh!

Now you can tie the joints together with string or twine, but I decided to go the lazy way and just staple them together, where I wanted joints to work I just linked two staples together, and bent them back on themselves...

And here it is masking taped to the closet door... our lone Halloween decoration so far this year... Oh well at least it is something, I plan on getting te rest out soon.  (I guess I did buy some orange roses for cheap, and they are very festive!)

Here is the pattern:

Let me know if you make it!

Remodelaholic is written by Cassity and Justin. Cassity has a degree in interior design and Justin is a landscape architect, so we adore everything that makes up a HOME! We love to share home remodeling ideas and projects we’re working on. From huge kitchen renovation ideas to small bathroom remodels, there isn’t anything we won’t try to tackle (at least once!). We are in the midst of our third whole home renovation, (check out house 1 and house 2 as well, so there should be a lot more inspiration coming your way. We hope that you will stop by often for home design inspiration, tutorials, interior design tips, delicious recipes and what going on in our family life.

Other Great Halloween Posts:

Paper Mouse Cutouts - Halloween 2011

Star Trek Costume from 2010

Festive Halloween Dinner; Dinner in a Pumpkin

No Bake Halloween Skeleton Cookies

Spooky Candlestick DIY Project

Read more...

Candy Corn Decor! Getting Ready for Halloween!

Did you guys see the adorable candy corn cones Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick made?  

 I LOVE them.... click over to see her instructions!!

P.S. If you like candy corn decor, I made some HUGE candy corn pillows two years ago... check the tutorial out if you want!  (Sorry the picture quality is so bad...)

Remodelaholic is written by Cassity and Justin. Cassity has a degree in interior design and Justin is a landscape architect, so we adore everything that makes up a HOME! We love to share home remodeling ideas and projects we’re working on. From huge kitchen renovation ideas to small bathroom remodels, there isn’t anything we won’t try to tackle (at least once!). We are in the midst of our third whole home renovation, (check out house 1 and house 2 as well, so there should be a lot more inspiration coming your way. We hope that you will stop by often for home design inspiration, tutorials, interior design tips, delicious recipes and what going on in our family life.

Read more...

Paper Mouse Cutouts - Halloween 2011

I am getting excited about Halloween, how about you?

Even though I am too busy to decorate..yet- and may be totally late this year, the way this month is flying by already, but  I thought it would be fun to show you this fun paper mouse cutout decor idea from Martha.  The best part?  You can do this with paper... just print her template here.

I was thinking this would look really cute on my new white stair risers!  What do you think?

If you like it, don't forget to pin it!

Remodelaholic is written by Cassity and Justin. Cassity has a degree in interior design and Justin is a landscape architect, so we adore everything that makes up a HOME! We love to share home remodeling ideas and projects we’re working on. From huge kitchen renovation ideas to small bathroom remodels, there isn’t anything we won’t try to tackle (at least once!). We are in the midst of our third whole home renovation, (check out house 1 and house 2 as well, so there should be a lot more inspiration coming your way. We hope that you will stop by often for home design inspiration, tutorials, interior design tips, delicious recipes and what going on in our family life.

Check out our other Halloween ideas here.

Read more...

Happy Halloween! & a Recipe Link Up!

Happy Halloween!!

Hey, I know I am really lame lately on the recipe sharing lately sorry... I really haven't been cooking anything that wonderful, if it takes longer that 10 minutes I don't make it.  And so we have had some pretty random meals lately.

So today, I thought I would show you our AWESOME (if I say so myself) Halloween costumes.  (what is up with uploading pictures on blogger, it is totally not working urgh!)

This is another one of those costumes we have been wanting to do for years.  I almost didn't do it, but since Justin and I went on our first date on Halloween, it is an important holiday for us, and I really like to go all out.

I will have a ton more images on my family blog soon I am sure, check it out if you like.

Live Long And Prosper!
Long live the Trekkies!

Our little Klingon... (I thought the name was very appropriate!)

Okay, now on to the recipes.  What have you all been cooking?

Read more...

Festive Halloween Dinner; Dinner in a Pumpkin

This recipe is technically from last year, but since we ate it after Halloween many of you missed the time to prep for the holiday so i am re-showing that post!

I had to share my dad's pumpkin!  Isn't is cool!

Justin's isn't too shabby either!  (below)

For those of you who had good intentions to carve pumpkins and bought them, but didn't quite get around to carving them, I have the recipe for you!  It is one of Justin's childhood traditions that we plan on carrying on, they call it simply Dinner in a Pumpkin! So fun.

So, clean out that pumpkin and roast the seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Clean out seeds and separate them from the stringy part.
2. In a small sauce pan, add the seeds, about 2 cups water and about a tablespoon salt.  Bring to a boil, let simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, and drain.
3. Spread on a roasting pan spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Bake on top rack (maybe 20-40 minutes) til they begin to brown.  Stir them once.  Let cool and Enjoy!

We actually cleaned the pumpkins the night before.  Then put the pumpkin in the fridge til we were ready to cook it. 

Dinner in a Pumpkin
Servings approx 6 (probably more but being conservative) 8 Weight Watchers Points per serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 small to medium pumpkin, deseeded and washed with cap on.  Place on a cookie sheet (not necessary but easier to hold onto when removing)  Begin cooking the pumpkin for approx 30 minutes.  **if you have a large pumpkin which is what we had, cook for one hour empty.

Brown in large Skillet:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs Ground Beef ( I only used 1 lb but you can add more or less)

Add and Saute till vegetables are softened:

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 onion chopped

Several large Mushrooms sliced

Add:
2 cups cooked rice (brown is best!)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup 

1 8 oz can Water Chestnuts sliced

Remove pumpkin after it has been cooking empty, add ingredients and cook until done.  30 minutes to an hour.  The goal is to have the pumpkin completely cooked, so that you can scoop some of the pumpkin out with the beef mixture.

So good!  Very fun!

Read more...