Chocolate Pecan Pie
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, homemade or frozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a double boiler melt chocolate and margarine. Let cool slightly. Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate mixture, and vanilla; stir until well blended. Mix in pecans.
Set pie shell on heavy-duty baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until knife inserted midway between center and rim comes out clean.
Cool pie on wire rack to room temperature before cutting.

Directions 
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit and spice mixture.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, homemade or frozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a double boiler melt chocolate and margarine. Let cool slightly. Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl. Add sugar, corn syrup, chocolate mixture, and vanilla; stir until well blended. Mix in pecans.
Set pie shell on heavy-duty baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until knife inserted midway between center and rim comes out clean.
Cool pie on wire rack to room temperature before cutting.

Directions
In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper and onion.
In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
Stir avocados into the mixture before serving.

Not able to celebrate Halloween?  Try a Fall Harvest Party instead!

Halloween Classroom Party Invitations

Set the mood for your party with invitations that will give the children a sneak preview of your ghoulish plans, and you’ll be assured that no-one will want to miss the fun. Typically, an invite for a classroom party at school consists of two lines in a teacher’s newsletter. As room parent, or party organizer, delight the children and parents alike by sending real invitations home this year. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the response! If you are sending out traditional paper or imprinted invites, consider sprinkling some black bat Halloween confetti inside.

As an alternative, consider attaching a computer generated or hand written tag to a flashlight, a ghost pop (for directions – check the Halloween craft tips section), a mini witch’s hat, a plastic molded mask, a glow bracelet, or a mini headstone. Visit our Halloween store for lots of options: Use your imagination! Use curling ribbon, satin ribbon, yarn or pipe cleaners to attach. Some theme suggestions: “Boo Bash”, “Boo-Ware: We’ll be having a frighteningly good time!”, “Monster Bash”, “A Ghoulish Gathering”, or “Party at the Pumpkin Patch”.

Halloween Party Music

Never did a night call for music and monstrous sounds like Halloween. Fewer things will give you a bigger special effect for the money than dreadful noises…howls, shrieks, and things that go bump in the night. The sound effects will set the right tone, and give guests an instant creepy feeling. If you want something a little less “authentic”, or don’t want to frighten the littlest goblins, purchase a CD compilation of Halloween favorites at a discount department store such as Wal-Mart. Look for big hits such as “Monster Mash”, “Ghostbusters”, and “Twilight Zone”.

Halloween Room Party Decorations

There are TONS of great large and small props, haunted house decorations, yard signs, door covers, budget priced centerpieces, tableware, favors and more in our Halloween store. Here are a few extra tips for pulling your ghoulish look together for the biggest impact. Most will work whether your party location is indoors or outdoors, or whether you are decorating a gymnasium, a classroom, or a haunted house.

Cut white 60″ gossamer into different ghost shapes, creating the ghouls only from their tummies to their heads. Be creative and cut different sizes out, but try to make the arms quite long. They can be about 4 feet in length if you are going to use them in a home or 10/15 feet long if you are using them in a room with high ceilings and doorframes. Hang the ghosts upside down from doorways, or scattered across a ceiling. Because the gossamer is so lightweight, the ghosts can be attached with pushpins or with a little masking tape. They’ll billow with any breeze at all, and create a delightfully frightening effect. A guaranteed hit!

To create a haunted house, darken a bright and cheerful room to set the right mood, or to make a space feel more intimate and spooky, our black gossamer is the answer. The gossamer drapes and hangs so easily, it is ideal to use if you are attempting to divide an area into smaller sections for a haunted house effect. A clothesline strung strategically across the ceiling provides the ideal way to hang the gossamer. Start with a black light, a strobe light, and some graveyard gates and tombstones. Add lots of spider webs (we even have some that glow in the dark), some monsters and mummies dressed to frighten your guests, creepy sound effects, and some disgusting body parts to touch in the dark. Here are a few suggestions for some easy but revolting body parts: thick bologna – monster tongue, cooked spaghetti – intestines, pickles – knobby toes, eyeballs – peeled hard-boiled eggs, bowl of Jell-O™ – brain). EEEK…The best haunted house your guests have ever dared to visit!

Hang twisty balloon spiders, and ghost “spooks” down from the ceiling at varying lengths with fishing line or thread. Accent tables with plenty of spider webbing, and creepy Crawlies.

When decorating tables in a classroom, start with colored plastic table covers in black, orange, green or purple. Green and purple together accented with a little orange make a great combination, and a nice change from the traditional black and orange. If you are planning a party for little ones who may be afraid of witches, devils or ghosts, make the decorating more festive than scary. Try using some of our snack or craft ideas as table decorations, then you’ll only need to sprinkle a little bat confetti, some clip-on crawlie spiders, or some mini witch’s hats down the center of the table.

For an original touch on your Halloween tables, use a paint pen (available at craft and art supply stores) to draw little random dots on the handles of plastic cutlery. Utilize colors that coordinate with your decorating scheme. Tie the plastic flatware together with floral or satin ribbon…big impact at a little price!

Never underestimate the power of decorating with balloons. Balloons can turn any space into a creepy, cozy space in minutes at a very low cost. You need not use helium, and will save money using this tip. Inflate Halloween related balloons, and tie a 5-8 foot piece of black or orange curling ribbon to the end of each one. Using scotch tape, masking tape, or straight pins, hang balloons down from the ceiling so they hang at different lengths. Curl the loose end of the ribbon with scissors. Group a bunch of them together over a serving table, over a doorway, or in any creative manner you choose.

Halloween Room Party Activities & Crafts

COSTUME PARADE AND CONTEST – If you are planning a party at school, organizing a costume parade is always a big hit. Be sure to award prizes in lots of different categories so that everyone is a winner. Some category ideas…most colorful, most creative, scariest, best makeup, sweetest, creepiest, etc. For prizes, award easy to make Boo-tiful medals to all the contestants. Cover unwrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups™ with 4″ black foil squares (available at baking and craft supply stores). Cut ¾” width satin or floral ribbon into 28″ lengths. Glue the two cut edges together, then glue the covered “medal” to the bottom of the cut edges.

TWISTY SPIDERS – The big hit of any Halloween party. Our 36″ monster-sized spiders come with directions and are easy to assemble. You may want to have a few extra adults on hand, so that younger children can finish this “craft” in a timely manner.

MASK MANIA – To prevent sugar overload, take some time during your party to decorate simple masks with pipe cleaners, scraps of felt, fake hair, plastic bugs, fake fingers, plastic spiders, eyeballs, rhinestones or stickers.

COOKIE MONSTERPIECE – This activity doubles as a snack, as children decorate their own sugar cookies. Have a station set up with plenty of sugar cookies cut out in Halloween shapes, on individual plates, along with different colors of frosting, sprinkles, candy corn, and other goodies. This has worked equally well with 2 year-old preschoolers and with 5th graders.

PAINTED PUMPKINS – Purchase one mini pumpkin or gourd for each child, and using tempera paints or paint pens, and let each child personalize a pumpkin.

FACE PAINTING – Some schools do not allow students to wear costumes. Instead, host a hat parade, and treat the kids to some fun, colorful face paint!

FRIGHTFUL FRAMES – For each child, you’ll need a clear plastic acrylic frame, a supply of clip-on Crawlies and some tacky glue. Glue the spiders to the outside edge of the frame, and allow time for the glue to dry. Our acrylic frames (check out our Personalized Favors & Gifts Store) can be imprinted with your special message for as little as $1.75/frame. Large quantities are even less expensive. The Polaroid™ Pop-Shots camera provides a terrific way to take pictures at a party, and allow children to take home a frame filled with a creepy picture to give as a gift. (Ages 3-12)

MONSTER PAWS – Using plastic gloves, purchased at beauty supply stores or the deli counter, stick one piece of candy corn at the tip of each finger. Fill the glove with pre-popped popcorn, and tie with curling ribbon, yarn or with a pipe cleaner. Add a little tag with a message, and the hand can be used as a party invitation, table decoration, or favor

CREEPY CRAWLIE POP – For each pop, you’ll need 2 black pipe cleaners, 2 wiggly eyes, 1 Tootsie Pop™, and a 4″X4″ piece of black foil or black tissue. Wrap the black foil around the sucker, leaving the existing wrapper in place. Cut the black pipe cleaners in half, then center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick, so that there are four legs on each side. Bend the pipe cleaners to resemble legs, then glue wiggly eyes in place. This is an easy craft idea, or a great little favor.

BUGS ON A LOG – This extra-easy to make treat is a fun activity for little children, and then can be instantly consumed. Ingredients: Pretzel Rods, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chips. Dip pretzel rod into peanut butter, (about half of the pretzel should be covered), and then roll in chocolate chips. If you are allowing the children to participate, it is easiest to give each of them a plate with their own portion of ingredients on it. They’ll enjoy the making as much as the tasty eating!

Halloween Classroom Party Games

When planning parties for younger children (under 10), or if you are working with a limited amount of time, we recommend you divide your activities into “stations”. Recruit enough parents/helpers to work at each station, and divide the children into small groups—four to five in each group works best. Have the party guests spend no more than 10-15 minutes at a station, then blow a whistle, ring a chime, or give an eerie yell, and have everyone rotate.

Choose a couple of games, a craft, and then read an age appropriate Halloween book to the group while the snack is being prepared. Always plan two or three extra games or an extra craft just in case you finish faster than anticipated.

EYEBALL RELAY – Before the party you will need to purchase at least 12 Ping-Pong balls. Using permanent markers, draw irises, pupils, and bloodshot veins on the balls. Divide your group into two teams. Players race around a specific course with a heaping pile of “eyeballs” (at least six), before handing them off to a teammate. Dropped balls must be retrieved before the handoff. The first team to complete the course wins. (Ages 5 and up—you may want to give players over the age of 12 more eyeballs to carry)

BOBBING FOR APPLES – This simple game, involving a water-filled tub brimming with floating apples, is a timeless, but forgotten favorite. Most of us enjoyed this game as children at school and church functions, and it will still delight children today, as does any game involving water. (Ages 4-12)

PIN THE WART ON THE WITCH – Borrowing from the concept of the tried and true game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, we suggest a fun game of Pin the Wart on the Witch. Draw a witch’s face on a piece of poster board, or use our Witch Corner Creep. Use little balls of green Play-Doh ™ or paper cutouts as the warts. Blindfold each participant as his/her turn arrives, spin, point in the right direction, and watch your wicked witch become even more wartful! (All ages)

WHICH WITCH WILL WIN? – Divide the guests into two equal teams. Create two starting lines with masking tape, and place two pumpkins about 10-15 yards away. Line the teams up with the “witch’s wardrobe” at the starting line. At the signal to begin, the first player on each team quickly dresses up, runs the course, and then returns the wardrobe to the next player. The first team to complete the course wins. A witch’s cape, black hat, broomstick, and fake wart will lead to some bone shakin’ fun. (Ages 4-10)

PUMPKIN PINATA – The biggest hit of any party involving children…a party piñata. Check out The pumpkin!

CHAIN GHOST STORY – Have everyone sit in a circle. Have the first participant make up a few lines of a scary ghost tale, and then “pass” the story along to the next person. The next person adds a few lines, and then passes the story along, until all guests have participated. You might want to start this one yourself, give some examples (”It was a dark, blustery night. The moon was hidden behind some threatening storm clouds. The only sound you could hear was the wind howling through the trees.”), or choose the most confident child to start. The kids will warm up quickly to the idea and surprise you with their creativity. Without the participants knowing, tape the telling of the story and then play it back for them right away. They’ll laugh even harder and enjoy it more the second time around. For older children, provide a flashlight, turn off the lights, and have the storyteller shine the flashlight under his/her face as they tell their portion of the ghost story. Spine tingling fun! (Ages 7-12)

REVERSE TRICK OR TREAT GAME – Give each player a bag or goodie box with 10 pieces of candy in it. Have bags labeled with players’ names, so they don’t get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the following words:

Halloween, Candy, Witch, Party, Ghost, Pumpkin

To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a piece of candy from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of candy at the end of the game is the winner! (Ages 7 – 12)

DANGLING DONUTS – Another old favorite. Simply attach donuts to long pieces of string, and hang them down from a clothesline, so the donuts are dangling at about chin height to the average participant. The object of the game is to see who can consume their swinging donut in the shortest amount of time. A little messy, but fun and delicious. (Ages 5-12)

RING AROUND THE PUMPKIN – In this version of ring-toss, paint point values on 3 to 4 pumpkins of varying sizes. Arrange them with the highest score farthest from the starting line. Players stand on the line and try to toss a hula-hoop around a pumpkin. Each player is given three to four tries depending on the amount of time available, and the player with the highest score wins. (Ages 4-10)

WITCH’S BREW – Cut ten pieces of paper in Halloween related shapes, such as ghosts, bats, pumpkins, or spiders. The shapes need to be about the size of a Ritz™ cracker. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl or witch’s cauldron. Have straws available for each player, along with a stopwatch, or a watch with a second hand. Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up the shapes and drop them into the cauldron. The player with the fastest time wins. (Ages 6-12)

OOZING EYEBALL – Using a peeled hard-boiled egg as your “oozing eyeball”, play this Halloween variation on the classic Hot Potato game. Have players sit in a circle, and pass the oozing eyeball until the music or menacing howls stop. The player left holding the eyeball when the music stops is out. Keep passing the egg until only one player is left. (Ages 4-9)

MUMMY WRAP – Divide guests into teams of two and give each team a roll of toilet paper. Signal the start of the game, and have one person wrap the other with the toilet paper. The team that finishes wrapping the mummy first wins, but remember that the entire roll must be used! (Ages 6-Adult)

Halloween Room Party Snack Ideas

The following snacks are easy to make, and many are simple enough for children to make. Some can do double duty, and work well as table decorations or crafts…and then can be gobbled by your goblins.

MONSTER PAWS – Using plastic gloves, purchased at beauty supply stores or the deli counter, stick one piece of candy corn at the tip of each finger. Fill the glove with pre-popped popcorn, and tie with curling ribbon, yarn or with a pipe cleaner. Add a little tag with a message, and the hand can be used as a party invitation, table decoration, or favor.

BUGS ON A LOG – This extra-easy to make treat is a fun activity for little children, and then can be instantly consumed. Ingredients: Pretzel Rods, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chips. Dip pretzel rod into peanut butter, (about half of the pretzel should be covered), and then roll in chocolate chips. If you are allowing the children to participate, it is easiest to give each of them a plate with their own portion of ingredients on it. They’ll enjoy the making as much as the tasty eating!

CREEPY CRAWLIE POP – For each pop, you’ll need 2 black pipe cleaners, 2 wiggly eyes, 1 Tootsie Pop™, and a 4″X4″ piece of black foil or black tissue. Wrap the black foil around the sucker, leaving the existing wrapper in place. Cut the black pipe cleaners in half, then center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick, so that there are four legs on each side. Bend the pipe cleaners to resemble legs, then glue wiggly eyes in place. This is an easy craft idea, or a great little favor.

GHOST SUCKERS – To make these easy treats you’ll need 1-12 oz. Package of white chocolate chips, 12 Popsicle sticks, and 24 mini chocolate chips. Melt the chips in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring at 20-second intervals. Spoon melted mixture into a ziplock bag. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper, and place the Popsicle sticks on the paper at least 2″ apart. When the mixture feels warm instead of hot, snip a small hole off one corner, and squeeze approximately 2 tablespoons onto each stick, smoothing the mixture with a knife. Add two chocolate chips for eyes, and refrigerated until hardened.

CRISPY POP – To make 16 pops, you’ll need 1-12 oz. bag of Nestle’s TollHouse Chocolate Chips™, 16 ready made Crispy Treats (or make your own if you have the time—cut into 2 ½” X 4″ pieces), 16 pretzel rods, and some Halloween colored sprinkles. Cutting little holes with a knife, stick the pretzel rods into the narrow end of the Crispy Treats. Melt the entire bag of chocolate chips for one minute in the microwave, and stir. Dip the end of the “pop” into the melted chocolate, then sprinkle with festive sprinkles. Set pops on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper, and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. If you will be using these as take home favors, or sending them to school, cover the crispy treat portion with plastic wrap and tie with satin or curling ribbon.

FROZEN MONSTER HANDS – Fill plastic or latex gloves with red, purple or green punch, and either knot or fasten the end tightly with a twist-tie. Gloves can be purchased at most beauty supply stores, or deli counters. In a pinch, if you are visiting the doctor’s office between now and Halloween, most are willing to spare a few. Place wax paper on a cookie sheet, and place “hands” on the cookie sheet. Freeze. When the hands are frozen solid, carefully use scissors to cut gloves away. Float the monster hands in a cauldron of punch. Your punch should be a different color for maximum fright effect!

TASTY PLACE CARDS – Bake sugar cookies in the shape of rectangles, and let cool. With colored gel or frosting, write the names of party guests on the cookies, and decorate as desired. A miniature Snickers™ bar attached with frosting will make the cookie stand. This is a great table decoration, and a nice personal touch for a small group or classroom of children.

DEAD TREES – With scissors, cut one end of a black or chocolate flavored licorice stick to make the trunk and branches. Push the other end through a hole in the bottom of a peanut butter cup. Use chocolate frosting to cement the tree in place.

BROWNIE SPIDER WEB – Using a 10″ tart pan with a removable bottom, or a 12″ pizza pan, bake one package of brownie mix according to the directions on the box. After the brownie cools completely, frost with one container of ready-to-spread vanilla frosting. Draw a spiraling circle on the frosted brownie with black gel frosting. Starting in the center of the brownie, “pull” a toothpick out to the edge of the pan to create the web effect. Garnish the web with one of our clip-on crawlie spiders. When you are serving this snack, have enough spiders on hand, so that you can add one to each plate. This same concept works equally well with individual cupcakes.

HAUNTED TREE Bake and decorate Halloween shaped sugar cookies, such as pumpkins, ghosts or bats. The ready-made Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough™ can be rolled and used to make cutouts if your time is limited. Put each individual cookie into a little plastic baggie (not zip variety), and tie with orange or black curling ribbon. Find a good-sized tree branch, tie the cookies with curling ribbon to the branches, and you’ll have a boo-tiful centerpiece! For a truly special effect, add twinkle lights to the branches before adding the cookies.

For many parents, one of the most frightening thoughts about Halloween is all the sugar and junk food their children will be consuming. Try the following healthier snacks, or mix a couple in with the creepy goodies listed above:

RITZY BITZY SPIDERS – Ritz™ crackers, peanut butter, pretzel sticks and raisins…all you’ll need to create these creepy little critters. Spread one cracker with peanut butter. Break four pretzels in half for each spider, and add pretzel “legs” to the first cracker. Spread peanut butter on a second cracker, and place the peanut butter side down on the pretzel legs. Attach raisins with peanut butter, and…eeeek, your spider is ready to be consumed!

WITCH’S BROOMSTICK – For this easy and healthy snack, you will need pretzel sticks, and a block of “orange” cheese. Most children enjoy mild cheddar. Slice cheese so that you are working with a piece that is ½” thick. Using a sharp knife, cut cheese into the shape of the base of a broom. Scrape with a serrated edge to give the appearance of bristles, then add the pretzel stick to the top as the handle. The cheese is so easy to cut with cookie cutters—try cutting out little pumpkin shapes and bats too!

SEVERED FINGERS – Using peanut butter as “glue”, attach a slivered almond to the tip of an uncooked baby carrot.

SANDWITCH CUTOUTS – Make sandwiches using favorite ingredients, and cutout full-sized Halloween cookie cutter shapes. For ghost shapes, use white bread, and add raisin eyes. For bats, witch hats or monsters, try pumpernickel. Green olives, little pieces of carrots, or chocolate chips make gruesomely good eyes.

Shop for Children’s Halloween Costumes

Find all the Halloween Party Supplies, Decorations and favors for your Halloween Party!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee
Ingredients:
10 ounces medium roast brewed coffee
1 ounce godiva chocolate liqueur
1 ounce hazelnut-flavored liqueur
sugar (optional)
Directions:
1 Also required: 12 ounces wine, glass preheated.
2 Pour hot coffee in the heated wine glass and
3 Stir in the two liqueurs and sugar if using.

Zucchini Logs
Ingredients:
5 regular sized zucchini
1 (6 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheese, like Taco blend
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope vegetable soup mix
Directions:
1 In a bowl, combine cream cheese, soup mix and shredded cheese.
2 Set aside.
3 Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet.
4 Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut them in half, lengthwise.
5 With a teaspoon, gut the zucchini (not all the way to the skin), making sure to leave a little bit of flesh at the skinny tip of the squash.
6 You want there to be enough room that you can stuff the zucchini, but you want to have more than filler and skin.
7 Fill the zucchini halves with the cheese mixture. (Don’t be afraid to really stuff them.).
8 Place zucchini on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
9 After cooking, you may leave them in the oven to remain warm, but note that they will continue to brown on top

Cheese Straws
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons butter (14 tablespoons), room temperature
3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, more or less
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
1. Put the butter and cheese in the container of a food processor. Add the flour, salt, cayenne, and Worcestershire. Cover and blend thoroughly. If a food processor is not used, put the flour, salt and cayenne in a bowl. Add the butter, cheese, and Worcestershire, and using two knives or a pastry blender, blend thoroughly. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 300°.
3. Roll small amounts of dough into a long tube about the width of a straw and cut in desired lengths. Or, roll dough out on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness, cut into strips, and gently twist. Arrange the strips on 1 or 2 ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated 300° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the straws are crisp and lightly browned. Remove and let cool.
Tip: If you roll them into straw shapes, use a flat block or flat wide dish bottom to roll them uniformly. Makes about 5 to 6 dozen.

Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup corn flake crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup minced onions
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (16 ounces) cranberry sauce, jellied or
whole cranberry sauce
12 ounces chili sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, corn flake crumbs, parsley, eggs, ketchup, onion, soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Blend ingredients well and form into small balls, about 3/4-inch in diameter. Place in a casserole or baking pan. Heat oven to 300°.
2. While meatballs are cooking, combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture is blended. Pour hot sauce over meatballs in casserole. Bake for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs. Transfer to crockpot and keep on LOW for serving.
3. Makes 4 to 5 dozen meatballs, depending on size.

More great Holiday Recipes

For appetizers, you could do something as simple as salsa and chips. Get different types of chips — blue and black tortilla chips, flavored tortilla chips (including lime) that would be fun. Serve them in a Sombrero chip & dip holder! Have an assortment of salsas — some mild, some spicy, etc. Serve nachos, a bean dip and a cheese dip.

Serve rolled-up tortillas filled with different fillings. A cream cheese/salsa mixture would be good — spread the mixture onto the tortilla, roll it up, cover and place it in the fridge. A few hours later, cut the rolled tortilla into 1-2″ slices. Of course, you will have to serve guacamole. Fajitas, quesadillas, refried beans and Mexican rice would be super for your entree. Be sure to have both beef and chicken fajitas, and veggie fajitas, to accommodate all tastes.

If you are having adults, you may want to serve margaritas. For non-alcoholic beverages, offer non-alcoholic margaritas, a non-alcoholic sangria punch, non-alcoholic beer, soda and sparkling water garnished with lime slices.

The first 2 recipes are from Kraft Foods… yummy! 

Mexican Cheddar Bean Salad
makes 8 cups
1 can (16 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 can (16 oz.) navy or great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
6 oz. KRAFT 2% Milk Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1 Tbsp. lime juice 1
2 lettuce leaves TOSS all ingredients except lettuce in large bowl. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. SERVE on lettuce-lined plates.

Frozen Cinco De Mayo Dessert
makes 24 servings

61 NILLA Wafers, divided 
1 cup BAKER’S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut, toasted 
1/2 cup PLANTERS Almonds, toasted, finely chopped 
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted 
1 qt. (4 cups) lime sherbet, softened 
1 qt. (4 cups) orange sherbet, softened 
1 qt. (4 cups) raspberry sherbet, softened PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Finely crush 37 of the wafers. Mix wafer crumbs, coconut, almonds and butter until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned; cool.

SPREAD layers of each of the different flavored sherbets over cooled crust, freezing each layer until firm before topping with the next layer. 

FREEZE at least 4 hours. Remove from freezer about 10 min. before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Cut into 24 squares. Top each with 1 of the remaining 24 wafers just before serving. Store any leftover dessert in freezer. 

Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Cream Sauce 
From  SouthernLiving  

1 (16-ounce) container nonfat sour cream
2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 avocado, chopped
8 (8-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Whisk together sour cream, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon. Add 1 1/2 cups water, stirring until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired; chop. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; add orange juice and shrimp, turning to coat. Cover or seal, and chill 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade.

Sauté garlic in hot olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Serve with sour cream mixture and avocado in warm tortillas.

Garden Sangría 
From  Southern Living

1 gallon dry white wine
2 cups brandy
1 cup orange liqueur
4 oranges, sliced
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
1 (1-liter) bottle club soda, chilled
1 quart whole strawberries
2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
 Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, strawberries, red seedless grapes, orange and lime wedges

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large container; cover and chill 8 hours.
Add club soda and next 3 ingredients just before serving; serve sangria over ice, if desired. Garnish, if desired.
* Ginger ale may be substituted for club soda.

More great Cinco De Mayo recipes can be found here

Chicken Enchilada Dip

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 (16 ounce) jar mayonnaise
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken breast halves on a medium baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from heat, cool and shred.

Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl, and mix in cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper. Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 avocados – peeled, pitted and diced

Directions
In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper and onion.
In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
Stir avocados into the mixture before serving. 

Enjoy your Cinco De Mayo party with family and friends. Enjoy!

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1. Clean mushrooms & remove stems (they can also be chopped & put into the sour cream mixture) Mix sour cream, bacon bits, chives,& grated cheese.
2. Using a spoon, stuff the mushrooms.
3. Place small bit of Mozzarella on top… Bake for 10-15 min on 400 then to brown the cheese if you want you can broil them.

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Tags: recipes,appetizers,stuffed mushrooms,mushroom recipes,party recipes

Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor, blend cheese and butter until well blended. Add flour, paprika, and cayenne and process until smooth. Pat the olives dry. Wrap each olive in approx. 1 teaspoon of the dough mixture from the first step. Pinch any cracks to seal. Roll into ball shape and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Beat egg and cream until well blended. Brush egg onto the tops of the dough balls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until just golden in color, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. Makes 48 nuggets.

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