An Elegant Halloween Party -- Part 1

Halloween is my absolute most favorite holiday of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I start decorating my house in August {actually I begin by mentally decorating my house somewhere in July...}.  I plan Halloween costumes the year before and lately I’ve been DIY-ing them which is super fun and keeps me in the Halloween spirit.  

The one thing that disappoints me about Halloween is that it’s not a holiday known for it’s food.  When I google “halloween food” I’m let down when I see peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into the shape of a ghost or hot dogs wrapped in dough to look like mummies.  Let’s get a little creative!  For this Elegant Halloween Cocktail Party I decided to disguise “normal” food as creepy food, choosing appetizers that fit the Halloween holiday but were sophisticated enough to work in with the “elegant” part {example: Bacon Wrapped Roaches = Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates}.  Half of the recipes and decor will be in this post and the other half will be up on Monday!  

As far as decor tips go, the first thing I do when decorating is walk through my house with an open mind and try to use things I already have in a different way.  I have some fantastic candle holders in silver and black that I put white pumpkins on instead of candles.

To keep the price down, I hit up the dollar store and scored some pretty hideous plastic skeletons.  Nothing a little spray paint won’t fix right up!  By using a high gloss spray paint, I was able to make dingy skeletons look amazing and trendy.  

While sifting through the dollar store, I picked up some cheap wooden picture frames and went ahead and used that same high gloss black spray paint...  it completely transformed them into something fabulous!

In keeping with my “silver, black and white” color scheme, I decided to spray paint some mini pumpkins black, cut out the stems and add a tea light for a unique little candle action.

Now on to the food!

Toe Jam and Scab Pizza

{Pimento Cheese Pizza with Crispy Bacon}

1 ball pizza dough or store bought crust

1 recipe Pimento Cheese

5 slices good quality bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 450.  If using raw dough, place pizza stone in oven to heat up for 10 minutes.  Stretch dough out to fit pizza stone and bake dough for 7 to 10 minutes.  Do not let the crust start to brown.  Remove from oven.  If using a store bought pre-baked crust, place crust on pizza stone and proceed to step 2.
2. Smear the crust with a thick layer of pimento cheese and top with crumbled bacon.
3. Bake pizza for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust begins to brown.

Shrunken Head Sliders

{Tapas-Style Meatball Sliders with Sriracha Mayo and Sprouts}

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 c. ketchup

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 c. soft bread crumbs

1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

3 tsp paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1 lb. lean ground beef (90% lean)

2 1/2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1 container sprouts

slider buns

Glaze:

1 jar orange marmalade

1/4 c. orange juice

3 green onions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Sriracha Mayo:

1/2 c. light mayo

juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tbsp sriracha sauce, or to taste

1. Combine first 10 ingredients, and mix well.  Divide into 8 portions, rolling into tight meatballs.
2. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan.  Bake, uncovered at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes or until no longer pink.  In a small saucepan, heat the marmalade, orange juice, green onions and jalapeno.
3. Pour glaze over top of meatballs and stir to coat.
4. Combine all ingredients for sriracha mayo and spread one side of each slider bun with the mixture.  Place one meatball on each slider bun and top with sprouts then top of bun.  Serve.

Blood and Puss Puffs

{Brie and Raspberry Puffs}

3 tbsp raspberry jam

2 tbsp dried cranberries, finely chopped

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

3 tbsp whole grain mustard

1 (6oz) wedge brie, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.  In a small bowl, combine jam, cranberries and mustard.
2. On a floured surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into 16 x 16 inches.  Cut into four 8 inch squares.  Lightly brush squared with egg wash.  Cut each square into 2 rectangles.  Place 1 cube of cheese on one side of rectangle and top with 1/2 tsp of cranberry mixture.  Wrap dough on top and seal edges by pressing with a fork.  Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Halloween Snack Mix

{It is what it is}

8oz white chocolate baking bars, chopped

4 c. corn or rice chex cereal

2 c. bite sized pretzels

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. salted peanuts

1 c. candy corn

1/4 c. halloween candy decorations

1. Microwave chocolate until melted and smooth.
2. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until coated.  Stir in candy corn and halloween decorations
3. Spread on waxed paper to harden.  

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

People often ask me what my favorite food is -- honestly, I really couldn’t tell you!  I can find joy in any food and what I’m eating really depends on my mood.  I’ll tell you what, though .... I LOVE APPS!  I really could eat appetizers for every meal of every day.  I love having that little taste of a lot of dishes for a meal -- this is probably why I enjoy happy hour so much.  Steve and I have a few cocktails and order 4 or 5 appetizers or small plates and share them all.  It’s a cheap way to get a lot of different food in you. I don’t know about where you live, but the Myrtle Beach area restaurants have really stepped it up in terms of happy hour food -- moving from chicken fingers and wings to kobe beef sliders with caramelized onions and grilled fish tacos with crunchy cabbage slaw.  Yum!  

Now there are times that I prefer to just chill at home with my drinks and my friends {and my sweatpants}, so I make those special happy hour dishes here.  These were a gigantic hit and were gobbled up quickly.  I tend to use Frank’s hot sauce -- but feel free to use your favorite brand {remember, if you’re using Tabasco, don’t use a 1/2 cup!  Wayy to spicy!}.

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

1 large chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1/2 c. Frank’s hot sauce

5 russet potatoes

1/8 c. vegetable oil, for brushing

1/2 c. blue cheese crumbles

2 scallions, chopped

blue cheese dip/dressing for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt 2 tbsp butter and saute chicken until cooked.  Transfer to bowl and toss with hot sauce.
2. Wrap potatoes in foil and bake in oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft.  Cool, cut in half and scoop out middle.  Season with salt and pepper.  Flip over and brush with oil.  Bake cut side down, 5 minutes.  Flip and cook additional 5 minutes.  Fill with chicken and cheese, bake until melted.  Top with scallions and serve with blue cheese dip/dressing

LowCountry Boil - Part 3 - Decor & Desserts

So let’s talk about this party decor...I was going for a rustic, Americana look but that kind of took on a mind of it’s own, transforming from red, white and navy to red, white and turquoise.  I thought the turquoise was much more playful.  I also brought in the burlap and craft paper color so everything wasn’t so matchy-matchy.  I thought the colors played on each other nicely.

My most labor-intensive craft was the dot-garland.  I simply picked some scrapbooking paper that had similar colors and designs, cut out a circles and glued them onto twine.  Things got complicated when I realized how many circles I was going to be cutting out, as each dot on the garland was composed of 2 circles.  Needless to say, the cramp in my hand from cutting hung around a few days. {Note to self: invest in punches next time, a la Martha Stewart}  In addition to the scrapbooking paper, I also made a garland with craft paper and newspaper. {I originally planned on covering the tables with newspaper but then I realized, with the help of my mom, that newspaper print + food probably wasn’t a good idea -- either way I loved the color that the newspaper provided in the garland.}

Next, I used some fun fonts and created tags for each of the mason jars that held the SkinnyChow Spiked Arnold Palmers and secured them to the jars with colored bakers twine that I found at Michael’s.  They were a hit along with the paper red and white straws I got on Etsy.  

I also created a Lowcountry Boil sign and a chalkboard menu on white foam board.  I love the foam board because it’s smooth and extremely sturdy.  I just painted the foam board with chalkboard paint and wrote out the menu on it.  Everyone loved it and it was so simple and cheap! {And I can use it again and again!}

On to dessert -- I didn’t get many pictures at all because it was so dark by the time I served dessert but really -- you guys have got to try these Blueberry Pie Cookies.  They are amazing and the crust part of the cookie is tender and flaky and oh-so-good!  I also served Vanilla Caramel Corn in popcorn bags I found on Etsy and my guests loved picking up a bag and snacking on it while they socialized.  

Blueberry Pie Cookies (makes 32 3-inch pies)

from Building Buttercream 

Pie Crust:

2 1/2 c. flour

6 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter

about 1/2 c. ice water

Filling:

2 1/2 c. blueberries

1/2 c. sugar

juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp cornstarch

1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together with a fork.
2. Cube butter and “cut” it into the flour mixture until there are no butter bits that are bigger than a pea.  Make sure you don’t go smaller than this because you will lose flakiness.
3. Add the ice water, a tablespoon or two at a time and use a fork to wet the flour/butter mixture.
4. Keep adding until the dough just starts to hold together.  Don’t let the dough get too wet.
5. Divide dough in two, cover each half with plastic wrap and fridge for a couple hours at least.  
6. Toss blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest, butter and cornstarch in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
7. Preheat oven to 350 and line the bottom of cookie sheet with parchment paper
8. Remove one of the covered dough halves from fridge.  Divide this in half and roll out on a floured board.
9. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut eight circles out of pie dough.  Place these on parchment paper, evenly spaced.
10. Spoon a small amount (5 to 6 blueberries and a little sauce) into the center or each pie circle.  
11. Cut eight more circles out of the pie dough and place them on top of the blueberry topped bottom.  Press down the edges with fork and brush with egg yolk.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Cut small slits on top.
12. Bake 10 to 14 minutes and cool on wire rack.  Repeat with rest of dough and berries.

Vanilla Caramel Corn

From Taste of Home 

3 packages butter-flavored microwave popcorn

1 1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. butter, cubed

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pop popcorn according to manufacturer’s directions.  Transfer to two very large bowls; discard any unpopped kernels.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Carefully stir in milk and butter; return to a boil.
3. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  Pour over popcorn and toss to coat.  Spread in a single layer on a greased 15-in x 10-in x 1-in baking pans.
4. Bake at 250 for 40 minutes, stirring once.  Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool.  Break into clusters and store in airtight containers.

All in all, I think my first Lowcountry Boil was a success. If I could do anything different next time, I’d get a bigger pot to do the boil in and I would definitely do the boil over an open flame to be more authentic.  Hopefully next year!

Low-Country Boil - Part 1 - Appetizers

I love to embrace the culture and traditions of where ever I am.  I’ve been living in the South for about 4 years now and have never been to a true seafood boil -- so I decided to throw one!  I’m definitely not an authority on Southern style food, so a lot of research was put into the recipes I used, with my own little tweaks here and there!  Throughout the week, I’m going to show you how I put together this fun and interactive party -- everything from the decor, to the supplies to the recipes.  Today, I’m starting with the appetizers and my new favorite drink: the SkinnyChow Spiked Arnold Palmer.  Wednesday will showcase the Seafood Boil and special sauces I served with it and Thursday will be desserts and decor/DIY.  This was one of the most detailed parties I’ve thrown but I’m here to show you that with proper planning anyone can throw a perfect and authentic Low-Country Boil!  

On to the apps:  Spicy Cheese Straws, MiniChow Crab & Shrimp Rolls & Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters

Spicy Cheese Straws

adapted from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

1 1/2 c. (about 4 ounces) grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces

3/4 c. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp (or more to taste) crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp half and half

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. In a food processor, add all ingredients except half and half and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the half and half and process until dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into an 8 X10 inch rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick.  With a sharp knife, cut dough into long thin strips and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet.  The straws can be any length so don’t worry if they break.  
4. Bake straws for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned.  Remove from oven and cool.  Serve at room temp.

MiniChow Crab & Shrimp Rolls (makes 24 mini rolls)

1 c. homemade mayo

2 tsp capers, drained and chopped

2 tsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

6 slices high quality bacon

2 long soft baguettes, sliced into 12 three inch thick slices then sliced down the middle

1 lb cooked shrimp (any size) chopped into bite sized pieces

1/2 lb lump crabmeat, picked over

1. In a small bowl, combine mayo, capers, parsley and mix to combine.  Set aside.
2. Cook bacon in a frying pan over medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes, transfer to paper towels to drain.
3. Crumble bacon and add to mayo mixture.  Fold in shrimp and crabmeat into mayo mixture gently, being careful not to break up the crab too much.  Divide shrimp mixture between rolls and sprinkle with parsley if desired.  Serve.

Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters (makes 18 shooters)

18 shot glasses of any size

18 medium sized fresh oysters, shucked and in their liquor

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 c. Absolute Peppar vodka, plus more for topping off

2 c. good quality bloody mary mix (We used Bloody Bold)

1. Place shucked oysters, liquor, lemon juice and vodka in a bowl and stir to combine.  Place in fridge and marinate for 1 hour.  (This “cooks” the oysters, ceviche-style)
2. Place 1 oyster in each shot glass and add bloody mary mix until glass is 3/4 full.  Top each glass off with vodka, stir if desired (I happen to like the layered look but remember you’ll get a mouthful of vodka when you take the shot -- this is why it’s important to use a quality vodka).  Refrigerate until ready to serve, no longer than 4 hours.

SkinnyChow Spiked Arnold Palmers (makes 2 gallons)

1 1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice

6 c. boiling water

12 tea bags

1 c. Skinny Simple Syrup

2 c. lemon infused vodka, or to taste

cold water

1. Start with a 2 gallon drink dispenser to make the measuring easy.  Add the 6 c. boiling water to the dispenser and add the 12 tea bags.  Let steep for 5-6 minutes.  Remove tea bags and let mixture cool.
2. Add lemon juice to the tea mixture then add to the Skinny Simple Syrup (1 c. Splenda and 1 c. water, mixed until the splenda dissolves)
3. For the lemon vodka, I soaked all the squeezed lemons I used for the lemon juice in plain Smirnoff vodka all day, then added the 2 cups to the tea mixture.
4. Fill the rest of the dispenser with water.  Serve with ice -- in a mason jar of course!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread

One of my favorite food blogs is Spoon Fork Bacon.  Man can these girls cook!! {{Not to mention, their food photography is heavenly}}  I find myself saving almost every recipe they post and cooking their stuff as much as I can.  Their recipes come out perfect every time.  They’ve been doing something that I love on their blog lately: taking a recipe and turning it into something else -- for example, they made this banana bread into french toast and then turned it into mini churro bites.  I love the idea of taking what you make and taking a creative spin with it.  Definitely check out their blog if you make this bread -- their alternatives look divine.  

On to todays’ recipe -- My husband is a big banana fan, so when we stumbled upon 19 cent a pound bananas at Trader Joe’s, we stocked up!  Fortunately, a few of those bananas got wonderfully mushy so I decided to whip up some banana bread.  This recipe was a perfect fit because the toasted coconut really brought it to the next level.  The coconut kept the bread moist and tender and gave it that nutty flavor that we are so accustomed to in a banana bread.  

Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread

Makes 1 (9”) loaf

From Spoon Fork Bacon

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 medium over-ripe bananas

2 1/2 tbsp milk

1/2 c. (1 stick) plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 c. plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. chocolate chips

2/3 c. shredded coconut, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together into a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mash bananas with milk.  Set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, one at a time.
4. Stir in the vanilla, followed by the banana mixture, until just combined.
5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined and fold in chocolate chips and coconut.
6. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan and add batter.
7. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of bread.  
8. Allow bread to cook in pan for 20 minutes before removing and allowing bread to cool completely.  Slice and serve.  

No-Bake Energy Bites

In the spirit of the arrival of the summer months -- and the fact that it is now officially “beach season” here -- I have another SkinnyChow recipe for you all -- and it’s a sweet one!  These no-bake energy bites are filling, protein packed, and really satisfy your craving for something chocolatey/peanut buttery/coconutty {yes, I made up that word}.

These bites are one of those things you can whip up on a lazy day and keep in the fridge for the week -- taking a couple with you when you run errands, etc.  There’s nothing I hate more than getting hangry {hungry + angry} in the car in the middle of the day.  These solved my problems last week!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

No-Bake Energy Bites (makes 20 bites)

from Smashed Peas and Carrots

1 c. oatmeal

1/2 c. peanut butter (or any other nut butter)

1/3 c. honey

1 c. coconut flakes

1/2 c. ground flaxseed

1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything is a medium bowl until incorporated.  Let chill in the fridge for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

calories: 132, fat: 8g, protein: 3g, carbohydrates: 14g, fiber: 2.6