Monday, October 31, 2011

{Free Recipe Card Printable}

Here at DC Sweet Treats...we love cute stuff.  We also love free stuff.  And there's a particularly special place in our heart for CUTE, FREE STUFF!!  And how adorable are these Kokeshi Doll Recipe Card Printables from CreativeMamma.com???  Print them on a nice, quality card stock and joila!  You have free recipe cards!

{Roasted Pumpkin Seeds}

If you're like me, you hate the idea of carving up a pumpkin and then just tossing it out after you've had your fun.  So I found some recipes for pumpkin seeds that are pretty simple and can take away some of my guilt.


Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Allrecipes.com

1.  Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

2.  Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3.  Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

4.   Let cool and store in an air-tight container.


Spicy Pumpkin Seeds from Streaming Gourmet Blog

Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, well rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp sea salt + more to taste

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Once the seeds are rinsed and patted dry, mix the butter, Worcestershire sauce and the rest of the seasonings together in a large zip lock bag. Dump in the seeds, seal the bag and shake it about until the seeds are evenly coated.

3. Spread the seeds evenly on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 30-45 minutes, checking on them and flipping them over every 10 minutes.

4. Allow to cool slightly and either eat warm from the oven or toss them on a salad or make them in the recipe that will be posted tomorrow. You’ll see!


Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds from Chow.com

1.  Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2.  Toss 2 cups pumpkin seeds with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.

3.  Roast on a baking sheet, stirring every 5 minutes, until seeds are aromatic, crisp, and browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

4.  While the seeds are still warm, sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon over them and toss to combine.

{We Heart Candy Corn}


Halloween is a time of year when an adult can let out their inner child.  We can wear costumes, go to parties, and indulge in confectionary goodness without feeling too guilty about it.  We can buy bags of candy and convince ourselves that the only reason we're eating it is because we were unable to give it all away on Halloween night.  They don't call it the "Fun Size" candy for nothin'!  At DC Sweet Treats, one of our favorite candies is candy corn.  Mmmmm mmmm!

Candy corn is total sugary, buttery goodness that is in limited edition since it's only available around Halloween.  Those little faux orange, yellow, and white kernels just bring delight to my life and symbolize that it's time for Candy Season!  If you're a candy corn lover like we are, you'll love some of these cool candy corn-themed ideas that we found around the web.

Candy Corn Cookies

photo source: http://pictures44.bloguez.com/pictures44/tags,picture,p,5.html?googleimage


Candy Corn Soap from catherinefilippelli



Candy Corn Cupcakes from Your Home Based Mom


Candy Corn Cordials from Food Network



Candy Corn Decor from Hostess With The Mostess

Sunday, October 30, 2011

{Happy Halloween From My Craft Club!}

At our monthly meeting, my craft club decided to try the project of painting pumpkins.  In addition to great food and awesome girl time, we came up with some pretty adorable decorated pumpkins!

{Organizing Baking Supplies}




Sometimes organization can seem like a four-letter word.  Unless you have a true knack for it, it can seem as non-appealing as going to the dentist.  But sometimes you come across a cute idea that makes you want to go home and get to the task at hand.  How precious of an idea is it to use mason jars to keep your baking supplies organized?  I was reading about a recipe on Kate Scarlata RD and thought her idea for storing her baking supplies was so cute! 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

{Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes}

I had some guests come over this weekend and decided to make cookies n' cream cupcakes.  Such a perfect blend of yummy chocolate cookies crushed into a vanilla cupcake with a delicious cream cheese icing and topped with the most adorable mini Oreo cookie. 

{Halloween on Etsy}

Etsy is home of the most awesome and creative finds! 
What better place to find great things for Halloween at your house!



How adorable are these cupcake toppers featured by Kiwitini Creations??  And the cupcakes look pretty delicious too ;0)  For $11.25, you receive six witches hats and six brooms.


Welcome people into your awesome party with this spooky-chic Happy Halloween Banner.  $12 by Little Pumpkin Papers: 



Spruce up your food table with the Witch and Chandelier Printable Collection offered by $6 by Party Designs in Bloom.  Color customization available. 


What better time of year to get your fortune than Halloween?  These are a completely cute item to add to your party.  Halloween oragami fortune cookies from Handmade by Heather 4U, $7 for a set of 10:
Halloween oragami fortune cookies

Monday, October 24, 2011

{Baked Oatmeal}

I love oatmeal!  It is delicious, and I can add a ton of stuff to it to suit my taste like fruit, brown sugar, or almonds.  And the best part is that it's healthy!  Oatmeal provides a ton of fiber, is low in fat, and has awesome protein.  It can fill you up easily, and it protects against heart disease and cancer.  Everybody should make oatmeal a part of their diet.


When I found this recipe on annies-eats.net, I was so eager to try it out!  I tweaked it a bit and used vanilla unsweetened Silk instead of milk, but it came out quite delicious! 


Annies Eats Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir with a fork to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with half of the berries.  Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.


To read more about the healthy benefits of oatmeal, read here:  10 Benefits of Oatmeal

{Pumpkin Planter}

Sticking with the pumpkin theme...how precious is this pumpkin planter??  Want to try a different pumpkin decorating idea, this idea found on the Better Decorating Bible blog is perfect!  Find how-to instructions here --> Pumpkin Planter

{Pumpkin Pickin'}

Niecey and her pumpkins
Nothing says Autumn like a trip to the pumpkin patch.  This weekend, niecey and I went to Middleton Cedar Hill Farm in Waldorf, Maryland.  It was a beautiful fall day and we had a blast!  They had animals to feed and pet, a hay ride, corn mazes and a pumpkin patch.  I almost think I had more fun than niecey did.  Oh well...how often do I get to let my inner child come screaming out?

I think she was striking a pose

Feeding the cows
He reminds me of when I used to want a potbelly pig. 
I don't know why my parents couldn't get with that!
I'm pretty sure she thinks her auntie is crazy

Thursday, October 20, 2011

{October Special: Pumpkin Loaves}

Two PUMPKIN LOAVES for $20!!

Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, brown sugar. 
Smells like Thanksgiving!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

{Painted Pumpkins}

Long gone are the days of your typical jack-o-lantern.  How hot are these pumpkins???  Why be bothered with carving and scooping out seeds and pulp when you can do something as cool and easy as painting?  These pumpkins featured in Country Living are gorgeous!

photography credit:

{Milk Please!}



{ made by Sweet Treats }
 

Sometimes there is nothing better than a good ole fashioned, homemade chocolate chip cookie.  With a nice tall glass of ice cold milk, I am easily in heaven.  Yummm!

Monday, October 10, 2011

{Simple Recipe: Sugar Cookies}

You've just come in from a long day and the only thing you can think about is unwinding.  Your nine-year old comes in and says "don't forget we have to take cookies to school tomorrow!" 


OH NO!!  HOW DID I FORGET???


You can't just pick up a pack of Chips Ahoy...even the soft batch will make you the laughing stock of the PTA.  You have a choice.  You can run out to the closest grocery store for a few packs of slice and bakes, or you can whip up some of these easy sugar cookies using items right in your home. 


Simple Sugar Cookies (from cooks.com)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 lb. butter


Mix ingredients together in a bowl until a soft dough. Roll on floured board with a rolling pin and cut into circles. Cook in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 2 dozen.


Whew!  Crisis averted.  Now back to regularly scheduled unwinding...

{Let them eat pie}





Photography credit: 
http://www.jaredwilsonphotography.com/?postID=475&aspen-colorado-wedding-at-t-lazy-betsy-and-craig
   
A wedding is by far one of the most important events in a person's life.  The personal touches at a wedding speak volumes about the happy couple.  A three-tier white cake with a bride and groom toppers says "we're pretty traditional people."  If the topper has a wife dragging the groom by the collar while thumping a baseball bat, that says "we have a sense of humor...and the bride is the boss."  And if the happy couple has a pie buffet, it says "we follow no rules"...or...maybe it just says "we love pie." 


A quirky spin on the traditional cake table is an unexpected surprise for wedding guests and is a great way to add a personal touch to a wedding that can otherwise be fairly traditional.  Offer the couple's favorite flavors as a way to tell guests a little something about what the couple loves.  Add different cake stands of different heights and you have a table that's both visually appealing and quite appetizing.
 
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