Halloween Brownie Ghosts

Learn how to create your own edible and yummy ghosts!

by Bethany

Settle down with all your compliments, I know that ghost brownie is amazing! I love Halloween. So do my kids (they have no choice!). Thought I would partake in some creative baking and try my hand at turning my brownies into ghosts. J helped as he loves to do, but possibly did more eating than he did working...

Making the brownies is the easy part! You can use your own recipe, of course. Or any brand of your choosing. I thought a nice dark chocolate fudge brownie would be perfectly delicious (and it was!).

If you would like your brownies more on the thin side, then do what I did, and bake them using a cookie sheet. Less time in the oven, and super tasty.

If you are going to make a ghost, you need a ghost cookie cutter. I was lucky enough to snag this one last year after Halloween for only 10 cents at Target! Definitely looking forward to going back this year for their clearance sales. Anyways, I digress. To make your ghost brownies complete, you will need coconut. 

The coconut WILL toast when you bake, and therefore will lose some of that whiteness that you kind of need for a ghost. I baked my brownies for 5 minutes, took them out of the oven, spread lots of coconut all over, and then finished baking. The coconut toasted brown more than I wanted it to, but I just added some more at the end. Mmmm, toasted coconut is delish!

Okay, if you can tell that is a ghost, then thank you! It was hard getting that cookie cutter to go through the toasted coconut... but I must say, the brownies (ghosts and ghost parts!) were definitely a hit. The kids loved the dirty ghost / ghosts that need a bath / what shape is that brownies!

Some alternatives:

- Bake brownies. When cool apply a thin layer of glaze (water and powdered sugar), cut into ghosts,     top with coconut if desired.

- Use a bat cookie cutter and nix the coconut. Yes, yes, yes I also own a bat cookie cutter!! Sigh...

If you try any of the above, or have another idea, share it with Moms on Coffee!

Nothing like cup of black coffee in a fun ghost mug to enjoy with a wonderful ghost brownie. BOO!

Hey Everyone!

I wrote a new article for Red Tricycle. Hope you enjoy it.

http://redtri.com/the-secret-of-how-to-have-a-play-date-during-nap-time/

I Have No Idea How to Hand Sew!

I Have No Idea How to Hand Sew!

By Jessica

 

Alright everyone a new sewing post is here! Sorry for the delay. Nanny continues to come over a few times a week for my sewing lessons. As we were finishing up the shirt for my daughter’s outfit Nanny asked me to hand sew the bottom hem with small close stitches. When I started my sewing adventure, I wasn’t kidding when I said I knew nothing about sewing. Which means I have never hand sewn anything, not even a button! So here we are Nanny asking me to hand sew and me looking at her completely lost. I looked her in the eye and said, “Nanny I have never hand sewn before.” I was finally feeling more confident with using the sewing machine, and here I was faced with using a needle and thread by hand.  So of course I had to ask her every question that popped in my head.

How do you knot the thread? How do you keep the thread from coming out of your needle? Do you need to reverse sew when you’re done?

Not only did I ask her question after question I even had her show me like three times!  By the end of this lesson my homework was to finish hand sewing the hem. Which by the way took me forever! But I will admit I am proud of myself I mean I actually became one of those woman hand sewing while trying to watch television.  

The next day I couldn’t help myself and asked her like multiple times if the hem was okay. I want my daughter outfit to be perfect! So this got even more amusing when Nanny introduced me to sewing snaps on the shirt.  She showed me the snaps and demonstrated how to tell snaps apart. I was unprepared for what she was going to say. She took one snap and said male and the second one she called it female. Of course I wasn’t looking closely at them which is why when I asked why her response threw me.  She took the male snap and said it looks like the male part while this one looks like the female. From that moment on I have never been able to look at snaps again. It never occurred to use the male and female anatomy in sewing.  

 

So Nanny is not just teaching me to sew but how to use the male and female body parts to tell the difference between snaps. I mean really who wants to sew two male snaps they won’t close at all!

 

My love for coffee continues with French Vanilla!

Think Outside the Candy Bag this Halloween

by Bethany

The pumpkins are out, ghouls and goblins are on display, and the stores are chock full of that delicious Halloween candy. Halloween is almost upon us, and I know I am excited! It has always been my favorite holiday, and is quickly turning into a huge favorite of my children as well.

We greatly enjoy strolling through the neighborhood, checking out all the homemade graveyards, jack o lanterns, and cobwebs that always give a cozy home a spooky feel. Kids love Halloween. They love the decorations, being just a little bit scared, and of course, who does not love that candy?! I know I could go for a bite sized Three Musketeers just about now!

However, no kid actually needs that candy. Yes, it is yummy and our costumed kiddos do expect to get some sugary and chocolate treats on Halloween, but they are often just as happy, if not more pleased, to get something a little different.

There are tons of candy alternatives out there. Some non-food choices include bubbles, pencils, temporary tattoos, rings, bouncy balls, stickers, vampire fangs, and the list goes on. If you would still like to give a treat but something that is not candy, consider pretzels, chips, or the ever-popular Pirate's Booty (yum!). 

Have you seen a teal pumpkin outside on the stoop of a house in your neighborhood, or on a Halloween product at the grocery store? There is a push to make Halloween safe and fun for children who suffer from food allergies, and hence, the Teal Pumpkin Project was born. Children with food allergies, some severe, cannot consume most of the Halloween candy that is given out to trick-or-treaters. This makes the costume crazed holiday not as enjoyable when most treats end up in the garbage. If you see a teal pumpkin, that means that house has candy alternative treats for our little witches and devils.

I think the Teal Pumpkin Project is fantastic, but really, let's all think about giving out something just a little bit different that every child can enjoy (and won't keep them up all night!). My house is already piling up with candy-free alternatives. I just hope they all last until Halloween night!

Coffee with a Krackel is perfect for me right now (they can have the temporary tattoos- I'll take the candy!).

Keeping Her Distracted and Me Caffeinated

Keeping Her Distracted and Me Caffeinated

by Jessica

 

 

I know it is been a while since I posted.  Trust me, we have been busy between music class, playdates and swim class.  Let’s not even discuss how the cable company came to fix our internet only to disconnect my home security!  While all this is happening my husband is still in Nebraska working hard.  Since he’s gone I have tried to keep me and my little girl busy. Every morning we cross off a day on our calendar and say daddy will be home on the day circled in red. She now points to the day and says “Daddy Home” each morning. But even with how busy we are and our routine FaceTime during bedtime with dad, I can see a change in our little girl. For one she is usually independent and will only ask for me if she needs help. Now that it is just us two she has to be at my side at all times. The first thing my daughter says in the morning is “coffee” when we enter the kitchen. This little one will literally sit on my lap to watch a show on the couch. Even though she only two years old she definitely has picked up on daddy being gone. It breaks our hearts that she misses her daddy so much.  So we do what all parents do we find ways to distract her. I have been planning a daily fun activity every day.  We baked banana muffins, French toast and pizza fondue. 

 

She loves helping in the kitchen and wants to do everything herself.  My wonderful hubby has made it a point to send Miss F a present a week. The first week flowers were delivered to our house (she couldn’t stop smelling them).

 

Most recently he mailed her Halloween books now we read them before bed. As the time passes, I can’t help thinking about the moment we will all be together again! But until then I will continue to be silly and creative with our little girl.  Don’t worry I will be writing a new sewing post soon.

 

 

My coffee obsession continues. This week I made my sister bring me Empire Decaf French Vanilla from a great coffee place in Hoboken, NJ.

 

 

http://www.empirecoffeetea.com/