Spooky Eyeball Tacos

1 lb.  ground beef
1 pkg.  (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
12  TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Shells
3/4 cup  TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
3/4 cup  BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 can  (2-1/4 oz.) sliced black olives, drained


HEAT oven to 350°F.

MIX meat and seasoning mix; shape into 36 (1-inch) balls. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until done (160ºF).

FILL each taco shell with 1 meatball; drizzle with salsa. Top with 2 meatballs dipped in sour cream. Garnish with olives to resemble eyeballs.

Seven Deadly Sins

1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
2 tbsp. grenadine
1 tsp. lemon or lime juice
Cola
Collins glass, pour over ice, fill with cola, stir. Add 7 cherries.

Happy Halloween!

Graveyard Cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grape jelly
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk
Frosting:
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, spooned and leveled
3 tablespoons milk
10 chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed

Decorations:
15 large white marshmallows
1/4 cup finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 3 cookies)
1 tablespoon black or dark green decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube black decorating icing, with tips
5 oval-shaped vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies
One 7-ounce tube marzipan
3 round lollipops, wrapped
1/4 cup orange decorating sugar
One 6.4-ounce tube green decorating icing, with tips
Seven 8-inch pieces black licorice

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Warm the grape jelly in the microwave until loosened, 20 to 30 seconds, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Beat together the sugar and eggs in another medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients and then all of the milk. Follow with the rest of the dry ingredients, taking care not to over mix the batter.

Remove 2 cups of the batter and stir in the grape jelly. Evenly fill the liners about two-thirds full, alternating with yellow and grape batter.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 22 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl until fluffy and combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting has a nice spreadable consistency. Add the crushed cookies and continue to beat until any large chunks are crushed to smaller bits and the frosting has a speckled, greyish look.

For the decorations: Arrange the cupcakes in 4 rows on a large serving plate or cutting board. Fit a marshmallow between each cupcake, 5 marshmallows per row, to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes. Spread the frosting over the whole rectangle so it looks like one cake. Sprinkle with the cookie crumbs and black decorating sugar.

To make the tombstones: Use the black decorating icing and a small round tip to write "RIP" or other one-word epitaphs on the top half of the oval sandwich cookies and stick into the cupcakes randomly around the graveyard.

To make the ghosts: Remove two-thirds of the tube of marzipan and place between 2 sheets of wax paper or parchment. Roll about 1/8-inch thick and cut into 3 rounds using a 4-inch biscuit cutter. You may need to gather and reroll the scraps for all 3 rounds. Drape over the wrapped lollipops and stick into the cupcakes around the tombstone. Using the black decorating icing and the same round tip, dot eyes and a mouth on the ghosts.

To make the pumpkins and leaves: Divide the remaining marzipan into 4 small pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll in the orange sugar until coated and place around the graveyard. Use the black icing to pipe a small stem. Fit the tube of green decorating icing with a leaf or ribbon tip to dot bits of green grass poking through the dirt around the graveyard and pumpkins.

To make a border: Use 6 pieces of the licorice, trimming to fit, to make a border around the cake, leaving the middle of the front side open. Bend the seventh piece into an upside down "U" and stick into 2 cupcakes in the front to make an arched gateway.

Cook's Note: If your decorating icing does not come with tips, you can squeeze some icing into a small plastic bag or piping bag fitted with a small round metal tip or a small metal leaf or ribbon tip.

Sugar Free Gummy Worms

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 packages sugar-free jello, any flavors
1 cup boiling water
1 package Kool-Aid, any flavor

Directions:

Combine all ingredients until dissolved.

Pour into an 8x8 pan, lightly sprayed.

Refrigerate until firm.

Cut into"worm-like" strips.

Smashing Pumpkin Shot

1/3-1/2 ounce Kahlua
1/3 ounce Baileys Irish Cream
1/3 ounce goldschlager
cinnamon (optional)
Directions:


Add Bailey's, Goldschlager and Kahlua to an ice filled shaker and shake.

Pour into shot glasses.

You can ignite the shot by adding 151 to the top and sprinkle cinnamon on the flame to "cook" and for dramatic effect.
Blow out and serve.

Halloween is fun for adults too!

Owl's Eyes

1 (11 ounce) package Hershey's Hugs chocolates
1 (16 ounce) package M&M's plain chocolate candy
1 (16 ounce) bag pretzel rings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees farenheit.

Unwrap Hugs and place them on a cookie sheet.

Line it with waxed or parchment paper for best results.

Place a pretzel around the hug.

Don't worry if it doesn't drop to the base of the hug.

Bake for approximately three and a half minutes.

Immediately place an M&M in the center of the Hug and press down slightly to flatten.

Cool.

Place them in refrigerator to speed the set up process.

Witches Brew

1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed
 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice
 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
 2 liters ginger ale
 2 liters sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)
 6 gummi snakes candy



Directions

To make the frozen hand: Wash and rinse the outside of a rubber glove. Turn glove inside out and set aside. In a 4 cup measuring cup, combine the thawed raspberries and cranberry juice.
Pour 2 cups of the raspberry mixture into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand 2 minutes. 

Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves. Mix back into the reserved raspberry mixture in the measuring cup.

Pour raspberry mixture into the inverted glove. Gather up the top of the glove and tie securely with kitchen twine. Freeze until solid, or several days if possible.

To serve: Carefully cut glove away from frozen hand. Place frozen hand, palm side up, leaning against side of a large punch bowl. Pour in ginger ale and sparkling cider. Garnish with gummy snakes.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Spread the pumpkin seeds on a medium baking sheet.
Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.

Old-fashioned Baked Beans

2 cups dry navy beans
¼ cup ham or bacon flavored TVPs or canned ham
½ cup dehydrated chopped onions
8 Tbsp. molasses
4 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
3 Tbsp. vinegar
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup 

Sort beans, soak overnight in water enough to cover. In the morning, drain beans, discarding water. Place beans in 6-quart or larger heavy pot with 12 cups water and simmer, covered for just long enough to get beans tender (older beans require longer cooking).

 Drain and discard water. In a 3-quart or larger casserole, mix beans with other ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 1½ to 2 hours, adding water if necessary to keep beans from drying out. Serve hot with fresh whole wheat bread for a comforting, hearty meal.