Disgusting Worm Salad

by Whitney Hancock

These edible worms are a BIG hit for our Halloween Dinner. The first time I served these up the kids really freaked out. My daughter couldn’t even look at them at first, but after some coaxing and a little good natured teasing, she ate one. Then much too her surprise, she liked them.

Fall is here, and that means it’s the season for delicious, crisp,  juicy apples. Luckily for me, my green thumb neighbors have had bumper crops this year, and they’re practically begging for us non-green thumb neighbors to take the pickins’ off their hands…’er branches. If you don’t live in apple growing land, the stores have great selections right now at good prices.  I’ve already shared my Gourmet Caramel Apple recipe. YUM!

Last night I made a family favorite – Slow Cooker Applesauce. It’s ridiculously easy and so delicious it’s sure to become one of your favorites too.

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients: (Makes 4 servings)

8 to 10 apples, any kind will do

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Core, peel and thinly slice apples. (Or cut into chunks.)

I happen to have a handy dandy apple peeler/slicer that peels, cores and slices, all with the twist of a handle. LOVE it!

2. Put apples, sugar, cinnamon and water into slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on Low 8 hours, or High 3-4 hours.

4. Stir until blended and serve warm.

(If you prefer a smoother sauce put through blender or hand mixer.)

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

~Kate

Disgusting Deviled Egg Eyeballs

Ingredients:

• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• Pinch of salt
• Green and red food coloring
• Sliced black olives
• Toothpicks

Directions:

Peel the cooled hard boiled eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and mash in a bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, and salt. Stir in a few drops of green food coloring.

Spoon the mixture into the center of the egg halves. Place a slice of olive on top of each half. Dip a toothpick into red food coloring and then use it to draw lines on the eggs to give a bloodshot look.

Don’t they look disgustingly delicious?

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Toads in a Blanket

Ingredients:

• baby dill pickles
• cream cheese
• sliced salami
• toothpicks

Directions:

Cut the pickles into fourths lengthwise, so the pickles are slightly larger than the salami slices.  Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a slice of salami, wrap around a pickle slice and secure with a toothpick.

Be sure to check out these other Liz and Kate Halloween Ideas:

• Halloween Month: Creepy Eyeball Treats & Monster Mash
• Halloween Month: Witches Hats & Breadstick Broomsticks
• Disgusting Worm Salad
• How to make Disneyland Gourmet Caramel Apples

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

Chocolate Drizzle Apple - with white chocolate and milk chocolate drizzles

One of my family’s favorite fall treats is caramel apples.  We used to make regular old plain caramel apples and love them, until one vacation to Disneyland many years ago.  We discovered  Marceline’s Confectionery candy shop just outside the Disneyland gates.  We had gone to Downtown Disney the night before our adventure into the actual Disneyland park to get a taste of the Disneyland magic and build our excitement for the next morning’s trip into the  park itself. We got some delicious caramel apples from Marceline’s (they slice them and put them in a little boutique looking bag) and sat outside soaking up the sounds and sights and smells of Disneyland in Downtown Disney.  Not that we needed to build the excitement.  Do you remember the “Too excited to sleep” Disney commercial, well that could be my family, as none of us can sleep the night before going to Disneyland.

We’ve made this night-before-caramel-apple-stop a tradition of our every other year Disneyland vacation. So now my family calls these gourmet caramel apples…Disneyland Apples, and now that we’ve figured out how to make them, we can bring a little of the Disney magic into our house any old time of the year.

Here’s how we make our…

GOURMET CARAMEL APPLES

INGREDIENTS

• 8 large Granny Smith or Fuji apples
• wooden craft sticks
• 2 (14 ounce) packages caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tablespoons milk
• milk chocolate chips
• white chocolate chips
• candy for coating

Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Be sure to check out these other Liz and Kate Halloween ideas:

• Halloween Month: Creepy Eyeball Treats & Monster Mash
• Halloween Month: Witches Hats & Breadstick Broomsticks
• Halloween Month: Disgusting Deviled Egg Eyeballs & Toads in a Blanket
• Disgusting Worm Salad

This week’s recipe is super easy and super scrumptious – Saucy Roast Beef Hoagies. It’s kind of like eating a roast beef au jus sandwich, but without the messy dipping part. The juiciness is already in the meat.

Ingredients:

• 1 can condensed onion soup
• 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 lb. thinly sliced deli roast beef
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• mild pickled banana pepper rings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat onion soup and Worcestershire sauce in saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add sliced beef and heat through, stirring occasionally.

Divide beef mixture among rolls.

Cut cheese slices in half and add to sandwiches. Place sandwiches on baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes, or until roll is toasted and cheese is melted.

Add pepper rings and enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

If you like this recipe, take a look at our new cookbook chock full of fast, easy and delicious recipes.

In the Kitchen with Liz and Kate: Practically Painless Recipes

Anywho, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Cheater Pimento Cheese

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. shredded sharp cheese

1 c. shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

3 T. pimentos, diced

Directions:

1. Beat cheeses with hand mixer (or mix thoroughly with a fork – which is what I did because I currently can’t seem to locate my hand mixer )

2. Add mayo, spices and pimentos, mixing well, until easily spreadable.

3. Serve on bread, celery or crackers.

4. Store in air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Hello, yum!

Super Easy and Yummy Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 whole store-bought roasted chicken (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2   onion chopped
• 6 cans (14 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 10 baby carrot sticks, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 tube  golden buttermilk biscuit dough
• 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed chicken gravy

Directions

Remove skin from chicken and shred meat into large pieces. Set aside.

In a small frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add chopped onions and saute until soft.

In a large pot, add broth, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, carrots, celery, and sauteed onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes to soften vegetables, and then add shredded chicken. Continue to simmer while making dumplings.

While stew is simmering, prepare dumplings.  On a lightly floured surface, flatten each biscuit to 1/4-inch thick. With a knife, cut each biscuit into 4 pie- shaped pieces. Set aside.

Skim surface of soup for any scum that has risen to top. Stir in chicken gravy.

With the stew still simmering over low heat, stir in dumplings a few at a time. Once all dumplings are in to pot, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Spoon into bowls and serve piping hot.

Easy Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Ingredients:

1 tube jumbo size cinnamon rolls

(Bake according to package directions – don’t frost)

3 large eggs

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Slice baked and cooled cinnamon rolls in half lengthwise; set aside.

Crack eggs into a large bowl and add milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well.

Dip both sides of each cinnamon roll half in the egg batter.

Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray; place over medium-high heat. Brown the cinnamon roll halves in the skillet, turning once.

Serve with maple syrup, jam or powdered sugar.

Makes 5 servings.

Enjoy! If you like this recipe, then check out out new cookbook…

In the Kitchen with Liz and Kate: Practically Painless Recipes

Crunchy Taco Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups corn chips, crushed ( I like to use Chili Cheese Fritos.)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Arrange chicken in ungreased 9 x 13 baking pan, set aside.

2. Combine soup, one cup cheese and taco seasoning.

3. Spread over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy

If you like this fast and easy recipe, check out Liz and Kate’s new cookbook, In the Kitchen with Liz and Kate: Practically Painless Recipes, now available.

~ Enjoy your Coffee Break

Ingredients:

• Cake mix
• Tub of frosting
• Chocolate to melt
• Sucker sticks

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes.

When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl.

Stir in the frosting until well blended.

Use a melon baller or small scoop or your hands to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture.

Insert sucker sticks into cake balls and freeze for 2 hours.

Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Dip the balls in chocolate using the inserted sucker stick.

Add sprinkles, if desired, and place on waxed paper to set.

Enjoy!

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