Fall Inspiration
The leaves have changed colors and most have fallen to the ground. Temps are cooler and a sweater or jacket has become a must. Here are a few fall items that have me inspired for the season. What has you inspired for the fall?
No Bake Caramel Crunch Bars
October brings the influx of sugary treats, and while I have had my fair share of candy this month, nothing beats homemade goodies – especially when no baking is required. Caramel crunch bars offer the perfect combination of salty from the Club crackers combined with the sweetness of chocolate and butterscotch for an out of this world taste.
No Bake Caramel Crunch Bars
Makes one 9×13-inch pan of bars
Ingredients
80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup butterscotch morsels
Makes one 9×13-inch pan of bars
Ingredients
80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup butterscotch morsels
Directions
1. Line an ungreased 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium head. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.
3. In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 2 hours (I let it chill overnight). Cut into bars and enjoy.
1. Line an ungreased 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium head. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.
3. In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 2 hours (I let it chill overnight). Cut into bars and enjoy.
Bat Bite Cupcakes
Halloween is quickly approaching, and for a day that I really don’t get into I have made monogrammed pumpkins, spider web cupcakes and even shared my Halloween signature cocktail. The fun doesn’t stop there; tonight a few girlfriends and I are getting together for a craft night. While we’ll be creating things more Thanksgiving and Christmas oriented the invite said to bring a spooky treat. I decided to make bat bite cupcakes. They’re chocolate cupcakes with homemade vanilla buttercream that has been colored purple, featuring a “bloody” raspberry infused center. Finished with purple sanding sugar, fudge stripe cookie bat wings, chocolate covered sunflower seed ears, sprinkle eyebrows, sprinkles in the shape of hearts for fangs and candy eyes.
{use a paring knife to scallop the edges}
{place the wings on the cupcake and frost over the end of the wings}
{add purple sanding sugar}
{create your bats face}
Snapshots
{carved my bow pumpkin last night}
My week was filled with tons of mini Halloween and fall get-togethers. My weekend will be filled with watching the Tigers and Giants game, mani/pedi girls day and venturing out around Pittsburgh. What are your weekend plans?
{candy from last nights scary movie get-together}
{current gilded nails}
{loving fall}
{we\’re in the world series}
Halloween Signature Cocktail
Having a signature cocktail makes the cocktail aspect of your party effortless and cheaper. I love picking a drink that ties into the theme of the party. To jazz the glasses up I melted pink colored chocolate and dripped it around the rim of each glass as well as added a small amount of Disco Dust creating a sparkly and spooky look. The perfect part of this cocktail, you can skip the alcohol and it still will look the same.
Halloween Signature Cocktail
4 parts Sprite (or any other lemon-lime pop)
.5 parts Grenadine
1.5 parts Cherry flavored Vodka (optional)
4 parts Sprite (or any other lemon-lime pop)
.5 parts Grenadine
1.5 parts Cherry flavored Vodka (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and keep chilled. Place a cherry in every glass and let your guests pour their own drinks when they arrive and refill as desired.
Fashion meets Food 