Fangy, Filled Fun at the Breakfast Table

Delight the little life-suckers under foot with Jam-Filled Vampire Pancakes.
[from BakingBites.com]

"I suspect that vampires aren’t big breakfast-eaters. They’re probably more of the midnight snack type. This is precisely why I was inspired, as I was looking for a late-night snack during an evening of pre-Halloween scary movie watching, to make these vampire pancakes. These are buttermilk pancakes made with a red, raspberry jam filling that oozes out when you cut in for a bite. 

The pancakes are quite easy to make. You start with a fairly standard pancake batter with a little bit of vanilla extract thrown in and pour some onto a preheated griddle. Next, you add a dollop of raspberry (or other red-colored) jam to the center of the pancake as it cooks. It’s a good idea to try and spread out the jam as you place it on the pancake, even putting several little dollops. At this stage, the pancake batter is too delicate to stand up to being spread with jam, and it’s really nice if the jam fills up as much of the pancake as possible. Top the jam with some more batter to cover it completely and cook as you would a regular pancake. 

When the pancakes were fresh off the griddle and the jam was still warm, they were moist and tender, with a nice ooze to the filling. You can taste the vanilla and buttermilk in the pancakes alongside the jam. These pancakes were sweet enough that they didn’t need any additional syrup or toppings before serving, but whipped cream might be a nice touch if you want to serve a little on the side. 

I used the same technique that I’ve used on my Vampire Cupcakes and Vampire Cookies to add bite marks to these pancakes before serving. I’m sure that any vampires out there would approve, even if they might prefer a different flavor of filling for their portion."

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract approx 1/3 cup red jam of your choice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. 
2. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla. 
3. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 
4. Preheat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan to medium-high. 
5. When a drop of water skitters on the surface, it is ready. 
6. Drop a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. 
7. Place about 3 tsp jam in the center of the pancake. 
8. Cover with a bit more pancake batter – just enough to hide the jam. 
9. Cook until first side is golden, then flip and brown the second side. 
10. To make vampire bites, use a toothpick to make fang marks and mark each with a drop of jam. 
11. Serve immediately. 

 Serves 3-4

Pudding in Paradise

This tropical island deliciousness is sure to make waves. Not only is it an instant vacation, but just about the most whimsical dessert in the Pacific. [source: TasteOfHome.com] 

Prep: 30 min. + chilling
Yield: 12-16 Servings

Ingredients 

• 3 packages (3 ounces each) berry blue gelatin 
• 2 cups boiling water 
• 2-1/2 cups cold water 
• 4 tablespoons fish-shaped gummy candies, divided 
• 2 cups cold milk 
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 
• 1 medium lime 
• 2 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 round wooden toothpick 
• 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs 
• 6 whole allspice 
• 1 disposable cup (2-ounce size) 
• Fresh blueberries and additional gummy candies, optional 

Directions 

1. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Pour into a 6-cup ring mold coated with cooking spray. Add 2 tablespoons gummy candies. Chill for 1 hour. Stir in remaining candies. Chill for 1-2 hours or until set. 
2. In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding. Cover and chill until ready to use. 
3. To make palm tree leaves, cut lime in half; remove and discard pulp. Place lime halves, cut side down, on a cutting board. With a pencil, sketch five leaves from bottom to top on each half. Cut out leaves, leaving center intact; make little cuts to create a palm leaf appearance. To create a base for the trees, turn disposable cup upside down; cut two small slits in the bottom. Insert a cinnamon stick in each slit for tree trunks. Break toothpick in half. Insert pointed ends into center of lime halves; insert broken ends into cinnamon sticks. 
4. Unmold gelatin onto 12-in. serving platter. Place cup in the center of gelatin ring. Spoon vanilla pudding over cup, filling center of ring. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs for sand. Place allspice at base of trees for coconuts (discard allspice before serving). 
5. Garnish with blueberries and additional gummy fish if desired. 

Nutritional Facts 
1 serving (1 each) equals 78 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 118 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Crafty Gypsies & their Gypsy Crafts

"Gypsies are nomadic people found all over the world. Gypsy groups travel in caravans, setting up camp when they can find a place to rest. They are often very skilled crafters who are good with their hands, as one way they may make a living is by selling crafts. Also, since gypsies are often poor, they learn to be creative and make due with what they have. Gypsy crafts are fun to make, for yourself or as gifts, and have an exotic flair." By Mackenzie Wright, eHow Contributor 

Gypsy Lanterns

• Collect some glass bell jars or jelly jars. Get some scrap fabric that is light weight, such as a lightweight cotton or silk.
• Measure around the jar with a tape measure. Divide the number by four, and add one. The number you calculate is how wide your fabric strips should be.
• Measure the length of your jar. Add three--this is the length your fabric strips should be. When you cut the fabric strips, taper the bottom three inches into points.
• Place two strips on top of each other with the wrong sides together. Stitch down one side, about ½ inch from the edge, from the top to the point.
• Place the other two strips on top of each other, wrong sides together. Stitch down one side, about ½ inch, from the edge, from top to point.
• Stitch the two pieces together, wrong sides facing each other. This will create a sleeve for the jar. Slip the jar into the sleeve. Use a hot glue gun to attach the fabric to the top outside rim of the jar.
• Wrap 20-gauge wire around the top of the jar rim securely. Use needle-nose pliers to bend back the ends of the wires to create hooks and hook them together.
• Take a six- to eight-inch strip of wire and create a handle. Make two hooks at the ends with your pliers and hook them on the wire around the jar mouth. Place a candle in your gypsy lantern, light it and hang it.

Beaded Bangle Bracelet

• Hold your hand as you would if you were putting on a tight bracelet. Measure around the widest part of your hand with a tape measure. Add 1/4 inch to the measurement. Cut a strip of 14-gauge wire to that size.
• Take a round aluminum can. Wrap your wire around it to give it a curve. Use a rubber or plastic and tap the wire around the can to help it maintain the shape.
• Take a needle nose pliers and bend back the end of the wire on one side like a small hook. String stylish beads on your wire.

Give Mom Flowers That Will Never Wilt

Mothers Day and flowers go together like peanut butter and jelly... ooey gooey peanut butter and jelly that Mom spends the better part of the day cleaning up after the wee ones have manhandled half the house with sticky hands.  While floral blooms are always beautiful and appreciated, sadly, they eventually droop and must go bye-bye.  Why not give Mom flowers she can keep for ages, and actually use?

Behold the flower pen!  You can gift it in a neat little pen-holder pot, and Mom will most likely think of you every time she uses it to write yet another check on your behalf.

Supplies: 

• Flowers (Cut down the stems ahead of time with some wire cutters or garden pruning shears; the flowers should be 8″ – 10″ or so)
• 3″ terra cotta flower pots
• Floral tape
• Coffee beans
• Ballpoint pens (without their caps)
• Optional: paint & paint brush for the flower pots (the pots shown here have been painted white)

Directions:

Be sure to cover up the bottom of your pot from the inside so that none of the beans escape.  This is easily done with either tape or paper

Line up the pen with the flower, leaving the tip of the pen just a little lower than the flower stem. Begin taping with a strip of floral tape, starting near the tip of the pen and moving up.

Floral tape is stretchy, so stretch it a little as you are wrapping it around the pen and flower, and wrap the two tightly. Keep wrapping all the way until you get to the top of the pen – be sure to cover up the end of it with the tape.

Once you are done taping your flower pens, insert them into the pots and you are done. You can do one pen per pot, or put several pens in one pot. Both options look pretty. You might also add some leaves or other decorations.

[source: CharlottesFancy.com]

The Mouse's Mint Julep Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tsp lime juice concentrate
• 3 cups club soda
• 6 Tbsp creme de menthe syrup (not liqueur)
• 6 oz thawed lemonade concentrate
• mint leaves
• pineapple slices
• maraschino cherries
• bamboo skewers

METHOD
Dissolve sugar into club soda. Add lime juice and lemonade and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add creme de menthe. Chill.

To serve, combine 3 parts syrup to 5 parts water. Add mint, and skewer two pineapple slices and a cherry. Serve chilled (add ice cubes if necessary).

Makes approximately 2/3 gallon

No need to turn blue... the wait is over

"Can you turn into a mermaid on a blue moon?"

That is a question I recently saw posted on WikiAnswers.  And that is not the first time I have seen that concept float by.  The good news is that would-be little mermaids need never wait for a full moon again to experience the joys of mermaidenhood.  

Siren School offers Mermaid Camps to merminions ages 8-12 and mermaidens ages 13-17.  Here you will flip your fins, learn mer-language, do sea crafts, and basically dive into the mermaid life.

In addition to mermaid events, Siren School will offer fairy and other magical experiences for young ladies.  

All in-house camp events are based in coastal Long Beach, California.  But if a group of 8 or more young ladies would like to pod together, the camp experience can travel to where you are!

For details, visit the L'il Mermaids camp page.