Raw Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Vanilla Icing & Ginger Caramel

This is a recipe that smells almost as good as it tastes! Get in one last pumpkin based recipe before the season is over with "Raw Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Vanilla Icing & Ginger Caramel" and give your tastebuds a treat!

Raw Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Coconut Vanilla Icing and Ginger Date Caramel

Makes 8 large or 20 mini cupcakes

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (see Recipe Notes)
1 cup pumpkin puree (store-bought or homemade)
3/4 cup maple syrup, coconut nectar, or agave nectar (see Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup coconut flour
1 batch Coconut Vanilla Icing (Recipe below)
1 batch Gingered Caramel (Recipe below)

Place the pumpkin seeds in a food processor, coffee/spice grinder, or high-performance blender such as a Vitamix. Pulse until you have a floury consistency. (Avoid over-grinding or you may end up with pumpkin seed butter!) Set aside.

Combine the pumpkin puree, sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla, sea salt, and spices in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin seed flour and blend until smooth. Add the coconut flour and blend until well combined.

Line a cupcake tin with 8 large or 20 mini paper liners. Fill the liners with dough, pressing it down evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days (can also freeze for up to 2 weeks; transfer to an airtight container if refrigerating or freezing for longer than a day).

Just before serving, spread Coconut Vanilla Icing on top of each cupcake. Using a pastry bag, pipe Ginger Date Caramel on top of the icing.

Recipe Notes

• Pumpkin Seed Flour: Pumpkin seeds make a great nut-free flour for this recipe. If you prefer, you may substitute 1 cup of sunflower seed flour or a nut flour such as cashew or almond.
• Sweetener: I prefer maple syrup, but it isn't a raw food. For a strictly raw recipe, use raw coconut nectar or agave nectar.

Coconut Vanilla Icing

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup room temperature coconut butter (see softening tips)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup, coconut nectar, or agave nectar (see Recipe Notes)
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork to combine.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Soften to room temperature before using.

Ginger Date Caramel

Makes about 1/2 cup

8 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon ginger juice (squeezed from freshly grated ginger)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Maple syrup, coconut nectar, or agave nectar to taste (optional; see Recipe Notes)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If desired, add additional sweetener to taste.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note: You probably won't use the entire batch to decorate the cupcakes, but I find it easier to blend and pipe a batch of this volume. Use any leftover caramel on oatmeal, as a dipping sauce for cut fruit, etc.

(Images: Emily Ho)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/raw-recipe-spiced-pumpkin-cupcakes-with-vanilla-icing-and-ginger-caramel-recipes-from-the-kitchn-196681

Read more »

Music for Halloween: The Ultimate Party Playlist

The decorations are up, the food is ready, and the games have all been decided. But wait! What music should you put on for your Halloween Party? How about "Music for Halloween: The Ultimate Party Playlist"?

Dark, deviant, vampy, trampy, nutty, smutty. Pants optional. 'Tis the season for Halloween parties! Here's a little playlist for all the zombies and sexy Dorothies. For all the Batmans and Robins...and Mileys and Robins. For all the giant foam bananas in pajamas. For the year-late Honey Boo Boos. And for you too, obscure Russian poet who no one knows so you have to explain your costume all night. Get out there and work it, twerk it, shake it 'til you break it.

Check out the track list below for ideas to add to your own mix. You can alsoaccess the full Halloween Playlist on Spotify. Just like a recipe, feel free to add and subtract to your taste. You know, toss in some Joy Division, maybe a dash of Thriller, and please add your favorite Halloween party tunes in the comments below.

1. Sun Ra - Door To the Cosmos
2. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek a Boo
3. Daft Punk - Give Life Back to Music
4. The National - Anyone's Ghost
5. Blondie - Atomic
6. Sleigh Bells - Demons (Spotify version is a remix by Diplo)
7. The Five Blobs - The Blob
8. ELO - Evil Woman
9. The Magnetic Fields - Strange Powers
10. John Holt - Strange Things
11. The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
12. Bonobo - Nightlite
13. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
14. ESG - Dance
15. Blur - Girls and Boys
16. Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree
17. Janelle Monae - Dance Apocalyptic
18. The Sonics - Psycho
19. Floating Action - Modern Gunslinger
20. Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers Revisited
21. Wild Belle - Keep You
22. Vampire Weekend - Unbelievers
23. The Velvet Underground - After Hours
24. M83 - Midnight City
25. Suicide - Ghost Rider
26. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
27. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
28. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
29. Carl Perkins - Put Your Cat Clothes On
30. Tom Waits - Temptation
31. Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
32. Crystal Stilts - Bright Night

(Image: Shutterstock)

Original Article Here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/get-your-freak-on-halloween-party-playlist-196118

Read more »

10 Easy Halloween Themed Snacks

Do you need to make Halloween themed snacks for a party? Check out these ten great recipes below. They are simple to make and come out perfect for any occasion. What are you making this year? Learn more at money crashers.

1. Witch Hat Cookies

Decorate your Halloween party table with fun Halloween-themed accessories. Attach plastic spiders to napkin rings, use black paper bats on top of cookie plates, and place orange votive candles around the table for a spooky good time.


Witch Hat cookies charm party guests and work well with your Halloween-themed decor. Even the most inexperienced chef can make these easy, no-bake cookies. A Hershey kiss is placed on top of a store-bought cookie, and wrapped with a little icing to create a tiny witch hat.
Ingredients

• 1 package of Hershey’s Kisses
• 1 package of round chocolate covered cookies
• 1 small container of chocolate icing
• red decorator’s gel icing pen

Directions

1. Lay one cookie on a flat cooking surface.
2. Unwrap a Hershey’s Kiss. Place a small amount of chocolate icing on the bottom of the Hershey’s Kiss and press it onto the center of the cookie.
3. Use the squeezable icing to create a ring around the kiss, like you would see around a hat. Repeat for each cookie.

Pro Tip: Run the icing tube back and forth in your hands for a few seconds to warm the icing. This makes the icing easier to apply to the cookies.

Witch Hat Cookies - Cheryl’s Crafty Jewelry

2. Spooky Chips and Dip

You can use Halloween cookie cutters for more than just making cookies. You can also use them to make tortilla chips, which you can pair with some red salsa for a festive snack. Create ghoulish notes describing your Halloween treats. Cut out paper jack o’ lanterns, bats, or skulls, and use them to display creepy goodies like Spooky Chips and Dip.
Ingredients

• 1 package of white flour tortillas
• cooking spray
• 1 jar of salsa

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a tortilla on a flat cooking surface. Press the cookie cutter into the tortilla and gently pry the shape free.
3. Spray each side with cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
4. Bake for six minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for an additional seven minutes, or until brown.
5. Season with salt to taste.
6. Serve alongside the salsa.

Pro Tip: If you have trouble getting the cookie cutter through the tortilla, heat the tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds. This makes the breading softer and easier to cut.

Spooky Tortilla Chips and Guacamoldy Dip - Veronica Benzing

3. Brain Punch

Grocery stores and hobby and craft retailers sell molds in the shape of brains during the Halloween season. Use these cheap molds to make an easy theme punch.
Serve the punch in ghostly cups that you make at home. Using ordinary paper, plastic, or Styrofoam cups, and use a black Sharpie marker to draw faces on each of the cups. You can also paste paper pumpkin cut-outs to the cups when serving brain punch to guests.
Ingredients

• 1 package of strawberry JELL-O
• 1 container of frozen fruit punch

Directions

1. Mix the JELL-O according to the package instructions.
2. Pour the JELL-O into the mold and allow it to chill completely.
3. Fill a punch bowl with the fruit punch mix and water. Place the fruit punch in the fridge and allow it to chill.
4. Immediately before serving, slowly lower the brain mold into the center of the fruit punch.

Pro Tip: Do not overfill the punch bowl. Make sure you allow for enough room for the top of the brain to rest on top of the punch.

Human Brain Dessert - Emma’s Thoughtful Spot

4. Severed Fingers

You can quickly turn a few almonds and some crescent roll dough into creepy severed fingers to serve at a Halloween party. Once baked, you can arrange these around a bowl of dip or piled onto a serving plate. They look pretty realistic.
Black, orange, and silver dishes all work well on your Halloween party table. During September and October you can also find Halloween-themed paper plates at party stores to display your Severed Fingers.
Ingredients

• 1 package of pre-cut crescent roll dough
• 1 6-ounce container of sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unroll one crescent roll square onto a flat cooking surface.
3. Grab one of the longer ends and gently roll the dough into a finger shape.
4. Press a sliced almond into one end of the dough with the white side facing outward, to make a fingernail.
5. Use a butter knife to cut small lines slightly below the almond and across the middle of the dough, to create knuckles.
6. Place the dough on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough squares.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until slightly brown.

Pro Tip: You can use red food coloring to dye the almonds. The red food coloring makes the almond look like a painted fingernail.

Severed Finger Cookies - Living It At Home

5. Mini Mummies

With mini bagels and a few ingredients, you can create spooky toasted pizzas that look like mummy faces. Prepare Mini Mummies ahead of time, and then pop them into the stove to bake during the party. That way, everyone can enjoy the tasty treats right out of the oven.
Ingredients

• 1 package of mini bagels
• 1 jar of premade pizza sauce
• 6 to 10 mozzarella cheese sticks
• 1 jar of stuffed green olives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice a mini bagel in half and lay the bagel on a flat cooking surface.
3. Spread one tablespoon of pizza sauce across the inside of the bagel half.
4. Pull a cheese stick into strings. Starting at the bottom, lay the pieces of cheese across 2/3 of the bagel to look like bandages.
5. Slice a green olive into flat pieces. Place two green olives near the top of the bagel to look like eyes.
6. Place a few more cheese sticks just above the eyes to look like head wrappings.
7. Place the bagel half on a cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining bagel halves.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted.

Pro Tip: Leave a small amount of space between each cheese strip. After the cheese melts, the tiny slits will look more like bandages.

Mini Mummy Pizzas - Busy Little Kitchen

6. Frozen Ghosts

Bananas, icing, and chocolate combine to make these frozen ghosts on sticks. Best of all, this no-bake recipe is kid-friendly, so your little ones can help out in the kitchen, too. Frozen Ghosts have to chill out for a total of five to six hours, so make them the night before the party.
Ingredients

• 6 ripe bananas
• 1 package of vanilla icing
• 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 12 Popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Peel the bananas and remove any excess strings.
2. Cut the banana in half and push a Popsicle stick through the cut end, being careful not to push the stick all the way through the banana.
3. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place the bananas on top.
4. Freeze the bananas until solid, about two and a half hours.
5. Remove the frozen bananas. Use a butter knife or spatula to cover each banana with vanilla icing. Add three chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth.
6. Place the bananas back on the cookie sheet and put them in the fridge until chilled, about three hours.
7. Serve cold.

Pro Tip: You can substitute brown decorator’s icing gel for the chocolate chips.

Frozen Ghosts - Teach Mama

7. Chocolate-Coated Spiders

These snacks are addicting and simple to make. All you need is chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels to create these realistic looking spiders. Chocolate-coated spiders need to rest in the fridge for four hours before you can serve them, so make these the night before your party.
Ingredients

• 12-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 8 cups of pretzel sticks

Directions

1. Combine half the chocolate baking squares and the peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the chocolate and peanut butter melt and blend.
3. Break up 4 cups of the pretzel sticks and add them to the chocolate and peanut butter mix. Blend well.
4. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop a spoonful of the mixture onto the wax paper to create the spider body.
5. Microwave the remaining chocolate squares in a microwave safe dish until melted.
6. Dip one end of a pretzel stick into the chocolate. Gently press the coated end of the pretzel stick on to the body of the spider to create a leg. Repeat for the other seven legs.
7. Pop the finished cookies in the fridge until firm, about four hours.

Pro Tip: Sort the pretzel sticks before adding them to the chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Some of the pretzel sticks will break in the bag, so this way you can reserve the full sticks for the legs.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Spiders - Not Just a Housewife

8. Dirt Pails

Pudding dirt and worm cups are a much beloved kid’s favorite, mostly because they look gross and a little creepy. However, they’re also a tasty theme snack for an adult’s Halloween party. Repurpose plastic cups into individual serving dishes for this recipe. Add googly eyes to the outside of the cups to up the level of creepiness in your Dirt Pails.
Ingredients

• 1 package of chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 package of Oreo cookies
• 1 package of gummy worms
• 12 plastic cups

Directions

1. Mix the pudding mix and milk according to the package instructions. Set aside.
2. Use a food processor or a cooking mallet to crush the Oreo cookies into fine pieces that resemble dirt.
3. Mix one cup of the Oreo pieces into the pudding mixture.
4. Fill 3/4 of a plastic cup with pudding and top with crushed Oreo cookies.
5. Place 1-3 gummy worms on the top of the cup.
6. Place the cups in the fridge until chilled, about two hours.

Pro Tip: To make the gummy worms look more authentic, press half the gummy worm into the Oreo cookie mixture to give the appearance of a worm crawling out of the dirt, or hang a worm off the side of the cup.

Dirt Pails with Gummy Worms - Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrows

9. All-Seeing Eye

You can create a quick and spooky centerpiece with a pie from your local bakery store. A bit of decorator’s icing turns the pie into a giant eye that follows your guests around the buffet table. The whipped topping needs to thaw and the pie needs to chill before serving, so make this All-Seeing Eye at least one hour before guests arrive.
Ingredients

• 1 banana cream pie
• 1 container of frozen whipped topping
• 1 kiwi
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 tube of red gel icing

Directions

1. Allow the whipped topping to thaw, about 30 minutes.
2. Cover the entire pie with the whipped topping to create the surface of the eye.
3. Peel and slice the kiwi.
4. Place one kiwi slice in the center of the pie.
5. Place the maraschino on top of the kiwi and hold in place with a toothpick, to look like an iris and pupil of the eye.
6. Using the red gel icing, draw squiggly lines from the kiwi out to the edge of the pie, to look like a bloodshot eye.
7. Serve chilled.

Pro Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the kiwi. The peeler will allow you to keep most of the fruit intact and circular shaped, while a knife creates pointed edges.

Halloween Eyeball Cake - Cakefullness

10. Grave Robber Chili

A coffin made from cornbread and stuffed with chili makes up this perfectly themed Halloween dish. Begin making this Grave Robber Chili two hours before the party begins, then stow the dish in a warm oven to serve when guests arrive.
Ingredients

For coffin:

• 2 packages of cornbread mix
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• black food coloring
• ketchup

For chili:

• 1/2 pound of hamburger
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup pinto beans
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1 4-ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 packet of chili seasoning
• 2 cups of water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the cornbread mix, milk, eggs, and 3-4 drops of food coloring in a medium bowl until moist and sticky.
3. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 5 inch bread loaf pan.
4. Bake the cornbread for 30 minutes, or until cooked entirely.
5. Shred the hamburger into small pieces.
6. Cook the hamburger in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
7. Add in the onion, bell pepper, pinto beans, black beans, tomato paste, chili seasoning, and water. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
8. Allow the cornbread to cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut off the top of the corn bread loaf with a butter knife to create a coffin lid. Set it aside.
9. Scoop out the cornbread from the remaining loaf to create the main part of the coffin. Leave a 1/2 inch thick edge and bottom.
10. Drain any excess water from the chili. Pour the chili mixture into the coffin.
11. Use the ketchup to write “R.I.P” on the top of the coffin lid.
12. Place the coffin lid over the chili mixture. Serve warm.

Pro Tip: Use a toothpick to test the cornbread. If the toothpick pulls out clean, the cornbread has finished cooking.

Read more »

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Apricot-Miso Glaze

There's a million and one ways to cook chicken, but this week get ready to make it a million and two ways! This new recipe is highlighted with some interesting flavors to add, so check out "Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Apricot-Miso Glaze" below!

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Apricot-Miso Glaze

Serves 4 to 6

For the chicken:
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt
Vegetable oil

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled and grated on a microplane (or crushed in a garlic press)
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water

Place the chicken thighs in a bowl. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt. Mix to coat each piece and set aside in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. While it is heating, make the glaze in a small saucepan. Warm the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until sizzling and fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently, and remove from heat.

Place the chicken thighs on the hot grill and let cook undisturbed until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip chicken and brush the tops with the warm glaze. Grill until browned on the second side. Flip, brush again with the glaze and grill for about one minute. Repeat two more times, so that each side has two coatings of glaze. Flip and grill for about one minute after the final glazing. Thighs should be slightly charred and cooked through to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Remove from grill and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

• This glaze would work equally well on other chicken cuts, such as drumsticks, breasts, and bone-in chicken thighs. Adjust the initial cooking time so that the chicken is almost cooked through before you brush on the glaze.
• Other types of miso paste, stone fruit jam and vinegar would be just as tasty. A couple ideas: yellow miso paste + peach jam + sherry vinegar, red miso paste + plum jam + red wine vinegar.

(Images: Anjali Prasertong)

Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/17vqYAd

Read more »

5 Tips To Get More Time To Yourself

Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time in the day? Don't blame the 24 hour limit, instead try some new things to free up and de-stress your day! Check out "5 Tips To Get More Time To Yourself" below and find something to do with your new free time!

1. Take time for yourself to start each day.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing this to help reduce stress and burnout. You can't give away something you don’t have, so make sure you make time for you. Are you able to get up an hour earlier to devote time to you, undisturbed? Or find an hour each day, just for you? Even if it’s only half that, find whatever time you can somewhere in your day.

The hour I give myself each morning is my hour of power. It’s how I prepare and take on the day. Without it, my day is never the same. The days that I slip and decide not to take that time for myself are the days I feel less energized and motivated, and I’m usually less productive, too. I find that I don’t eat as well as I normally do, so everything is affected.

Whether you use it for exercise, a brisk walk, stretching, meditation or running affirmations through your mind is entirely up to you. Try one or several of these, or find something else that connects with you. Experiment with options until you discover a daily feel-good ritual that gives you the most benefit and enjoyment.

2. Establish a regular routine. 

This doesn't just things like going to bed and getting up at the same time, but also a work and lifestyle routine. When we have no structure or organization, we become distracted and procrastinate, and nothing really gets done. This is when anxiety and stress make themselves known. By attempting to maintain a balanced routine without becoming rigid, you'll find that you’re more at ease, have more time and experience an overall sense of peace and well-being.

3. Think about delegating. 

What are you able to let go of and hand over to someone else to do? No matter how hard we try, we really are unable to do everything ourselves without it affecting other areas of our life. It could be as simple as having your family do some of the household chores or buying your groceries online and having them delivered fresh to your door — especially if you don’t like traveling to and from the store, waiting in lines, finding a parking space and carrying heavy bags.

Delegation is a skill we need to learn not only at home — it’s a critical business skill that, when cultivated, allows for a healthy work-life balance. Even if you’re not comfortable delegating, try it and watch your personal life, business life and well-being all flourish.

4. Make a list or become aware of where you spend most of your time. 

Are you able to find an area where you could spend less time? If you’re in a position to do so, buy back your time and share your wealth: Pay someone else to do the things that take you away from your priorities.

5. Spend less time with consuming media. 

Are you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, or downloading the latest app at every possible chance? Are you constantly on Google searching the web? Are you able to turn your phone off for an hour a day, or turn it off at a certain time on particular days? Could you check your emails less? Could the television be turned off?

Whatever the solution is, find it and create a system that works for you. Without balance, your life will eventually spiral out of control.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/11mlLvf

Read more »