Halloween Archives — Bless this Mess

October 10, 2018

Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Quick and easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made with only 4 ingredients including a cake mix.

I’m sure that you’ve seen and probably even made this really easy cake mix pumpkin cookie recipe; it’s been floating around the internet for years. I wanted to share it with you today, not because it’s new, but because it’s awesome. And with my tips and tricks, it’s even better.

What’s my secret?! An EGG! The addition of one egg to the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and chocolate chips makes all the difference. That and not under-baking the cookies. Those two things are the secrets to these simple cookies. The egg acts as a leavening agent and helps to make the cookies less gummy. Cooking them a full 12-14 minutes also helps them to not be gummy and sticky either. Nothing too new or exciting but a few little things can make a big difference when it comes to a recipe with a super short ingredient list.

These cookies are so simple that my kids can make them almost on their own. My oldest loves to have friends over and bake. They’ve had many (MANY) kitchen disasters. I think it’s a great learning experience. But when I think it’s a good day to have a treat turn out, I’ll encourage them to make this recipe. It’s easy and you can’t mess it up. Nothing wrong with starting with a cake mix in my book (I use a cake mix in each of these recipes: Vanilla Sheet Cake, Homemade Soft Oreos, Grandma Shoaf’s Chocolate Sheet Cake, Cheater Brookies (Chocolate Chip Cookies + Brownies), Cheater Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake, Cheater Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars). See? There is a time and a place for cake mix. It’s a great starting point for new bakers and busy mamas alike.

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October 5, 2018

Easy Oreo Spider Halloween Snacks

Easy Oreo Spider Halloween Snacks are made with cookies, licorice, and chocolate candies and make the perfect edible craft project.

I have planned on sharing this “recipe” for our all-time favorite Halloween snack with you for years and years. Every year I think that this will be the year that I get a few pictures and share with you, and this is the year that I finally did it!

I know my Oreo spiders don’t look like much, but that’s just it. They are so fun and easy that you’ll be making them over and over again because all they require of you is a trip to the grocery store. I have been making these spiders for decades! I made these with my mom growing up in Indiana, and I have made them every year since I moved out of the house. I can remember making them in college to take to a little party, I’ve made them with my own kids for at least 10 years. We love to make these for our “BOO!” plate (where we doorbell ditch our neighbors and friends – get the cute poem to go with the goodies here), and they are so nostalgic for me that I know I’ll be making them for years to come. Quick, easy, and cute – that’s all there is to them.

I love that this recipe can be made with the smallest of kids. Most little ones can stick something into the middle of the Oreo. They aren’t messy at all, and they take no preparation on your part. As simple as they are, I know that you’ll love them as much as I have over the years! Happy Halloween snack making, friends!

This post is part of a little Halloween event my friend Tara from Tara Teaspoon and I are hosting! We’ve dedicated a few days in a row to sharing our favorite Halloween recipes! Today Tara is sharing the cutest Halloween Spiderweb Caramel Apples. I love caramel apples with my whole heart and these are cute to boot. I can’t wait to try the recipe.

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October 3, 2018

5 Easy No-Bake Halloween Treats

5 fast, kid-friendly, no-bake Halloween treats that are so easy to make, your kids could do it on their own.

Who else loves all things October?! Bring on the pumpkins, parties, homemade donuts, and all things fall! These super easy no-bake Halloween treats are my little gift to you to start your month off right. These are so easy, super cute, and perfect to take to a party or to plan for your kids to make after school.

I love little treats like these because they feel like they are almost an edible craft project. Fun to make and fun to eat! My no-bake Halloween treats feature store-bought items so that you really don’t have any prep to do ahead of time. You probably don’t need a lot of instructions to make these, but I’ve gone ahead and written it all out for you including tips and tricks on where to find everything you’ll need to make your Halloween treat-making party a success.

This post is part of a little Halloween event my friend Tara from Tara Teaspoon and I are hosting! We’ve dedicated a few days in a row to sharing our favorite Halloween recipes! Today Tara is sharing the cutest Halloween Pumpkin Marshmallows on Cupcakes . Seriously how cute are those? I LOVE how festive these are and can’t wait to make them with my kids. Check them out!

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October 3, 2018

Halloween Cheese Board

Fun and festive Halloween Cheese Board made with simple cheese, crackers, pumpkins, and or course, lots of Halloween candy.

Who doesn’t love a cheese board?! Add some candy corn and turn it into a festive Halloween-themed cheese board and you really have yourself a party. I love how easy cheese boards are to put together and how much fun they are to eat! They are great as an appetizer and even better for a casual meal with friends.

When making this cheese board, I tried to pick a color theme – orange and purple. I picked cheese with purple in it (a mild Wensleydale with blueberries in it), purple grapes, black licorice, and olives; lots of orange in the form of candy, crackers, pumpkins, and leaves! It was a simple way to add a bit of cohesiveness to the Halloween theme. The candy really set the tone, though. Who doesn’t love black cat Peeps, candy corn, and Reese’s Pieces?

If you are new to making cheese boards, have no fear. There’s no right or wrong way to do it! As long as you have some cheese, crackers, and a few little nibbles of something sweet and something salty to go with it, you’ll be set. Once you get into it though, I promise you’ll be hooked!

This post is part of a little Halloween event my friend Tara from Tara Teaspoon and I are hosting! We’ve dedicated a few days in a row to sharing our favorite Halloween recipes! Today Tara is sharing the cutest Halloween Chicken Sliders. Seriously how cute are those? I need to make a few of those for my next Halloween party! And I know my kids would love to eat a sandwich with eyes!

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October 26, 2017

Cheap DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Cheap DIY Halloween costume ideas that are super quick, easy, and very inexpensive to make! Need an idea for a last minute party?! These are just what you are looking for!

Emily (my friend from college) is here again gracing Bless this Mess with her fun ideas, witty writing, and great pictures. Hope you enjoy this list of cheap DIY Halloween costume ideas from her because I know I sure did. I’m pretty sure I should be the broken record and mine will say – “where are your shoes”, because no one in my house can ever locate a pair of shoes when it’s time to go! Her ideas are so fun and easy and you’ll enjoy them as much as I have. And if you were wondering what my friend looks like, she’s the ‘broken record’ mom in the pictures! I LOVE homemade Halloween costume ideas and you can see a whole post I wrote about homemade Halloween costumes for kids here (plus some fun family/group costume ideas).

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October 19, 2017

Free Halloween Boo Poem Printable

Free Halloween Boo Poem Printable for leaving treats for your neighbors this Halloween season. Doorbell ditching has never been so fun!

Happy Halloween season friends! When October rolls around, the traditions start up. One of our very favorites is “booing people” as we call it in our family. What “booing” entails is making treats and then doorbell ditching them on friends, family, and neighbors’ front steps. This is a really fun tradition that my kids look forward to every year. I love it, too! I feel like it’s a great way to start on some holiday baking (without eating it all ourselves) and it’s a fun way to help your kids think of others.

After an afternoon of baking or treat-making, we all pile in the car. The kids all pick friends, family, or even their school or church teachers to “boo” and then we start our adventure. We normally scout out the house on a drive by. Then we park somewhere out of the way. Dad takes the kids (carrying the littlest ones) and they leave the treat on the door, knock, and run! I’m normally the get-away driver.

Every year I end up searching the internet for a cute free Halloween boo poem printable. I decided this year that I should just have my friend (and favorite printable maker for Bless this Mess) whip up a cute printable for me to share with you. Thank you Dede! You can see her other handiwork and visit her digital scrapbook shop here. You get a cute printable and I get to stop looking for one every year!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT YOUR FREE HALLOWEEN BOO POEM PRINTABLE

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October 10, 2017

Candy Corn Snack Mix

Candy corn snack mix is super simple to toss together but the flavor combination is unlike anything you’ve tasted!

I’m not sure who shared this wonderful little snack mix with me, but it’s one of the things that we look forward to making all year long. Seasonal food does that for me – it’s the waiting game that makes them all the more delicious when it’s time to have them again. This candy corn snack mix isn’t much of a recipe but it’s something that we’ve been making for a few years now and every time we do, I feel obligated to tell the world about it.

There’s all kind of fall snack mixes around but this one is super simple and the combination is my favorite. The secret is to eat a piece of candy corn, a few salted peanuts, and a few M&Ms together in one handful. It tastes like eating a candy bar! You lose some of the candy corn flavor with the peanuts and chocolate and it takes on more of a caramel/nougat flavor. I don’t know what it is but the combination is magic and I’m here to share it with you.

Sweet, simple, and oh so good. You are going to make this treat over and over again.

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October 9, 2017

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a healthy naturally sweetened way to enjoy those little gems that you just dug out of your jack-o-lantern.

If you plan on cooking a few pumpkins using the perfect method I showed you yesterday, you’ll have the seeds to enjoy too. Between scooping out the seeds for roasting and the flesh for cooking, I used practically the whole pumpkin. What little skin and pulp was left made for a tasty chicken treat. I think it’s fun when everything has a purpose and very little waste is created!

I love roasted pumpkin seeds because I think they taste a bit like popcorn, and you all know how much I love popcorn. I normally just roast them in a little olive oil and garlic salt, but this time around I wanted to try something sweet. I figured honey was a nice healthy option and so honey roasted pumpkin seeds were born. We had a hard time waiting for them to cool on the pan before digging in. May kept passing the hot roasted seeds between her fingers in an effort to evade the heat while trying to wait long enough to stick them in her mouth. I was right there with her! With a heavy hand of cinnamon, these might even pass for dessert.

Tips and Tricks for Making Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Here’s how I prep my fresh pumpkin seeds for cooking: I put everything I scraped from the pumpkin into a bowl. I use my hands to kind of squeeze the seeds from the strings they are sticking to. I do this to get rid of the biggest chunks of pumpkin. Then I fill up the bowl of pumpkin seeds with water and let them sit for a minute. I use my hands to strain out a little more pumpkin. Lastly, I drain the pumpkin seeds into a colander and spray them with water. Between using my hands and all the water, I end up with very little pumpkin pulp left behind. A little left doesn’t matter anyways; it kind of disappears when you bake it. Not sure how official that all is, but it works.
Nuts and seeds burn easily and sugar and honey burn easily. You are working with both of those, so keep an eye on things. Stir often, adjust temperatures as needed, and don’t walk away from their short cooking time. Or. Else.
Super cheap honey often tastes bitter to me and that’s no good. I like to get local honey and in a pinch Costco’s organic honey is a good option too.
Pumpkins are really neat. I wrote a whole ingredient spotlight on pumpkin if you want to know a few more interesting facts!

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon

★★★★

4 from 4 reviews

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a healthy naturally sweetened way to enjoy those little gems that you just dug out of your jack-o-lantern.

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
Category: Snacks
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

2 cups raw fresh pumpkin seeds, washed and pumpkin goop picked off
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. If your pumpkin seeds are wet from washing, dry them a bit on a clean dish towel or on paper towels. Place the pumpkin seeds in a medium bowl.
In a small microwave safe bowl, add the butter, oil or coconut oil, and honey. Microwave until the butter melts and the honey is runny. Pour the honey mixture over the pumpkin seeds and stir. Add the cinnamon and stir again.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over both ends. Dump the pumpkin seeds into the middle of the paper and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the seeds and honey are a deep golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes.
When the seeds are roasted, remove from the oven and stir again. Stir a few times as they cool to keep them from sticking in one big lump. Enjoy the seeds once they are cool enough to eat. Store uncovered for up to one week.

Notes

Nuts and seeds, especially when coated with a sugar (in this case honey), tend to burn quickly and easily. Keep a close eye on these. Stir often and if they appear to be getting too brown too fast, turn down the oven temperature a bit.

Keywords: pumpkin seeds recipe, how to roast pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds recipe

Isn’t that honey lovely? I can’t wait to try my hand at bee keeping one day.

Previously, I made some amazing roasted pumpkin seed brittle. If you are looking for a true dessert using pumpkin seeds, I’d start there! Other pumpkin recipes I’m digging are these super healthy easy pumpkin blender muffins, how to make homemade pumpkin puree, and these super fun homemade pumpkin noodles. Gorgeous, right?! Long live pumpkin season!

Enjoy and have a great day!

This recipe was originally published in October 2014 and has been updated in October 2017 with next text and recipe improvement.

October 6, 2017

The Best Caramel Dip

This is the best caramel dip. It is made on the stove with butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk, and the dip is the perfect consistency for dipping pretzels and apples.

This caramel dip recipe is something you need in your life. It is actually the very first recipe that I published on a blog way back in 2009. I didn’t even have a picture of the end product, but wanted to share the goodness. And goodness it is! This is the perfect homemade caramel for dipping. It’s thick and smooth, while still being scoopable. I’ve made this recipe every fall since I first discovered it. I hope you try it and love it like I do.

I think of this caramel as party food and take it to fall parties over and over again.It makes about 3 cups of caramel dip, so there’s plenty for a crowd. It’s really simple to make – you are just cooking a few simple ingredients on the stove. I serve it with apples and pretzels for dipping. There’s something magical about fresh caramel and homegrown apples this time of year.

I sure hope you make this recipe!

Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Caramel Dip

The goal for this dip is to be well, dippable, so you’ll want to bring the sugar mixture to a nice bubble but not a full boil. If you boil it too long or hard, you’ll end up with a thicker caramel that is great for dipping whole apples, but less great for dipping little apple slices and pretzels.
I often get asked about switching out the corn syrup in this recipe and I haven’t played with that much, so I don’t recommend doing it. I only use corn syrup in this recipe, my white cloud frosting recipe, and in caramel corn. That being said, it is a different product than high fructose corn syrup. Here’s an article from Serious Eats about it.
Don’t wander away from this recipe while it is cooking. You need to do a lot of stirring, or the bottom of the dip will scorch and burn – not the dream.
If you do see that the bottom is starting to scorch (you’ll see little flecks of really dark sugar when you stir), remove the pan from the heat right away. If the caramel hasn’t finished cooking, you can return it to the heat while being careful to only stir the top of the caramel and avoiding scraping up the burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan. If the scorch isn’t too bad, you won’t be able to taste it, but you still might have little flecks of dark sugar in your caramel. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than feeling like you ruined the whole batch.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this caramel dip, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

The Best Caramel Dip

★★★★★

4.9 from 11 reviews

This is the best caramel dip. It is made on the stove with butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk, and the dip is the perfect consistency for dipping pretzels and apples.

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 cups
Category: Desserts

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (light or dark)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring to combine.
Stir constantly until mixture comes to a light bubbly boil.
Remove from heat right away and add the vanilla. Stir to combine.
Serve warm or at room temperature with apple slices and pretzels, or drizzle over ice cream.

Notes

Don’t let the caramel come to a full, rolling boil. Just let it get nice and bubbly and then take it off the heat. It will get too hard and thick to scoop if you cook it too long.

I hope you’ll make this caramel dip for your next party because it’s always a crowd favorite (and it only takes you about 20 minutes to put together, you can’t beat that!). I even put it in little mason jars one year and gave it out for Christmas gifts to neighbors. Everyone loves caramel and this one is the best!

This post was originally published in October 2012 and has been republished with updated text, recipe instructions, nutritional information, and more in October 2017.

November 9, 2016

DIY Fall Rag Wreath

A DIY Fall Rag Wreath is an easy way to use up your fabric stash and get your house decked out for the season. Pop in a movie and get to tying that fabric!

We’re taking a break from all the food to bring you a fun little craft project. The gardens are done for the year and it’s getting colder outside, so now it’s time to find indoor projects to work on. Fall decor, handmade Christmas, and catching up on my reading list are the first things I go to in the colder months. I loved this project and I think my DIY Fall Rag Wreath turned out really cute. I only used things that I already had on hand, which means it cost me nothing to make. In fact, I made two! One for my mantle and one for my front door. Our dream house will have double front doors, so I thought I might as well make two for “one day!” Give me two more years, and these wreaths will be on those fronts doors.

I had this grand vision of all the ways I would style this rag wreath for my photos. I thought of it hanging on a pretty colored front door, gracing a vintage door handle, leaning on a perfect mantel, and perched on the back of a dining room chair in a beautifully decorated kitchen. Then I started to take pictures, and reality set in. I have an unpainted white door that’s full of stains and finger prints (primer isn’t known for great washability and the thing has never been painted). I have no dining room chairs, just folding chairs and piano benches around my table.

Here’s what I’m getting at: I’m pretty good at styling pictures, but that doesn’t mean I live in a magazine. I sure hope our dream house will be gorgeous, but for right now I live in a little rental that’s a bit on the dumpy side. It’s drafty, has more mice than I’d like to admit (I’ve caught 6 this week!), and my bathroom is in my bedroom – yep, you can sit on the toilet and see my bed (really!). It’s quirky, old, and kind of dirty (the 5 kids living here doesn’t help much). One day I’ll be cooking in a lovely kitchen with a large island, new appliances, and a fancy backsplash lining the walls. In the meantime, I’ll be cooking in a homey kitchen full of sticky little fingers and a stove with three burners that work and a fridge held together by duct tape. Don’t let the pictures fool you – I’m pretty normal.

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