The art of baking the perfect holiday cookie is pretty much lost on me as an adult. Me and baking is very hit or miss, but I still wanted to make something delicious and sweet to indulge in while celebrating the holidays with my family. This holiday season, Chex encouraged people to mix it up and replace the traditional cookie swap with a Chex Party Mix-Change, and since I didn’t want to set myself up for failure by attempting to make my own homemade holiday cookies this year (maybe next year!), I jumped right on board.

I received an awesome prize pack to help get my Chex Party Mix-Change started, which included 2 boxes of Chex cereal, 10 red takeout containers, 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipe cards, and a $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients.

Making Chex Party Mix is incredibly simple; in fact, it is so easy that with guidance through the recipe instructions, my 6-year-old stepdaughter made the Chex PB and Chocolate Blast party mix nearly all on her own.

Prep/Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 22 (1/2 cup each)

You Will Need

• 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 1 cup white vanilla baking chips (8 oz.)
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate candies
• 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Before combining the candy and peanuts, I microwaved the white vanilla baking chips and peanut butter chips in separate containers for 5 minutes, just until they were warm enough to be stirred smooth. Then, the mixture was put into two bowls, each containing 3 cups of Rice Chex cereal, and lightly stirred until the cereal was lightly and thoroughly coated. After being placed in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set, I broke the cereal apart into bite-size pieces and had my stepdaughter place handfuls of the cereal into each of the takeout containers.

Then, she also filled the containers (which she had already written the names of the recipients of our Chex Party Mix on) with the red and green candies and dry-roasted peanuts. After a light shake to mix up all of the ingredients, our Chex PB and Chocolate Blast party mix was done and ready to be gifted and enjoyed!

So simple, and incredibly delicious! I actually enjoyed the Chex Party Mix we made at home a whole lot more than any bag of pre-made Chex Party Mix I have had before–and I’ve tried quite a few of them.

Giveaway

MyBlogSpark has generously provided us with the opportunity to give away an additional Chex Party Mix-Change prize pack to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. Included in the prize pack are 2 boxes of Chex cereal to create Chex Party Mix recipes, 5 featured Chex Party Mix recipes (Original Chex Party Mix, Chex PB and Chocolate Blast, Chex Pumpkin Pie Crunch, Hot Buttered Yum Chex Mix, and Chex Caramel Chocolate Drizzles), 10 takeout containers, and a $20 gift card to purchase recipe ingredients and decorating supplies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The Chex Party Mix-Change prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

In most homes, the Thanksgiving table is set to look as good as the meal being put on it. The good china and silver comes out, there’s a centerpiece, candles, or candles incorporated into a centerpiece, and if your gathering is large enough, sometimes there are even name tags accompanying each setting. If you’re still stumped on what to add to your Thanksgiving table this year and need some inspiration, here are some stunning pictures of Thanksgiving table settings all found on Pinterest.

And now for some kids tables…

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Next are some really awesome Halloween party buffet table ideas.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Have you ever noticed how drastically our food preferences change as we grow from being children into teenagers, and then again as we soar into adulthood? It’s as if along with the rest of our bodies and our intellect, our taste buds suddenly one day decide that they do in fact enjoy the taste of brussel sprouts and hey, where are you going with that marzipan and weren’t you going to offer me some? It’s pretty bizarre, if you’re one to devote a good, long time to contemplating if your taste buds have teeny, tiny minds of their own. Well, that’s precisely what happened with me and spicy foods.

I have always disliked spicy foods. Any and every food item that would even give the hint of a tingling sensation on my tongue never got a second chance with me. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. That is, up until about a year ago. Something inside of me shifted, matured if you will, and with it came the love and appreciation of hot, spicy foods. I now not only enjoy the tingly-tongue sensation and feeling my nasal passage open a little more with every bite, but my body has begun to crave it at times. One of my new-favorite foods that satisfy the spicy cravings I often have are tacos. Yes, tacos. I know, tacos are old news; everyone has had them thousands of times and they’re really not that special; that is, until you have had yourself some fire tacos.

Admittedly, I am not much of a cook. I do less than a quarter of the cooking in the house, if that. Luckily, my partner enjoys cooking and is pretty fantastic at it. To combat my desperate pleas for hot and spicy foods, he started experimenting with a wide assortment of hot sauces, trying to find the one that we both liked more than the others, and with what foods a specific hot sauce tasted better on. Through his experimenting, we now have fire tacos; simple, straight-forward tacos with cheese melted and mixed in with the meat and about a quarter of a large bottle of TABASCO sauce. They are fantastic.

I was recently given the opportunity to receive a large bottle of TABASCO® Original Red and it’s no wonder why it still remains the most popular flavor of all the TABASCO sauces; it tastes delicious on so many different things, especially our fire tacos and pizza.  Instead of just making your mouth feel like it’s on fire, like some sauces out there will do, TABASCO Original Red enhances the flavors of some of your favorite foods while also giving off a good amount of heat.

With the Super Bowl coming up in just a few weeks, party planning and prep is on the to do lists of countless football fans everywhere. While there are definitely some true Super Bowl party traditions, incorporating TABASCO Original Red into your menu is easy–and delicious! Check out the Game-Day Party Menu for new ideas and exciting twists on your favorite party foods, like wings, chili, dips, and an assortment of finger foods. Of course, no Super Bowl party is complete without pizza, and for that, TABASCO has you covered with their Pizza Perfected page, which includes ten different variations and flavors of pizza that are sure to be a hit with even your pickiest of guests.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

If you frequently make your own fresh guacamole at home, you have most likely come to know your avocados and you’ve most likely heard of Avocados from Mexico. While New Year’s Eve festivities are over, it’s really never a bad time to break out the party food. Whether you’re planning a get together for the Super Bowl or just hanging out and watching movies with a few friends, or even by yourself, if you love guacamole, experimenting with the flavors and what to eat it with, you know very well that it never gets dull and it’s always the right time to indulge a little. So, you should probably be at least a little psyched about the sweepstakes Avocados from Mexico is currently running.

The Avocados from Mexico Guac Rocks Sweepstakes is officially underway and they are giving anyone living in the U.S. the chance to be one of over 80 lucky winners who will walk away with either $20 coupons for Avocados from Mexico, $100 in free groceries, and even a “fly away” trip for two valued at $1,500. Not a bad way to score a much-deserved vacation. Entering the sweepstakes is incredibly easy; all you have to do is visit the Avocados from Mexico Facebook page between now and January 28th and fill out the short entry form including your secret for what makes your homemade guac rock.

When you check out their Facebook page also be sure to take the fun “Guac Star Quiz” to find out your Guac Star personality. I took the quiz and thought it was a really cute way to get guacamole-lovers interacting with a great avocado brand. You can check out my quiz result below.

I thought the result of my quiz was pretty interesting, to say the least. Before today I have never been referred to as a snob when it comes to food and anyone who knows me would know a lot better than to refer to me as a foodie. Sure, I like when things taste delicious, I just can’t make a lot of delicious things; well I can’t make them myself anyway. I think that’s why I’m so great with party foods and junk foods; usually, there’s very little stove action required and therefore hardly any risk of burning anything. I do, however, appreciate fine things, so they were right on the money in that respect!

Take the quiz and leave a comment with what result you got; are you a geek, gamer, rebel, or a snob like myself?

Be one of the first to find out about what Avocados from Mexico is up to. Follow them on Twitter to keep up with everything they’re up to!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Admittedly, I do not cook for the holidays. In fact, I do not cook very much at all. I am one of those special people who just didn’t come equipped with the cooking or baking genes. I have no idea what I am doing in the kitchen and my partner’s (not so irrational) fear of me burning something, and that something being the entire house down to the ground, has landed him solidly in the role of cooking most meals. Meals that do not involve a microwave or toaster. So for holiday dinners we go to our family’s houses. We spend the very early afternoons at my grandmother’s house with my family and then the later afternoons are spent at his brother’s house with his family. It’s a nice arrangement, not having to cook holiday dinners or deal with all the stress and preparation that comes with it, but it does leave us with the role of finding some really great but simple host/hostess gifts.

Because mostly everyone is on a tight budget this year, I tracked down some really awesome, inspiring host/hostess gifts that are all homemade and cost relatively little. All of these ideas would make the ideal gift, or feel free to take these ideas and put your own spin on them. Get creative!

Packaged Quick Breads

Homemade bread is always a very thoughtful, personal, and well-received gift, but not everyone has time to knead away at their bread or hover at the oven to make sure it rises. Quick breads take all of the work out of making your own delicious, decadent breads. They are yeast-free so all you have to do is mix the batter and put it straight into the oven with baking soda, baking powder, or eggs to give it lift.

Packaging your quick breads is also very easy to do and the presentation will really put this gift over the top. If you bake muffins, present them in the tin they were baked in, just be sure to wipe off any drips. Wrap it in cellophane and then in linen with frayed edges; tie on a tag and you can also include a tag with your recipe included so the person receiving this gift can recreate your baked goods at home. Bake cornbread in wooden molds, which then serve as gift boxes since they cannot be reused for baking. Cover your bread in cellophane, then put in a loaf box from a baking supply store and wrap with loose-weave cotton fabric and sewing thread. Bake bread in a can and cover with rounds of waxed paper, then a round of tissue paper or striped cotton; then neatly tie the whole of the can with waxed-linen thread.

Looking for recipes?

Ginger Carrot Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

You will need:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-by-4-inch (1 quart) loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and carrot juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking just to combine. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert loaf onto rack to cool completely. Slice just before serving.

(Source)

Mini Cherry Pecan Streusel Loaves

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

You will need:
For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup packaged light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the batter:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour six mini loaf pans (each 5 3/4 by 3 inches, with a 2-cup capacity). Make streusel topping: In a bowl, mix streusel ingredients with fingertips until moist clumps form. Place in freezer.

2. Make cherry-pecan batter: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in dried cherries and pecans.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans; spread to fill corners. Place pans on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven, and quickly sprinkle loaves with streusel topping.

4. Return loaves to oven; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool loaves 10 minutes in pans; turn out of pans, and cool completely, streusel side up, on a rack.

(Source)

Cocktail Mixers and Bottle Wrap

When everyone is stuffed full of turkey, wind down your holiday festivities with a nice cocktail. Luckily for your host/hostess, if you present them with some homemade holiday drink mixers, all they will have to do is add the desired amount of alcohol.

Decant your mixers into decorative bottles you can pick up at most home stores, and add a label with the drink recipe and storage instructions with festive thread or ribbon. These mixers will keep for up to a week and must be refrigerated.

For bottle wraps, begin with soft, flexible materials that conform to a bottle’s contour. Begin with several sheets of tissue paper and lay the bottle so that the paper extends 2 inches beyond bottom and at least 1 inch beyond top. Before wrapping the bottle, fold paper edges in to create neat out seams. Roll the bottle, and secure with double-sided tape beneath the seam. Fold the bottom as described above, and tape it closed. Fold the top over, or cinch it with waxed thread or twine. Finish the wrapping with twine, adding details such as pine cones or maple leaves.

For more bottle wrap ideas, go here.

Looking for recipes?

Bloody Mary Mixer

For each drink, combine 3 ounces of mixer with 1 ounce of vodka. Pour into a glass filled with ice.
Download and print Bloody Mary Mixer tag!

You will need:

• 3 cups store-bought tomato juice
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:
1. Stir ingredients; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Cranberry Cocktail Mixer

For each drink, combine 4 ounces of mixer with 2 ounces of vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice; strain into a chilled martini glass.
Download and print Cranberry Cocktail Mixer tag!

You will need:

• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice

Directions:
1. Bring zests, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put juice into a large container; stir in zest mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or overnight. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Apricot Ginger Fizz Mixer

For each drink, pour three ounces of mixer into a glass; add three ounces of sparkling wine.
Download and print Apricot Ginger Fizz Mixer tag!

You will need:

• 1 peeled (1 inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups apricot nectar

Directions:
1. Bring ginger, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put apricot nectar into a large container; stir in ginger mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Mug of Cocoa Mix

This has got to be the simplest host/hostess gift of them all, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make your host/hostesses face light up when you present it to them as some of the other gifts that take a little more work. This gift idea is perfect particularly for someone you may not know that well, if you’re attending a holiday dinner at a partner’s family’s house or attending a holiday party with a friend hosted by someone you’re not friends with.

Pick up a plain colored mug at a home store and download and print out festive holiday ‘warm wishes’ stickers to place in the center of the mug. Place a mug’s-worth of cocoa mix in a small baggie and place the baggie inside cellophane. Wrap the cellophane around the baggie and tie at the top with a decorative ribbon and place the cocoa mix inside the mug.

Homemade Bread Pudding with Clip Art Tags

Give your host/hostess a tasty treat to enjoy after everyone has left, the mess has been cleaned up, and all they want to do is put their feet up and relax! Present them with a fabulously delicious bread pudding presented in a small bowl wrapped in cellophane and adorned with a holiday clip art tag.

The bread pudding recipe follows below. To wrap your bread pudding, wrap each pudding in a piece of cellophane. Place the bowl on top, draw up the sides, cinch with ribbon, attach tags with waxed twine, and tie a bow.

Print out all three tag templates using thick paper stock. Cut out pudding tags by layering them, punch a hole through, and thread with twine. Secure the sauce labels under rings of jar lids.

Kris Kringle Bread Pudding

Recipe makes 2 servings.

You will need:

• 1 1/3 cups Armagnac
• 7 ounces pitted prunes
• 7 ounces assorted dried fruits, such as peaches, apricots, and pears
• 5 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup vanilla or granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped
• Zest of 1 orange
• 12 large egg yolks
• 2 large loaves day-old brioche, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes (18 cups)
• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for parchment paper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine Armagnac and dried fruits. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. The fruit should absorb all of the Armagnac. Remove from heat. Coarsely chop; set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream, half-and-half, sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla pod and seed scrapings, and orange zest. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. While whisking constantly, gradually ladle half the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Return to saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, and scraping the sides and edges of the pan until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a large sieve into large bowl, discarding the cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, and orange zest.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brioche cubes in a large bowl. Add dried fruit, reserving 1/2 cup. Pour custard over brioche cubes; toss to combine. Divide brioche cubes evenly between two 2-quart ovenproof bowls; the cubes will mound on top. Sprinkle reserved fruit over the top of each pudding. Sprinkle tops of puddings with sugar. Let stand until bread is saturated, about 20 minutes.

5. Brush two 12-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper with butter. Place parchment paper, butter side down, over bread. Cover parchment with aluminum foil to seal. Place puddings in a large, deep roasting pan. Place in oven, and add enough boiling water to roasting pan to come 3 inches up sides of bowls. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until set, 30 to 45 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep refrigerated 3 days.

6. To reheat; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place puddings in a deep roasting pan. Place in oven, and add enough water to roasting pan to come 3 inches up sides of bowls. Reheat until warm through, about 20 minutes.

(Source)

Fresh Baked Pie and Pie Carrier

I am a huge fan of taking items, even non-conventional items, and putting a creative twist on them and using them for something maybe no one else has thought of before. So when I saw this idea of using a bamboo steamer as a pie carrier, I immediately fell in love with it.

You can pick up a bamboo steamer at a local home store and it’s the ideal size to transport a pie to your hostess’s door and it can hold two pies at once. After placing the lid on the steamer, secure it with a piece of twill tape tied in a bow.

Looking for recipes?

Easy Pumpkin Pie with Press-In Shortbread Crust

Recipe makes one 9-inch pie.

You will need:

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Press-In Shortbread Pie Crust
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

2. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set and slightly puffed but still a bit wobbly, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours. (Pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream if desired.

(Source)

Spiced Apple Pie

Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie.

You will need:

• Pate Brisee
• 5 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges flush with rim. Refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Roll remaining disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter, cut out about 70 rounds, re-rolling scraps if necessary. Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Peel and core apples. Thinly slice half the apples, and cut remaining apples into 1-inch pieces.

4. Toss together apples, lemon zest and juice, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Place filling in pie crust, mounding it in the center. Dot with butter. To make egg wash, whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Lightly brush edge of pie crust with egg wash. Arrange dough rounds over filling, working in a spiral from the outside in to the center, overlapping them slightly. Lightly brush top of each round with egg wash as you work to help them adhere to one another. Once the filling has been covered with rounds, lightly brush entire top of pie with egg wash. Sprinkle top with sanding sugar. Refrigerate pie for 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in the middle and lower positions. Place a foil lined baking sheet on lower rack to catch any juices. Place pie on middle rack and bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

(Source)

Good Morning Breakfast Basket

This is a gift that I think would be just absolutely perfect as a host/hostess gift if you attend a New Year’s Eve party and they will surely be super appreciative they have a good morning basket full of breakfast goodies when they’re nursing their hangovers.

Get a basket of appropriate size and line the inside with vintage tea towels or holiday-themed dish towels. Fill it with everything they will need to start the day off right. Include a half pound of ground coffee, tea, sugar, milk, orange juice (just make sure they’re refrigerated before and after you present the gift), scones, butter, marmalade, bagels, and anything else you know they would love!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Here are five of our favorite non-alcoholic Halloween party drink recipes.

Witch’s Brew

You will need:

• 1 (6-ounce) package lime gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups chilled pineapple juice
• 1 (2 liter) bottle chilled lemon-lime soft drink or ginger ale

Special Equipment:

• 1 large black plastic cauldron (available at party or craft stores)
• 1 punch bowl that fits inside the cauldron
• 1 plastic hand (available at party supply stores), sterilized in hot water
• 1 block dry ice (available at supermarkets, ice cream shops or ice companies)

Directions:

1. Pour the gelatin mix into a large bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Stir at least 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the pineapple juice. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Wearing heavy duty gloves or using tongs, place the block of dry ice in the bottom of the cauldron. (Dry ice will burn skin, so handle it with gloves and tongs and keep it away from kids and pets) Use an ice pick to break the block into smaller chunks, if necessary.

3. Fill the cauldron with just enough water to cover the dry ice. It will begin to “steam.”

4. Place the punch bowl inside the cauldron, on top of the dry ice. The cauldron will appear to be magically smoking.

5. Entrap the sterilized rubber hand between the cauldron and the punch bowl, squeezing it tight so the hand appears to be reaching out of the mist for help. Hot-glue the hand to the cauldron, if necessary, to hold it in place.

6. Carefully pour the drink mixture into the punch bowl. Slowly add the lemon-line soda or ginger ale. Stir gently to mix.

Green Ghoulade

You will need:

• 2 (6-ounce) cans limeade, frozen concentrate, thawed
• 3 cups lemon-lime soda
• 3 1/2 cups green sports drink
• Green food coloring
• Ice
• Whipped cream, for topping
• Candy sticks or sipping straw, optional

Directions:

1. In a pitcher, combine limeade, soda and sports drink.

2. Add 5 drops of food coloring, or until desired color green, and stir.

3. Add ice and pour ghoulade into each glass.

4. Place whipped cream in a  piping bag and pipe it on top of each glass.

5. Garnish with a fun straw or candy stick.

Vampire Blood Drink

You will need:

• 1 gallon cranberry juice
• 1 gallon orange juice
• 1 cup raspberry sorbet
• 1 quart seltzer

Directions:

1. Mix the cranberry juice and orange juice together.

2. Add raspberry sorbet, softened, and stir until it completely dissolves.

3. Add seltzer water and pour into glasses. Stir with glow stick swizzle sticks, fun straws or candy sticks.

Red Rooster

You will need:

• 1 1/2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large plastic container and freeze for several hours. The liquid will not freeze, but rather achieve the consistency of a slushy.

2. Scoop into punch cups or wine glasses and serve.

Mulled Pom-Apple Cider

You will need:

• 4 cups pomegranate juice
• 3 cups cider
• 6 dried pears
• 6 dried apples
• 2 to 3 strips orange zest
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 allspice berries
• 1 star anise

Directions:

1. Put the pomegranate juice and cider in a large non-reactive pot along with the dried fruits, orange zest and spices.

2. Warm gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 minutes. Take care not to let the mixture boil.

3. Serve in clear mugs or glasses with spices and dried fruit.

For more Halloween party drink recipes, see Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving’s list of 50 non-alcoholic drink recipes.

Also, be sure to have a backup plan. If you or a friend finds themselves in no position to drive and can’t locate a designated driver, take note of the nationwide alternative ride programs that will make sure you get home safe this Halloween.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

On the 4th of July Bacardi USA launched their “Salute to Summer’s Best 60 Second Cocktail Program” that will go on until Labor Day (September 6th). This program has brought together celebrity chef John Besh and celebrity mixologist Bryan Stowe, both who are also former US soldiers, who have created a phenomenal menu of cocktails and grilled dishes that are healthy and delicious. Both the dishes and cocktails feature and utilize the flavors found within Bacardi’s line of products.

The cocktail recipes on the menu take just 60 seconds to make and the grilled dishes take 10 minutes. With these recipes, you can put together an entire menu of exquisite recipes and accompanying cocktails that will look and taste fabulously. These recipes will also wow the pants off of your loved ones and will look like they were made in more than just a few minutes with incredibly easy-to-find ingredients.

The cocktail recipes use Bacardi’s unique and flavorful alcohol and some of the recipes include Grey Goose Fresh Berry Lemonade and Bacardi Limon Iced Tea. Among the grilled foods recipes you will find Grilled Chicken Breast with Tequila Cazadores Reposado Lime Glaze and Grilled Flank Steak with Louisiana Peach and Grey Goose Citron Glaze, among others.

Take a look at how easy it is to create the Bacardi hand shaken daiquiri in this video from Bryan Stowe.

You can find easy-to-locate recipes right on the cocktail recipes section of the 60 Second Cocktails Facebook page or you can download their entire recipe book! [PDF]

Bacardi USA hasn’t just put together some awesome menus for you to utilize throughout the rest of the summer using their products and flavors, although that is certainly pretty amazing. In addition to recipes and ideas for your own recipes, Bacardi USA has also committed to donate $75,000 to the USO and Bacardi consumers who are over 21 years of age can increase the total donation amount of $100,000 through their participation in the 60 Second Cocktails Facebook fan page. Every time someone becomes a fan of the page on Facebook, Bacardi USA will donate $1 to the USO until they reach $100,000.

So go become a fan of 60 Second Cocktails and get that donation amount increased!

Walmart has put together an awesome site to help you through getting through the holidays in one piece without breaking your budget. The cost of food has continued to rise throughout the past few months and with the holidays right around the corner, you can be sure that people are spending more than they can really afford to put together their holiday feasts. Luckily, Walmart has put together a shopping list that will let you get everything you need for your Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinners for a jaw-dropping price.

Co-star of the Food Network’s new series, Chefs vs. City, Chef Aarón Sánchez has created a spin on traditional holiday meals for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, including Ham with Mango Jalapeno Glaze, Chipotle Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean & Mushroom Picadillo, Coquito Egg Nog, Blue Cheese Stuffed Rolls and Dulce de Leche Sauce for Pumpkin Pie; these recipes are sure to create memorable holiday memories for you and your family. Be sure to check out Walmart’s Holiday Meals website for recipes from Chef Aarón Sánchez and more ideas for holiday entertaining.

Walmart’s Christmas Dinner for 8 for as Low as $30

Your Christmas feast for 8 for as low as $30 at Walmart starts with key, family-favorite ingredients, including:

• One 10-pound spiral cut half-ham
• Three 8-ounce cans Del Monte green beans
• One 10-pound bag of russet potatoes
• One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
• One 10 inch pumpkin pie

This is an incredible amount of food to buy for as low as just $30, especially since that is less than $4 per person; less than you’ll pay for most fast food!

Walmart’s New Year’s Eve Dinner for 10 for as Low as $40

Your New Year’s Ever feast for 10 for as low at $40 at Walmart starts with these festive and delicious ingredients, including:

• Shrimp tray (5 servings)
• Vegetable tray (10 servings)
• Hillshire Farms little smokies (8 servings)
• Pillsbury crescent rolls (6 servings)
• Land O’ Lakes egg nog (8 servings)
• Red velvet cake

The holidays are such a great time for spending time and making new memories with your family; it is also a great time to reflect on memories you hold dear from past years or even when you were a child and that in itself costs nothing! But because the holidays have warped into such a consumer-ridden holiday, this year more and more families are looking for ways to save money without sacrificing the quality of the meals they are feeding their families.

My biggest money-saving tip for this holiday season would definitely be to shop with coupons, the holidays are a great time to spot some really awesome deals in your newspaper or weekly coupon magazines because a lot of companies are hoping you’re shopping closer to the holidays to get what you need for the big day. So look for coupons and shop on sale! Also, be sure to find out if your local grocery store has a store card because I’ve found that if you consistently use your grocery store card, you will accumulate so many points, but there are also a lot of deals going on company-to-company that you don’t know about. Every time I go shopping and use my grocery card, I find out I save between $15 and $20 a trip and every little bit you save helps a ton!

Giveaway

Thanks to Mom Central, we have the opportunity to pass on the Walmart holiday meals love to two lucky people who will win a $30 Walmart gift card.

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post sharing one of your favorite holiday money-saving tips!

Extra Entries

Leave a separate comment for each additional entry.

• Leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite holiday memory or tradition is.
• Subscribe to Woman Tribune
• Follow @WomanTribune on Twitter
• “Like” Woman Tribune on Facebook
• Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post and to Walmart’s Holiday Meals website. (This entry is worth two entries, so leave two separate comments with the link to your blog post.)
• Vote for Woman Tribune in the Appletiser Blog Awards. (You must register first, so this entry is worth two entries, so leave two separate comments.)
• Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the following tweet or write your own. (This can be done once a day, leave a link to your tweet in your comment.)
  

  Share your favorite holiday money-saving tip & win a $30 Walmart gift card from @WomanTribune! http://tinyurl.com/ykc4ml2 Ends 12/22

This giveaway ends Tuesday, December 22nd at 11:59 p.m. ET. This giveaway is open to all residents worldwide over the age of 18 at the time of entry. The winner will be chosen via random.org and contacted by email; they then have 48 hours (2 days) to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Full Contest Disclaimer

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Having a table especially for the children for any holiday meal is a great idea. Kids won’t be very interested in the grown up conversation happening at the main table and it also gives children a great opportunity to bond with the other children in their families. But even with a table especially for the kids, they are likely to get bored, which is why it is always a great idea to put some activities on their table.

Here is some great kids table inspiration. I love that the tablecloth is just a sheet of butcher paper that can be drawn on and I especially love the drawn placemats! Put some crayons in a few cups or small pot holders and let the kids go to town on the placemats while they eat their holiday dinner. Cleanup will be a breeze, too!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Placetile Designs did not start out as a budding business that women flocked to in order to get the perfect place cards or table accessories; they were actually created by Kristin Bowen for her wedding where her guests were actually stealing each other’s place cards. And the reason why they were able to steal each other’s place cards and not feel weird about bringing them home and using them with someone else’s name written on them is because these place cards are erasable ceramic place cards! Of course she didn’t know it at first, but her elegant and resourceful wedding table accessory turned into a great business with a ton of practical placetiles to suit any woman’s lifestyle!

Of course, I have a holiday-track mind, with Thanksgiving just a little over a week away and Christmas a little over a month away and for the holidays, Placetile Designs has a whole slew of great products for the holidays that will look great on your table, but be warned, you may have your guests begging to take their placetiles home.

I really, really love Placetile Designs and their prices are incredibly reasonable, especially since you will get a ton of use out of them. They are a definite must-have for holiday meals, dinner parties that you’ll hold all year ’round, baby and bridal showers and they are also a great, fashionable touch for weddings.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Everyone has, at one point or another, either seen or been in a photo booth and the photos taken in a photo booth are eccentric and photos you’ve undoubtedly kept years after having them taken. Portland Photo Booth Rentals give you the option of renting your very own photo booth for that special occasion in your life. Photo booths are exciting and something that no one at your event will expect, but will most definitely have a blast using! Photo booths are gaining in popularity and because people are so used to seeing photo booths at malls and amusement parks, they will remember them from these places, and head right on over to your rented photo booth to have their photos taken. Even better, photo booths allow those guests and friends that would otherwise become shy in front of a camera to use a photo booth where the curtain is drawn and they are alone and free to be themselves and take a photo of themselves that reflects who they are and what you love about them.

By reading more about Portland Photobooth Services you will find all the reasons you need why it is so important for you to rent a photobooth for your next special occasion and truly reflect what a great time your guests and loved ones had!

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

Partini is a laugh-out-loud, multi-player game great for parties or small gatherings. Get some friends together, pair up into teams and compete in six games all rolled into one. One of the games in Partini is called Bouncers, where you bounce ping pong balls into cups; just like beer pong. That explains the suggested age for the game being eighteen. Other games include something called Straight Up, where you declare funny truths or myths about your teammates. Add a few martinis and you’re sure to get the party rockin’ and rollin’ in no time–And embarrass a few friends in the process.

My boyfriend and I used to frequently go to a friend’s house where we would get a little more than a handful of people together and play various different games and always had a ball. This game would have been an excellent addition to one of our game nights.

Now that we’re seeing the weather get colder and colder, instead of going out at night with friends, why not have a fun night in? Get some pizza, chips and other party food, of course the makings for martinis, because what’s Partini without martinis, and you’ve got the makings for a great night full of laughs.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!

That is, until I found out about PartyBluPrints.

PartyBluPrints gives you the luxury of not having to worry about planning a party and not knowing where to start or even coming up with the theme that is just right for your gathering. They outline your blue print to success starting with the key elements of a party; the menu, cocktails, music, favors, activities and invitations. Not only do that go in order with what you need to start and then to finish, they give you ideas and inspiration to take with you and best of all, their blue prints are all in PDF form, not prone to getting lost or ruined in the midst of your party, but conveniently on your computer at all times to consult.

Their website is often updated with holiday ideas and also a few free guides, this season’s being an Election Party and Girls Night In. Other parties they have planned are ready for you to dig in to are a holiday parties, wine tasting parties, sports parties and a few different exciting themes specifically for women and that coveted “girl time” that is so hard to make time for sometimes.

When choosing a party plan of my liking, I went for A Night in Venice, with a festival, cosmopolitan, radiant and harmonious vibe.

As I took my first glance through my PartyBluPrint, the first thing I thought was “Wow!” They did not miss a beat when it came to planning the perfect party to encompass the entire vibe and not only that, but they include a little background history on, in my case, Venice, and while taking some ideas from history and from the place itself, they tune your entire party to that theme and it is amazing, really.

My PartyBluPrint started with the invitation and how to make it appear its absolute best. It then went on to not only the cocktail and meal menus but also the recipes and the preparation for each item, which I was pleasantly surprised with, as I need a recipe for soup! If you are planning your party ahead of time, they also include websites where you can buy the exact ingredients for the menu right online, making it convenient and super easy.

We all know that any gathering is not complete without ambiance and PartyBluPrints even thought of that! Giving you an overall idea and also distinct instructions, they make it a cinch to turn your home into a luxurious, magical place where the theme of the party greets your guests as soon as they step through your door.

While the Eparty plans PartyBluPrints have set up are remarkable in their entirety, the very best aspect of their party plan is that they give you an entire shopping list for your party in a list format with little boxes next to the items to ensure sufficiency in your party planning, making sure you have everything you need for a remarkable evening with your guests. For people like me who, like I said, cannot plan dinner to be done at the same time, they give you a step by step guide right down to time measurements, making sure that everything is completed and you’re ready for your guests when they start to arrive.

PartyBluPrints offers an exceptional service to party planning newbies and offers ideas and inspiration to those comfortable with throwing a gathering of any size. I would definitely recommend them for any type of party you are thinking about planning in the future, you cannot get more efficient or aesthetically pleasing.

Related Posts:

• None yet, check back soon!