Halloween Sweet Treat Ideas

Halloween is just around the corner, what will you be doing to celebrate?  Going to parties, throwing your own party?  Need help with ideas to create sweet yet spooky Halloween treats?  Well, we've got you covered check out these delicious treat ideas.


Cemetery Cake


Ingredients
Cake

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 12

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• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 434
• Protein(gm)4
• Carbohydrate(gm)49
• Fat, total(gm)26
• Cholesterol(mg)75
• Saturated fat(gm)8
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)3
• Sodium(mg)429

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

• 1 18 1/4 ounce box chocolate cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Frosting and Decorations
  6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 rectangular cookies (such as Social Tea Biscuits)
• 4 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies (trim 1/4 inch from one end of each cookie)
• 5 pumpkin candies (such as Jelly Belly)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees . Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking or baking spray.

2. Cake. Prepare cake mix with 1 1/4 cups water, the eggs and oil as per package directions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 31 to 33 minutes, or as per package directions. Cool completely.

3. Trim crowned area from top of cake; reserve scraps for later use. Invert cake onto serving platter.

4. Frosting and decorations. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a glass measuring cup in microwave for 1 minute. Pour over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let cool an additional 5 minutes.

5. Transfer 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag. Pour and spread remaining frosting over cake, allowing some to drip down cakesides. Snip a small corner from plastic bag. Pipe decorations onto cookies. Let dry. With a knife, cut slits into cake and insert decorated cookies into slits. Crumble reserved cake scraps and place on cake in front of cookies. Scatter pumpkin candies over cake.

No- Bake Spiderweb Cheesecakes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 16

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• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 247
• Protein(gm)4
• Carbohydrate(gm)23
• Fat, total(gm)16
• Cholesterol(mg)32
• Saturated fat(gm)10
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)1
• Sodium(mg)97

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

• Crust and Cheesecakes
  16 Nilla Wafers
• 1 envelope (.25 ounce) unflavored gelatin
• 2 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whipped topping or whipped cream
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• Spiderwebs
  1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Crust and cheesecakes. Line 16 indents of 2 cupcake pans with foil liners. Coat liners with nonstick spray. Place 1 Nilla wafer in bottom of each prepared cup.

2. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a glass measuring cup and let soak for 1 minute. Microwave 30 seconds to dissolve.

3. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla, then fold in whipped topping or whipped cream. While beating over medium speed, adddissolved gelatin in thin stream. Fold in mini chips. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared cup, smoothing tops.

4. Spiderwebs. Combine chips and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1 minute and stir until smooth. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag or piping bag. Snip off a small corner and pipe in a spiral pattern on each cake. Starting at the center, run a thin  knife through each spiral to resemble a spiderweb. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Caramel Apples

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 12

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• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 378
• Protein(gm)5
• Carbohydrate(gm)74
• Fat, total(gm)9
• Cholesterol(mg)5
• Saturated fat(gm)5
• Dietary Fiber, total(gm)4
• Sodium(mg)182

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

• 12 small McIntosh apples (about 3 pounds)
• 12 wooden ice-cream sticks
• 2 14 ounce packages soft caramels (such as Kraft)
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles
• 3 tablespoons vanilla sprinkles
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, broken up
• 1/2 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening

Directions

1. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil. Coat foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Remove stems from apples; wash and dry apples. Insert wooden stick into stem end of each apple.

3. Place unwrapped caramels in medium-size saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons water; heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted and smooth.

4. Working quickly with one apple at a time, and keeping caramel over low heat, dip the apple into the caramel, turning to coat the apple completely (tilt pan slightly for easier dipping). Remove apple from caramel, letting excess caramel drip back into saucepan. Scrape bottom of apple on edge of pan, and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all apples.

5. Press pistachios, peanuts or sprinkles onto bottom of apples and 1 inch up the sides; place in cupcake liners on new baking sheet. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until caramel is cool.

6. Meanwhile, melt chocolate with shortening in a small glass bowl on HIGH in microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Transfer to a small plastic bag; snip off corner. Drizzle over apples. Refrigerate until hardened, about 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator.

 through each spiral to resemble a spiderweb. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Cakesicles - Easy Halloween Cake Pops

Nutrition Facts

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• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 125

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 cup canned frosting
• 1 pound candy melts (such as Wilton)

Directions

1. Prepare cake mix following package directions.

2. Cool, break into crumbs and stir in frosting. Roll into balls (about 50 per batch).

3. Melt 1 pound candy melts (such as Wilton). Dip one end of lollipop sticks in candy and then insert into cake balls (this keeps them from coming loose). Freeze to set.

4. Dip pops in melted candy to coat, decorate as desired, then press sticks in a styrofoam block to dry. (If drawing faces with an edible marker, let candy dry first.)

Football Season is here!

Sunday Football Low Calorie Recipe Ideas


Getting ready for Sunday football?  Want to indulge with some delicious football food without the feeling of guilt?  Well, get excited here are a couple great low calorie recipe ideas that will make you feel great about eating and watching football all day!

Guiltless Guac
Guac-a-holics can drop inhibitions and just chow on this low-fat version of the old Mexican favorite. Peas replace most of the avocado in this recipe, making for a creamy dip with less fat and more nutrients.

1 box (10 ounces) frozen baby peas, thawed
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chili peppers
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped red onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the peas, avocado, chili peppers, lime juice, sour cream, garlic, and cumin. Process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Season to taste with the salt and black pepper. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes 12 servings. Per serving: 44.9 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0.3 g sat fat, 6.9 g carbs, 2.1 g sugar, 2.3 g fiber, 2 g protein

©iStockphoto.com/Thinkstock

Grilled Buffalo Wings
If a game means giving in to deep-fried foods like wings in your crew, take matters into your own hands and fire up the grill. The simple switch from fryer to fire saves you loads of fat and calories without losing flavor.

1 pound chicken tenders
salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup prepared Buffalo wing sauce
4 ribs celery, cut into sticks
4 carrots, cut into sticks
2 kirby cucumbers, cut into spears
1/3 cup fat-free ranch dressing

1. Season the chicken tenders to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Coat a ridged grill pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium-high heat, or heat an electric countertop griller. Grill the chicken, turning once, about 4 minutes, or until browned and no longer pink in the thickest part. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the Buffalo sauce.

3. Place the chicken on a platter with the celery, carrots, cucumbers, and the ranch dressing for dipping. Serve with a good supply of wooden picks.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 218.9 calories, 4.3 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 19.6 g carbs, 7.6 g sugar, 4.4 g fiber, 28.7 g protein

©iStockphoto.com/Thinkstock

Spicy Roasted Nuts
These healthy fats and fiber have a kick that will help them disappear—maybe before kickoff.

2 cups unsalted almonds

2 cups unsalted pecan halves

1 cup unsalted walnut halves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons smoked or regular paprika

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a bowl, combine the almonds, pecans, and walnuts. Add the oil 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing well in between to lightly coat all the nuts.

2. In a small bowl, combine the red pepper, rosemary, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Stir to mix. Slowly sprinkle the mixture over the nuts, tossing to coat.

3. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in an even layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Set aside to cool before storing in a plastic container or zip-top bags.

Makes 20 servings. Per serving: 186.3 calories, 18 g fat, 1.6 g sat fat, 4.8 g carbs, 1.2 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 4.4 g protein

Food That Heals

Injury can slow you down! 

Proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants help heal wounds, relax stressed tendons and mend fractured bones more quickly. So in addition to your doc's advice to elevate and ice, choose the right combinations of foods to speed recovery and get back on your feet. Here's where to aim your cart at the Stop & Shop.

Produce Section

BUY

Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes and Kale for Vitamin A; 

Oranges, Strawberries, Peppers and Broccoli for Vitamin C

WHY

 Vitamin A helps make white blood cells for fighting infection, "which is always a risk with injury," says Dr. Sass. Vitamin C has been proven to help skin and flesh wounds heal faster and stronger, making it a valuable ally when caring for road rash. Vitamin C also helps repair connective tissues and cartilage by contributing to the formation of collagen, an important protein that builds scar tissue, blood vessels and even new bone cells.

Meat Counter

BUY 

Lean Turkey, Sirloin, Fish and Chicken

WHY 

Lean meats are packed with protein, a critical building block for producing new cells. In a 2008 study published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers at the University of Ottawa identified a protein that acted like a bridge between damaged tissues, promoting repair. Because athletes require about 112 grams of protein per day (for a 175-pound male or female) for optimum healing, eating meat is an easy way to rocket toward this goal faster.

Dairy Department

BUY

 Eggs, Milk and Yogurt

WHY 

All three are good sources of protein; milk and yogurt also contain calcium, which repairs bone and muscle. The vitamin D in dairy products improves calcium absorption and helps injured muscle and bone heal: A 2010 study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reported that boosting this nutrient's levels in deficient patients produced earlier results.

Cereal Aisle

BUY 

Fortified Cereal

WHY 

It contains zinc, a proven asset to the immune system and to healing wounds. Along with red meat, fortified cereals are the best sources (some deliver 100 percent of your recommended daily value). By itself, zinc doesn't repair damaged tissue, but it assists the nutrients that do. "Just don't overdo it," Sass cautions, adding that too much--more than 40 grams a day for an adult--of this potent mineral lowers HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and actually suppresses your immune system. Cereal supplies moderate zinc doses as well as whole-grain carbohydrates, which fuel your body's healing efforts and keep it from dipping into protein for energy. "Eating enough carbs ensures that your body puts all of its available protein toward repairs," Sass explains.

Seafood Case

BUY

 Salmon, Tuna and Trout

WHY 

In addition to an added protein bonus, fish is packed with omega-3s, fatty acids which quench the inflammation that slows recovery from tendinitis, bone fractures and sprained ligaments.

A Little Inflammation Goes a Long Way

Most of us heed our doctor's advice to use rest, ice, compression and elevation to reduce inflammation and speed recovery. But should we also rely on anti-inflammatory measures such as cortisone injections, large doses of ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs? In a 2010 study done at the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, researchers concluded that these measures may actually slow healing and that moderation is key. They observed that in acute muscle injuries, inflammatory cells (called macrophages) aided growth that sped muscle regeneration. In other words, a little inflammation actually facilitates healing. This makes anti-inflammatory foods, such as fish and berries, particularly valuable to cyclists on the mend. "These foods throw a big bucket of water on inflammation, but they don't put the fire out entirely," says dietitian Cynthia Sass.