Meatloaf Madness!

I don't like meatloaf.  To be fair, the last time I had it was in college so maybe my taste buds would appreciate it more now.  Everyone's response to this is "Yeah, but you haven't tried MY meatloaf".  It has nothing to do with the recipe, it has everything to do with the texture.

If I came across this meatloaf on the dinner table, I'm not sure if I'd be more inclined to try it, or to immediately vomit.

Isn't that awful?  Awfully creative!

A friend just sent me the link to this (Thanks, Amy), the recipe can be found at Not Martha.

Creepy Cider

When I first saw this, I wasn't sure what it was, but I loved it!

It's on Martha Stewart in case you want to replicate it.

Skeleton Veggie Tray

I wonder if my kids would be more apt to eating veggies if I arranged them like this:

I found this picture at Kraft Kitchens.

Halloween Cakes

If you're hosting a Halloween get together and have yet to find the perfect dessert...check out some of these "beauties".

I have no idea how they made any of them, but that last one actually makes me a tiny bit queasy.  Thanks for sending them my way, Pat!

Fun party idea if you're pregnant

If I were pregnant, which I am NOT, I would think about doing a party like the one I found on HWTM.

See those cupcakes?  Inside each one is a gumball.  They happen to be blue because this couple was expecting a boy.  So, everyone found out together what sex the baby was when they bit into their cupcakes.  A fun reason to celebrate!  You can go to the link above for the full party details.

My worst beverage nightmare

I came across this on the food network.  If someone handed me this drink I'm fairly certain I'd scream, drop the glass, and spill it all over.  Even then, I most likely wouldn't realize the spider was not real, because I would be across the room rocking in a corner thinking about happy things like a day at the spa.

Skip the liquor and serve it at a kids party.  Of course, if you're having a Halloween party with lots of kids, I think you're crazy, and I propose you leave the liquor in the recipe.

Free Halloween printables

Alright, so for some reason, I can't get the picture to work on my computer, but trust me, the printable below is cute.  It'd be great for little goodie bags for a halloween party, or maybe even iron it on to a canvas sack and make trick or treat bags for the kiddos.  But, click here, and open up the PDF document to check out these free printables from Oscar+Emma Designs.  Cute and free.  Doesn't get much better!

Wine glass name tag

I like this idea.  If I ever have a fancy enough party that my guests are all drinking wine out of real wine glasses....I will do this.  As it stands though, most of my parties involve juice boxes so I might be waiting awhile on this idea.  Cute though.  Use it as a name placecard for a nice dinner, and also to keep everyone's glasses straight after dinner.

Fall Centerpieces

Austin and I are going to decorate the house for Halloween today.  I'm already going through the box of stuff wondering what I can keep out through Thanksgiving and what definitely says "Halloween" and needs to be put away after the 31st.

This got me thinking about cute fall table decorations.  This, and the cold temperatures.  Here's a few I thought were easy enough to recreate with minimal effort.

I think those fake, but very realistic looking, pumpkins at Michaels would be great for this.

Is that an orange bell pepper in the dish?  I would have never considered that.  And, I still probably won't because I like to eat those, not display them.

Easy.  Next time I need new dishes (which will be in about 10 years), I'm getting all white.  So versatile.

Homemade Wine Bottle Labels

Relabling wine bottles to fit the decor of your party is all the rage right now.

Just kidding.  I hardly know what "all the rage" is in party planning.

But, I do think this idea is fun.  And pretty easy.  It could be used for any sort of party, but I'm thinking it would be especially great at weddings.  Use the homemade label to represent a table number at a reception.  Or, if you're feeling generous give each guest a bottle of wine to go home with and the label could be your engagement picture, wedding date, etc.

And just to show you how easy it is....I just made one.  For Halloween, not a wedding.  Unless you're getting married on Halloween.

It's 3x4.5 inches.  Just print it out, and stick it on the bottle with some double stick tape.  Or, print it out on an Avery label and forget the tape. 

I barely know how to use Photoshop, so I'm sure some of you who are fluent with the program (coughKerrycoughcough), would be able to create some really cool looking labels.