Monday, October 26, 2009

Contest: Name the Species part Two

We have created a poll for you to vote on! You may vote once a day for your favorite name!
Good Luck to all those entered our contest! To Find the original post go here.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Free Recipe: Witch Fingers

MMmmm Nothing bets eating Evil Witch Fingers. Willow has some strange off hours, she spends her free time hunting down those evil witches who eat harmless children, well thats her story and she's sticking to it!

Yield 5 dozen (6 if you use an 1/2 tablespoon)

1 cup butter soften (may subsatute for margerin but will effect the dough)
1 cup powder sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 2/3 cups flower
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups whole almonds Blanched
1 tube red decorator gel (or can use light corn syrup died red with food coloring)

In a bowl beat together butter, sugar egg almond extract, & vanilla. Bet in flour and salt. You can now decide to divide the dough and add food coloring before you chill your dough. Cover and refredgerate for 30 minutes.
While dough is chilling out blanch your almonds. Put your almonds in a bowl pour in about 1 cup of boiling water let soak about 1 minute. Pour out hot water and pour in cold water for about 1 minute. Strain and rub the skins off with a towl. I find its easier to just peel them like an orange after their hot and cold bath.
Useing a tablespoon or mealon baller scoup your dough into 5 dozen balls. Roll each ball into finger shapes add the almond at the tip and make knuckle creses with your butter knife or very clean thumb nail.
Preheat oven to 325 bake for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Lift up almond squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed replace almond so the gel will ooze out.

Rember presntation is everything WIllow finds telling a story about how she came to have the fingers adds to the fun. Also consider making fun tray labels. Be creative have fun enjoy these wonderful cookies!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Things From Willow's Mom

If you noticed we added a section to the left of your screen. These things are made by Willow's mom. She can no longer make things such as quilts and stuffed animals. Her health is deteriorating and causing many concerns for Willow and her family. Willow's mom suffers from many ailments the major ones that cause constant pain is musclefibrosia and chronic arthritis. She also suffers from early signs of dementia as well as being diabetic. These 4 bears are her last works. Although willow is going through the storage trying to get pics of everything that's left. These are the last things that were made.
Each bear comes with a removable ribbon bow that's tied around there necks. They do not have eye's our main concern were infants and toddlers who like to put things in there mouths. With the new rules on kids items we just thought it would be safer to just leave the eyes off.
These are primitive style/ Country type bears and are big and soft. Willows kids use them as pillows the can lay on on the floor like those big pillows. If you find the price is too high please keep in mind that a lot of time went into these bears and they are machine washable and dryable (just ask Willows kids!).

Free Recipie: ButterBeer

Nothing beets that nice warm drink on a cool crisp day. After much reading online and through those wonderful Harry Potter books Willow devised her own Butter Beer recipes. She has several and even though she may have gotten the idea from others she truly made them her own. Its all in presentation and Garnishing!
Did you know ButterBeer started back in the Medieval days? It was a very popular beer, then died for a while. It wasn't brought back to life until recently. Although it never really disaperd completely.

Version 1 Alcoholic Butter Beer
  • 1 2 liter Cream Soda
  • 1 cup butterscotch schnapps
  1. Chill the cream soda, Willow usually places it in the fridge 2 days before and puts it in the very back (the coldest part. For warm beer chill for about 30 minuets or not chill at all.
  2. Pour all into a punch bowl slowly. Willow also uses a chilled punch bowl for her cold version. For warm do not chill the bowl.
  3. pour about 1 cup of the butterscotch schnapps into the cream soda. It will fizzle some. 
  4. Garnish with ice if desire Willow likes to use Butterscotch hard candy in each cup.

Version 2 non alcoholic
  • 1 2 liter cream soda
  • Butterscotch Ice cream topping (smucker's sugar free spoonable topping is what Willow uses)
  1. As above chill the cream soda
  2. Pour gently into a punch bowl leaving about 1 cup out.
  3. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of butterscotch topping stirring gently will fizzle some.
  4. For warm beer don't chill.
This next recipe is from about.com by far one of the best we have ever tried!

Prep Time: :5

Cook Time: :10

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint real vanilla ice cream (use a brand that includes vanilla seed specks for best flavor or make your own)
  • 1/4 cup real butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon butterscotch extract
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 quart apple cider
  • Apple slices for garnish, optional

Preparation:

  1. On medium speed, beat together vanilla ice cream, butter, butterscotch extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well-combined. Pour into a container and re-freeze.
  2. When ready to serve, gently heat apple cider in a saucepan until steaming hot.
  3. Place 1 scoop of ice cream in a thick soda glass or large mug. Top with steaming apple cider. Garnish with apple slices, if desired. 
  • Willow heats her cider in her crock pot she puts the cider on as soon as she has her cup of coffee on the day of the party. She mixes her ice cream mixture the night before. By the time of her party her cider is hot and the ice cream is ready. With her trusty freezer she uses Glass beer mugs and places 1-2 scoops of the ice cream in each mug and slips them back into the freezer. She allows her guest to go over and serve themselves. For the kids she places one scoop into small kid size cups and pours it for them. She usually has to make a triple recipe for her parties its just that darn good!  Willow also enjoys adding apple rings instead of wedges to her mugs. To make rings simply core out the apples and slice into rings. she then cuts a slit to allow the ring to sit on the rim of the cup. She likes to use Fuji apples as they are sweet and tasty. Experiment and find your own grove!

We hope you enjoy these tasty drinks!





    Wednesday, October 21, 2009

    Free Idea: Creepy Ice

    "Eek whats that floating in my drink?" squeeled one guest. "Why it looks like a dragons eye, Did you know its good luck to eat the dragons Eye!" Stated WIllow as she went to tend to other things.

    Okay so its not a real dragons eye but its tasty and keeps the drinks cold.

    Dragon Eyes is actually Grapes and dried fruit!
    What you need:
    • Seedless grapes, any kind these will be the main part of your dragons eyes, we like green and dark purple.
    • Dried fruit, most use raises but we don't we use cranberries, blueberries, cherries  and other dried berries we can get.
    1. Wash and dry your grapes
    2. Cut your dried fruit in halves we do them in quarters or fourths for smaller slits.
    3. Take the tip of your knife and cut a small slit and not very deep from one end to another of the grape. Pinch open slightly, not to hard or you will crush the grape (mmm grape juice in me eye!).
    4. Place a piece of dried fruit in and put finished eyes in a coverd bowl, container extra and place into the freezer. 
    5. How we freeze our eyes: we use ice cube trays just put an eye in each slot fill with water cover and freeze. Once solid we pop them into another container that we can seal. When its party time simply place the ice in cups or in the punch bowl. We leave some in a container for those wanting to place a little extra ice into theire cups.

    Body Parts Ice
    • Body parts gummy candy (Oriental Trading usually have the gummy Eye candy check often as they go quickly!)
    • Ice cube trays
    • Food coloring (optional)
    1. Place a gummy in each slot of the ice tray 
    2. In a measuring cup add water and a few drops of food coloring this is optional we like neaon colors as they glow slightly in the black lights. If you fear someone has dye allergies you could always do several non dyed.
    3. Pour water, cover and freeze, Enjoy. we like to have ours in the punch bowls as the ice melts the body parts will become exposed.

    Flies and other bugs in my ice!
    • Toy bugs such as flies, spiders, cockroaches extra we like realistic ones.
    • Ice cube trays
    • food coloring (optional)
    1. Wash or rinse the bugs throughly we want to make sure no dust or dirt is on these buggers!
    2. Place a bug in each slot of the ice cube tray.
    3. As above you can add died water for special effects we like to use juice from our punch to freeze our bugs.
    You can subsatute water for a main juice ingreadent in your punch Below is one of our Witches brew we make.

    Willow's Witches Brew:
    • 36 ounces unsweeten apple juice concentrait thawed and undiluted
    • 4 cups Cranberry juice coctail
    • 3 medium oranges
    • 32 ounce gingerale (chilled)
    • 4 cups water (or 4 cups vodka)
    • 1 gallon lime sherbet, softend
    • ice or freaky hand ice (Target now carries hand ice molds!)
    1. Mix in a gallon pitcher the following: Apple juice, Cranberry Juice, & Water/Vodka
    2. when its about party time pour the mix into your cauldron or punch bowl, slice the oranges into thin rings. and place into punch.
    3. Gently pour the ginger ale into the punch.
    4. Place ice and sherbet into the punch. Be gental with the sherbet as it will make the brew fizzle. Serve with a cakle.
    You can use Dry Ice if you like but if you do use Dry Ice Make sure its the Food Grade (ask the store if its food grade!) and never touch dry ice with your hands or injest dry ice. It can cause major injuries.

    Freaky Hand Ice:
    use a powder free latex glove add in fruit gummies (if you like) and water. Dont over fill the glove you want it to look like a real hand. Tie the end and place onto a plate and freeze. We do this the night before and pull it out just before go time. Cut the glove off  and slide into brew. Target has hands feet ice molds durring halloween, they come with gummy worms, and color. If used properly the mold will last a long time and can be used over and over again! Great investment!

    Enjoy spook yall later!

    Monday, October 12, 2009

    Celebrating 10 Years of Service

    In Honor of our 10 years of business. We have creaded a 10% off voucher.
    Enter HALLOWEEN at checkout to reciver your discount.
    Only valid at our main website, Limited quantities available.
    This voucher is good until midnight on October 31st USA Central Time.
    Enjoy and help us celebrate 10 years of friendships, and loyal services!

    Below is a free Halloween Gift Tag simply right click and save!


    Saturday, October 10, 2009

    Finding Old Posts

    Wow talk about Old posts I was reading through my other blog and came across an Interview.
    It should be moved to this blog perhaps one day it will be. For now Click Here to read about Lisa Logan the Author.

    If your intreasted in other books we are slowly getting them on our website, if your looking for some spacific title and do not see it just ask we might be able to get it for you!

    Have a great weekend and dont forget to look to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom to find our giveaway Which is schedualed for this weekend!

    Thursday, October 1, 2009

    Free Idea: Halloween Invites

    This year Willow took Inspiration from Martha Stewart's Severed Finger Invites and made them her own way.


    What you will need:
    • Witch finger candy pretzel mold
    • Plaster
    • Cups
    • Stirring Rods
    • Old Ivy Acrylic Paint
    • Licorice Acrylic Paint
    • Paint Brush
    • Acrylic Shiny Spray Sealer
    • Coffin Treat Box (Down load here)
    • Your Invites
    • Model Magic Putty (or silly putty will work)
    • Ribbon (We used leftover Halloween ribbon)
    • Self adhesive Magnets
    • Brown riffita or garden twine
    Directions:
    Clean and dry your witch finger mold. Place the model clay where the finger ends and just before the grove that holds the pretzel rod. Make sure you place enough there to be even with the top of the mold. This will allow you to have thick fingers. Mix and pour your plaster in small batches as directions state. Let dry for the full 24 hours. Discard the pieces of clay after you make all the fingers you plan too!


    Paint the green part of the finger first then the nails. After the fingers dry take them outside and spray your acrylic sealer. Let the fingers dry for the recommended time that your spray says too. While they are drying cut your ribbon to about 3-4 inches or smaller if you can manage tying small bows. Cut about 1 inch size magnets.
    Make your treat boxes as the instructions say.
    Invitations: Ours were made on the Avery post card paper printed front and back. One side was a menu the other had games, time, place who to talk to, and general reminder about dressing up. Roll up into scrolls as tight as possible and tie with twine.


    After the fingers are dry tie your ribbon around your finger and place a magnet on the back. Place it in the coffin and an invite.


    If you noticed we have something on the inside of the lid we have:
    Your Invited to a Halloween Party
    time and date and contact number and e-mail. We printed them out using small labels.
    Once everything is inside Tie up with twin and hand them to friends.

    Willow made over 40 of these the last week.
    You can also use favor boxes and the fake moss method as well. But we wanted something more fun as they were passed out to Willow's Kids Classrooms. These also make great party favors! Sure to make people talk!

    If you are wanting a craft kit just ask willow will hook you up!