Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Fox 4 Morning Blend Fun for Halloween

Once again the WONDERFUL staff at the Fox 4 Morning Blend welcomed me into their "home" for a fun segment on their awesome morning show.  Wild Bill Wood is the perfect host and always makes me feel at home and I know that when I go there we will have a great time.  This visit was no exception, but what was different was that I was blessed to have my awesome friend, Shannon Imlay, with me.  To see the show, click on Fox 4 Morning Blend.

Shannon and I prepared some delicious holiday goodies for the Morning Blend crew to enjoy on this fun Halloween Day.  We began with the Triple Chocolate Boo Goo Apples.  This is one of Shannon's specialties.  She recently appeared on the Food Network's show, The Perfect Three, making this recipe. 

Each Granny Smith Apple is dipped in caramel, then milk chocolate.  The ghost is made of an Oreo Truffle dipped in white chocolate.  The final touch is mini chocolate chips for their eyes and a regular size chocolate chip for their mouths.  If you make the large apples, I promise you, it will be enough for 3 or 4 people.  

The little bottles of "potions" were made from plain bottles which were purchased at the craft store and filled with colored drinks and embellished with fun labels and ribbons.

We found some Spinning Candy Corn suckers which we embellished with a pumpkin face and ribbons and made a cute arrangement in this fun wagon filled with candy pumpkins.  These were our Kreepy Kandy Korn Pops.  



Who wouldn't want some Milk Chocolate Mummys and some Mulled Apple Cider?  We did and that's exactly what we served.  The mummys were made of Hershey Bars, wrapped with crepe paper that had been cut in half.  Then we put two sticky goofy eyes on each one to finish them off.  The Cider was served in a pumpkin punch bowl and served with a cinnamon stick.


What is so much fun is being able to take an ordinary dish you have at home and embellish it to fit the occasion or holiday that you are planning.  That's exactly what we did with this stemmed dish that we filled with Candy Corn and Candy Pumpkins and we called it Monster Mix.  The big beautiful ribbon and the jeweled sculls and crossbones were just the fun touches this dish needed to make it fit right in on our table.



Shannon and I had so much fun putting these things together and what I really want to emphasize with you is how easy it all is.  We try to create things that anyone would be comfortable doing as well.  



Being on the Fox 4 Morning Blend here in South West Florida is such an honor and pleasure.  I am fully aware that there are many people who would love to be the guest of this wonderful cast and crew.  I am so thankful that they allowed Shannon and I to join them for a fun celebration of Fall.  



The real stars of the show are the hosts.  You only see Wild Bill Wood in this interview but he has a wonderful co-host who is out for maternity leave and an acting co-host that is also wonderful.  The producers, camera operators, sound crew, receptionist and all of the people who work so hard to put this show together should be commended for their hard work and success.  Thank you to Jennifer Fairfield-Williams, Executive Producer and Melissa Migliore, Producer for taking such good care of us and treating us so well.   A special thanks to Wild Bill.  You are an extra special person who is completely adorable.  Thanks Bill.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Fall, Crisp Air, Warm Food, and Big News.

It's Fall in Florida!
Fall is here and I am so excited.  Even here in Florida, the weather starts cooling down and the decorations go up.  I always decorate for fall and try to get that "fall feeling."  Both inside and outside are decorated and ready to celebrate fall events and Thanksgiving.  I begin to burn those fall scented candles and air sprays.  There are also foods that I pretty much reserve for fall...don't really know why I do that...but, there are dishes I only make in the fall.  

Gammy's Apple Tart

Exciting things are happening this year.  I will have a very special announcement to make very soon and I am so excited.  So stay tuned and keep checking in to learn what that is.  Also, next Monday, I will be doing a guest appearance on the local Morning Television Show, The Morning Blend.  So excited about that.

Mississippi Mud

Hope you enjoy fall as much as I do.  The posts will start coming more often to share ideas with you for fall and then the most exciting time of the year, Christmas!

Fall Decor
What do you love best about fall?  I would love to hear from you to find out.  Please leave a comment below telling me what your favorite thing about fall.

My Front Porch



Follow me on Pinterest!!!  Loving posting new ideas and photos.  

Happy Fall,
Debbie

Strawberry Heaven

“The “Debbie” recipe – the recipe that is authentically me.
My absolute favorite dessert recipe.”
All I ever talk about loving is strawberries. I am to strawberries as Paula Deen is to potatoes and butter.
When thinking about my absolute favorite dessert, it had to combine cheesecake, strawberries, and chocolate. Chocolate covered strawberries to be exact!!! So I developed a pie that features all my weaknesses. I love a regular pie crust instead of graham cracker so I have used pie crust, topped with a luscious layer of Kraft Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake Filling, followed by 1 pound of ripe, juicy strawberries enveloped in strawberry glaze topped with creamy, dreamy Cool Whip, and followed by 6 GIANT chocolate covered strawberries. This pie would be a strawberry lovers’ most decadent dream. It is mine…now you know what I dream about.

Strawberry Heaven
Prep time: 50 minutes Cook time: 9 minutes
Serves 6 - 8
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 ½ c. Kraft Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake Filling
2 lbs. of strawberries
14 oz. strawberry pie glaze
8 oz Cool Whip
¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place pie crust in pie pan and flute edges. Bake at 450 degrees for 9 minutes.
3. Cool pie crust at room temperature for 10 minutes and follow in freezer for 10 minutes to cool quickly.
4. While pie crust is cooking and cooling, prepare other ingredients beginning with strawberries. Wash strawberries, core, and slice in half. Save 6 LARGE strawberries for top of pie. Eat a few and enjoy them while you are working so hard. Save enough for the pie.
5. Melt chocolate chips in microwave for approximately 1 minute stirring every 20 seconds. Dip 6 large strawberries in chocolate about ¾ of the way up the strawberry. Place a piece of parchment paper on a plate and cool the strawberries on the paper in the freezer.
6. After the pie crust comes out of the freezer, spread the cheesecake filling directly on top of crust.
7. Place strawberries directly on top of cheesecake and pour strawberry glaze over strawberries.
8. Pipe Cool Whip over strawberries and glaze and top with chocolate covered strawberries. Place in freezer for approximately 15 minutes and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Strawberry Heaven

Strawberry Heaven
This pie is for the true Strawbery ADDICT and lover.

Mounds of Joy Whipped Pie

Using My Blog

This blog is intended to show you some wonderful recipes and highlight what is happening in the food world. In order to see the recipe demonstrated that is pictured. Click on the photo and you will get to see just how you can make this in your own kitchen.

Cinco de Mayo Layered Black Bean Dip