Happy Halloween!!

Yip and Yap, my Potterheads, dressed as Hogwarts wizards.

Of course Yip as Harry Potter....thanks black eyeliner pencil.

So now what do I do with my house full of candy??

Uggh....I feel a week long stomach ache coming on....

Foody Friday - Butterbeer and Pumpkin Pasties

As I've mentioned before, Yip, Yap and I are Potterheads. We read the books, we watch the movies, we eat the food. Since cooler fall weather is just around the corner, I hope, I'm sharing our favorite Harry Potter recipes to keep you toasty warm on these cool evenings. If you search the web you'll find tons of different variations on Harry Potter food recipes; these are just the ones we like the best.

Butter Beer and Pumpkin Pasties

Butter Beer

2/3 cup of milk

1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of water

mini marshmallows and butter (not margarine)

optional; cinnamon, nutmeg, scotch (for those adults out there)

Put the sugar and water in a pan over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon. Stop stirring once bubbles start to form and the sugar has melted and carmelized. Once t begins to brown, shake the pan so it cooks and browns evenly. (I always rush this step!) As soon as it is removed from heat, pour all the milk in at once. Caramel will harden due to additon of milk, but it will eventually mix in. Put the pan back on medium heat, and stir till small bubbles are forming and the milk is barely at a simmer. Pour it into a mug, top with butter and marshmallows and anything else that sounds yummy!

Pumpkin Pasties

2 eggs slightly beaten

3/4 cups sugar

1 lb. canned pumpkin (or 2 cups fresh, roasted)

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. cloves

1/2 t allspice

1 2/3 c. evaporated milk (1 can)

pie crust (bought or homemade)

To make filling add eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl, mix until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, salt and spices. Add evaporated milk and mix well. Bake the filling in a large casserole dish that has been buttered or sprayed with Pam. bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temeperature to 350 and continue baking for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. cool filling completely.

Make or purchase pie crust. Roll thin and cut into circles about 4 inches in diameter. (I use a large coffee mug.) Put a spoonful of pumpkin mix in the middle and place another circle of pastry on top. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork and poke holes in the top for venting.

Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy Potterheads!

Marker Monday - Hogwarts Robes

This week are Yip's and Yap's 6th birthdays! Woo Hoo! They both requested Harry Potter robes this year. Now let me explain something real quick. I have unintentionally created a couple of little Potterheads.

I started reading Harry Potter to them about a year ago. I just wanted something longer and different to read at bedtime that we could all enjoy. I never expected to get all the way through the first one with Yip and Yap. We are now almost finished with #4! They love Harry Potter. They dress up like him, draw scars on their heads and swipe my hair picks to use as wands. We've learned to make Butterbeer and Pumpkin Pasties. Potterheads...well, I guess it's better than Dungeon and Dragons.

So for their birthdays they requested robes. A little searching and I found this tutorial;  How to make a Hogwarts Robe.  The pattern called to line the robe but I didn't and it worked fine. I also used bias tape on the front opening. I used a red tablecloth from a Christmas clearance sale. Red instead of black worked for the boys because Harry's Quidditch uniform was red in the first movie. I think it looks pretty good don't you?

The boys each chose their own buttons for the neck closure. I used a ponytail holder to loop around each button, one side of which is tacked down under one of the buttons.

To make the Hogwarts house badges I bought some Iron On Printer Paper from WalMart and printed off an image of the house crests online. I love this stuff, not only can you use it with your printer but you can draw on it with crayons and markers too and iron original artwork onto shirts, bags, etc.

Yes, Potterheads out there, I realize that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff colors are not red but after I had the robes finished these were the badges the boys chose. Hey, it makes em' happy.

Even though the boys have seen me working on the robes they haven't seen them finished yet. Their birthday is Wednesday so hopefully I'll have the little wizards posing with their new uniforms later.

I'm almost afraid of what they'll ask me to make them next!