Are you having a Halloween party? If you are… this is a great way to kick the festivities into high gear. You see, no Halloween party would be a complete without a graveyard bean dip to dig your bones into. Party ghouls will “ooze and aah” as they see this edible cemetery is up for grabs. The ghostly haunts is filled with 8 different layers of dipping fun, and serves as a great centerpiece until people are ready to devour.  Or in my case last year, it was ZOMBIES. I went to a Zombie themed party and everybody went all out, of course they did, it was an entertainment industry party and the costumes were amazing and scary as heck. It was the funniest sight to see a dozen or so remarkably made up zombified friends of mine all corralled around this graveyard dip I made. It was as if they were real zombies and the brain appetizers had just come out from the kitchen. They all went insane for this dip, I’m not kidding when I say it’s very addicting and flavorful. I’m still kicking myself for not having a camera that night.

This year, because of how well received my graveyard bean dip was, I decided that I’m making this an annual reoccurrence. Me being who I am though, I want to make it slightly different or even try and top myself from the year before. How would I do that? A few days ago I was at my local Walmart in Rosemead walking through the massive chip aisle, as I always do because the boys in my family are chip freaks, and I happened upon a spooky treat…. Cheetos Bag Of Bones. Basically they are cheetos shaped like skeleton bones. At that moment a black lightbulb popped up over my head, and I thought “OMG, these cute little cheetos bones will add so much character to my graveyard dip.” Please check out the recipe below and the little Cheetos bones did exactly what I thought. While I was at the store I also picked up bags of candy and a cool light up pumpkin for a party table. Check out the pic at the very bottom.

Ingredients for Halloween Graveyard Bean Dip:

• Tostitos scoops
•  tomatoes (chopped)
• sour cream
• grated cheese
• sliced black olives
• chopped jalapenos
• refried beans
• guacamole

Decorations:

• wheat tortilla
• Pillsbury crescent rolls
• Cheetos ‘Bag Of Bones’

Directions:

1. Start with a clear pyrex baking dish.
2. Crush a thin layer of tostitos scoops at the bottom. Reserve the rest of the bag to eat the bean dip with later. 
3. Top crushed chips with chopped tomatoes.
4. Spoon enough sour cream to cover the entire layer of tomatoes. 
5. Layer grated cheese on top of sour cream.
6. Top with black olives.
7. Sprinkle a thin layer of chopped chiles over olives.
8. Spread refried beans over chiles. 
9. Make a perfect rectangle in the center of the beans and fill with guacamole.
10. Frame the guacamole with black olive slices.
11. Decoration for the graveyard: I started with wheat tortillas. Using an x-acto knife I cut out a tree shape, and head stones. Then fry on each side until crisp. 
12. To make the floating ghosts: I unfolded the pillsbury crescent dough and carved out ghost shapes with an x-acto knife.
    

    Loading

    Making #Halloween come to life with these food friendly #ghosts. Graveyard recipe up on my blog later today! #WMTMoms @walmart

    View on Instagram

     Then baked the dough ghosts until golden crisp (according to package for time and temperature), once they came out of the oven I shoved a stick into the ghost and allowed them to cool completely with the stick in.

13. Assemble the tree slightly off center of rectangle. Then place the ghosts where you feel they will be the most visible. Stick the different sized head stones into the guacamole, then place a cheetos skeleton bone skull at the base of the head stone.    
14. Serve warm or cold.
15. Happy Halloween! Enjoy!

Pin this pic for easy instruction: 

Candy For Pumpkin:

• Snickers (fun size)
• Twizzlers (caramel apple )

I’m thinking of my feisty friend Alfonso (my fiancés father) as Dia De Los Muertos approaches.  It’s been almost 5 years since he stepped out of his human life and floated into the other side. I was there as he passed and watched his face go calm in peace.  Awwww, that man. He loved to fight with me.  I think I was probably the only female in his world brave enough to not agree with his every word.  He knew I had a good heart but wasn’t gonna back down.  He use to call me his lawyer because when he needed something done or figured out, I was the one he would turn to to get it done.  He said I had a persuasive way. When we first met he questioned my ability to cook and doubted I could find my way around the kitchen.  I loved proving him wrong.  I think he thought of himself as somewhat of a master of the cocina, but the truth was he was seriously the salsa king.  I had to give it to him, his salsa rocked.  I would bring him empty jars all the time so he never had an excuse not to share his salsa with me.  He took such pride in making his salsa and would just gloat to everyone how great it was, and most of the time people had no other choice but to agree.   He would set up a bowl of his salsa, a slab of queso fresco, chopped up avocado cubes, and a pile of corn chips, and that combo was his snack.

I used to sit in his kitchen sometimes and watch him make it.  I’ve never tried to recreate his perfect salsa since he’s been gone, but I do think of him every time I make my own salsa.  I have to eat it the same way he did, with queso fresco (Mexican cheese), avocado, and chips.  This Calavera Queso Fresco Salsa Dip is my ode to that lovely grump Alfonso Lopez that I still love and I once knew.

Ingredients for Calavera Salsa Dip:

• 1 – package Queso Fresco
• 3 – tomatoes
• 1 – tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 – jalapeños
• 4- serrano chiles
• 4 – fresh chile de arbol
• 1 – onion (peeled and cut in half)
• 4 – garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 – teaspoon vinegar
• 1 pinch of dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 – cups of water
• avocado
• corn chips
• Pistachios, and chile flakes for decorating calavera

Directions:

• Remove queso fresco from package, and with a small pairing knife cut the sides of the cheese to shape into a skeleton head.  Then with a small circle cookie cutter punch out the eyes. Place on a platter and place back in the fridge.  
• In a medium pot filled halfway with water over a high flame, bring to a boil.  Add in tomatoes and boil for 30 minutes.  Set to the side. 
• In a frying pan over a medium flame add vegetable oil and allow it to get hot.
• Add in chiles, onion, and garlic cloves. Fry on all sides until charred and browned. 
• Remove stems from chiles, and place in the blender with tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves,  vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and water (I use the water the tomatoes boiled in). Blend until desired consistency is reached. 
• Decorate the calavera with chile flakes around the eyes, and use pistachios for the mouth. 
• Place calavera shaped queso fresco on a plate, then pour the salsa  around the plate. Decorate the edges with avocado cubes.
• Serve with chips. 
• ENJOY!

Im memory of my sweet friend Alfonso… I miss you.

Dia de los muertos couldn’t be celebrated without the age old tradition of pan de muerto. I am thrilled to make a beautiful potato version of this “bread of the dead” in honor of my beloved departed uncle. I will make two loafs…. one to eat, and one to decorate my home alter with. How will you celebrate Day of the dead? Watch my video below to see how easy it is to make this delicious bread. 

Ingredients for Potato Pan De Muerto:

• 1 – package active yeast
• 1/2 – cup luke warm water
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup sugar
• 1 – cup mashed Idaho potatoes ( leftovers work best)
• 1/2 – cup butter (softened)
• 2 – eggs (beaten)
• 3 – cups bread flour plus more for kneading
• olive oil
• Egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water whisked together)

Directions:

1. Add yeast and water to a mixer, and allow yeast to activate for 10 minutes.
2. Pour salt and sugar to the yeast mixture. Give it a good mix.
3. Spoon in the mashed potatoes and break them up with a spoon if you need to. Then add in the butter and eggs. Mix to combine to hook attachment.
4. Add in the bread flour, one cup at a time until the dough comes together and no longer sticks to the mixer about 5 minutes.
5. Generously flour a clean work surface then knead dough until smooth.
6. Grease a bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Place dough in greased bowl and turn it once inside to ensure the entire dough is well greased.
7. Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours.
8. Remove towel and punch down the dough.
9. Generously flour a clean work surface then knead dough again until smooth.
10. Grease two 8 -inch cake pans and set to the side.
11. Divide the dough into equal 3 parts.
12. Place two of the parts in each cake pan, and reserve the additional part for decorating.
13. Allow the dough to sit for an additional hour before decorating.
14. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
15. With the extra part, roll the dough out to make bone decorations for the top of the loaf.
16. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash.
17. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
18. Enjoy!

I would like to give a special THANK YOU to the Idaho Potato Commission for sponsoring this video. It is my absolute honor to work with you. 

I would also love to Thank my amazing crew.

Mando Lopez: Director/Editor

Tony Molina: Director of Photography

Jeshua Viveiros: Sound and the awesome calaca make-up artist – he used the Crafty Chica make-up line.

Earrings by ilaments Jewlery – Lisa Rocha!

Fall apples: I picture the shiny apples of fairy tales, a long wind ruffling through the tree branches, crunchy leaves that break under my feet, and crisp clear night skies touched with notes of frosty bites that sting the skin. That’s my version of Fall as it weaves in and out of my memory.  I devote my hours housed in my baking kitchen atop a generous heap of various types of apples. I buy every color I can find at Walmart.  The tempting fruit spheres come in hues of the season: yellow, green, and red. Take your pick, my fine pretty, as they are super affordable.   What I make depends on my mood.  Once upon a time it could be a lovely apple tea, or happily ever after applesauce. If the witch’s broom touches down on the ground she might be in search for a candied apple. Perhaps if I bake an apple crisp I will attract every mouse, bear and rabbit to wait at my back door till I serve them each a scoop. I could make mountainous apple fritters that will serve as hiding places for the tiny sprites that live among the pines. Or maybe I should feed the little girl inside of me that is always chanting “apple coffee cake, apple coffee cake, apple coffee cake….” How could I ignore those precious wishes? I take whole grain flour and mix it with apples and other sweets for the most amazing tasty wholesome cake that just might wake me from my dream, because surely this is the cake of my dreams. Now just to figure out how to get the cake out of that darn tube pan.

Ingredients for whole grain apple coffee cake:

• For the topping: 3/4 – cups brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 – cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 – cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon sea salt
• 6 – tablespoons cold butter (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• For the center: 1/4 – cup brown sugar
• 1 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• For the cake: 2 – cups sugar
• 3 – eggs
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 – cups vegetable oil
• 1/4 – cup orange juice
• 3 – cups whole wheat flour
• 1 – teaspoon baking soda
• 2 – teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon powdered ginger
• 3 – cups chopped apples (peeled and cored)(about 3 to 4 apples)
• 1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut
• For the icing: 1 – cup powdered sugar
• 4 – tablespoons Cacique’s crema Mexicana

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a tube pan with a non-stick baking spray. Set to the side.
3. For the topping: In a bowl combine brown sugar, pecans, oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. Then using your fingers mash cold butter into dry mixture until it forms into little crumbs the size of peas. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
4. For the center: In a bowl mix brown sugar, pecan and cinnamon together. Set to the side until ready to use.
5. For the cake: In a mixer add in sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and orange juice. Mix to combine completely.
6. In a bowl sift whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ground ginger together. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients until combined.
7. Add in apples and coconut. Mix until completely combined.
8. Pour half of cake batter into greased tube pan.
9. Sprinkle center mixture into top of batter. 
10. Top center mixture with remaining batter.
11. Smooth the top of batter with a spatula, then top cake batter with topping reserved from the fridge.
12. Bake cake for an hour and a forty minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack until completely cooled. I like to let it cool over night. 
14. Remove cake from tube pan (see video below on how to remove cake from tube pan) and place on a cake stand. 
15. For the icing: Whisk powdered sugar and crema Mexicana together. Drizzle over the top of the cake and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. 
16. Enjoy! 

Watch this quick video on how to remove cake from tube pan!

My son is at school for a good portion of the day, and my main concern is – Is he eating? I know he might take a bite here and there, but I can’t be sure he’s gonna eat his lunch everyday. He just turned five, and sometimes eatting isn’t at the top of his list when he knows he can be playing with his friends. I take matters into my own hands, and always make sure to fuel him up in the a.m. before he heads to school. A few months back I was in Bentonville at the Walmart headquarters where we (the Walmart Moms) learned all these great ways to get our kids eating. The nice people from Dannon and Kelloggs made a few yogurt/breakfast treats that were kid and adult friendly. I jotted down mental notes, and called them from my memory bank now that my boy is in school. Last week while I was in the refrigerator section of Walmart, I came across the yogurt selection. I remembered these incredible dippers they had  made out of yogurt, where you dipped a piece of fruit in the yogurt then dipped in a crisp cereal. Light bulb went on, and I grabbed a tub of vanilla yogurt. I came home, made a few dippers to snack on and then made a few cups of parfait filled with fruit, granola, pistachios, and a few sprinkles of poppy seeds for the following morning. I just felt the parfait was something the whole family could eat together at the table in the morning before we each step out to meet our busy days. I was so pleased when everyone dug in and asked why we don’t eat this tasty breakfast more often. Now I know how to get breakfast on the table at a lightning speed and still have time for a little bonding.

Ingredients for breakfast yogurt parfaits:

• black grapes
• Dannon vanilla yogurt
• granola
• strawberries (sliced)
• poppy seeds
• yellow raisins
• pistachios

Directions:

1. In a tall glass or jar drop a few black grapes on the bottom of cup.
2. Top with 2 tablespoons of yogurt.
3. Top with 2 tablespoons granola
4. Top with 2 tablespoons of yogurt.
5. Top with sliced strawberries.
6. Top with 2 tablespoons of yogurt.
7. Sprinkle in a pinch of poppy seeds, raisins and pistachios.
8. Top with a black grape. 
9. Enjoy!

When I was a little girl my grandfather would come home Friday afternoon from a long week of working hard with a brown bag filled with pan dulce. He would place the sweet bread in a dish on the table in preparation for his weekend routine. I always knew on Saturday morning as I heard the clink of his spoon stirring his ceramic cup that he was enjoying a cup of coffee with a little bit of abuelita chocolate grated in and an entire piece of pan dulce. He would set out a small jar of dulce de leche for me to have as a spread on my pan dulce in the event that I may have wanted to be extra sweet that morning.

Once Sunday morning would roll around the pan dulce would be hard and perfect for a french toast breakfast. I would rise early and watch my grandfather as he dipped the two day old stale bread into a creamy bath of eggs, milk and cinnamon. He would then butter a pan and cook the wedges into Mexican French Toast perfection. He would then place it on a communal platter and drizzle the top with dulce de leche and berries.  I would take a plate and so would he, and as I became older I would join him in washing it all down with a warm cup of coffee.

This was our ritual, our bonding time, our time to catch up while the rest of the house still found peace in their dreams. He would share stories of his childhood living in between Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas and how rough it was for him, his single mom, and all his siblings living through the depression. Some of the stories were so unreal and sad that all I could do was be thankful that he made his way via a freight train to Los Angeles to build a life here, and make the best of his situation. His stories play out like a beautiful mariachi ballad drenched in tears and boisterous laughter. He is my hero.

Recently I was at a tasting and the Mexican chef made french toast out of pan dulce. It immediately took me back to the days of living under the same roof as my grandfather and enjoying Sunday breakfast with him drenched in our latin history. I decided to recreate the dish with my own spin to it. As I was shopping for the ingredients I went to grab some coffee-mate for the cafesito, and noticed they now made Dulce De Leche flavor and Abuelita chocolate flavor, yes you read right. Can you believe that deliciousness? I grabbed two of each, one for him and one for me. This past Sunday I invited him over for a pan dulce french toast breakfast and stories of our Hispanic heritage and waited to hear the clink of the spoon against the ceramic mug.

Ingredients for pan dulce french toast in a dulce de leche sabor:

• day old pan dulce
• 3 – eggs
• 1/2 – cup milk
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• butter to grease the pan
• 3 – tablespoons coffee-mate dulce de leche flavor
• 1 – cup powdered sugar
• fresh berries
• a cup of coffee
• 1 – tablespoon coffee-mate abuelita flavor

Directions:

1. On a large cutting board slice pan dulce into wedges. Set to the side.
2. In a bowl whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract together.
3. Lightly dip pan dulce wedge into egg batter. 
4. In a pan over a medium flame add a small amount of butter to grease pan. Once melted, add in soaked pan dulce wedge. 
5. Fry pan dulce in butter on all side until fully cooked about two to three minutes per side.
6. Place on a large plate.
7. In a small bowl whisk coffee-mate dulce de leche and powdered sugar, until there are no clumps. 
8. Place dulce de leche mixture in a small plastic bag and cut a small snip in the end. Drizzle over the french toast. 
9. Top with berries. 
10. Serve with a cup of coffee and Coffee-Mate abuelita flavor.  

WAIT…. There’s more! I am giving away a Coffee-Mate kit! The giveaway consists of 1 hand designed coffee mug (by my buddy Crafty Chica), two coupon vouchers, a set of coffee coasters, and a coffee sleeve (pictured below). Enter for a chance to win!

I have a friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks and asked me to make a fancy appetizer for her bridal shower.  She said she wanted something super tasty, simple, in season, and then she threw in the words “elegant and stylized.”  I pondered this idea for a while and wondered what I could come up with.  I never want to disappoint a bride, especially in her glorious moments of celebration.  My thinking cap was running on overdrive when the idea of grapes crossed my mind.  Grapes are in season and super tasty right now, that was all I needed to get the ball rolling.  I started looking around my local markets for grapes.  I’m the type of person that will pick a grape from the package before I purchase a bag, clean it on my clothes, and plop it in my mouth to measure how sweet they are.  I walked into Walmart and lo and behold was a huge display of grapes.  I ran over and scanned the wide variety they had…. seedless, organic, table, seeds, champagne, green, red, and black.  Hmmmm, choices.  I settled on black seedless grapes, not only would they add a pretty color to my appetizer, but they were the most flavorful.

I personally love grapes paired with nice cheese and must admit to eating that combo quite often while I work or watch television. But I wouldn’t be any kind of friend if I just plated the two and served them that way.  Once I was back in my kitchen I started to experiment with cheese and grapes…. here’s what I came up with.  I pinched a bit of goat cheese and patted it flat in my hand, then carefully rolled the grape in the center of the cheese till it was fully encased, then I encrusted it in chopped pistachios for a wonderful little nibble. That’s it, 3 ingredients and the brides wishes were met!

Ingredients for grape goat cheese pistachio nibbles:

• black seedless grapes
• goat cheese
• shelled pistachios (chopped)

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry grapes.
2. Remove each grape from stem/vine.
3. Take a teaspoon of goat cheese and pat it in the palm of your hand to create a flat surface.
4. Place a grape in the center.
5. Then carefully roll the cheese around the entire grape until fully covered.
6. Place covered cheese grapes on a plate and store in fridge while you work on all the other grapes. 
7. Chop pistachios.
8. Then roll each grape in chopped pistachios to coat. 
9. Enjoy! 

And if the recipe is not enough for you grape lovers…. here is a quick video on how to make grape jelly in 30 seconds: