Black Magic Cauldron Cakes, Ghoul Mix Recipe, + $500 Sweetworks Giveaway!

This is a Fashionista Event and a promotional item was provided to me by Sweetworks. Hosts for this event are Still Blonde after all these Years and ModlyChic.

Momma Told Me: It's frightfully fun!

Halloween was always my favorite holiday, hands down- even thought it isn't quite a holiday, but a commercial celebration, it seemed the most geared towards kids. And, while I was the only child, our family still went all out in decor and theme to ensure anyone who dared stop by our house on Hallow's Ever (or any eve in October) was sure to get a good spook. Momma and I would raid the 'after Halloween' clearance bright and early every November 1st and stock up on inflatables, animatronics, and plenty of fake cobwebs for the following year. I recall our family's favorite decorations vividly because they were 1.) handmade and 2.) still in our family for display to this very year.

There's the trash bag ghosts we'd hang from the giant tree out front, the wooden headstones Momma had so labored over to ensure each had a witty and original epitaph, and the skeleton we have affectionately named 'Judge Judy' for her horrible brown perm wig and long black cape. Now that I am grown up and in a house of my own I still raid my parent's attic for my favorite decorations each year, but also seek to find new traditions and ghoulish creations. Living in our condo, we don't have much room to decorate, so, for now, I focus on whipping up some frightening tricks and treats for the neighborhood kids and my bowling league. This year I have pulled out all the stops, with 4 devilish edible posts I'll be sharing here on Momma Told Me.

This week I wanted to share some simple ideas for last minute entertaining. You may recall our Halloween party last year involved a punch laced with floating ice eyeballs made of Twizzlers, pineapple, kiwi, and licorice drops. This year we're adding to our table with some fun Halloween treats from #SweetworksFall candy lineup. From the Witch's Brew 29oz single serve candy bag, Nerds Gumballs and Eyeball Gumballs are sure to be a big hit sprinkled around the table and in grab bags, or even at the door to excited trick-or treaters.

At our annual Hallow's Eve party we'll be serving up coffins full of trail mix with Pumpkin shaped pretzels, bat shaped pretzels dipped in dark chocolate, white chocolate pretzel 'bones', marshmallow 'ghost poop,' 'dried blood' cranberries, peanuts, and Halloween Sixlets chocolate candies. You'll find adorable little treat boxes like the one above if you wish to send a gift or two to school for your child's favorite teachers, just make sure to warn them something delicious is inside! We pre-made 8 cups of this fun mix for our upcoming party and stored it in gallon sized bags in the fridge- it will store for months without spoiling!

The Halloween Mix Sixlets and Halloween Mix Pearls make for the perfect decoration when paired with my Black Magic Cauldron cakes, cupcake recipe. Simply frost your Black Magic Cupcakes with some lime green frosting (get a little messy, it should look like a bubbling cauldron!) and decorate with the green candies for added 'bubbles.' Top with ghoulish eyeball gumballs and white chocolate dipped pretzel rod 'bones.' for an easy class treat that will have an entire school screaming for more this Halloween! If you don't fancy yourself a little Betsy Homewrecker, or are simply smashed for time this Halloween try picking up some of these Sweetworks Fall must haves for your next ghoulish gathering!

What are your plans for Halloween? Don't celebrate? What are your alternate plans?

What Daughter Says: Halloween is the perfect time to experiment in the kitchen, the messier your creation, the better!

As a special treat 10 people will win a $50 Sweetworks prize bundle including Spooky Eyes Gumballs, Halloween Mix Gumballs, Witch's Brew Candy Mix, Halloween and Fall Sixlets, and more! Keep scrolling down to enter!

Black Magic Cauldron Cakes

**Click here for printable Black Magic Cake Recipe

Chocolate Maple Bacon Cake, Upcycled Cake Stand, + The Perfect Finish

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

Momma Told Me: The more I create the more I have to clean!

The problem with creating is the cleanup.

When I was a young girl Momma was quite the crafter- she rented space at the local Penny Saver boutique, hosted a booth at the annual Fall Harvest Festival, and insisted on making nearly every family gift our family gave out straight through my elementary years. But we lived in a small space and, between cooking and creating, there was no room for lingering mess. When one project was put on hold or completed, it was promptly cleaned up. And so I quickly began associating the natural balance of things; bake a cake; spend time scrubbing bundt pans, paint ceramics, spend time scrubbing paint stains out of brushes and water cups. And boy did Momma ever spent mountains of time hunting for the best dishwasher detergent to help clean it all.

These days I don't have as much time on my hands to craft as much as I'd like to. Gone are the hours spent researching and pinning cool projects, and in are the lazy light bulb idea texts to myself half awake at 2 am. I have a list of things I'd one day 'like' to do, and no time to do it. Why? because the doing takes less time than the planning and cleaning! Recently I decided to tackle a rather simple up-cycling concept; turning old candle holders, plates, and platters, into colorful cake stands. Unwilling to part with any of my fine dinnerware I visited the local thrift shop where I took home some promising pieces in need of a little love.

There were harsh scribbles of black crayon (the thrift store's pricing system) across every piece, old glue from forgotten price stickers, baked in grease on decorate pans and platters, and even wax pools to remove. Cleaning and preparing my pieces for painting and assembly could have easily taken me longer than the project itself; but I had a secret weapon in my arsenal- Finish dishwasher detergent in the form of Quantum™ Power & Free™ packs. With it's unique 3 chamber capsule, infused with Hydrogen Peroxide action, Quantum™ Power & Free™ is quick dissolving, great with hard water, and can break up even old dried on food.

And that's precisely why I stopped into my local Walmart on the way home from the thrift store, to stack amazing #SparklySavings printable coupons with the current Rollback pricing on my favorite Finish detergent and dishwasher cleaner. When I got home I places all of my elements in the dishwasher and placed my settings on 'high temperature wash,' what little residue remained from wax or crayon easily wiped away after the steam and cleansing of a single wash. In fact, that stubborn or wax just popped right off my secondhand candle holders! All that was left was to spray a few key plates and holders, cover with a food safe clear coat, and epoxy the finished pieces together for a colorful display of upcycled cake holders that only lacked one thing- something delicious to display!

Now, you may think life's too clean up after bacon, and in my house the greasy clean up is definitely one of the biggest reasons we don't candy bacon more often. But I was feeling so empowered by my extra time and fabulous cake stands, I decided to bake 2 packages of bacon and fold them into a dark chocolate cake with maple frosting. Naturally, all of this was from scratch; and as I threw my dish scrubbing caution to the wind I decided I would be even bolder- Today the dishwasher would handle cleaning the dishes, I had better things to do! In went the grease streaked baking pans, the muddy mixer blades, the sticky frosting bowls, measuring cups, mixing spoons and more. And with a single 'plop' of that little red dot tablet, I closed the door and let the dishwasher Finish.

As I pulled the last layer of sinfully rich cake out of the oven, my washer clicked over and my dishes were done. My fresh manicure which I'd happened to have had time for while I was not scrubbing grease coated pans, smiled back at me as I placed my oven mitts on the counter and I almost forgot what all the fuss about 'cleaning' was to begin with. In fact, the hardest thing I did that day was wait patiently for my layers to cool so I could frost my Dark Chocolate Maple Bacon Cake and cut free one perfect slice of maple bacon perfection.

With a generous amount of maple in the frosting, and the sweet but chewy pieces of toffeed bacon on top, the savory dark cocoa cake with baked bacon inside is an epicurean treat everyone should try. It is surprisingly decadent in flavor, not sugar, and the sweet salty undertones of the creamy maple frosting remain the most classical cake element in this recipe. So, armed with the knowledge I could tackle any mess, I reached for the one thing that could make this cake better and poured a river of amber syrup across my room temperature slice. There was organic maple syrup on my fingertips, fork, and fine china by the time I was through-but I didn't sweat the 'hard part' at all- clean up is a thing of the past. If it fits, it's going in the dishwasher, folks!

 

You're not living if life doesn't get a little messy now and then- so it's important not to let the clean up stop you from creating messes. Momma taught me that creating requires cleaning; unless it's your hopes to provide an avant-garde installment at the Metropolitan, your masterpiece will require work on both ends from concept to completion. Cut the frustration in and out of the kitchen with smart cleaning choices that help bring your ideas to life a little quicker, without all the extra fuss.

What's one example of a creative recipe or project you love to do that makes a big mess?

What Daughter Says: Cleaning is a chore, but creating doesn't have to be- find smart solutions to cut cleaning and keep creating!

Dark Chocolate Maple Bacon Cake

**Click here for printable Maple Bacon Cake recipe.

What I'm Streaming: Arrested Development Seasons 1-4 on Netflix

Momma Told Me: You can't always pick your family.


I've been working a lot recently, and trying to get the house transitioned for Fall, so having a binge show I can stream in short half an hour segments and follow along without being fully invested in is great. And that's precisely how I landed on the 'did they really just say that?' laugh-out-loud comedy, Arrested Development. Now, you may recognize this series from the early 2000's, as it was actually first put out by FOX for a 3 season run, until it was ultimately canceled. As it turns out, the show had an amazing cult following, in part thanks to the wide range of cameos and guest stars that appeared through the years. Luckily for those of us, like you and I, hopping on the bandwagon late, it was purchased by Netflix in 2013 and renewed for a new season!

Arrested development is Seinfeld (TV) meets We're The Millers (film, 2013); and not just because Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a recurring character. It's the story of a once wealthy family run to the poorhouse on the feet of a major political and business scandal. With the patriarch of the family jailed and in prison, the eldest and most responsible son is left to help keep the helpless, and arguably certifiable, family together and the company afloat. The characters are beautifully composed with such absurd flaws and exaggerated personalities one never quite knows what is about to unfold next. And, while the story has the greater arc of the family journey, each episode brings a new zany scheme or plot.

I'll admit, I never paid much attention to Arrested Development because I tend not to watch FOX programming (outside of Gordon Ramsay series,) as it tends to be overly crass and largely skewed. However, this particular show has such a supporting cast of core actors and recurring stars it's hard not to give it a chance. I suggest trying out the first 4 episodes before you cast a verdict either way- one of the things this show is brilliant at is recurring inside jokes and jabs that truly lend themselves to true comedy gems. What I find most fascinating, however, is how some of the original characters are portrayed by actors (Michael Cera, Mae Whitman) that were relatively unknown at the origin of the series and sprinkled amongst the big cameos of greats like Liza Minnelli and Henry Winkler.

Sadly, the first season is the longest, with the most recent ending at just 13 episodes- but this makes Arrested Development a quick binge. My best suggestion? Watch it with someone who will later get the many references and qoutes you'll likely be dropping. Several of the themes an challenges the family face are recurring and every time the outcome is hilarious. Thanks to witty writing, I might even give the series another go through down the line.

What Daughter Says: Not only will this show make you feel so much more fortunate for the family you have, but you're sure to appreciate the hilarious ways these characters seem to make things work!

My Handheld Vacuum Does More Than Suck! Moneual Rydis U60 Pro Feature

**I received the following item in hopes I would share my honest thoughts. All opinions and images contained below are authentic and copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: Clean goes beyond what you can see.

When I was a young girl my mother started me on chores heading into second grade. Momma had a compromised immune system due to her previous battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma, during my toddler years, and significantly decreased energy. Even at 7 or 8 I was better equiped to haul the tiny Dirt Devil vacuum up and down our condominium's stairs, and it was a task I much preferred over scrubbing the toilets an mopping the floors. There was always something somewhat cathartic about the process of vacuuming; the loud hum, and the silence that followed it, the gentle tracks the rollers left on the carpet, and the satisfaction of seeing the filter clogged with lint, dust, and dirt. To this day it remains my favorite chore.

But Momma also taught me simply because something appears clean does not mean it is in fact, clean. Yet another concept most of us learn as early as the first time we are taught to wash our hands. Microbes and germs live on a level far below standard human eyesight, and can stick to fabric surfaces just as well as counter tops that have just been wiped, or dishes that were merely rinsed. If you stop to consider it, really, you just might find, while your floors receive the most movement via foot traffic, it's your couches and upholstery that likely come into contact with the most germs. From pet dander and bacteria to the simple transfer of agents from your sweaty bum (lovely, right?) your sofa is most likely a breeding ground for Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas Aruginosa (bacterium.)

That's where the 2012 Red Dot design award winner Rydis U60 Pro handheld vacuum, buy Moneaul comes in. This elegantly modern designed handheld vacuum focuses on the efficiency of your suction cleaning efforts through the power of vibration, UV-C lighting, and stick-free 600w suction. Their simple tagline "Breathing is important. Inhaling Dust Is Hazardous. Therefor the process of cleaning is important." pretty much sums it up! While we've owned numerous handheld vacuums in our household, they have often lost suction rapidly, stuck and pulled on expensive upholstery, and only truly removed contaminants at a visible level.

The somewhat space-age saucer designed unit has an intuitive touch screen selector for easy toggle between any of the unit's 3 main cleaning modes; UV-C light, Vibration, Suction. Use them individually or all together for a more dramatic impact. Combine with a touch recognition within the main handle and a floor detection (movement) sensor, this highly energy efficient handheld vacuum will only run when it is in motion and being held! We found this feature a little tentative at first; as I attempted to get photos, and the response time was in fact too fast! The unit would entirely return to standby (with only the touch screen/LED active) whenever I lifted the device off the fabric for more than 5 seconds. This acts as a secondary precaution to protect the user from unwanted UV-C exposure when the unit is not in use.

The Rydis U60 Pro is a bit bigger than one might anticipate from photos but has a beautifully curved body and free flowing movement for lightweight and intuitive use. I noticed no strain when working with the unit, and was very happy with the weight in my hand when scaling the side of furniture. I did, however, feel the units cord was the least designed aspect of this device; somewhat short for me to clear more than one piece of furniture without plugging, and lacking a good method of storage when not in use. The U60 Pro model has the added benefit of an optional lavender air freshener, which inserts into the bottom of the unit; something I would have gladly exchanged for a cord storage solution. While the fragrance was a nice aromatic while cleaning, and did in fact linger for a while after, it seemed to blow directly into my face at most times.

As the first handheld vacuum with UV-C light sterilization, the Rydis Pro's 3600 RPM vibration pad truly works hand in hand to make this an efficient cleaning device. The 4 'feet' like stompers work at high sped to massage fabric and help loosen finer micro-debris and contaminants that may be stuck in aged or wide pile fabrics. The company claims, base on testing at an independent lab, even a second of direct exposure from the unit's UV-C lamp has the potential to remove 99% of harmful bacterium agents from fabrics.

Naturally, I was most interested about this unit's function as an actual vacuum. While the hype of the UV-C lamp and vibration are all great features in theory, I don't have a professional system in place to reassure myself of these features accuracy. What I can test is the power of suction and efficiency of visible cleaning. With an impressively strong 600W suction motor, for a handheld, I was very surprised to be able to use the Rydis U60Pro to clean gentle clothing fabric and upholstery without clogging, pulling, or sticking to the fabric itself- one of the unit's most obvious praises.

The Rydis U60Pro also boasts an easy to remove, washable, filter housed within a pull out bin. Above you can observe the dust and debris collected with a single pass-through on our secondary living room couch. We like to think we keep our living quarters fairly clean, so this was a surprise and huge success to us! The little handheld vacuum was able to pull up considerably more dust and dirt than merely beating and shaking the cushions outside ever could.

With a $229 price point the Moneaul Rydis U60 Pro might not be your first pick for a handheld vacuum- That being said there is a model without the 'frill' of the air freshener or hand touch sensor, that runs $50 cheaper and comes in an assortment of bright modern accent colors. If you consider the efficiency of this unit, and the short lifespan of cheaper competitors, plus the added benefits of UV-C sterilization it's certainly something to consider for homes with heavy upholstery, high traffic living quarters, pets, and children. Sure, seeing everything you were 'missing' when you thought you were cleaning, before, is a double-edged sword, but the piece of mind of true cleansing will quickly outweigh that!

What Daughter Says: Do more than look clean, let modern technology help you truly get your home clean!

Protecting Your Tablet With Lightweight Durability + Speck FitFolio Giveaway 10/7

***I received a product from Speck cases for the purpose of this feature. All images and opinions below are original and copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: You didn't buy it to look at it, did you?

The more portable electronics advance, the more catastrophes present a danger to them. It seems like everyone is using their smartphones and tablets everywhere; from reading material on the throne to backseat entertainment on the trip to grandma's. Of course these tech gadgets are bought for mom and dad, but quickly make their way into the hands of sticky fingers and poorly coordinated kids. Sometimes investing in the right protection is necessary more for piece of mind than major investment- have you ever found yourself spending a lifetime trying to pry off a tech case with everything short of the jaws of life? Many modern consumers struggle with choosing a case that is functional and enhancing, while being stylish, without adding excess bulk and complication to storage and use.

I'll admit, I always struggle finding cases for our new tech devices. I end up online lost browsing Amazon and always order something that inevitably falls apart in a week or is too complicated for me to even put on properly. I recently spotted this Speck display case while shopping at Sam's Club and was really engaged with all the bright colors and fun materials. Not only do I *heart* Speck for their modern prints and designs, but I happen to have an ingenious smartphone case (by them) that stores my ID and cards for light errands and nights on the town. But more about that another time....

We recently received a FitFolio case for our Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (available up to 10" and Tab 5) in Pink Bloom/Black Coral. With a form fitting cradle, the tablet pops in with a gentle grab that holds the tablet in place without compromising any screen space of features. The exterior 'shell' is made of a durable material to help absorb shock and maintain a sleek and lightweight profile. The protective folio style cover has a microsuede backing on a vegan friendly leatherette skin with beautifully vibrant floral print. Adding to it's function, the case helps support 4 viewing angles, standing and wide-angle for reading, videos, recipes and more.

What we love best about the Speck FitFolio case is it's almost non-existant presence. The case remains on at all times, so there is never an excuse for not protecting the screen, and isn't noticeable when using the tablet hand-held. More importantly, because it is so lightweight and convenient, the cover is always folded back and snapped into place when not in use, for maximum protection. And I'd even say it's pretty stylish too! If you're feeling especially inspired this print lends itself to some vibrant coloring to customize and make it your own; any markers will do!

Speck products are backed by a one year warranty, so you can feel confident your investment will provide protection through every season. Whether you have a phablet or the hottest new smartphone don't let fashion get in the way of protection and function. Make sure your device is protected at home and on the go with lightweight cases that enhance your experience and extend the life of your device.

What Daughter Says: It's what's on the inside that counts when it comes to tech, protect your investment with a durable, lightweight, case.

One Momma Told Me reader will win a FitFolio case for their device, from Speck!

Enter to win an iGuy Case here!

MyMonopoly Makes It Hard To Say No to 'That Property'!

**I received a MyMonopoly game board as a member of BzzAgent. I was in no way required to share on my blog, consider the following my genuine and honest thoughts. Copyright Momma Told Me 2014.

Momma Told Me: It's your game, make your own rules.

True story, I did not learn how to play Monopoly until I was 16 and spending the Summer with my first sweetheart's family in Rhode Island. Why are these details important? Well, anyone who's ever played the gripping game of Monopoly (Disney Anniversary edition was my learning ground) knows that details do matter. Especially when it comes to House Tules- and this family had a lot of them! In fact, it may be safe to say I never really learned how to play Monopoly, because everywhere I encountered it since had their own slew of special circumstances and pre-determined perks. For instance, does your house double down when you land on Go? Does the youngest automatically get a player's hand when they fold, or does the bank?

A lot of the finer scruples of the game are up for debate, but the general spirit remains; after all, how many board games will you refuse to let die as it enters into it's 4th hour? And fewer board games have been licensed, or imitated, in as many themes and forms as Monopoly. Heck, part of the fun of the game is that every family member has their favorite cartoon character, or geekdom, board hidden in the closet. The real fun starts when the Death Star property makes it's way into The Simpsons board while playing with My Little Pony tokens! And that's the premise behind My Monopoly- for $15 you can print the included stickers and create your own spaces and tokens as unique as your family.

The concept is simple, and it's hard to gripe with the price, but there are some exceptions to the awesomeness of the idea. For starters, do not expect to sit down and have this board ready to play in an hour. It's likely you will spend a few hours slaving over the printing process and selection photos. My Monopoly has created an online landing page for users to create free accounts and select/edit photos for their space and player tokens. Unfortunately, while Instagram was an option, Instagram would not give me the option to connect so I had to week through thousands of Facebook Wall photos or upload my own. Next, the printing process is near impossible to align, even with the very simple instructions. I suggest you change your printing scale percentage by 5%, down from 100%, and print your sample sheet on plain paper before using one of the 8 included sheets.

In the end from unboxing to sticking the clocked time was 2 hours 45 minutes- something well worth it if you are creating a Monopoly to commemorate a celebration such as a wedding or 50th birthday, but not so much for general family play. My best suggestion, choose some real meaningful photos, and let your kids decorate/draw on the stickers for the remainder spaces/stickers. I also quickly realized that the stickers we placed on the special Chance/Community Chest cards covered the actual card reasoning (ie: Doctor's Bill, Building Loan Matures,) so DO use the MyMonopoly editing browser to add text to images you intent on putting on those cards. Go crazy, create your own events and ocassions!

In general, the affordable nature of this cool concept is evident in some more 'affordable' design options made by the brand; you will only get 4 token holders in your box and need to 'borrow' from other boards if you play with more than 4, the stickers would use a glossy finish or clear sticker cover to protect from water damage/scuffing/fading during play, and you will want to keep all the 'property' tiles in a bag when the game is in storage or I suspect they will disappear as fast as that final puzzle piece. One thing we DID especially like about the 'tile' format of the custom properties is that a player could 'collect' the tole when they bought it, making it easier to immediately tell whether a property was owned or still up for sale.

So the main point? You really can't complain for the price of this customizable board game. Whether you're grabbing one to make as a 'commemorative' keepsake for a lifetime event, or just to have a little more fun with a beloved family game, it's worth it. Just don't beat yourself up if the photos don't print exactly center on the stickers or a property mysteriously goes missing. However, if you're a mother, do expect, anytime you play you will feel the guilt of being expected to buy any properties your kids are on or involved in! It makes strategy just a little harder! MyMonopoly is in stores such as Walmart and Toys R' Us nationwide, and online at Amazon.

What Daughter Says: MyMonopoly brings new meaning to 'house rules'!