Halloween Sucker Bucket

 

 

Zoulah is back, and you know she loves candy so she is bringing this fun bucket filled with Halloween sticky suckers.  Wouldn't you love to take this to someone

 for a "Halloween Happy?"  Wouldn't you like to receive this? 

 

So here is what you need to make these fun buckets.  Well, first of all you need a Halloween bucket.  Zoulah purchased her bucket at Home Goods, but you can also buy  smaller or larger ones wherever they are Halloweenin' it!  Zoulah thinks small buckets would be super cute.  Then you need to stuff your bucket (don't you like the sound of that?) with dry oasis.  You can find this at Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store.  Now just stuff it, and don't be shy.  If the oasis is too high or wide, just use a knife and cut it off.

 

 

Then the fun part begins when you get to shop for suckers.  Zoulah lives in a very small town and the suckers in this arrangement are just what she could find here.  Zoulah  imagines you could find more variety in larger areas.   If you do make a Sucker Bucket,  Zoulah would love to see it.  You also need something to cover up the oasis at the top of the bucket.  Zoulah just used some orange tulle Zoulah bought last year. You could also use some cute shredded decorative paper.  Zoulah  decorated the bucket with some black ding dongs,. and also poked in some Halloween straws purchased at Michael's this year.

 

 

Zoulah unwrapped all the candy, so that you could see it better, but if you are giving it for a gift, you could leave the wrapping on.  Also, if you are having a rainy fall, keep the wrappers on as the moisture from the rain tends to make the suckers sticky.  Alas, Zoulah laments that the Red Couch children are not at the pesty, she means cute, age where they would sneak out the suckers.

 

 

Zoulah wants to caution you that if you use a swamp cooler (evaporative cooler), the candy might get a bit sticky....it just depends on the candy.

 

 

 

Zoulah wants to just say a word about candy, just try to get different sizes of suckers, with different sucker lengths.  You can also vary the height of the oasis.  Zoulah anchored her arrangement with a big orange pumpkin sucker, and then tried to arrange it like a flower arrangement.

 

This arrangement is brightening up my kitchen bar right now.  It just makes Zoulah and I happy.

 

 

 

On the Homefront:  This is the cat we rescued last March that was sitting in the road.  We thought he was a she, but he is a he!  He has the sweetest disposition of any cat I have owned, but watch out, he almost took out some royal icing cookies last night that my daughter and her friend were decorating.   

 

 

Zoulah wishes to tell you that she was inspired, once again by Matthew Mead, in making these buckets.  She wishes to thank you for dropping by her "Bewitchen Kitchen" this fall.

 

 

 

Linked with the following parties:  Sumo's Sweet stuff Block Party, Link Party Palooza, Polish the Stars Halloween Party

Donut Hole Caramel Apples and Zoulah is Baaaack!

 

 

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes where Zoulah is baaaaack and in the kitchen making her 4th appearance in Red Couch at her "Bewitchen Kitchen" at Red Couch Recipes.  She is not a scary witch, just a friendly witch who likes to take over Joni's kitchen during Halloween.

 

 

Here is a sampling of Zoulah's past work.

 

Today she was inspired by Matthew Mead's Halloween magazine when making these Donut Hole Caramel Apples.

 

Zoulah says, "These are so fun and easy to make!"  They are tasty too.   All you need are some donut holes, chopped peanuts or other nuts, butterscotch chips, white chocolate, and some sticks. I cut up Halloween straws: Matthew Mead used cinnamon sticks, and didn't use nuts.

 

First melt some butterscotch chips in the microwave.

 

 

Dip your stick end in the melted butterscotch chips, and then insert into donut hole.  Allow to sit for a few minutes. Then, holding the stick, roll the donut hole into the butterscotch chips and then roll the donut hole into the chopped nuts.  Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

 

These are sure to delight anyone during the Autumn and Halloween season.

 



 

 

Those of you who follow my blog may realize that Zoulah has escaped out of her box a little bit early this year. There is a reason for this!  This Halloween season, Zoulah is devoting her kitchen to Skyler, of the Red Couch Home who left for a two-year LDS mission to Cusco, Peru at the end of August.  Skyler has always loved Halloween, and mentioned it as one of the things he would miss, along with BYU football games,  and longboarding.   Here at the Red Couch Home, we have always done Halloween up big! Zoulah and the gang  miss him greatly but are proud of him for leaving home and serving the people of Peru.  That is why Zoulah is posting early Halloween posts, in honor of Skyler, a major Halloween lover.

 

 

Skyler with his sisters Talley and Tatianna.

 

 

Zoulah thanks you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes from the top of her witch hat to the bottom of her witchy toes. 

 

 

Linked with the following:

Sumo's Sweet Stuff Block Party, Link Party Palooza, Polish the Stars Halloween Party





Bodacious Bagels

Welcome to my Red Couch.  Take a seat and eat a yummy bodacious bagel.  If you haven't tried homemade bagels then you are in for a real treat.  Fresh out of the oven bagels are something really special.  Involve your kids,  especially when you are boiling the bagels.  They will enjoy watching the bagels simmer in the boiling water.

These have no resemblance to the bagels my husband buys on the day old bargain bin rack -- just sayin'.  However, I came from a home where my mother would wake up in the wee hours of the morning,  usually Saturday, to make bread and pan-fried scones.  So every once in awhile I like to treat my family with some homemade bread products.

Recipe for Bodacious Bagels

Yield:  Around 10 Bagels

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons molasses

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

5 cups bread flour (I use normal flour)

Toppings:  Trader Joe's "Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend" (I think Wal-Mart sells a blend too or sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and coarse salt.

Mix the warm water and the yeast in a medium bowl or in the bowl of your Kitchen-Aid or Bosch mixer.  Add  light corn syrup, molasses, oil, salt, and the flour.  Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes.  Cover and let bread dough rise for about 40 minutes to an hour.

After rising, punch dough down and cut into about 10 equal pieces.  Working with one piece at a time, form each piece into a ball, Then turn the edge of the dough inward and make a hole in the center of the ball with your thumbs.  Stretch it a bit until it looks like a doughnut.  The holes should be 1 to 1-1/2-inches wide. 

Place each bagel on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper an let rise until double.

Bagel rising.

  At this point, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring a large pot , like a stock pot, of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons of sugar.  If the bagels at this point do not have defined holes, open the holes up a bit with your fingers.  Drop bagels, one by one, into boiling water.  Cover pot and boil bagel for 20 seconds.  Flip the bagel and then boil for another 20 seconds. 

 Take bagel out, using a spatula, and let the water drip for about 20 seconds.  Place each bagel on greased baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.  If the hole has closed up, use your fingers to reopen the hole a bit. 

Bagels waiting to be baked.

At this point, add your toppings such as poppy seeds or sesame seeds and press to hold.    We like adding both poppy and sesame seeds to the bagels.  Of course, you could add other toppings such as asiago cheese or other toppings.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.

I do hope you try these bodacious bagels.  I am not going to lie, they do take a little time, but they are really worth it, and they are a fun project to involve the kids in.

This recipe is from my sister Jacqueline who blogs at Purple Chocolat Home.

Thanks for dropping by my couch.