Here’s a fun Halloween party idea that can be tailored to adults OR kids… Jello Jiggler “Bites” or “Shots” with gummy body parts trapped inside! I tried this idea both ways; the orange jigglers were non-alcoholic and the yellow ones were the “cocktail” version – utilizing water and vodka – and both worked out great!

You could do the “trapped gummy” thing with regular jello shots (served from shot glasses or plastic cups), but the “edible” idea sounded especially appropriate for a jiggler/shot that calls for a gummy candy inside… and I also love the idea of serving them up in neat rows on trays, “appetizer style“!

All you need to recreate these are Gummy Body Parts – or another creepy gummy candy like gummy spiders or rats, plus jello and water.  Full recipes below, (adapted from Kraft).

*****

Kid-friendly Creepy Jigglers

2-1/2 cups boiling water (Do not add cold water.)
2 (8-oz) pkg. JELL-O Gelatin, any flavor

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Pour into 13×9-inch pan. Let mixture cool to room temperature, then add gummy candies. (Use a spoon to help guide gummies into the spot you want them, if desired.)

REFRIGERATE at least 3 hours or until firm.

DIP bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut jigglers into squares, making sure to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Lift JIGGLERS® from pan. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

*****

Creepy Jello Shots

1.5 cups boiling water
1 cups vodka
2 (8-oz) pkg. JELL-O Gelatin, any flavor

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for a 3-5 minutes, then add vodka. Pour into 13×9-inch pan. Let mixture cool to room temperature, then add gummy candies. (Use a spoon to help guide gummies into the spot you want them, if desired.) Pour into 13×9-inch pan.

REFRIGERATE at least 3 hours or until firm.

DIP bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut jigglers into squares, making sure to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Lift JIGGLERS® from pan. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

*****

Ok, since we went for the extra-creepy cocktail look yesterday, here’s are a couple ideas for those of you that might not have the stomach for a “speared eyeball” garnish and like your Halloween libations on the “classier” side…

Both of these cocktails incorporate Blavod black vodka to achieve their perfectly Halloween-esque hue. Pictured at top is the Black Widow Martini, which is great with either blackberry or deep purple grape juice and a splash of Chambord (full recipe below).

And pictured below is the Screwed-up Shooter, which – you guessed it – is a layered OJ and black vodka shot!

Orange rimming sugar makes for a pretty presentation on these two-tone shooters, or you can also garnish them with a clip-on black spider like this:

I’ve also seen this same look applied to full screwdriver drinks… which still looks great when you first pour it – but the minute the black vodka and OJ is stirred together (which the guest will probably want to do in order to drink it), the result is not quite so pretty! You end up with kind of a blackish-green looking concoction, which could be great for swamp-themed Halloween parties, I guess. =)

And now… for the recipes:

*****

BLACK WIDOW MARTINI

2 oz black vodka
.5 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
2 oz blackberry or grape juice
black licorice and sugar for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with black licorice and add a plastic black spider to the stem of the martini glass.

*****

SCREWED UP SHOOTER

.5 oz orange juice
.5 oz black vodka
orange rimming sugar for garnish (optional)

Fill the bottom half of a sugar-rimmed shot glass with orange juice. Next, add the black vodka. Pour it over the back of a spoon and into the shot glass to help achieve a layered look on top of the OJ.

*****

CHEERS!

Halloween is supposed to come with a little shock factor, right? That’s my excuse for this next creepy cocktail: Pina Ghouladas served in “blood rimmed” glasses and garnished with “bleeding eyeballs”.  I promise they taste way better than they sound! =)

The from-scratch drink recipe is below, or you can keep things easy and just use frozen or pre-mixed pina colada mix. Entertaining little ones or non-drinkers? Just leave out the alcohol!

Full recipe & garnish details below…

*****

PINA GHOULADA

20 oz pineapple juice
1 can cream of coconut – (15 oz)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 oz rum (optional)

Whisk together pineapple juice, cream of coconut, heavy cream, orange juice and rum. Place 2 1/2 cups ice in a blender, then and add 1 cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth, and pour into prepared glasses. (If mixture is too thick, add more pineapple juice before serving.) Repeat process with remaining ice and mixture.

OR – Make it Quick: Just use frozen or pre-mixed pina colada mix for the drink.

*****

For the “BLOOD RIM”:

OPTION 1: Hard Candy Version* – Click here for the recipe.
*This is the version we used in these photos. It takes a little time, but I recommend this route to get the prettiest, richest color. (We also tried a store-bought mix, but it came out translucent/pink looking, so we scrapped it.) And because this version dries hard, it’s less messy for guests than a gooey/liquid rimmer.

OPTION 2: Corn Syrup “Blood Rim”
(a Martha Stewart recipe)

3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoons red food coloring

Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.

*****

For the EYEBALL GARNISH:

Ingredients:
canned lychee in syrup, drained (available at most Asian markets)
strawberry (or other red-colored) preserves
blueberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)

Directions:
Dry lychee & fill cavity with red preserves. Insert blueberry, blossom end facing out. Spear with a toothpick or cocktail skewer. Gross!

*****

CHEERS!

Looking for a fun Halloween cocktail? Here’s one we whipped up last night – the Jack-o’-Lantern! The cocktail recipe is below, but you can really achieve this look with any of your favorite orange-colored cocktails or drinks. This would even be cute with straight-up O.J. for a Halloween breakfast!

It’s really all about the “Pumpkin Top” garnish and using a short tumbler or rocks glass to allude to the shape of a jack-o-lantern. A stemless wine glass would actually work well too!

Full details below…

*****

Jack-0′-Lantern Cocktail

1 oz cognac
.5 oz Grand Marnier
1.5 oz orange juice
.5 oz ginger ale
orange wheel & lime twist for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an orange & lime “Pumpkin Top”.

“Pumpkin Top” Garnish
Fold a small piece of lime twist/peel in half and insert it into the center of an orange wheel.

*****

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so you’ll most likely be seeing a lot of PINK over the next few weeks! Whether you’re planning a Pink Party of your own or simply raising a glass to someone special, here are a few cocktail recipes that will have you toasting in the signature color…

*****

CHAMBORD PINK-TINI {pictured at top}

Ingredients:
1 oz Chambord
1.5 oz honey vodka
.5 oz lime juice
3-4 raspberries

Directions:
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass or crushed ice-filled rocks glass. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with raspberries.

*****

Pictured above {clockwise from top left}:

*****

RASPBERRY MOJITO

Ingredients:
2 oz rum
.5 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
6-8 fresh mint leaves
2 lime wedges
1/2 tsp sugar
club soda

Directions:
Add sugar, mint leaves, lime wedges and a splash of club soda to a tall glass. Muddle until sugar is dissolved. Add ice to glass. Add rum and Chambord. Stir to mix. Top with a splash of soda.

*****

PINK MARTINI

Ingredients:
2 oz good-quality gin
½ oz guava nectar
½ oz fresh orange juice
orange twist (for garnish)

Directions:
Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Run the orange peel around the rim, twist it over the drink, and drop.

Pink Russian

*****

PINK LADY MARTINI

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Gin
1 tsp Grenadine
1 tsp Light Cream
1 whole Egg White

Directions:
Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

*****

PINK RUSSIAN

Ingredients:
1 oz Tequila Rose
1 oz Kahlua
1/2 oz Vodka
1 oz Milk Or Cream (to taste)

Directions:
Pour liquor in a short cocktail glass filled with ice.

 Add milk or cream.

*****

For more Pink Party ideas – including ideas for decorating your cocktail glasses – check out our Think Pink series!

Happy Friday! I thought it would be fun to do something cocktail-related today… seeing as it’s the weekend and all!

While going through some saved emails this morning, I stumbled on 4 cocktail recipes that were sent to me earlier this summer (Pom-Tini, Blackberry Collins, First Class Punch, & Cherry Bomb) under the subject line “Summer Drinks the Celebs are Sipping“. While I honestly don’t know how often these specific people really sip on these particular drinks, that really doesn’t matter in the scheme of things – because any of us can enjoy them… and they all look pretty tasty!

All 4 cocktail recipes are below… which one looks best to YOU? (I’m thinking Cherry Bombs are a good choice for my girls trip to Vegas next weekend!)

*****

Blackberry Vodka Collins
(Lauren Conrad)

2 oz. Three-O Berry Vodka
2 slices lime
3  fresh blackberries
1 oz. simple syrup
Splash of soda water

Muddle the lime, blackberries and simple syrup, add the vodka and shake with ice. Serve on the rocks.

*****

Cherry Bomb
(Paris Hilton)

1.5 oz. Three-O Cherry Vodka
4 oz. Red Bull

Mix in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry.

*****

First Class Punch
(Megan Fox)

1.25 oz Three-O Vodka
1 oz Domaine Canton Liquor
1/2 oz agave nectar
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 strawberry
4 basil leaves

In a mixing tin, muddle the strawberry, basil, and Agave nectar. Add the rest of the ingredients, shake very well with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a strawberry

*****

Pom-Tini
(Madonna)

1.5 oz. Three-O Pomegranate Vodka
1 oz. pomegranate juice
1 1/2 oz. fresh blackberry puree
1 oz. cranberry juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

*****

In celebration of Belvedere Vodka’s hip new Black Raspberry flavor, which is made from raspberries and black currants (and tastes great in a vodka press!), Belvedere is currently hosting a “Girls Night Out” Sweepstakes where one lucky grand prize winner and 7 of her friends will be treated to a night out on the town!

The prize night will include: 2 mini suites at a luxurious hotel, dinner at a fancy-shmancy restaurant, access to and bottle service at a trendy nightclub, and 9 hours of limo transporation – all in the closest major market city to the winner’s hometown. Sounds like fun to me! For complete rules & details on how to enter, visit macerationisnatural.com and click on the “win a private maceration party” link. (Contest ends July 31st.)

Belvedere’s maceration website is actually quite beautiful – just like their vodka bottles! (”Maceration” is Belvedere’s distinctive process of soaking vodka in fresh fruit.) The website features lots of downloadable recipes and party tips, including the Black Raspberry Julep featured here:

Belvedere Black Julep
2 oz Belvedere Black Raspberry
6 fresh raspberries
.5 oz simple syrup
Handful mint leaves

Assemble ingredients in a julep glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and fresh raspberry.

***

The following photos are from one of Belvedere’s unique “pop up parties” (learn more on their website)… how great are the red chandeliers!

Ready to say “Cheers!” to the Red, White and Blue this weekend? Me too! If you’re on the lookout for some festive signature drink ideas for your 4th of July party, check out these fun, patriotic cocktail recipes blogged over at Real Simple today.

(Tip: to give all-red drinks a more patriotic look, simply garnish with blueberries or blackberries, or serve with a blue straw!)

HWTM got a little mention in the new People Style Watch issue (June/July 09)! Just saw it while checking out at the grocery store early this morning. Good start to the day! =)  Lots of fun, summery ideas in this issue, too!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Here’s one of the treats we indulged in after our BBQ yesterday… Margarita Cupcakes! I’ve been wanting to try this concept out ever since last month’s margarita cupcakes post, and am happy to report they tasted great (and very much like their namesake)! I went for the “shortcut” route and modified a recipe that utilizes boxed cake mix as the foundation instead of doing everything from scratch (it was a holiday, after all!).

Full recipes for the cupcakes & lime buttercream icing below…

*****

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
8 oz margarita mix (liquid)
2 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp grated lime zest

Lime Buttercream Icing:
8 Tbsp butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 2 fresh limes)
1 Tbsp margarita mix
1 tsp lime zest
5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar
cane sugar & fresh limes (for garnish)
*****

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º and prepare muffin pans.

2. Combine margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass and stir well.

3. In large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, lime zest, vegetable oil, and margarita mixture from step one. Stir ingredients together, then beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill each cup/liner about 2/3 full.

5. Bake at recommended temperature on cake mix box (usually 325º – 350º) for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Icing:
6. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lime juice, margarita mix, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

7. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.

8. Spread icing generously on each cooled cupcake* or use a pastry bag to frost. Sprinkle cane sugar around the edges of the cupcake for a “salt rimmed” look and garnish with lime wheels & wedges.

*Make sure to remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely before frosting.

Tip: Leftover frosting makes a great dip for fruit!

*****

ENJOY!