Ghost Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

Pumpkin cupcakes are another Halloween treat I took to my little one's school along with the witch finger cookies. I made the cupcakes with pumpkin cake batter studded with chocolate chips, and finished them with swirls of ghost-shaped frosting.

The ghost cupcakes were a complete success – 20 kids finished 36 treats. I think it's partially because the witch finger cookies were too scary-looking for 1^st graders. I noticed a little girl looking for a smiling ghost and not a frowny-looking monster. Note to self: next year, make less creepy-looking Halloween treats!

Witch Finger Cookies (Scary Halloween Food)

This recipe gives “finger food” a whole new meaning. My 1st-grader sister-in-law is going to participate in the Halloween parade at her school, and I thought it would be fun to bring some scary treats to share with her classmates. After deliberating with the munchkin, we decided to make finger-shaped cookies.

To start, I made the first batch of cookie dough with a few drops of pandan extract to give the cookies a green color. My munchkin helped me out shaping the fingers but we realized they were shaped way too big as they expanded after baking. I exclaimed: "Those are Shrek's fingers!" to which my little one responded: "Why would you chop off Shrek’s fingers?!?!". After calming her down, we settled on calling them “witch” fingers. I made the second batch much smaller with less pandan to make it more realistically like a witch's skin (I'm just guessing since I've personally never met one). The fingernails are made of candied blanched almonds and the fingers are dipped in fruit preserves to imitate blood.

The finger cookies look very realistic, so I don't know if they're appropriate for 6-year-olds. I’ll tell you tomorrow what the reaction was.

Baigan Bharta Recipe (Indian Eggplant Dip)

If you're an artichoke and spinach dip lover and don't feel guilty about the calories, baigan bharta is for you. Eggplants are chopped into small pieces, boiled until softened and drained. Then they are sautéed in oil until all the liquid has evaporated. After that, the eggplants are flavored with onions and many Indian spices. Once the mixture cools completely, yogurt is added and folded into the eggplant mixture. Raw onion is also added for a little bite to the Indian-style dip. Though non-traditional, I also add fromage blanc, which helps give a creamy and rich texture to the dip; it's also lower in calories and has less cholesterol than cream cheese.

Today was Game 1 of the World Series, featuring our hometown San Francisco Giants. I made this dish and served it with warm tortillas chips for Lulu and the girls to munch on while they watched the game. I don’t understand baseball, but I can definitely say that the food was a home run. That’s a baseball term, right?

Halloween Food Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner. Have you made any plans yet? What costume are you going to pick? Sunny, my 14-year-old sister-in-law decided she wants to be a chick-magnet, so she's creating her own witty costume with a large foam magnet with baby chicks attached to them. I don't know if I'm going to be a cat or Morticia Addams. I definitely have the hair to be Morticia, so I’m leaning towards her.

My favorite part of Halloween is that it gives us all an excuse to eat sweets. To help you make your own at home, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Halloween-themed sweet and savory treats. Enjoy!

Sauteed String Beans (Chinese Green Bean Recipe)

Chinese-style green beans are a delicious side dish. Green beans are deep fried until the outer skin becomes slightly wilted. Once all the beans are fried, they're sautéed in garlic, chili garlic sauce, black bean sauce and soy sauce.

This may not be the healthiest way to prepare green beans, but I can’t get enough of them. The natural sweetness of the green beans balances perfectly with the saltiness from the fermented black beans. On top of that, this vegetable dish is so easy to make, it will take you less time to make it yourself than ordering take-out!