With help from Sandra Lee, star of Semi-Homemade Cooking on the Food Network, throwing a Halloween Celebration doesn’t have to be a frightening experience. Just use Sandra’s “Semi-Homemade” rescue plan: Combine ready made ingredients with a few creative twists to make crowd-pleasing dishes that demand only a fraction of the time, energy and patience. With all the tricks and treats that Sandra has up her sleeve, you’ll be done before you can say hocus pocus!

Below are Sandra’s super easy ideas for a “Midnight Soiree” from her new books: Semi-Homemade Desserts 2 and Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites. Follow these quick and simple tricks to deliver dinner in half the time, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy your Vampire Kiss Martini with your guests!

First up, creative Oozing Potatoes served on waffle fries with sour cream and olives and Spooky Punch for a refreshing lemon-lime treat. Then there’s a crowd favorite, Screamin’ Macaroni and Cheese baked to perfection with bread crumbs and butter, embellished with broccoli florets. Next, sweeten up with Swiss Orange Chocolate Truffles and Crunchy Doughnut Eyeballs, melted and coated with chocolate and food coloring to resemble spooky veins! For the grand finale cocktail, serve a Vampire Kiss Martini, chilled and garnished with licorice, wax teeth and candy corn.

Midnight Soiree Menu:

Oozing Potatoes
Screamin’ Macaroni and Cheese
Vampire Kiss Martini
Scary Ice
Spooky Punch
Crunchy Doughnut Eyeballs
Swiss Orange Chocolate Truffles

Ideas for a Ghouly and Glamourous Tablescape:

A classic black, white and metallic silver tablescape design is ghouly and glamorous! Glowing mercury glass candlesticks show off the soft sheens of silver for an evening that is one to remember. Increase the sparkle even more with glass plates, black goblets, and ornate silverware. Rolled and tied sheets of music add to the theme, while gold votive candles in bubble glass holders cast a romantic moon-like glow over each place setting.

Spooky Place cards:

A personal note makes a thoughtful keepsake place card. Fold pieces of black-and-white scrapbook paper in half and personalize a Halloween message to each guest – perhaps a short riddle or an inspiring thought for the evening. For a final flourish, thread black satin ribbons through the hole-punched tops and gently tie them around pages of rolled-up sheet music.

For more unique Semi-Homemade recipes, don’t forget to tune in to the Food Network to see Sandra portray some of the greatest Queens of all time in her new Halloween episode, “Halloween Queens” on Semi-Homemade Cooking, on October 26, 2008 at noon EST/PT and again on October 27, 2008 at 4pm EST/PT.

Sandra will surely cast her Semi-Homemade spell over you!

Semi-Homemade Desserts 2

Swiss Orange Chocolate Truffles

Prep 25 minutes Chill 2 hours

Makes 22 (1-tablespoon) truffles

1 package (10-ounce) dark chocolate chips, Nestlé® Chocolatier

3⁄4 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, Minute Maid®

2 teaspoons grated orange zest (optional)

2 teaspoons pure orange extract, McCormick®

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Hershey’s®

Grated orange zest (optional)

1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine whipping cream and orange juice concentrate; cook over medium heat just until boiling. Pour cream mixture over chocolate chips; use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth. Stir in orange zest (optional) and orange extract. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

2. Pour cocoa powder into a pie plate. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture; using slightly wet hands, form into a ball. Roll ball in cocoa powder to coat entire ball and place on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat to make 22 truffles, rinsing hands when mixture becomes too sticky to roll. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with grated orange zest (optional).

To store: Place truffles in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 3 months.

Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites

Oozing Potatoes

Prep 15 minutes Bake 18 minutes Makes 4 servings

1⁄2 bag (22-ounce) frozen waffle fries, Ore-Ida®

1 can (16-ounce) refried black beans, Rosarita®

1 cup Mexican cheese blend, Kraft®

1⁄2 cup mild chunky salsa, Pace®

1⁄2 cup dairy sour cream, Knudsen®

1 can (21⁄4-ounce) sliced black olives, drained, Early California®

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. Arrange waffle fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave black beans on high heat setting (100 percent power) for 4 to 6 minutes.

3. To assemble, evenly space waffle fries on a microwave-safe plate. Top each with 1 tablespoon beans and a sprinkle of cheese. Microwave on high heat setting (100 percent power) for 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Top each stack with 1 teaspoon salsa, 1 teaspoon sour cream, and an olive slice.

Spooky Punch

Prep 5 minutes Makes about 2 quarts

1 can (12-ounce) frozen cranberry concentrate

31⁄2 cups fresh orange juice, Minute Maid®

1 liter lemon-lime soda

1. In a pitcher, combine cranberry concentrate, orange juice, and lemon-lime soda. Serve in glasses over ice.

Scary Icee

Prep 5 minutes Makes 6 servings

1 can (12-ounce) frozen lemonade mix concentrate

2 tablespoons packaged lemon gelatin mix, Jell-O®

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, C&H®

Ice

1. In a blender, cover and pulse lemonade, gelatin, and sugar. Add ice to almost fill blender. Cover and continue to pulse until ice is crushed. Pour into glasses and serve.

Crunchy Doughnut Eyeballs

Prep 30 minutes Chill 10 minutes Makes 20 treats

20 glazed doughnut holes, Entenmann’s®

1 cup premier white morsels, Nestlé®

2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, Crisco®

20 Life Savers Gummies®

20 mini candy-coated milk chocolate candies, M&M’s Minis®

2 drops red food coloring

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Cut
1⁄8-inch-thick slices from 2 opposite sides of each doughnut hole.

2. Melt white morsels and vegetable shortening in top of double boiler or in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave.

3. Working with one doughnut hole at a time, use a fork to dip into melted morsels mixture to coat. Lift coated doughnut holes from coating, shaking excess melted morsels mixture back into bowl. Place coated doughnut holes, one cut side down, on prepared cookie sheet.

4. Place jellied candies on top of doughnuts. Dab chocolate candies with some of remaining melted morsels mixture and press onto jellied candies. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes or until coating is set.

5. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of remaining melted morsels mixture and 2 drops of food coloring. Using toothpick, paint colored morsels mixture on doughnut eyeballs to resemble veins. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Vampire Kiss Martini

Start to Finish 10 minutes Makes 1 drink

1 part raspberry liqueur, Chambord®

1 part vodka, Absolut®

1 part Champagne, Korbel®

Licorice, wax teeth, candy corn, and/or blood orange slice

1. In a chilled martini glass, layer raspberry liqueur, vodka, and Champagne. Garnish with licorice, wax teeth, candy corn, and/or blood orange slice.

Today is a busy day! I woke up this morning thinking that my boyfriend and Food Editor of Kitten Lounge, Paul, will be attending a foodie event which will find its way on next Monday's post! Of course I will attend this afternoon after going to a few meetings myself which will include info for Island Fashion Week, my clothing line and the lines of others. Of course, all of this will end with us hanging out at a bar to watch Paul's beloved Jets (and I will enjoy watching Brett as well). So this morning is definitely key as we tie up a lot of loose ends and start projecting the rest of this year (how crazy is it that we are close to the beginning of a new year??). We will be confirming a future weekend trip which will make its way on this site and so much more.

So when it comes to a busy day where I will be running around, I definitely like to have something enjoying - I will start with my flavored Green Tea and maybe have a nibble of Madeleines! I love this soft cookie and I will make these this holiday season. Of course, I had to go online to check out some great recipes and Milk and Cookies Blog has a nice orange infused taste, Yumsugar had the classic and Taste of Home has a nice hazelnut one as well. What a great way to create some great variations off of the classic recipe! I knew these were amazing when I gave some to Paul one afternoon and he declared it his favorite (I couldn't believe he had never had one). Anywho - I can't wait to share a lot of the goodies that are going on on the site and as soon as I can I will let you know. Until then, treat yourself to a Madeleine!