Halloween Draws near... Here is 1 Halloween Recipe!

I have decided that for today and tomorrow (the two days before Halloween) I am going to do recipes. So for today's recipe, I will tell you how to make candy corn brownies (I made them for the karate party).

You Will Need:
1 box milk chocolate Pilsbury Brownie mix
Ingredients specified on brownie box (oil, water, and eggs)
1 bag candy corn

Prep:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your brownie mix in with the egg, water, and oil. Bake using the sheet on the box. When your brownies come out of the oven, try to cut them right away. This is optional- if you want to wait, you can. Either way, once the brownies are cut, take your candy corn and press about 3 into each brownie, pointy part first. Let cool, and then enjoy!

They are very tasty, and are very easy to make. I had my sister help me by putting in some of the candy corns. You can also substitute candy pumpkins for the candy corns, or any type of small candy for that matter. Prefer MnM's? Use them! Try this recipe out and send me a picture at my email address maddiesthinkathought@gmail.com Let me know down in the comments what YOU used!

Maddie

Photos From the Halloween Party and Lucky's Contest

As I had told my readers, I had a party and a contest this weekend. I will start by telling about Lucky. He went in, and he looked very cute in his costume- but the contest was being held differently this year.

They didn't tell us who won first, etc, so we figured they would just give it to the poodle. Lucky did get a free bag of treats AND a certificate out of it, though, and he gave the judges a good laugh. Here is a photo of him:

Yesterday, I went to a Halloween party at my karate school. Me and my sister went as pirates, and my Dad went as a hippie! It was hilarious- I let him borrow one of my wigs and a hair scarf, and boy, did he pull the look off! Me and my sister looked pretty good too:

Me and my friend Alena playing feed the zombie ;-P

Amanda and Sarah spent 2 hours on their Halloween makeup...
the results were awesome!

Ashleigh and her friends playing musical tombstones

The mummy wrap

Wizard101 Soon

I know I have not blogged about Wizard101 in awhile... to tell you the truth, I haven't played it in awhile either! But I have been looking at what posts get the most views, and they are the ones about the game. So over the weekend, I am going to get my butt online and play a bit, and I will then do a post about it on Monday. It is just that I got new games, and then I got busy with schoolwork, and I didn't really have time to play. But now I will!

Today I have to finish up my dog's costume for Halloween. His contest is tomorrow. I am going to keep this post relatively short for that reason, because I also have to make me and my sister's costumes as well! But to fill in some space, here is a recipe for Halloween treats for your dog:

Apple Crunch Pupcakes

Ingredients
2 ¾ cups water
¼ cup applesauce (unsweetened)
2 tbsp honey
1/8 tbsp vanilla extract
1 medium egg
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dried apple chips (unsweetened)
1 tbsp baking powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix water, applesauce, honey, egg, and vanilla together in a bowl
Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended
Pour into lightly greased muffin pans
Bake 1 ¼ hours

There you go! Have a Happy Halloween!

Maddie

Vanilla Wafer Cookies- Recipe

Tonight, I was in the mood for baking... but I wanted to keep it simple and fun. So what did I do? I looked in my Taste of Home cookies cookbook, and found this delicious and easy recipe for Vanilla Wafers. I made frosting for them and decorated them, and even made a "cookie cake" with leftover dough. Here is the recipe:

You Will Need:
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking sheet and have it ready. In a large bowl, cream your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add your egg and vanilla, and whisk together again. Your mixture should be a light brown at this point. Now, whisk together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl and then add it to the butter mixture. Whisk on high until your mixture turns to dough. Then, using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, form small balls of dough and place them on your baking sheet. Bake in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes.

*Makes about 2 dozen

When the cookies are done, let them cool (about 10 minutes) and then frost them using the recipe given below:

You Will Need:
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 1/4 cups confection sugar
1 tbsp milk (optional)

Whisk together your butter and confection sugar in a small bowl. If your mixture is very thick (dough like), add your milk and whisk again*.

*By whisk, I mean electric beater.

Frost your cookies, and then decorate them with sprinkles if you want. The frosting is optional, I just thought it added nice flavor. Let me know down in the comments if you like the recipe (if you try it out, of course) and what YOUR favorite type of cookie is.

Maddie

Do You Have Your Costume?

I have been very busy this week... And I almost forgot about Halloween! It crept up on me very fast this year, and this weekend I have a party to go to. Costume is required, and I don't even have mine yet! If you are like me, and completely forgot about Halloween, check out www.buybuymomma.blogspot.com for some awesome deals on Halloween costumes. But now back to the post...

I don't even know who I am trick or treating with yet! I haven't made Lucky's costume yet! I haven't even found my SISTER a costume yet! I have until this Sunday to get my costume... I plan on going shopping with Grandma and my sister this Friday for our costumes. As for Lucky, his costume will be done by Thursday and ready to go for Saturday. I will make sure to take a few photos of him in it, so that I can post them.

I am going to try to get up early tomorrow, that way I can come downstairs, shower, eat, and finish my work early. Since I have 2 weeks no math, it should be a pretty easy day. 

I hope to be done before lunchtime so I can hang with my sister and dog, finish Lucky's costume, and practice my karate. I have a question for my readers now: What is your favorite type of Halloween candy??? Please leave your answer in the comments.

Well, it is getting pretty late, so I am going to end the post here. Make sure to check out Buy Buy Momma, whether you need a costume or not. 

Maddie

Almost Done With Math!

I am very happy right now, and for good reason! Every year, I work on a new section in IXL math. This year I worked 7th grade math ( if I were in school, I'd be in 6th) and today I am going to finish that math! I only have 1 more part to finish, and I am very excited because once I get it done, I have a vacation of 2 weeks! Well, I still have blogging and writing, but 2 weeks no MATH. By the time those 2 weeks are up, I am usually so sick of writing that I BEG for my math back. 

Also, Lucky's Halloween party is THIS Saturday. It turns out I had been on the wrong page... Oops. It is going to be held at the Petco in Nashua, NH,so if any of my readers are near there and have a pet to bring, dress them in a costume and bring them! It starts at 2:00 pm and ends at 3:00. Basically, you just have to say a little about your dog, have them perform a trick, and then just have fun. Every dog gets a small treat bag completely free, and just for that it is worth it. Also, it is just plain fun.

Karate was good tonight... I got to try out my new chucks today (They are blue and AWESOME) and I got to talk with my friends. My sister did her class, and it was so funny... her and a friend were holding hands during stretching! It was sooooo cute... but it isn't right to do in class, so they stopped. But it was a cute laugh, and I didn't mind it too much. I can't believe my SISTER, who is 3 already has a "crush"! Ah well... it is too adorable to break apart.

I am sorry that this post is all over the place. I tried to do one topic per paragraph. Quick tip for you: if your dog is starting a kind of fever (cold wet nose and a dry, hot tongue) give him an ice cube to solve the problem. My dog LOVES ice cubes, and they are an easy, cheap, and healthy treaty for him. Sure, a little water may get on the floor but... it is worth it.

Good night,

Maddie

Lucky's Halloween Costume

I know that some of my friends have been asking for pictures of my dog in his Halloween costume, so I figured, 'Why not do a little tutorial on that?' It will not be a video, as they take too long to load, but I will add in a few pictures.

You Will Need:
A white shirt in your dog's size (I used XL from the kids section- I have a labrador retriever)
A white pair of leggings in your dog's size (I used a LG from kids)
Pink nail polish that you will not use ever again
1 pink snap in clip
Glue
Cotton balls

Let's Start!

Step 1: Get your dog into the base outfit for measurements. If the pants/shirt need trimming, make a small cut where needed while your dog is still in the outfit. Then, take off the outfit and cut until the outfit fits him.

~~~~~~~>










Step 2: Make sure to cut a tail hole in the seat of the pants for your dog. Otherwise, the outfit doesn't look or fit right.

Step 3: Here is the tricky part. You have to get your dog in his shirt.... and get him to lay down still. Now, take your nail polish (I used a old pink one that I am not using again) and paint your dog's claws. Then, shred some cotton balls until they are like stuffing, and using glue, glue the fluff around your dog's ankle (on the pants, not fur/skin). The final result is not done yet, but will be tomorrow- here is his paw. The whole costume will be put up tomorrow.

(I shredded the cotton balls AFTER this photo)

I am very excited about Saturday. I hope Lucky wins. The thing I learned from today is that my dog is very, VERY well behaved- he sat still for an hour while I basically grumbled, painted his nails, and glued stuff on him. I have trained you well, puppy.

Maddie

What do you do for Christmas???

"WOAH! Hold up, Christmas?!" most of you probably said (or at least thought) when you saw the title to this post. I know.... we are about 3 months away from Christmas, but for me, it is never too soon to start planning. I plan what I am going to buy everyone, what I am going to bake, how I am going to decorate- everything. Then, when Christmastime comes, I am all prepared with my lists of EVERYTHING.

So, here is MY  Christmas to-do list:

• Bake cookies for my friends and family
• Make split pea soup
• Decorate the Christmas Tree
• Do winter crafts with my sister
• Make Dad his ever-requested blueberry pie (and make a tutorial video)
• Build a snow fort and have a war with my sister
• Go sledding with my friends and family

And of course make a fire in the woodstove.... the list could go on for ages, but those are the top few I have. I would share my recipes with everyone, but I just did a recipe video, and BESIDES- you have to wait for 3 months =P

Now here is a question for my readers: What do YOU do for Christmas? Do you hang with your family, go out for a nice dinner, or just sleep in and relax? Let me know down in the comments...

Til the next post,

Maddie (and Lucky)

Clipping Magic

I have recently discovered a new photo editing tool called Clipping Magic! It is awesome. It lets you take out the background of an image very easily. Let me show you:

Lets start with this picture of a giraffe:

Now lets use the clipping tool. Just draw red on the area you want to get rid of and green on the area you want to keep:

And finally, the result:

I personally think that this tool is AWESOME. I am going to start using it to make my cooking videos, I think. Which reminds me: I am going to try to put out a new cooking video once a month! I am going to open a new page on my blog where you can leave requests on what you want me to bake.

I am going to include the link to this editor right here: www.clippingmagic.com

What I want my readers to do is use the editor and, if you want, leave your attempts in the comments or at my email address: maddiesthinkathought@gmail.com

You can also send blog requests and contest entries (when they are going on). Please no spamming my email- I will block the email address from the spammer.

Well, I have to set up some stuff on my blog, so I am going to end this post here.
Have fun with the photo editor!!!

Maddie

5 Healthy Snacks (Video)

There! As promised, my healthy snacks video. Enjoy, and tell me in the comments what your own favorite healthy snack is!!

Maddie

5 Quick And Easy Snacks! (Tomorrow's Post)

I am sorry guys... I really wanted to do the video today, but it is already 12:15 and I am very tired. The stupid video is taking FOREVER to load, so I will put it up for tomorrow's post. What you will be getting tomorrow is 5 simple and healthy recipes that are guaranteed to make your stomach growl. These include:

• Ham n' Cheese Snackers
• Banana and Peanut Butter
• Cottage Cheese and Orange Dip
• The Tasty Turtle
• Honey and Peanut Butter Toast

They are exclusive Maddie's Think A Thought recipes, so you CANNOT just look them up and get the same recipe (well, a few of them probably, but still!) Please check back tomorrow for the video. It is extremely late, so I will say my farewell.

Maddie

12!!!!!!

I am very excited. Why? Because tomorrow is my birthday! We have a few things to do though.... Like our flea market.... But I don't really mind. At first I was kind of down about it being on my birthday, but I know it is something that needs to be done. I am even being a good sport and getting up at 6:00 tomorrow to go with Dad to set our tables up! And even though my birthday won't be AS MUCH fun, we are finding ways to make it as fun as can be, such as:

• Ordering pizza for lunch- YUM! 
• Having a nice, family meal cooked by Grandma at home
• Hanging out with my sister ALL DAY =D
• Running my own table at the sale

All in all, it will be a fun day anyway. Later on today, me and Dad are going shopping in Keene and having lunch at D'angelos. Not my first pick, but I like their sandwiches more now that I have widened my food 'horizon' to include steak bombs. I have to have some work done before we go, though, so I am working hard and already have some math done!

As for the gaming video... I will put it up whenever I feel like it. I haven't had the time to record with Ash (I'd fallen behind in coursework) and will probably not get around to putting everything together for another couple of weeks. It WILL be up, I just don't know when. 

Ok, well that's about all for this post... I have to finish up some more stuff.

Maddie

3 Easy Ways to Eat Egg

Do you like eggs? If you do, then you need not read this article. But if you are like me and hate eggs, then this is the blog post for you. I have NEVER liked eggs- the taste, the texture, nothing. Recently, I have started eating the yolk from fried egg, and I look for ways to incorporate egg into my diet. These are the 3 ways I have found that I think are EGG-scellent for non-egg-eaters like myself:

1: Dutch Babies (From: the Joy of Cooking)
These are basically the sweet, sugary alternative to an omelette, but it's main component is- egg. Here is the recipe I like using:

You Will Need:
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Prep:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Next, mix together your milk, flour, sugar and eggs until smooth. Melt your butter and coat a square cake pan with it. Next, pour your egg mixture into the pan and then put it in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Serve fresh n' hot with some powdered sugar or fresh fruit.

2: French Toast (From: the Joy of Cooking)

You Will Need:
2/3 cup of whole milk, heavy cream, or half n' half
4 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar or pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 slices white bread

Prep:
Whisk together your milk, egg, vanilla, sugar and salt in a bowl. When the ingredients are fully mixed, take your bread slices and soak them in the mixture*. In a frying pan, melt your butter over medium heat. After soaking your bread, cook it (both sides) in the frying pan until golden brown on either side. Serve fresh with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and bacon.
*Bread must be saturated, but NOT falling apart.

3: Fried Egg Dip (From: My own imagination)

You Will Need:
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
Bacon or Sausage

Prep: Melt your butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Now crack your egg into the pan and cook it for about 3 minutes. Then flip the egg and cook it for 20 seconds before sliding it out of the pan and into a small pyrex bowl. Now, use a fork and mash your egg up until it is mainly all mixed together. Serve your dip with sausage, bacon, or whatever else.

So those are my egg recipes! I hope you enjoy them. Try them out and tell me what you think, and help me out by leaving a creative egg recipe in the comments below.

Thanks,
Maddie

News

So today, I have some good news and some bad news. I will start with the bad thing. I tried to make my makeup video with Ashleigh, but I just couldn't get the right camera angle! Either she was out of the camera, or I was. It just didn't work out.

 So to compensate, I tried making a gaming video. But finally, after roughly a half hour of playing, I realized that neither of our cameras had been recording, and just put the ka-bosh to the whole thing.

The good news is, I will make another gaming video (this time the cameras will hopefully work) and post that later on next week. I would make it over the weekend, but I have to go to New Jersey tomorrow due to an unfortunate event that I may or may not release later. I will be probably not blogging until Wednesday, when I get back from my trip.

I am sorry about this post being short. I am pretty tired right now, and am going up to watch a movie, pack for my trip, and then am heading off to bed early. Also, check out the new quiz in the upper right hand corner of my blog! There is a new one up ;-)

Maddie

Sorry!

I am very sorry for missing a few posts this week! I got swamped with math, and fell behind, so today I am doing 2 posts to catch up. For the second post, I want to put up a video of my sister giving ME a makeover- should be funny. I tried to make it yesterday, but I couldn't get the camera angle right. However, my sister still did me over, and she didn't do too bad, either. But we'll see what happens with that later.

For now, I am going to write about my final Halloween costume decision! I have decided to go as a pirate... but I am going to try to make the costume myself! But remember, I only said TRY. And I'll need to pick up SOME stuff.... Sorry Dad, you don't get out that easy. But it should be relatively cheap. Cheaper than some of the costumes out today. That brings me to my next subject!

I was in Walmart's with my sister the other day, looking in the Halloween section. She was looking at princess dresses and said she wanted to be one for Halloween. I went over to check them out, and they were flimsy little things that were barely dresses. And the price for these masterpieces? $20.

I was shocked! Who would pay that much for THAT?! I have dresses that are 10x better than that at home! But I don't even think Ashleigh is going as a princess anymore. She changes her mind every two seconds. Now she's going as a pumpkin. Now it's a ghost. Ah well... when Halloween comes, I guess I'll know for sure.

Maddie