Use Your Words: Idi-OMG

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I’m using: stitch in time ~ one for the road ~ no holds barred ~ add insult to injury ~ penny for your thoughts
They were submitted by Carol of Never Ever Give Up Hope.
                          
Ive been challenged by these Use Your Words prompts before. I mean, duh, the point of a writing challenge is to . . . well . . . challenge, right? But idioms? Five of them? I mean . . . yikes.
  
Carol, I adore you. And I love the way you think. But seriously, right now I don't know whether to laugh or cry. "Penny for your thoughts?" Not something I think you want to say to me right now.

Stitch in time saves nine? Don't put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today? Hell, I tried to write this post, I really did. Turns out that what a stitch in time saves is nine panic attacks the night before it's due.

And to add insult to injury I want to fit in a Halloween recipe somewhere. You know, in case this isn't challenging enough on its own.

But you've thrown down the gauntlet (oooh, Carol, how did you miss that one?), challenge accepted . . .


Cooking and baking for Halloween is a completely different experience from the other 11 months of the year. For me, anyway. I wait all year for the opportunity to make food "icky" again. Don't confuse that with making icky food . . . completely different thing. But I'm a kid again, only this time "play with your food" is not only allowed, but necessary. And I have to tell you it's a contact sport. No holds barred, balls to the wall fun.

What I'm sharing today is part recipe, part art project. I suck at art but guess what? This time of year it doesn't even matter. It's all about imagination. Words like "gory" "spooky" "scary" and "gross", all associated with food, and all in a good way. 

So today I present you with a Black Widow. And it's definitely food. You can eat it, if you dare . . .
 

Black Widow Taco Cheese Ball

Phew. I did it. One for the road? I think I earned two!

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

Southern Belle Charm 
Not That Sarah Michelle 

Spatulas on Parade 

The Bergham Chronicles 
The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy 
Confessions of a part time working mom 
Never Ever Give Up Hope 
Climaxed 
On the Border 

 

Black Widow Taco Cheese Ball

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
2 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves


1/2 - 3/4 cup poppy seeds
12 Flaming Hot Cheetos
2 slices black olive
12 Red Hot candies

Directions:
*Process cream cheese, cheddar cheese and taco seasoning in a food processor until smooth. Add the salsa, jalapeno and cilantro. Pulse 4 to 5 times to mix in. Place about a tsp into a plastic bag and refrigerate.
*Shape the rest into an oval and place onto a serving dish. Using wet hands, gently pinch in towards the top to form a head and manipulate the body into a circular shape. 
*Place poppy seeds, a little at a time, into your hands and sprinkle onto the cheese ball.
*Stick the bottom of the black olives into the top to form eyes.
*Use the Red Hots to form an hourglass shape on the center of the cheese ball. Use a wet paper towel to carefully clean the serving dish around your spider.
*Gently cover with plastic wrap (don't press down) and refrigerate for 1 hour up to a day.
*To serve, gently remove plastic wrap. Press 4 cheetos carefully into each side of the spider so they're sitting on the serving plate. Place a dab of the reserved cheese ball mixture onto the ends of the remaining 4 cheetos and attach to the 2 top and 2 bottom cheeto legs to lengthen them.
*Store leftovers in fridge.