Treats and Sweets! Ideas for making some spooky good eats!

Picture by norwichnuts

Monster Cupcakes

Using your favorite chocolate cake recipe or box –bake cupcakes according to the recipe/ package directions.  Cool completely.  Using your favorite chocolate frosting, lighting coat the top of each cupcake (enough for the Oreo cookies to stick to the top).  Sprinkle crushed Oreo cookie crumbs on top of each cupcake until covered.  Take M & Ms and split in half, and place 2 halves on the cupcake for eyes.

Chocolate Pretzel Rods

2 cups white chocolate candy melts or white chocolate chips

Orange colored sugar or sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkles

20 pretzel rods

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Place candy melts or white chocolate chips in a double boiler. Heat over low heat until melted.

Spread orange sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles in even layers on two separate shallow plates.

Dip pretzel rods into white chocolate, using a spoon to coat the rods well.

Press gently into orange sprinkles. Turn, then press into chocolate sprinkles.

Place pretzel rods on prepared baking sheet. Let harden for 20-30 minutes.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Mummy Dogs
1 roll/pkg Pillsbury Breadstick dough (12 count)
12 hot dogs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll all 12 breadsticks from package. Cut each into 3 equal strips. Take 3 strips, one at a time and wrap around 1 hot dog starting from the top of the hot dog. Leave a small space towards the top of the hotdog for the ‘face’. Continue wrapping all dogs then place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Use mustard or ketchup for the eyes.

Ghost Nutter Cookies   

 1 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped

 1 package (1 pound) Nutter Butter peanut butter cookies

  Miniature semisweet chocolate chips

  

   In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring occasionally. Dip cookies into coating, covering completely. Place on waxed paper.

    Brush ends with a pastry brush dipped in coating where fingers touched cookies. While coating is still warm, place two chips on each cookie for eyes. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Easy Spider Pizzas

 2 cans of Grand’s Biscuits (large size)

1 jar of pizza sauce

Mozzarella cheese sticks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay out biscuits and flatten or roll out.  Top with pizza sauce.  Cut cheese sticks in to then strips and then cut the strips shortways into smaller strips, (this makes it easier to make circles) and use to make a spider web design.  Bake for about 20 mins.  Use black olives to make a spider by cutting one in half and splitting another one into strips for the legs.

To the left top is my spider pizza-harder than I thought..Bottom left is the cooked version.  Umm maybe pizza skulls would be better?

Well, those are good and all but not very healthy (what! cupcakes not healthy? Whatever do you mean?)  What about regular foods?......no problem! Here are a few tips for making them a bit spookier.

Use cookie cutters in spooky shapes to make regular sandwiches more sinister.

Use cheese sticks described above in Easy Spider Pizzas to make ‘spider webs’ on any dish that has a cheese topping.

Add black olive spiders to salsa and dips.

Slice the end of celery into strips to make celery brooms.

Make Dirt Jell-O cups by filling cups with Jell-O and once Jell-O is set sprinkle Oreo cookies crumbs on top and use Gummy Worms stick out to look like real worms in dirt.

Need to spruce up a favorite punch for Halloween?  Here’s how…

Place glow rods under the bowl for an unearthly glow-

Freeze a small batch of green punch and place in the bowl as a slime ring

Add plastic eyeballs, spiders and insects into the frozen ring or just leave them floating in the bowl *Note –use items of larger size to avoid a choking hazard, if in doubt find something else.

Place dry ice in a dish under or around the punch bowl for a Witches’ brew.  *Note- Dry ice should never be touched without proper handling or ingested, keep away from children.

Happy Crafting (and party planning!)

KidZ Speak!

Welcome to KidZ speak!

You have decided to plan your first ever Halloween party.  As the date gets closer you realize....how are you supposed to keep 30 5 year olds from running a mok and you being demoted from cool and crisp party coordinator to stressed-out party referee?   Here are a few tips to help you plan the best party for parents and kids...

 Make a tentative schedule for the party and time frame for which the whole party will last taking into account number of kids, ages and time of the party.  A 2 hour party is more than enough for most kids (and parents) but if you have older children or a mixed group you can always plan a movie after the scheduled party time.

Stick to the schedule as best you can-if you plan for cake at 5:30 have cake at 5:30 even if you still have 2 games left...you can always go back and revisit games afterwards.

Plan out activities in advance but not too many...activities keep everyone out of trouble but kids enjoy free play too-and your child will have a chance to show off their favorite toys.

Arrange groups of toys by type in different rooms or areas outside, that will keep kids from congregating in one space which usually equals somebody fighting.  Toy groups might include a puzzle table, lego table, baby play room, or even dress up station.

Another great idea is to make the kids table into a coloring station using butcher paper or postal paper, it is thick and can double as a tablecloth.  Arrange paper across the table and tape with masking tape underneath. then arrange crayons or markers in glass jars (we reuse salsa jars) and place them on the table.  The kids can color while waiting for their food.

Make the kids work for their candy.. you can have games with candy as a prize or make a 'candy hunt' by placing candy around the yard and have the kids find it.  With older children you can divide them into groups and have 'clues' to where the candy is hidden.

If you have an older or mixed group, let the parents know that there is a Halloween movie that will be played following the party, giving a chance for the younger ones to head out, and the older ones can enjoy some down time. Note: It's a good idea to let parents know in advance what movie will be played-many children scare easily or parents are particular about what their children see....parents knowing in advance helps them to 'plan' to stay or call it a night.

Look over the party areas-are they safe for the ages that will be attending?  Do you need to put up some baby gates or put away some favorite crystal?  Being aware of possible hazards to certain ages can be stress relief especially for the parents.  Do you live on a main road-recruit some adults to help supervise the outside play can help too.

Any other tips-just email and I will add them here!

Happy Crafting! (and Party Planning!)