Halloween is a great time to host a kid’s party. After all, what child doesn’t like Halloween? One of the most enjoyable aspects of Halloween is the food. There are hundreds of recipes that have been specifically created for this spooky holiday. The following ideas will help you plan the yummiest menu possible.

Serve a minimum of sweet treats. You don’t want your guests suffering from ’sugar overload’ during the party. To celebrate the occasion, serve chicken fingers with a blood (any red dipping sauce.) If you prepare them from scratch, it’s not hard to make them resembling the more human variety. Add a sliced almond for the finger nail for a realistic approach.

Another dish to try is to add equal parts red, blue, and yellow food color to spaghetti after it’s been cooked so it turns an ugly brownish color. Serve with a green pesto sauce and call it snakes in the swamp.

Make goofy eyeball meatballs. Shape seasoned ground meat into an oval with a flat top and bottom, bake until done. Cut a round circle out of mozzarella cheese about the size of a half dollar or one inch in diameter. Cut grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes into three slices. Cut black olives in half. Assemble the goofy eyeballs by placing a slice of cheese on the meatball, then a slice of tomato on the cheese and top with a black olive half. Vary the placement of the toppings so the eyeballs are looking in different directions.

If you will be serving punch, why not serve the ghoulish variety? Simply make your favorite punch and add a few ghoul hands. To make these hands, fill non-powdered rubber gloves with cranberry or other red juice. (Don’t overfill, the fingers of the glove should still move easily.)
Close gloves tightly with rubber bands and freeze flat on cookie sheets, which have been lined with paper towels. When ready to serve, open gloves with scissors and add to punch. You may want to break off one or two fingers and add them separately.

A fun punch can be with one quart of lime drink, one quart of lemon lime soda and one cup of lime sherbet. The sherbet should be added right before serving. Stir so the sherbet foams up a bit with the soda. Dust the foam lightly with cocoa powder to resemble dirt.

It’s not a good idea to use dry ice in your punch to make it smoke. Curious hands may try to touch the dry ice resulting in freezer burn. Instead place the dry ice in containers out of reach, such as the back of a table and you’ll still have the atmosphere of the smoky fog without the worry of accidents.

Keep the food simple and familiar but with a twist. Rename favorites in the Halloween theme. Use food coloring in blues, greens, and browns to alter the way a dish looks. Or use familiar food in unfamiliar ways. For example blanch a cauliflower head, break apart and then reassemble (this makes the cauliflower easier to serve) cover the cauliflower with ranch dressing then using ketchup in a squeeze bottle outline each floret with the ketchup so it looks like a brain.

Have fun with your food at Halloween.

By: Dee Power

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Halloween yard decorations are really appealing and exciting for people of all ages. It does not matter whether you have a small yard or a very large yard. You can unleash all the creativity of yourself and allow the others that reside in the home in order to create a lavish yard full of decoration and spookynite spectacular fun this Halloween! Here, I will offer some basic tips and techniques on how to make the most of your Halloween Yard decorations without having to invest a lot of money and time into the endeavor.

One of the first things that you have to keep in mind is the overall theme and intent of Halloween outdoor decorations. These decorations can be scary, or simply represent the fall season. The choice is yours.

One of the most basic Halloween yard decorations are the fantastic pumpkins that are common to the fall season. You can line your yard with basic pumpkins, or with a little bit of work, you can carve the Halloween pumpkins in order to create ones that reflect the “spooky” Halloween theme.

Many individuals may simply take a bunch of pumpkins and line and stack them in one section or corner of the yard. If you elect to decorate in this manner, you may choose to throw in some hay for an added dramatic effect.

In addition to pumpkins, you can use hay and even an assortment of carefully cultivated gourds in order to create an outstanding visual effect this Halloween. If you really want to make things interesting, then you should consider mixing up all of these items and creating a spectacular scene that will be very attractive to others!

The next Halloween yard decorations I will discuss are scarecrows. Believe it or not, these handy little items can be really practical when it comes to setting the scene for spooknite spectacular haunts and fun this Halloween. In addition to this, paper, table cloths, shower curtains, and even sheets can be used in order to create ghostly scenes in the yard for Halloween. As you can see, there are many creative methods and supplies that you can use to decorate your yard for this spooky night.

All it takes is a little creativity, a theme, a little bit of time, and some basic supplies and you are all set! There are many store bought decorations that you can use in order to add ornamental design to your yard, but it is not nearly as fun as unleashing your own creativity!

By: Daryl Plaza

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Halloween dessert recipes are an essential component to fall festivities. While many are gathering up all of the essential ingredients to create their spookynite snacks, many will be purchasing sugar in order to mix in to give the desserts a sweet taste. Unfortunately, many people who will be purchasing this ingredient simply do not know or understand that there are dangers associated with this substance.

Here, I will be exploring the dangers of sugar in Halloween dessert recipes. If you have a sweet tooth, or you are concerned about your health and the health of those that will be consuming these Halloween treats, it is important that you pay special attention to the contents of this article.

When an individual consumes the sugar in Halloween dessert recipes, and other sweets, it throws off the natural homeostasis process. If you are wondering what this is, it is really simple to understand. Homeostasis is simply the equilibrium, or “balance” in the body that is considered to be “ideal”.

It basically means that all of components of the body are working in harmony together for proper maintenance. As sugar enters the body, it throws off this natural and required balance in the body. One of the first areas that are affected in a negative fashion is the immune system of the body.

Sugar will actually have a negative impact on the defenses that the immune system sets up in order to fight against potentially threatening diseases and sicknesses. When the immunity of the body is suppressed, many health complications may arise.

Now, when creating those Halloween treats this year, there is a large possibility that children will be consuming them. If you will be using sugar as an ingredient, you may want to consider the effects that it can have on these kids. It has been discovered that adrenaline increases quite rapidly in the body of a child when they consume foods and beverages that contain sugar.

Furthermore, these children have been observed in experiencing high levels of anxiety and even signs of hyperactivity. Many medical professionals and parents who have observed the effects of sugar on children have noticed that many of these kids are not able to concentrate effectively.

Irritability and depression are also common side effects. Before creating a menu of all the Halloween dessert recipes that you will be creating this fall, be sure to consider not using as much sugar and finding another source of sweetener to add other than straight sugar. This is only a small list of the dangers associated with this substance.

By: Daryl Plaza

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You can turn any home into a haunted house for Halloween by adding the right Halloween decorations. Here are simple do-it-yourself suggestions for Halloween decorations that you, your family, and the neighbors will enjoy this fall.

Gourd candleholders
Dim lighting is essential in creating the right Halloween mood so work on that as the first of your Halloween decorations. Create a low light atmosphere in your home by using candles instead of overhead lighting. To create a spooky candleholder, cut a hole in the center of a gourd, squash, or miniature pumpkin. This might be hard to do so start by gently rocking the knife back and forth until you create a slit. Keep moving the knife carefully until there is an open section large enough to hold a candle.

Safety warning: Make sure you put the candleholder on a tray with aluminum foil. As with all Halloween decorations, advise your children to stay away from the flame.

Witch’s cauldron
To create the ultimate witch’s cauldron you will need a large bowl, dry ice, and water. You can purchase dry ice from a local ice cream parlor or grocery store. Put the dry ice in a container with a tight lid. Then submerge the container in water. Warm water will produce more smoke that will disappear rapidly while colder water will produce less smoke that will last longer. You can put the cauldron at your front door or as the centerpiece on your dining room table.

Safety warning: Do not touch the dry ice with your bare hands. Either use tongs or thick gloves. Make sure that children do not play with the dry ice.

Glowing ghosts
A glowing ghost is the perfect example of how simple and fun making Halloween decorations can be. Activate a mini glow stick, slip it inside a balloon, and blow up the balloon. Position the knot of the balloon at the top center and use a black marker to make a face. Use a thin or transparent white cloth to cover the balloon, cut a small hole in the cloth and push the knot through so you can tie a string to it and hang it from a tree, your door, or a lamppost in your front yard. Your glowing ghost will blow in the wind, letting all your neighbors know that Halloween has arrived.

Halloween’s just around the corner. It’s that time of year again when ghosts and goblins roam the streets. Here are some ideas for Halloween costumes that are easy to execute.

By: P. Banas

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There’s an ever increasing variety of Halloween-related decorating choices to add spookiness to your home. The sky is darkening. You feel chill and ghostly horrors in the air as the moon shines brightly on this cloudless night… But where do you start in planning your Halloween decoration?

There are a lot of ways to decorate for Halloween. With some people concentrating on witches and monsters and others concentrating on graveyard sites and zombies. Take a ride around town and look at all of the great decorating ideas. Most people just decorate to entertain their neighbors and for the trick or treating kids that stop by. You too can turn you home “boo-tiful” with few decorations.

Plan to buy your pumpkins early to get the best selection. By selecting a variety of shapes and sizes of pumpkins, you will be able to make a variety of interesting jack-o-lanterns ghosts. And don’t forget about those miniature pumpkins, they can make great party favors or Halloween decorations also. And the day before the party, carve your pumpkins and double check you have enough candles or use small flashlights to show off their ghostly grins.

Add hauntingly spooky background ghost music or a collection of sing-a-longs for the kids. Also, you might want to incorporate some Halloween special effects outside with spooky horror sounds as your guests walk up to the front door. There are a lot of special music tapes or CD’s available to purchase.

Then, if you have railings on your porch, you can also find Halloween-colored garland to thread through the rails at the same store where you found your Halloween lights for the tree. It can be especially potent when combined with your spooky decorated Halloween tree.

By: Roger Wilco

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We have all tasted that magnificent Halloween pumpkin pie around the Halloween festive season. For many, there is no experience like it. The exquisite tastes of all the ingredients mix together perfectly, and simply melt in our mouths! I have some good news! Now, you can make your own Halloween pumpkin pie!

Throughout this article, I will share with you the ingredients that will be required in order to create this masterpiece, as well as some simple baking instructions to help guide you in the development of your very own Halloween dessert! First, it is time to go through that season and spice rack that you have in the kitchen.

You will require a pinch of nutmeg that is ground, as well as a pinch of cloves that are ground. Next, you will want to get about a half a teaspoon of ginger that is also ground. While you are at it, pull out the ground cinnamon in the spice and season rack and get about a teaspoon of this.

Once you have gathered the essential spices and seasonings, it is time to locate the sugar. Ah, yes, the Halloween pumpkin pie would not be complete without a generous amount of sugar! You will need about a half a cup of this. It is important to ensure that you are using standard white sugar.

Other types of sugar may make for an interesting Halloween pumpkin pie, but white is best for this particular recipe. Now, dig through all those kitchen cabinets and locate at least two cups of pack pumpkin puree. This is the “bread and butter” to success when it comes to this outstanding recipe.

Go ahead and look for a can of evaporated milk while you are digging through your cabinets. You will need one cup of this. Try to avoid the temptation of taking a taste of this stuff! It is sweet! Now, do you have an extra pie shell? If so, get out one that is at least nine inches in diameter. Oh, and you will also need two eggs!

Now, go to the stove and turn it on 350 degrees. You will then be required to thoroughly mix all of the ingredients that you have gathered to make the pie. Once complete, pour this luscious mixture in the pie shell. You will want to cook this for about 45 minutes. In many cases, this may take up to an hour. You will know that it is done when the center is set. Once this occurs, you now have your very own Halloween pumpkin pie!

By: Daryl Plaza

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Here’s a favorite tradition of our family in outdoor Halloween decor:

RING OF GHOSTS

Materials: 3 Twin-sized Sheets 3 Four foot lengths of flexible 1/2 inch PVC Piping, Wooden Stakes or Dowels 3 Small White Plastic Garbage Bags Masking Tape Newspaper String or Twist Ties Black Marker (optional)

Instructions: 1. First, determine a good location for your ghost gathering. Find a wide open area, or you may decide to group them around a tree or light pole.

2. To make the ghosts’ heads, crumple up newspaper and stuff the three small plastic trash bags to the desired size.

3. Stick one of the PVC pipes into one of the bags and wrap the neck with masking tape to secure. Repeat for the other ghosts.

5. Cover each ghost head with a sheet, gathering with string or a twist tie under each head. The head should be in the middle of the sheet, so the outer edges can be attached to the neighboring ghosts.

You can make taller or shorter ghosts, but you must adjust the size of sheet you use to accommodate. Our ghosts will be just under 4 feet tall.

4. Push the PVC piping into the ground in a circular formation about 1-2 feet apart. The sheets should touch the ground and cover up the support. You can also use wooden stakes or dowels, but your ghosts won’t have as much movement as they will with the PVC piping.

6. Finally, knot the ends of the sheets together to give the impression the ghosts are holding hands. Because the PVC is flexible, your ghosts will now bob and sway in the wind!

7. If desired, make Casper-like faces on the sheets with black marker.

We have 3 children, so we always make 3 ghosts, but you can connect as many ghosts as you wish!

They’ll look like they’re playing a spooky game of “ring-around-the-rosy”!

Click here to view our Ring of Ghosts

FLAGPOLE SPOOKS

These spooky decorations are easy if you have an angled flagpole attached to the front of your house.

Scary Flagpole Ghost: Hang a “Scream” style mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a white sheet or a generous length of white tulle around and behind the mask. This scary creature will appear to be flying as his white garment flutters in the wind.

Flagpole Frankenstein: Hang a Frankenstein mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shredding the trash bag around the edges will add to the spooky effect.

Flagpole Witch: Hang a witch mask off the end of the flagpole. Attach a witch hat to the mask, then tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shred the trash bag to make the witch’s robe flap in the wind.

By: Patricia Jensen

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Which Halloween costumes are best is a matter of personal taste, certainly. But year after year, the ones below continue to be hugely popular.

Superheroes and Villains

Whether it’s the Joker thanks to a recent Batman movie or the latest TV show, superheroes and the villains they conquer are always near the top of any list.

It’s not just the associations with popular characters that does the trick, though. Just think of all the cool makeup possibilities with someone like the Joker. He’s gone through several variations from TV and films from the past 50 years. Superhero masks offer an outstanding way to avoid that trouble, though. Pop it on and you’re ready to party.

And, one of the best things about this category is it works for both genders and all ages. Whether the wearer is male or female, one or 100, a superhero or villain costume fits, in every sense of the word.

Celebrities

Celebrities like Hannah Montana are a close relative to superheroes. These days, they’re treated like ones, anyway. Lots of tweeners love the fashion options that come with picking her, but there are lots of other choices, too.

For the older crowd, celebrities from the past are often a big hit. They bring a little nostalgia to the party that can produce big laughs. Anyone remember John Travolta’s white suit in that disco movie… what was the name? Oh, yeah, Saturday Night Fever. Who could forget!

Sexy

Of course, if you happen to be an adult, **** is always a hit. Naughty Librarian is right up there with the all-time favorites. Cool Cop works for the guys (or gals) every time.

The possibilities are endless, not least because what is **** to one Halloweener is a big yawn to someone else. That means you have lots to choose from without worrying about whether someone else is going to show up at the party with the same outfit.

Fantasy and Fairy Tales

For kids and fans, this category continues to be a crowd pleaser. That crowd starts with the parents, but the Halloweener get just as much fun from them.

Fairy Tale Princess has been the choice of the little princess in the house forever. But add a frog to the mix for the little (or big) guy who goes with her and you have a winning combination.

An Alice in Wonderland theme opens up tons of possibilities. There’s Alice herself, of course. But Tweedledum and Tweedledee are a perfect pair. The White Rabbit is easy and comfortable on a Fall night.

Easy Choices

Things that are easy to wear, easy to move around in, easy to assemble are always big hits. Togas are the classic example, pun intended. But Doctors and Nurses are a perennial favorite because all you really need is a white lab coat or dress and a stethoscope.

The trick in this category is to not make the costume so generic that no one can tell what the character represents. Putting on a pair of glasses, holding a book, and mussing up your hair may be your idea of Einstein, but it doesn’t work for most people.

With hundreds of variations to choose from in these categories you can’t go wrong.

By: Shannon Medley

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This fall, many individuals will be searching for Halloween recipe ideas. One of the most appealing activities when it comes to the festivities of this holiday are the various types of foods and beverages that many individuals display at Halloween carnivals, festivals, and parties. There are many different unique and spooky spectacular Halloween recipe ideas that you can indulge in.

The question that many individuals ask is where are all these recipes at? I have great news for you! There are many different places where you can locate recipes that are appropriate for Halloween. Throughout this article, I will share with you a few tips on locating recipes that you can use to gear up for your next round of Halloween festivities.

One of the best places to locate Halloween recipe ideas is the World Wide Web. There are literally millions of recipes, sorted by food and beverage type online. You can discover how to develop your own appetizers, and spook up a few spicy treats. You can find out how to create beverages for adults, and refreshing drinks for children as well.

Do you like the appearance of those tombstone cakes and those cakes shaped like ghosts? If so, you can learn to create your own! There are even recipes for Halloween hand molds, punches, and similar items of interest. All you have to do is type certain keywords in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or another popular one and you will receive millions of results. Keywords like “Halloween Food”, “Halloween Recipes”, and “Halloween Snacks” usually bring up the best results.

If you find that you have exhausted the internet, you may want to check out your local library in order to discover some recipes that may assist you this Halloween. There are many books on this holiday, Halloween cookbooks, and even party planning books that may help you in your endeavor to discover the best recipes. Do you have a party planning or a culinary arts team in your community? If so, these are excellent resources when it comes to discovering Halloween recipe ideas that will be a big hit!

There is one important resource that I have yet to mention. This is the people that you know. Many times, friends, relatives, and coworkers have some pretty unique recipes tucked away for holidays like Halloween. Check with them, and see if they have something you can use! Finding recipes for Halloween and other ideas is quite easy and exciting if you know where to look.

By: Daryl Plaza

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So, you have put up your scariest Halloween decorations around the house, the children’s spookiest costumes are ready and now all you have to do is prepare the food for the party. But, wait. Since you have taken so much trouble over your decorations and costumes, don’t you want to learn about really gross recipes for Halloween? Recipes that will be in keeping with the Halloween theme instead of the normal, bland presentation of food? Well, if you are interested, here are some gross Halloween recipes to add to the scary atmosphere of your evening!

The more disgusting-looking the better, and what better way to begin than by tweaking the appetizer a little bit to get that horrendous green color! The ‘Booger on a Stick” requires 8 ounces cheese whiz jars, some green food coloring and pretzel sticks. The cheese has to be melted first (melting it in a microwave will be quick and easy) and then cooled for sometime. Then add a few drops (about 3-4 drops) of the green food coloring and watch the cheese turn green. Lastly, dip the pretzel sticks in the gooey green cheese mixture and your starter is ready to be smeared around the children’s mouths.

Another really simple yet frightening looking starter is the Bloody Popcorn. You can get ready made packets of popcorn with butter and microwave it. After it is made, just sprinkle a generous amount of chili powder on top of it and mix it well. Be careful, don’t go overboard with the chili-you do want your guests to have a good time also!

Coca-cola, milk shakes somehow do not go with ghosts and ghouls. What about some Vampire’s Blood Shake to quench the thirst of all those little ghouls in the house?! Simply get 2 cups of plain yoghurt, 1 packet of frozen strawberries, and 1 pint of strawberry ice-cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend everything except the strawberry ice-cream in a blender. Then pour in tall glasses over ice cubes and top it with a large scoop of strawberry ice-cream and let everyone pretend that they are vampires drinking someone’s blood!

Now, we come to the main course. Unlike normal human beings, witches and ghosts do not like eating ordinary food. To please them you have to prepare something really gruesome and Brain cell and Fluid fits the bill perfectly. The brain fluid will be Blueberry jello, so, stock it in your larder along with a small carton of cottage cheese representing brain matter. A can of blueberries in syrup and a bottle of food coloring, and you are all set.

First, make the jello and put it to set and chill. Next, put cottage cheese in a medium bowl and add the blueberries from the can (after draining it) to it. Mix carefully and then add some food coloring. For serving, put some Jello on a plate, sprinkle some of the blueberry syrup on it (a fair amount) and then place the cheesy blueberry mixture on the top. Let the guests drool over the gross main course.

These gross recipes for Halloween should put you right in the mood to enjoy an exciting night!

By: Geraldine Wright

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