Halloween For Kids

Halloween "Witches’ Brew" Punch Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 06:07:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 quart grape juice
1 quart orange juice
1 quart ginger ale

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Halloween punch bowl. Add spooky Halloween decorations, such as spooky ice-cubes or a gruesome mask made of punch.

Note: To make a mask, fill a plastic mask with punch and freeze overnight. Unmold and add to the punch bowl.

5 Tips for a Safe Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Most children love Halloween – dressing in costumes, wearing fancy face paint and going out trick or treating with friends and family. Halloween can be a fun event for children as long as safety measures are discussed and implemented. Since most trick or treating takes place after it has begun to get dark outside, knowing how to keep your kids safe becomes an important task.

* Reflective strips can be adhered to costumes in order to increase your child’s visibility. You can purchase reflective strips at either a Halloween costume store or at your local fabric store. The strips come in a variety of colors and sizes so you can match them up with your child’s costume.

* While masks are a typical part of a Halloween costume, they can also be a potential hazard if they are not secured correctly or if they are not fitted properly. Many masks come in a "one size fits all," but children have varying head sizes so the masks tend to mainly be loose on children. A loose mask can float around the face, causing your child to trip or fall, while a tight mask can cut off circulation or cause a potential choking hazard. When buying a mask, have your child try on the mask in the store prior to purchasing to ensure that it fits properly.

* Make-up can play a vital part in designing a Halloween costume. What some parents do not realize, however, is that not all make-up is hypoallergenic and can cause allergic reactions. Some apparent allergic reactions are hives, rashes and itchiness on the face or body parts that the make-up was applied to. To test the make-up prior to application, place a small amount on the inside of your child’s wrist a few days prior to Halloween. If there is no reaction after an hour, the make-up can be deemed safe for use.

* Make sure you purchase costumes and wigs that are flame retardant. All it takes is one spark for an entire outfit to light up on fire and pose a potential fatal hazard to your child. Flame-retardant costumes and wigs are resistant to spreading flames and are easily contained if they catch fire.

* Flashlights are a necessity, especially if trick or treating after dark. In addition to carrying flashlights, safety tags with your child’s information can be carried in case your child gets lost.

Halloween is a fun holiday for kids who like to get dressed up and go trick or treating. However, with Halloween also comes the need to protect your children. Following safety tips such as wearing reflective strips, a proper fitting mask and carrying flashlights can help to keep your child safe when out trick or treating with friends or family. Most importantly, parental supervision is necessary, and instilling safety awareness in your children is beneficial to keeping them safe.

5 Ways to be Green This Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:59:00 +0000

Halloween can be a fantastic time of the year for both kids and adults, but with all those decorations, the costumes, candy and more, it can also mean a lot of waste. But, you can make this a green Halloween if you take these eco friendly tips into consideration and do a little forward planning.

1) Make Your Halloween Candy A Healthy Choice

By choosing your Halloween candy wisely, you’ll be helping to protect your kids’ health as well as the environment. Check out your local health food store to see what they have to offer. Opt for organic treats that aren’t full of artificial ingredients, as well as fair trade chocolate or even homemade baked treats.

2) Creative Halloween Decorations

By incorporating eco friendly tips into Halloween, you may just find that it makes things even more fun! Instead of buying plastic decorations from the store: take advantage of what nature has to offer and decorate your home with leaves, pumpkins, apples and natural candles. Choose reusable plates and cutlery instead of disposable items if you really want to do the best you can for the environment.

3) Recycled Halloween Costumes

Eco friendly tips almost always revolve around reusing or recycling so you don’t have to buy new, and Halloween is no different. By making your own from old costumes or reusing costumes you’ve bought in previous years, you’ll be doing your bit to reduce waste this Halloween. Try making your costumes out of old clothes that would have otherwise been thrown away, or buy second hand clothing at low prices to use for fabric.

4) Reusable Halloween Bags

The bags you need to carry around your Halloween treats don't need to be bad for the environment. Get your hands on some reusable bags instead of plastic or paper bags, . Canvas bags are an excellent choice – take a look around stores to see if you can find any Halloween-themed bags, or simply decorate a plain canvas bag yourself.

5) After Halloween Is Over

Out of all the eco friendly tips, what you do with everything after Halloween really does matter. Don’t just throw away pumpkins, use them for compost, and try to keep any decorations you bought so they can be used again next year. If you did end up buying a costume and won’t wear it again, give it to a friend or donate it. Every little gesture helps!

Halloween "Bloodshot Red Ghoul Eyes" Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:49:00 +0000

These devilled eggs are gruesome looking but really taste great and they will be the hit of the party. For the best bloodshot effect serve them within 2 hours of making them.

Ingredients:

3 C of hot water
2 T red food coloring
1 T of white vinegar
6 hard boiled eggs, cracked but not peeled
1/3 C of mayonnaise
1/4 C of green onions, chopped fine
2 T cilantro, minced
2 t Dijon style mustard
12 ripe olives, sliced
1 t ketchup

Directions:

Pour the water into a large mixing bowl. Add the food coloring and vinegar and whisk to blend together well. Add the eggs and if the water does not completely cover the eggs add more hot water. Let the eggs stand for 30 minutes.

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and peel. Cut the eggs in half. Remove the yolks and place in a small mixing bowl. Place the whites on a platter and set aside.

Mash the yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, onions, cilantro and mustard and stir until well combined.

Stuff the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture. Press 1 slice of the olive into the egg yolk mixture. Fill the center ring of each olive slice with a dab of ketchup.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 1 dozen

Total Time: 25 minutes

Recommended:
New! Halloween Recipes Ebook. Over 50 Recipes With Photos.
Plus 3 Bonus Ebooks - Halloween Crafts, Halloween Drawing and Halloween Printable Games!

Teach Your Kids about All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Children look forward to Halloween for a number of reasons. They can’t wait to gather all that candy, and they know that soon after Halloween is Thanksgiving and then Christmas. It’s no wonder children like the last three months of the year – there’s food, food and more food as well as getting out of school. You may want to teach your kids about All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day so they know the basis for the holiday.

Depending upon your frame of reference, All Hallows' Eve is either a Christian or a pagan holiday. Wiccans, or modern day witches, claim the day is associated with pagan celebrations. Catholics and Episcopalians, however, say October 31 is a time to celebrate the saints of old so it is also the eve of the Feast of All Saints. This holy time has been commemorated for centuries.

According to some people, All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day is an acknowledgment of the pain and suffering associated with death. It is also thought that modern Halloween is a way to try to deny the reality of death and anything evil in the world by making fun of it. Rather than concentrating on Christian ideals in a solemn way, they would rather make the evening all about something less serious.

Others prefer to reach back to ancient history where ancient Celtic tribes celebrated the festival of Samhain who was the Lord of the Dead. The Celts believed the dead would rise and walk the earth with the living. People would have bonfires and wear masks as a way to scare the evil spirits and dead away.

All Saints' Day, which was originally celebrated in May, was moved to November 1 by Pope Gregory IV. This festival began at sunset the evening before, which is October 31, and was called All Hallows’ Even or “holy evening.” As time passed, people slurred the words together and it became Halloween.

Originally the holy days were set aside to remember loved ones who had passed on from life to death. It didn’t matter if the person who had died wasn’t officially a saint; they were still commemorated on this day. Some people believe Pope Gregory IV moved the date of All Hallows' Even to October 31 in order to draw pagans to Catholicism by substituting a pagan festival with a Christian one.

The church still celebrates All Souls' Day on November 2. This was a day set aside for Catholics to pray for those who had died and whose souls were in Purgatory. They could also gain indulgences for these souls which would reduce the amount of time they’d have to spend in Purgatory.

No one can know for certain the exact beginning of the celebrations occurring between October 31 and November 1. The truth be told, there is probably a bit of truth concerning both claims about the historical background. The important thing to remember when you teach your kids about All Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day is to talk about what it means for your family and decide which aspects of the holiday you want them to know.

Useful Tips to Keep Halloween Fun, Easy and Safe for Toddlers

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Toddlers can bring a certain element of innocence into the mix when celebrating Halloween. With a toddler, trick or treating or parties can become tiring, so it may not be possible for you to go out like you normally would. Toddlers can be naive and get scared very easily so safety is always an issue with them.

With that in mind, you can still enjoy Halloween with these tips to keep your toddler safe and happy.

* Avoid Scary Costumes

Children and especially toddlers can be prone to night frights. Many toddlers find it difficult, if not impossible, to separate reality from the "monsters" that they may see walking around. When dressing up, go easy on the make-up and keep the costume simple so that your child knows that it is you behind the costume.

* Trick or Treating House to House with Your Toddler

Try to keep the trip short and just visit a few houses on your block. Visit the homes of your friends and family if possible as your child will be more at ease with them than with a stranger's house. Keep it short and simple so that your toddler does not lose interest or panic because of the costumes.

* Hold A Party At Home

This is a great way to keep it simple and still enjoy the holiday with your toddler. By hosting the party at your house instead of going to someone else's means that you can keep the party toddler friendly. Invite people you know that have toddlers who also want to enjoy a festive, yet mellow Halloween party.

* Protecting Your Toddlers From Candy Overload

Most toddlers do not realize that some candies can be to hard for them to chew or can pose a potential chocking hazard. Therefore, it can become quite the challenge to keep the candy bowl away from your child. Make sure that older children and adults know not to give your child candy without asking you first and to keep the candy bowl is out of reach at all times. If at all possible, try to stay near your child just in case.

To sum it up:

* Safety is an important role in making Halloween fun for toddlers.

* Realize that some toddlers are not able to separate reality from make believe, so the costumes that others are wearing may cause your child to panic.

* If you choose to take toddlers trick or treating, try to keep is short.

* Keep your toddler at ease by trick or treating at the houses of friends and family.

* Enjoy the holiday by hosting a party are your house.

* Always make sure that the Halloween candy bowl is out of your toddlers reach.

Using these tips can insure that you are not only protecting your child, but that they are able to join in on the Halloween fun as well.

Harvest Party vs. Halloween Trick or Treating

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Many parents, for varied reasons, are getting out of the traditional Halloween spirit of trick or treating. To replace the door to door trick or treating or Halloween parties, parents are instead choosing Harvest or Fall parties. These are basically a watered down version of the traditional Halloween.

Many of today’s parents who are Christians themselves placed Christmas as their favorite holiday as a child. Many of those same parents chose Halloween as one of their favorite holidays as a child too. Back then, they had no idea that Halloween could be a huge offense to Christians. Just as the Christian holiday of Christmas can be an offense to the non-believer.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s there were reports of razor blades and needles being put into apples being handed out to trick or treating children. Around the same time there were reports that candy and taffy were being laced with poison.

To my personal knowledge these incidents ended up being unfounded or even the parents’ involvement for one reason or another. Ann Landers and Dear Abby spoke of the dangers of trick or treating, but all over America concerned parents began to make changes either closely monitoring their children’s activities or changing their activities altogether when it came to Halloween and trick or treating.

Church sponsored parties for neighboring children first became popular in the 1980’s. During the hours of trick or treating it was common to find the church doors open offering children an alternative to traditional trick or treating. These alternatives still had every kid’s favorite part of the holiday – candy, but also included games and an overall safer way to spend the night. This was the start of Harvest parties replacing the trick or treating and scary Halloween parties.

This leads us to wonder: Where Exactly Did the Worry About Halloween in Christianity Come From?

Follow along as we see how it all came to be that many Christian parents’ now choose to celebrate Harvest without the evil and scary side of Halloween.

The Celtic’s celebrate the end of summer on Halloween by sacrificing to the gods of the Druidic tradition. Their belief was that the lord of death (Samhain) would send out evil spirits to attack the living. The only protection from the lord of death was for them to disguise themselves as evil beings or spirits, thus the costumes.

Wicca followers celebrate Halloween as one of two high and “holy” days. Following the Celtic belief as outlined above and worshipping Samhain, Halloween becomes a very evil day in the eyes of the Christian believer.

Fourth Century Christians, in an attempt to get away from this evil, began to focus and celebrate Christian saints. This is what we now know as All Saints Day on November 1st. It was during this time that parents, realizing that they could not completely get away from this day, began to allow their children to dress up in costumes that were non-evil such as brides, princesses, pumpkins and football players.

October 31st will come each year. I hope this brief history on the emerging Harvest parties and Halloween will give you some insight when choosing how you will spend this day. No matter which tradition you follow, be safe!

Halloween Music Vid - "Thriller"

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Happy Halloween: Disney's Monster Mash

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:37:00 +0000

by fingolfin897

Great Alternatives to Halloween Candy

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:12:00 +0000

If you’re a parent you may be worrying about how much candy your child will be bringing home this Halloween. Candy not only has very little nutritional value, it is bad for your teeth and can cause nasty tummy aches when eaten in excess. If you’re looking for something different to hand out to trick-or-treaters this year, here are some great alternative ideas.

Nabisco has 100 calorie pack individual packages that trick-or-treaters will find enjoyable to their palates. Teddy Grahams and chocolate covered pretzels are my two favorites, but they have a whole line to choose from.

Individual packages of nuts or trail mixes are nutritionally beneficial to your ghosts and goblins. They not only taste good but they are good for you too.

Microwave popcorn packages are a great option. You can buy them in many different flavors, but if you’re looking for healthier alternatives skip the extra or movie butter kind.

Nabisco Handi-Snack offers a variety of healthy choices. A few examples that I particularly like are:

Breadsticks and cheese
Cheese dunk ‘ems
Ritz cheese and crackers

These individual packages are a tasty choice. Fairly inexpensive, they are a great fit for children.

While not quite as healthy as some of the other options above, many restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s, sell coupon certificates or books you can substitute with. You can purchase gift certificates for your trick-or-treaters and by using your Arch card and following some simple guidelines at the McDonald’s website you can not only give a non candy gift, you can also earn college rewards.

Non-Edible Gifts

If you visit a dollar store or a store that sells children’s books inexpensively, you can find non-edible gifts too. Items such as coloring books, crayons or audio books and more are great alternatives to sugar laden candy. Not only is this a healthier choice, it is educational as well. Some people even shop throughout the year to help spread the cost out.

A visit to your local dentist may be just what the doctor orders this Halloween. He may be able and willing to give you toothbrushes and toothpaste samples at a reduced rate to hand out to children. If you wanted you could even hand out sugarless gum.

Small games like jacks and jump rope fit well into a trick-or-treater’s bag and will last for longer than one night. While various different flash cards or games such as old maid and crazy eights are not what trick-or-treaters are used to getting at Halloween it is something they can use and re-use. Again, they are inexpensive and can be purchased throughout the year at dollar or general stores.

The choice is yours. Use some of these ideas to begin to change the suggestion that candy is the only choice for Halloween. Be creative and give your visitors something healthier this year!

Wrapped Up Mummy Dip Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:11:00 +0000

This fun loving mummy makes a great centerpiece for your Halloween table. Any type of ranch dip mix can be used such as regular or fiesta.

Ingredients:

1 (1 lb.) loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed
3 pieces of string cheese
1 (16 oz.) container of sour cream
1 envelope of ranch dip mix
1 black olive

Directions:

Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Allow the dough to rise according the directions on the package. When the dough is ready, roll it out on a flat surface to form a 12 inch oval with the bottom narrower than the top.Make an indention on both sides 1 inch from the top of the dough oval to form the mummies head.Spray a baking sheet with a non stick cooking spray and lay the form dough onto the sheet. Allow the dough to rise 20 minutes in a warm area.

When the dough is ready bake for 22 minutes or until it turns a golden brown.

Lay strips of the string cheese over the bread from the top to the bottom. Return the bread to the oven for 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Remove the dough to a wire rack to cool.

Place the sour cream into a mixing bowl. Fold in the ranch dip mix until blended in well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When the dough has cooled cut it in half horizontally. Remove the bread in the middle leaving a 3/4 inch shell. Place the bottom half of the bread onto a serving plate. Fill the bottom half with the prepared dip.
Replace the top of the bread. Cut two slices from the olive and place on the head of the mummy for eyes.

Cut the removed bread into cubes and serve with the dip along with fresh vegetables or crackers.

Makes 16 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 25 minutes + rising
Baking Time: approximately 22 minutes + cooling
Total Time: approximately 47 minutes

Recommended:
New! Halloween Recipes Ebook. Over 50 Recipes With Photos.
Plus 3 Bonus Ebooks - Halloween Crafts, Halloween Drawing and Halloween Printable Games!

(affiliate link)

Easy Additions for Perfect Halloween Meals

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:37:00 +0000

It’s Halloween! With just a few little changes or additions to things that you probably already make, you can put the spirit of Halloween on your table.

Scary Eyeballs – Add a little more mustard into the centers of deviled eggs or a thin dollop under where you will lay a black olive into the creamy center.

Ghost Sandwiches – Cut your bread into ghosts, add the filling of your choice and your children will have a ghostly treat for their school or after school sandwich.

Wormy Hot Dogs – Thinly slice your hot dogs and then microwave. This will make them curl to look like worms. Put them on a hamburger bun and dress with mustard, catsup and pickles to make a slimy swamp underneath.

Ghostly Toast – Toast your bread. When it is cool enough to cut, with a gingerbread girl cutter or a plain knife, cut to make a ghost body. Top with whipped cream cheese or flavored yogurt with raisins or dates cut for eyes.

Orange Jack O Lantern – With a toothpick, gently carve a face into the orange. Careful not to injure the meat/pulp of the orange, your child will have a small version of the Jack O Lantern that is healthy and edible.

Graveyard Snack – Take a cup of plain or buttered popped popcorn; add a half cup each of mini pretzels, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, goldfish crackers and raisins.

Spider Snack – Taking two round crackers, such as the ritz, put peanut butter in the middle. Take 8 small pretzels and stick all around, 4 on each side to make the legs. Add raisins for eyes.

Salty Bones – Making breadsticks for your spaghetti tonight? Here’s a Halloween twist. Unroll a tube of refrigerated breadstick roll and separate the triangle pieces. Stretch each individual piece to make a long bone like figure. Cut about a 1 and a half inch slit in each end with your kitchen scissors. Roll the remaining 4 flaps into what would make the end of a dog bone. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake as directed.

Goblin Tongues – Using mini bagels, spread cream cheese or mayonnaise, your preference, onto bagel. Cut slices out of circular pieces of bologna lunch meat to look like tongues and put into the top center of the bagel, leaving it to hang out like a tongue.

These are just a small sampling of things you can do to impress the kids or grandkids. Nothing fancy, quite simple for you but they’ll love them. Presentation and excitement is part of children accepting new and different things. Let them help you when creating these treats and they may just be a little more receptive to the new Halloween changes in foods they already love.

Halloween Fun for Children...Riddles, Quotes, Word Game and Poem

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:22:00 +0000

The time is upon us. The weather is starting to get chillier, the leaves are falling, school has started and that can only mean one thing: Halloween is around the corner! This time of year is all spooking a few friends, stocking up with goodies on the big night and having fun. So, here are some ideas to help your children (and you) have a great time this Halloween. Have fun!

Halloween Riddles for All Ages

1. What did Dr. Spook give the witch who had a sore throat?
Answer: Coffin Drops

2. What do Ghost’s wear when their eye sight is failing?
Answer: Spookicles

3. How do you make a witch stew?
Answer: Make her wait!

4. What do lady ghosts put on their skin?
Answer: Vanishing lotion

5. What do you get when you cross a witch with an iceberg?
Answer: A cold spell

6. How do bats learn to fly?
Answer: They take batting lessons.

7. If you worked in a mortuary, what would you call your free time?
Answer: Coffin Break

8. Why do skeletons always catch a cold?
Answer: the get chilled to the bone.

9. What is a vampire's favorite fruit?
Answer: Necktarines

Tombstone Quotes to Make You Giggle

Bonnie Parker (Bonnie and Clyde): “As the flowers are all made sweeter by the sunshine and the dew, so this old world is made brighter by the lives of folks like you.”

Tombstone Arizona: “Here lies Lester Moore; Four slugs from a .44; No Les No More."

Pennsylvania Tombstone, US: “Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.”

England Tombstone: “The children of Israel wanted bread and the Lord sent them manna. Old Clerk Wallace wanted a wife…and the Devil sent him Anna.”

Massachusetts Tombstone: “Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Pease. He is not here, there’s only the pod. Pease shelled out and went to God.”

Dentists’ Tombstone: “John Brown is filling his last cavity.”

Can you come up with more funny or spooky tombstone ideas?

Who Can Make the Most Words?

On a piece of paper write the words “Trick or Treat”. See who can make the most words using only the letters found in the phrase.

Possible Answers: (There may be more, but here are quite a bit to get you started): rock, ate, tick, tack, race, oat, are, rate, crate, car, rack, trace, tart, tort, crater, racer, rice, track, or, tea, tire, ace, ice, ore, tore, rico, roar, kite, tear

Here’s a Halloween poem kids will love:

Witches and Goblins and Ghosts, OH NO
By Sheilah Warner Blackledge

Out on a night called Halloween
I’m dressed like a dog and my mom’s a queen
The sounds of ghosts make me turn green
I think I’ll run, but instead I scream
The witch over there behind those trees
Put me and mama on our knees
A goblin grabbed me by the arm
It was my friend Jo who meant me no harm
Oh my, oh why do I want to go?
To hear witches and goblins and ghosts, OH NO!

Bubbling Cauldron Recipes: Dip and Witch Brew Fit for Halloween Parties

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Throwing or attending a Halloween party this year and wondering what to make? Bubbling cauldrons are the dish of choice for the ghosts and witches of the night. Here are two recipes everyone in attendance is sure to enjoy.

Goblin Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg (16 oz.) Velveeta processed cheese, cubed
16 oz shredded Swiss cheese
1 can(10 ½ oz.) cheddar cheese soup
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans (drain well)
1 jar medium or hot salsa
1 can (4 oz) diced jalapeno peppers, (drain well)
1 round loaf of pumpernickel or round marble rye bread, unsliced
2 loaves (18 ounces each) round marble rye bread, unsliced
Pretzel rods

Directions:

Put canned soup into saucepan. Add the processed and swiss cheese into the pan. Melt cheeses over low heat, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in beans, salsa and jalapeño peppers, if desired.

Carefully cut center out of bread, leaving 1-1/2-inch shell. Cut or tear bread center into pieces for dipping. Fill your emptied bread bowl (cauldron) with the cheese.

Take your cut or tore bread pieces that you took from your bowl and place on a serving plate. For an added extra touch, you could “assemble a campfire” of pretzel rods around the bowl. Put 1 full pretzel rod into the cheese dip and serve immediately.

Alternate Ideas for Goblin Dip

If you want more of a Mexican taste to your cheesy dip, add a package of taco seasoning into the saucepan when cooking and a can of Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilis.

Using Halloween cookie cutters (you can purchase them) and cocktail bread, cut out some decorative pieces of bread for dipping.

Witch’s Brew Recipe

Ingredients:

2 packages lime Jell-O
Ice (if needed)
Lime Kool-Aid
1 Gallon Green Punch Kool-Aid or Green Punch (any brand)
Cauldron or Punch Bowl
Ladle

Directions:

The night before, using the lime Kool-Aid prepare ice cubes. You’ll need to use the flavored ice cubes as this particular witch’s brew does not do well watered down with plain water ice cubes. It will water it down too much.

In enough time for the Jell-O to set before serving, prepare both packages of lime Jell-O. Place in fridge to set. Make one gallon of Green Punch Kool-Aid or you can purchase a gallon of any brand green punch. Chill.

When ready to serve, using a fork, mash up the set Jell-O into globs. Pour the punch into punch bowl or cauldron. Add Jell-O globs and Kool-Aid ice cubes.

Tips for serving: Because this is a Jell-O punch, do not use a pitcher to serve. The Jell-O will try and sit on the bottom. Make certain you stir the punch well and ladle it into your guests’ cups.

5 Steps to Carving Your First Halloween Pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:55:00 +0000

So you’re ready to carve your first Halloween pumpkin? Congratulations in joining the ranks of many who rank pumpkin carving as one of their favorite Halloween activities.

To avoid a huge mess you’ll have to clean up later, the first thing you’ll need to do is prepare your workspace.

Choosing Your Pumpkin Carving Space
Select a flat work area. Lay down several layers of newspaper being sure to overlap them.

Gather Your Supplies
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Carving Kit or Butcher Knife & Serrated Paring Knife
Semi-Permanent Marker or Pencil
Container lined with a garbage bag to deposit your waste
Lighting Source of Your Choice (Candle, glow sticks, etc.)
Step 1: Preparing Your Pumpkin for Carving
Turn your pumpkin on its side. Using your permanent marker, draw a large circle on the bottom of the pumpkin. Be sure it’s large enough to fit a large spoon and your hand inside. By cutting out the bottom (instead of the top) you’ll make it easier to place your light source in it. Using your large butcher knife carefully cut out the circle. Make note of the best side for carving your chosen design or face.

Step 2: Let the Fun Begin
It’s time to clean out your pumpkin. Using your hands, scoop out the seeds and put them in the garbage bag, unless you want to put them in a bowl for later roasting. Using either a wooden spatula or serving spoon, scrape out the meat. Hopefully you have already decided on which side you will be carving the face, as this will need extra removal of the flesh.

Step 3: Draw Your Design
After the pumpkin has been cleaned out, it is time to draw the design of your choice. Use a semi-permanent marker or a pencil and draw your design on the pumpkin.
If you don’t have an artistic mind it’s ok. You can use a stencil available on several Internet sites or one that may have came in your tool kit. (http://www.hersheys.com is a good site for designs.) Take a copy of the design and place it over the pumpkin. Secure this with masking tape. With a needle, push pin or nail, start poking small holes through the paper and into the pumpkin. Make sure you do them close enough as this is the pattern from which you will carve.

Step 4: It’s Finally Time to Carve
Preparation pays off. Now, let’s get carving this pumpkin. Be particular in your carving as any little slip with the knife is likely to ruin your design and may cause injury. With your paring knife or other preferred choice of carving tool, carve along the pattern lines cutting all the way through the rind. Cut away from yourself and into the pumpkin. After each feature has been cut out slowly push out the cut pieces from inside the pumpkin.
Hint: Keep your blades as sharp as possible to ensure accuracy and ease of carving.

Step 5: Clean Up
Take your newspaper and fold it over on all sides, keeping your pumpkin “gunk” on the inside. Once folded, throw it in the trash can or garbage bag.

Congratulations! You’ve now carved your first pumpkin.
Once you’ve finished and cleaned up the mess, place that baby out on the front porch and add your lighting. Show it off for the entire neighborhood to see. Don’t forget to take a picture too – after all you only have a first carved pumpkin once. Enjoy!

Halloween Dinner Recipe: Crispy Witch Fingers

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:12:00 +0000

These claws will really “grab” your guest’s attention. The Cajun seasoning gives these strips a bold taste while the cornflake covering helps to keep the chicken moist during baking. The Cajun seasoning can be left out if preparing these for children.

Ingredients:

1 sweet red pepper
2 T flour
2 t + 1 T Cajun seasoning, divided
3 eggs
1 1/2 C cornflake crumbs
2 T green onion, chopped
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 16, 3/4 inch strips

Directions:

Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees allowing it to preheat. Lightly spray a baking sheet with a non stick cooking spray.

Cut the pepper into 16 triangles and set aside.

Place the flour and 2 t of the Cajun seasoning into a plastic zip lock bag. Close and shake the bag to combine the ingredients together well.

Place the eggs in a shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork.

Place the cornflake crumbs in a shallow bowl.

Add the green onion and remaining Cajun seasoning to the cornflake crumbs and toss to combine. Place a few strips of chicken into the flour mixture, close and shake to lightly cover. Dip the coated strips in the egg shaking off any excess. Roll in the cornflake mixture covering the strips well and place on the baking sheet.
Repeat until all the chicken strips are covered.

Place the chicken into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear. Remove and allow cooling enough to handle.

Cut a small slit into one end of each of the strips. Insert a pepper triangle; point out, into the strips.

Makes 8 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 20 minutes
Total Time: approximately 35 minutes

7 Tips for Trick or Treating Safety

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Going out into the ghoulish night to troll for candy is not as innocent as it seems. It should be, but it is not. Parents and children alike want to enjoy their bit of frightful fun without real dangers lurking around every corner. Here are some safety tips to accomplish that task.

Image via Wikipedia

1. Begin trick or treating during the daylight. It used to be that everyone waited until dark for greater effect. Unfortunately, there are those who want to cause trouble and can only do so after dark. Now, trick or treating begins at dusk even if the sun is not down.

2. For smaller children, drive instead of walk. The concept is the same as far as kids are concerned. Their friends will still see their costume and they still receive candy. As the night wears on it may get cold and little feet get tired quite quickly. A car means a faster exit when everyone is too tired to go on.

3. Check the candy before letting any is eaten. It is a safety precaution that protects the kids. Not everyone is out to harm children but there have been incidents in the past where blades and pins were found in candy.

4. Stick together. Never let a child go trick or treating alone. If you can’t do it, entrust your child’s care to another adult friend. Let them walk a few feet ahead to feel independent but not so far that they are out of your sight.

5. Choose costumes that fit properly. Wherever possible, use homemade costumes or non-toxic paint to replace store bought masks. Most masks are too hot and don’t provide an adequate visual field. Kids who can’t see where they are going can trip and fall.

6. Refrain from taking homemade candy and treats. Even schools don’t accept homemade food items anymore. It is too easy to get sick and the liability is high. Homemade candy apples look scrumptious, but there is no list of ingredients to tell you what was used to create them. Stick to prepackaged candy for children to eat.

7. Use a cloth shopping bag to hold the candy. Plastic bags can buckle under the weight of the haul and your child could lose their loot on the front step or in the street. Plastic pumpkins don’t hold as much candy and the strap can break with the same results as a plastic bag.

Trick or treating is a fun Halloween night tradition designed to scare us silly. In the process, don’t forget to take precautions so everyone is safe.

Trick or Treat!

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Many of us have uttered those words or ones like them since we were old enough to wear a costume. Some say cute little rhymes at each house they visit. But, what is the origin of our current candy grabbing tradition on Halloween?

Trick or treating goes back to the celebration of Samhain by the Celts on the British Isles. This pagan festival was one that celebrated nature and its gifts. The practitioners also believed that on that night the boundaries between the living and the dead were compromised and spirits could once again walk the earth.

Image via Wikipedia

In an effort to appease the spirits, people would leave offerings of food and drink on their doorsteps. These rituals were thought to protect their harvests for another year. This was also the time for a practice called “souling.”

Souling involved food in exchange for prayers. During the celebration, poor people would take to begging for food from neighbors. This food was granted in exchange for prayers by the receivers for the souls of dead family members.

As the tradition was passed down, the begging became food left for these poor individuals who would continue to pray for the dead. Eventually, children were sent from house to house to receive food or bits of money for the family.In some countries, the wearing of masks and receiving of gifts is still called “souling.” Small food items or money are still received by children.

Trick or treating is a thoroughly modern and American tradition.When it first started, trick or treating was just that. If a homeowner didn’t provide treats, the costumed person would perform some trick. This could be playing a prank on them or egging the house. In some countries, this is a part of the mischief of the spirits. Any spirit that didn’t receive food was also likely to do something to the person of the house.

Now, kids go from house to house, saying this phrase and receiving a ton of sweet treats. People travel from neighborhood to neighborhood for sweet fare. Tricks are more a part of the fun of the night than a slight against any one person. If a neighbor is not participating, they turn out their porch light so children will know not to approach.

Of course there are those mischief makers that egg houses and cars, but most neighborhoods celebrate Halloween without incident. Even the adults get involved in the celebration with fog machines and costume parties.

4 Easy Fun Halloween Craft Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:57:00 +0000

Kids always have fun making crafts, especially holiday-themed crafts.
Here are some fun Halloween craft ideas for your kids to make this year.

1. Trick-or-Treat bucket

Supplies:

ice cream bucket
construction paper
markers, crayons
glue
glitter

Directions:

Use construction paper to draw ghosts, pumpkins, scarecrows, etc. Cut out your decorations and glue them to the outside of an ice cream bucket.

2. Trick-or-Treat goody bags

Supplies:

small brown paper bags
Halloween stickers
markers
treats (candy, pencils, erasers, bubblegum, etc.)

Directions:

Decorate paper bags in Halloween themes using your art supplies. Put treats inside bags. Fold the top of the bag down and tape shut with a Halloween sticker.

3. Tiny pumpkins

Supplies:

acorns
orange paint
green paint

Directions:

Lay acorns on a sheet of newspaper. Paint the bottom of the acorns with orange paint. After the orange paint dries, paint the top of the acorns green (for the stem of the pumpkin). Allow to dry thoroughly.

4. Spooky Spiders

Supplies:

black construction paper
cotton balls or cotton stuffing
black pipe cleaners
small bowl or saucer
stapler

Directions:

Using black construction paper, trace around a small bowl or saucer. (Cut out two circles per spider.) Place stuffing or cotton balls on first circle. Lay second circle on top of cotton stuffing and staple half-way around. Insert 3-4” pipe cleaners on each side, then staple the second half of the circles together. Bend pipe cleaners to make the “legs” of the spider.

Easy Wormy Cupcakes - Halloween Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Ingredients:

Prepared Cupcakes
Frosting of choice
1 package gummy worms
1 package chocolate cookies or graham crackers

Directions:

Place a few cookies in a plastic bag and using the back of your hand or a rolling pin press down until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a teaspoon make a small well in the center of each cupcake. Frost cupcakes around well and sprinkle with cookie crumb mixture. Stick a gummy worm into the center of each cupcake.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt for Younger Kids

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:43:00 +0000

A Halloween scavenger hunt is a fun activity that not only provides a chance for kids to get outside before the weather gets colder, but it can help them think creatively too. There are a few different ways to do a scavenger hunt. Depending on where you live, you can have different kinds of scavenger hunts. If the children are too young to go on their own, you can team them up with older children or adults or even have small teams.

Nature Scavenger Hunt – If you live in a rural area or have a park near by, you could have a nature scavenger hunt. Make a list of things readily available that are safe for the children to collect, such as a maple leaf (maybe of specific color), pine cones, different color rocks, acorns, etc. Give each child or team a list and a paper bag to collect their treasures. You could even hide some things in the area they will be searching such as mini pumpkins or pre-wrapped treats.

Decorations Scavenger Hunt – This will take a bit more planning; yet can be a lot of fun. Go around your neighborhood looking for interesting and unique decorations. Make note of the address, name of the family or possibly stores. Then give a list describing the decorations and the children have to find the location where the decorations reside and write it down. If they aren’t old enough to write, be sure your teams are split with older children or adults.

Costume Scavenger Hunt – Sometimes businesses, malls or plazas have a Trick or Treat time earlier in the day and have their employees dress in costumes. List several different costumes they might find and see who can find the most costumes on the list. They could have the person sign their paper when they find the different costumes.

Photo Scavenger Hunt – If you have enough adults with either Polaroid or digital cameras, you can have a photo scavenger hunt. This is a good alternative to having the children gather things, especially if you live in an urban area where there may not be many things the kids can collect legally. Once all the teams are back to the starting point, they can compare pictures to determine the winner. This also allows for people to find the same thing and have a more specific list of items. This can be done for more than one age group, by having more obvious clues for the younger children and more difficult ones for the older kids.

If the weather isn’t nice, you can have an indoor Halloween scavenger hunt and hide things around the house. Some rules will need to be given such as if a door is closed, that room doesn’t have any of the items in it. Give clues for the items they are looking for and a bag for collecting. Candy, apples, mini pumpkins, small toys and Halloween themed items are great for indoor scavenger hunts and lots of fun for the kids.

Recommended:

Little Kid Halloween Crafts
Easy Halloween Crafts

Sweet Skeleton Bones - Halloween Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites
2 cups icing sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250F.

In a large bowl beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually start adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Keep beating and adding sugar until you have a meringue. Line baking trays with paper. Using a piping bag with a plain nozzle pipe a straight meringue bone line (approximately 4 inches long). Pipe a meringue ball at the end of each bone. If necessary shape bones further using a small knife.

Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until bones have dried out. Remove from oven and let cool on paper.

Recommended:
New! Halloween Recipes Ebook. Over 50 Recipes With Photos.
Plus 3 Bonus Ebooks - Halloween Crafts, Halloween Drawing and Halloween Printable Games!

2 Quick and Easy Halloween Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:47:00 +0000

By James Watts

Making Halloween crafts can really get you into a festive mood for this spooky holiday. Here are 2 fun and easy craft ideas:

Tin Can Lanterns

Did you know that you can easily create Halloween lanterns out of those old tin cans? Use cans that have a smooth surface to accurately display your designs. All you need to complete this Halloween crafts project are cans, a hammer, and a nail.

Use a nail to press very shallow points into the cans, designing Halloween images like, a jack-o-lanterns, skulls, cats, half-moons, and stars. If you don't want to do this free-hand, tape a drawing onto the can.

So, how to make the holes without denting the metal? The trick to this is to fill the can with water, and freeze it. Next, hammer simple designs into the can with a nail. One or two good taps should do it, depending on the size of the hole that you want.

When your cans are complete, place tea lights or votive candles inside to illuminate.

Spooky Bags

If you are hosting a Halloween party, or handing out candies to trick-or-treaters, decorate small bags to hold assorted treats, and surprises.

Here's what you'll need:

- scissors

- a glue stick

- brown paper bags with handles (5x8-inch, or smaller)

- several sheets of construction paper, in colors like, purple, green, yellow, orange, black, and white.

Draw simple shapes like, jack-o-lanterns, moons, stars, and witch's hats, on card board, and cut them out. Now, you have templates to work with. Trace these shapes onto your construction paper, cut them out, and attach them to the bags with a glue stick.

James writes for Ghoulish Halloween, a site that tries to entertain and inform. For more great Halloween articles, visit our Halloween articles archive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Watts http://EzineArticles.com/?2-Quick-and-Easy-Halloween-Crafts&id=33907

Halloween Costume Ideas, Fairy Wings, Threadbanger

noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000

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noreply@blogger.com (EJ Cooksey) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:39:00 +0000

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