Are you being boo’d this Halloween?

Posted on October 29, 2008 by vicki

I got an email tonight from my sister-in-law telling me how someone in her little neighborhood rang her doorbell and ran away. Sounds like a typical halloween prank, except when she opened the door, she found a nice little treat basket with candy, magnetic frames, a leaf ornament and a candle. What a nice, festive thing to do for your neighbor! I did a little research and it seems this used to be more like a chain letter and also more for little kids. I like the idea of giving little festive gifts rather than candy for the kids, especially since it’s going to sit out on the front step if no one is home right away. I would love to try this in my neighborhood and see what the reaction is like. There are a few sites with information about how to play, the most notable is this one at Organized Christmas which includes the signs to hang on your door and a poem to hand out with the gift baskets. You can also just put up your own handmade sign if you wish. I think if I were to participate in this I would not want my neighbors to feel obligated to play. So I found the following poem at Crazed Parent and it would work nicely for this purpose:

A little ghost came to your door because Halloween is near.
You don’t need to Boo anyone else – just spread your Halloween cheer!

Chocolate Ghost Candy Favors

Posted on October 26, 2008 by vicki

Here’s a unique party favor (or just a holiday indulgence) from the heart of New England. If you’ve ever been to New Hampshire’s L.A. Burdick’s Chocolate, you know these are not your average joe Halloween candy. If New Hampshire is going to be notable for something other than the Old Man of the Mountain that was, it has to be this chocolate place. Each piece of ghostly goodness is filled with gourmet hazelnut and dark chocolate ganache with an outer layer of white chocolate that makes my heart go a flutter.

Pumpkin Decorating Party

Posted on October 24, 2008 by vicki

Autumn is my favorite season. It’s so magical when the leaves start to turn and fall off the trees, and the lawn becomes littered with bright reds, greens and yellows. It’s the beginning of the holiday season when people are to be visited, food is to be made and parties are to be had. What better way to spend a crisp fall day or evening than decorating pumpkins? It makes a great idea for [tag]kids parties[/tag], where they can set up around a large table or outdoor space with brushes, paints, glitter and other odds and ends like the feather boa in the photo. Then you have an instant front step decoration or table centerpiece. Just make sure you serve up some shrunken head cider while decorating the pumpkins.

Creepy Shrunken Head Cider

Posted on October 15, 2008 by vicki

I love Halloween. I can still smell the vinyl costumes we used to get from the store when I was young. I always loved this one holiday where it’s okay to dress as crazy as you want, and even if you dress up on the wrong day, no one cares because at this time of year, anything goes. My most favorite Halloween memory is of dressing up as Lisa Simpson, to my friend Matt’s Bart. We happened to be invited to a Halloween party at an old mansion and I dare say there was something definitely creepy about this place. The party itself wasn’t very memorable, but the days leading up to it were – planning out my costume and spending the hours beforehand perfecting the look and getting my hair spiky just like the character.

I just happened to be browsing my TiVo selections and found an episode of Martha Stewart’s where a guest, Allison DiNatale, showed Martha how to make this cider punch which looked really cool and reminded me of the party at this old eerie mansion. It’s really very easy to do and adds a new level of creepiness to any halloween party or little gathering. It can be prepared regular or spiked, making it a very attractive dish to make for any fete. All you need are some classic glossy black pillow box favors with your favorite candy or treat inside and a festive favor label to complete the look. Your guests will love it!

Creepy halloween cider recipe

Shrunken Heads in Cider

From: Martha Stewart Show

Ingredients
Serves about 30

2 cups lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarse salt
8 large Granny Smith apples
32 whole cloves
2 gallons apple cider
2 (12-ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups spiced rum (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon juice and salt; set aside.
Peel apples and cut each in half through the stem; remove seeds and core. Using a sharp paring knife, carve a face, as desired, on the rounded side of each apple half. Place apples in lemon mixture for one minute; transfer to paper towels to drain.
Place apples, face-side up on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Let bake until apples are dry and begin to brown around the edges, about 90 minutes. Remove apples from baking sheets and press cloves into the “eye” sockets.
Combine cider, lemonade, and rum (if using) in a large punchbowl; float shrunken heads on top.

Slimy Worm Cups

Posted on October 8, 2008 by vicki

My nephew is always eating weird things – an ant here, a worm there. Maybe he likes the textures of these things or is just fascinated by all these creatures living in his world, I am not sure. I sent this recipe to my sister-in-law thinking it would be something he would like and thought it a worthy recipe to this unique party recipe archive I have going here on this blog.

Gummy Worm Jell-O Snacks Recipe

Use jell-o to create an eerie glowing treat
By Laura Himmelein

1. Prepare a package of lime or apple Jell-O as directed and divide among 8-ounce mason jars or clear bowls, filling only halfway; refrigerate them until firm.

2. Prepare another Jell-O flavor, such as cherry, berry-blue, or grape. While Jell-O is cooking, place three gummy worms on top of set gelatin and let another hang over the lip. Pour second flavor over the worms, filling to the top; refrigerate.

Spooky Halloween Cauldron Decoration

Posted on October 6, 2008 by vicki

From Martha Stewart.com:

Even if your party guests don’t have a sweet tooth, they’ll be drawn to this bubbling candy display. Set a twig wreath on an end table or other flat surface; if the sticks are tightly woven, pull at their ends so the wreath appears slightly disheveled. Tuck a sheet of orange tissue paper in its center, and place a shallow glass bowl on top. Set a strand of small holiday lights in bowl, letting the cord dangle out.

Drill holes in the lid of a one-gallon storage bucket. Position the bucket in the center of a large lobster pot (about 20 quarts), and nestle newspaper around it. Remove lid from bucket; fill bucket two-thirds with water. Add 1/2 pound of dry ice chunks to the water. (Handle dry ice with care; it should not come into contact with bare skin.) Replace lid, and arrange wrapped candy on top. Place pot on top of bowl in wreath, and plug in lights. This display should be set up in a well-ventilated area. The “smoke” will flow for a half hour.

Double Truffle!

Posted on October 3, 2008 by vicki

From marthastewart.com:

Give your guests a sweet send-off. Nestle homemade truffles decorated with sprinkles in little wooden boxes. Ours are lined with glassine — trimmed with scallop scissors — then wrapped in narrow ribbon and sealed with pumpkin stickers. Forming truffles is easiest with a 1-inch ice cream scoop; two teaspoons will also work.

Halloween Truffle Favors

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup orange and black sprinkles, for decorating
1/2 cup orange and black sanding sugar, for decorating

Directions

Bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, and gently swirl pan to cover chocolate with cream.
Slowly whisk until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover, and refrigerate. Stir mixture every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes, mixture will thicken quickly, so stir every 3 to 5 minutes until set but still pliable, 10 to 20 minutes more (total chilling time is 55 to 65 minutes.)
Refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 10 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and roll balls in palms to smooth. Refrigerate, in an airtight container, layered between pieces of parchment or waxed paper, until ready to decorate.
Remove balls from refrigerator. Place sprinkles and sanding sugar in separate small bowls. Dip balls into sprinkles or sanding sugar to coat, pressing sprinkles to adhere. Truffles can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week

We have several options for packaging the truffles. We are working the wraparound label category, but if you see any label you like, you can always order it and just email us and let us know you would like it as a wraparound label. 18 wraparound labels in a set. All labels, tags and place cards are sold in sets for $11.99.

Chocolate 2-Truffle Favor Boxes

White Pearl 2-Truffle Favor Boxe

My Green Life

A blog about special occasions, natural food, and living green.

Monthly Archives: October 2008