Here is a Halloween Recipe that should be well received. It is basically a cupcake recipe with some special decorating!
Ingredients:
1 box (18.25-ounce) dark chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups chocolate milk
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 box (3.4-ounce) instant butterscotch pudding
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 container (12-ounce) ready-to-spread white frosting
Red, black, green, blue and brown decorating gel
24 Halloween paper baking cups
Instructions:
Place cake mix in large mixing bowl.
Add milk and blend with hand mixture until cake mix is moistened.
Add oil and eggs and continue mixing until all ingredients are mixed well. Continue to mix until no lumps appear.
Line muffin tins with baking cups.
Fill cups 2/3 full of cake batter.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
In the meantime take pudding mix and place in bowl and add milk.
Mix until pudding is completely dissolved in milk.
Add peanut butter and mix well. Mixture should be smooth and slightly thick.
Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until pudding is set.
Once cupcakes are cooled make a small hole from top to bottom of cupcake.
Using a pastry bag or large freezer bag with a small hole snipped in one bottom corner place filling into hole in cupcake making sure to only fill 3/4 of the up.
Ice cupcakes with ready to spread frosting making sure to go all the way to the edges.
In the middle of cupcake using the black gel make small pupil of eye.
In a wider circle around pupil use blue, green or brown gel to make the iris color of the eye.
Use the red gel to make red veins running from the iris to the edge of cupcake.
For more Halloween recipes, visit this Recipe page.
I hope that you and your children enjoy your Freaky Edible Eyeballs.
Monday, October 27, 2008
More Halloween Ideas
Grandpa Richard's Kids is a cute looking website run by a grandfather who obviously enjoys having good old fashioned fun with children. There are a number of Halloween related articles there.
Halloween Face Painting Ideas - this is much safer than masks.
Halloween Face Painting Designs
Carving a Pumpkin
If you like scavenger hunts, he has an article about Halloween Scavenger Hunts for Younger Kids.
Grandpa Richard also has another article on Halloween History.
Halloween Parties
It is October 27th as I write this, which is a bit late to be planning a Halloween party. However, maybe you need just a little more inspiration, so I suggest you head over to Seven Simple Steps for a Super Halloween Party.
There is even a great download available, with appropriate graphics. Prints out really great looking on a colour printer (although, make sure your ink is full!!!)
Another source of party ideas for Halloween is here.
Enjoy your parties this weekend, and come back and comment on what went well, and what could have been better. We will put all the ideas together in an article for next year!
There is even a great download available, with appropriate graphics. Prints out really great looking on a colour printer (although, make sure your ink is full!!!)
Another source of party ideas for Halloween is here.
Enjoy your parties this weekend, and come back and comment on what went well, and what could have been better. We will put all the ideas together in an article for next year!
Halloween Safety
Some of the most important Halloween Safety Tips.
* a responsible adult should accompany the kids when they go trick-or-treating
* even teens should travel in groups and stick to areas that they know
* walk along a well lit route
* never enter homes or apartments
* be especially careful of traffic
* avoid dark clothing
* have reflective tape on costumes if you will be out after dark
* avoid masks that decrease your peripheral vision
* have child's name, address, and telephone number tucked inside a pocket
* walk; do not run, from house to house
* walk on sidewalks, not in the street
* do not cross yards and lawns where you cannot see objects or could come across uneven terrain which causes you to fall
* don’t accept any rides from strangers or talk to them either
* always know where you are
* avoid pets you don’t know
* treat bags carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark
* advise your kids not to eat any treat before they come home
* after your kids bring home their treats, inspect everything in their treat bag
* wash fruit and slice into small pieces
* check for any holes in candy or candy bars or partially open candies
* throw out baked goods that are homemade, unless you know the origin
* when in doubt, throw it out
I found another good article on Halloween Safety over at http://www.grandparichardskids.com/article/halloween-safety.
* a responsible adult should accompany the kids when they go trick-or-treating
* even teens should travel in groups and stick to areas that they know
* walk along a well lit route
* never enter homes or apartments
* be especially careful of traffic
* avoid dark clothing
* have reflective tape on costumes if you will be out after dark
* avoid masks that decrease your peripheral vision
* have child's name, address, and telephone number tucked inside a pocket
* walk; do not run, from house to house
* walk on sidewalks, not in the street
* do not cross yards and lawns where you cannot see objects or could come across uneven terrain which causes you to fall
* don’t accept any rides from strangers or talk to them either
* always know where you are
* avoid pets you don’t know
* treat bags carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark
* advise your kids not to eat any treat before they come home
* after your kids bring home their treats, inspect everything in their treat bag
* wash fruit and slice into small pieces
* check for any holes in candy or candy bars or partially open candies
* throw out baked goods that are homemade, unless you know the origin
* when in doubt, throw it out
I found another good article on Halloween Safety over at http://www.grandparichardskids.com/article/halloween-safety.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Preparing Halloween Invitations
It’s the season for ghosts and goblins. Everyone knows that Halloween parties are just as important as getting the decorations and the candy ready for the trick-or-treaters. You want your party to be the best one in town. So, you’ve got all your decorations ready, the food and drinks, and, of course, the music. Now, all you have to do is get the people to come to your house.
Getting the guests to attend your party is where your Halloween invitations come in. Everyone needs to know your party is going to be happening. You need to make sure they know:
* what time
* where
* costumes or not
* what to bring
* theme
You could spend hours on the phone trying to contact everyone, or you could send out a bunch of emails in this day and age. However, it’s much better to send out good old fashioned invitations instead. This makes it a bit more personalized. Seriously, who doesn’t like getting party invitations in the mail, or left for them at work?
Halloween invitations come in all shapes and sizes, from cute and cuddly to the more horror filled types. Whatever you decide to get, you need to keep in mind that your invitations should reflect the theme of your party. If your party is geared more for children, then you should find something that has cartoon monsters and playful ghosts to convey a message of fun with out the scare. However, if you are throwing an adult Halloween party, you can throw caution to the wind and get the scariest invitations you can find.
You might also keep in mind the type of party you are going to have. For instance, if it’s a "come as your favorite horror film character," then try to find Halloween invitations that fit this theme. If it’s more like a fancy dress ball, you may want to use invitations that are more elegant and suited to that theme. Whatever choice you make for your party, remember to have the invitations match your unique decorations. This can be done through color or content.
You can find all of your Halloween invitations online, if you like. They are also available in the cards section of just about any major store or greeting card shop. However, with using the stores you are a bit limited to the selection you have. If you have the time and money to spare, it is possible to get a wonderful greeting card program, and create your own invitations right on your computer. With these programs, you can add everything from pictures to text, and even choose how the cards themselves open. You can also be more creative with your paper selections, making these invitations one of a kind.
Need recipes for a Halloween party? Click here for some ideas.
Getting the guests to attend your party is where your Halloween invitations come in. Everyone needs to know your party is going to be happening. You need to make sure they know:
* what time
* where
* costumes or not
* what to bring
* theme
You could spend hours on the phone trying to contact everyone, or you could send out a bunch of emails in this day and age. However, it’s much better to send out good old fashioned invitations instead. This makes it a bit more personalized. Seriously, who doesn’t like getting party invitations in the mail, or left for them at work?
Halloween invitations come in all shapes and sizes, from cute and cuddly to the more horror filled types. Whatever you decide to get, you need to keep in mind that your invitations should reflect the theme of your party. If your party is geared more for children, then you should find something that has cartoon monsters and playful ghosts to convey a message of fun with out the scare. However, if you are throwing an adult Halloween party, you can throw caution to the wind and get the scariest invitations you can find.
You might also keep in mind the type of party you are going to have. For instance, if it’s a "come as your favorite horror film character," then try to find Halloween invitations that fit this theme. If it’s more like a fancy dress ball, you may want to use invitations that are more elegant and suited to that theme. Whatever choice you make for your party, remember to have the invitations match your unique decorations. This can be done through color or content.
You can find all of your Halloween invitations online, if you like. They are also available in the cards section of just about any major store or greeting card shop. However, with using the stores you are a bit limited to the selection you have. If you have the time and money to spare, it is possible to get a wonderful greeting card program, and create your own invitations right on your computer. With these programs, you can add everything from pictures to text, and even choose how the cards themselves open. You can also be more creative with your paper selections, making these invitations one of a kind.
Need recipes for a Halloween party? Click here for some ideas.
History of Halloween
Why the ghosts, witches, and so on when October 31st rolls around? Let's take a walk through history.
The history of Halloween is one of the most intriguing of all the holidays. Oddly enough, the word Halloween was originated in the Catholic Church, and was initially known as All Saints Day, or All Hallows Eve. November 1st is a day that the Catholics held to honor the saints. The true history goes back much further than this, though.
October 31st was the day when summer officially ended for 5th century BC Ireland. It was believed by the Celts that ghosts walked among the living on this day. They called this holiday Samhain. It was the time of the third and last harvest of the year. It was also the Celtic New Year. The Celts observed this day as their New Year most likely because the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon. This was measured by Britain and Ireland’s ancient standing stones.
The history of Halloween becomes a bit more interesting when it is known that the Druids used this day to sacrifice victims to their deities. This sacrifice was conducted by burning their victims in cages made from wicker. Before this ceremony began, all fires were extinguished. They were all lit again from the sacrificial fire following the end of the ceremony.
This once pagan holiday was made into a Christian festival from the efforts of Pope Boniface. Initially, these holidays were celebrated on May 13. A century later, it was changed to November 1st by Pope Gregory III. This is how it remains to this day. This meant October 31st was not the last day of the year any longer, and Samhain was changed to The Feast of All Saints.
Modern pagans and Wiccans today have returned to the history of Halloween in their celebrations. They observe October 31st as Halloween or Samhain, and honor it as their New Year. This is the day believed to be when the veil that separates the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Samhain is also the day that the pagan god dies, to be re-born again during Yule. These pagans use Samhain as a day to remember and honor dead loved ones. It is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
For Europeans, the history of Halloween eventually changed into a celebration revolving around children. Over the years, these children began to dress up as “ghosts”, going from house to house asking for treats. If the unlucky home owners did not give them treats some questionable tricks would be played on them. This tradition came to the United States with the Irish immigrants sometime during the 1840’s.
Another interesting part of the history of Halloween is that many traditions around the celebration of the Christian All Souls Day seem to involve the dead in some way. It should be noted that many of the Christian customs have their origins in pagan roots, including Halloween.
Children in your home want to have a party at your place and you are not very creative??? Check out these party ideas.
The history of Halloween is one of the most intriguing of all the holidays. Oddly enough, the word Halloween was originated in the Catholic Church, and was initially known as All Saints Day, or All Hallows Eve. November 1st is a day that the Catholics held to honor the saints. The true history goes back much further than this, though.
October 31st was the day when summer officially ended for 5th century BC Ireland. It was believed by the Celts that ghosts walked among the living on this day. They called this holiday Samhain. It was the time of the third and last harvest of the year. It was also the Celtic New Year. The Celts observed this day as their New Year most likely because the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon. This was measured by Britain and Ireland’s ancient standing stones.
The history of Halloween becomes a bit more interesting when it is known that the Druids used this day to sacrifice victims to their deities. This sacrifice was conducted by burning their victims in cages made from wicker. Before this ceremony began, all fires were extinguished. They were all lit again from the sacrificial fire following the end of the ceremony.
This once pagan holiday was made into a Christian festival from the efforts of Pope Boniface. Initially, these holidays were celebrated on May 13. A century later, it was changed to November 1st by Pope Gregory III. This is how it remains to this day. This meant October 31st was not the last day of the year any longer, and Samhain was changed to The Feast of All Saints.
Modern pagans and Wiccans today have returned to the history of Halloween in their celebrations. They observe October 31st as Halloween or Samhain, and honor it as their New Year. This is the day believed to be when the veil that separates the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Samhain is also the day that the pagan god dies, to be re-born again during Yule. These pagans use Samhain as a day to remember and honor dead loved ones. It is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
For Europeans, the history of Halloween eventually changed into a celebration revolving around children. Over the years, these children began to dress up as “ghosts”, going from house to house asking for treats. If the unlucky home owners did not give them treats some questionable tricks would be played on them. This tradition came to the United States with the Irish immigrants sometime during the 1840’s.
Another interesting part of the history of Halloween is that many traditions around the celebration of the Christian All Souls Day seem to involve the dead in some way. It should be noted that many of the Christian customs have their origins in pagan roots, including Halloween.
Children in your home want to have a party at your place and you are not very creative??? Check out these party ideas.
Slime
Any decent talk about ghosts, goblins, and other traditional Halloween characters is not complete without slime. Gooey green slime! This stuff is available in your favourite Halloween supply store, but why not make your own. This is one of those 2 part chemical reaction things. Try on your own once, and once you are confident you can make the stuff, bring in the kids and let them make a batch.
Part A
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In a glass bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 2 cups of Elmer’s Glue, and some green food coloring (or make your own blend of colors!!) Dissolve together well.
Part B
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In a separate glass bowl, mix together 1 1/3 cups of warm water and 4 teaspoons of Borax. Dissolve together well.
Finally
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Pour the stuff from part A into the stuff from part B, but do NOT stir or mix it at all. The kids will probably be amazed as they watch the chemical reaction take place, and then, PRESTO, out comes your slime.
For easy Halloween crafts, take a look at this site.
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