Parties are a core element of the holiday season. Most people will recognize Halloween as the first in a round of celebration. Actually, many people view this holiday as the best of all. It is easy to see why when you take into account the vital components. Naturally you have costumes and decorations, but many fall shot when it comes to carrying their theme through to the table. Here are a few ideas that can help you make your next Halloween party a hit.
First of all, you want to make up some labels for these dishes. A craft stick can simulate a stake and offers a nice way to use a marker to label your creations.
FROG EYE SALAD with LADYBUGS (Quick Version)
You will need:
2 large box of instant vanilla pudding
1 16 ounce package of 'Acini de Pepe' pasta
1 cup Milk
1 cup pineapple juice, unsweetened (or start with the juices from the fruit and add juice to make one cup)
3 small cans of mandarin orange slices, drained
2 cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 container whipped topping, thawed
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup diced candied cherries OR red mini m&ms (these will melt slightly and create an eerie 'blood' trail.
Green food color
This is an old favorite that has been around for years. The green color and tiny pasta gives it the spooky appearance of frog eyes. Well, add a name stake and the kids are sure to question if you really did put frog eyes in this mix.
Boil 1 pound of 'Acini Di Pepe' pasta in several quarts of lightly salted water. You want to cook it to the tooth. This means that it should be firm when bitten. Drain and set aside to cool.
Make the vanilla instant pudding according to package directions except use the one cup of pineapple juice (mixture) in place of one cup of milk
Mix the fruit, pasta, marshmallows, and coconut with the pudding. Add a few drops of food coloring, green is suggested, but you could use other colors if you prefer. Chill. Just before serving fold in the whipped topping. Best served cold.
Another hit at our Halloween party table is CRACKED BEETLE STEW with LIZARD GUTS Wait! Don't run off. You will love this one.
Make your favorite 'chili con carne' recipe. Just be sure it has beans and ground beef. Use stewed tomatoes and stir in some mozzarella cheese. You can use a store-bought canned variety but you won't get the same effect. If you do use store-bought, stir in the cheese and tomatoes to help thin it a little. I like to use dried beans in my chili, but canned ones work well too. Spread your beans out on a cookie sheet and lightly 'crack' them with the back of a wooden spoon before adding them to your chili pot. This can be made ahead in a crock pot and served hot and hearty the night of your party. A great treat before hitting the candy trail too. I use a square cracker attached to a craft stick with a little dab of peanut butter as a 'marker' warning guests of what they are about to dip into. For a school party I also invented a gruesome story about how I collected the ingredients and stirred my pot to get it just right.
This one really gets the conversation flowing and I bet you can think of some additions, like perhaps some white navy beans or maybe some rice, to take it to the next level.
WITCHES FINGERS with EAR WAX DIP
Quick, easy and a sure hit. Don't forget to add your grave marker so everyone knows what they are about to consume.
Slice several green granny-smith apples into 'fingers'. Leave the peel on and remove part of the pulp for this. You want to create a 'crooked' finger from the peel with part of the pulp. Save the cut-away for some great apple pie later. For now, dip the apple fingers in lemon juice and drain well to help prevent browning. Put one end of each finger firmly into a bugles snack cone. I suggest the original flavor but you could use any. You could also use those edible wax fingernails that are sold in discount stores. These add a real life-like impression.
For the earwax dip you have several options. You can purchase some ready-made caramel dipping sauce sold in the fruit section around the holidays. You can melt your own caramel candies, but it takes time to open all those little wrappings. If you do choose this route, stir in about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk once the caramel is melted. This helps keep the mixture liquid. If you are a candy maker, you might want to try your hand at homemade caramel, You could also use melted chocolate or even make a mixture of the two. Now, drop in just a hand full of crispy rice cereal. After all, ear way is usually, well, crusty. Adding a few drops of green food color to the melted caramel will really put this over the top. This version of caramel apples is somewhat traditional but you could adapt it for use with mini bread stick crackers and a cheese dipping sauce with a little salsa stirred in as well.
BONUS: VAMPIRE WINE. A nice change from the almost traditional Bloody Mary. Choose your favorite fruit smoothie drink and add a few drops of red and one or two drops of blue food color. You want it to appear a dark blood-red, almost purple. Garnish with a set of those wax lips that seem to be everywhere this time of year, or better yet, how about some of those plastic vampire teeth. Yum!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Use your imagination and you can come up with some really eerie and ghoulish treats for your spooky table. The first time I did this with these dishes I was terrified my guests would leave on the run, but it turns out that it was the hit of the party. Now I get constant requests during the holiday season.
