by Kelli Bowen
Okay – Halloween is just around the corner and our neighborhood throws down when it comes to the holiday. We have a couple garage “haunted houses” in the neighborhood, people handing out candy to the kids and shots to the parents, hundreds of kids roaming the area, adults dressed up handing out candy, and adults walking along following their little trick-or-treaters with their own mom to-go-mug of Halloween spirit.
It’s a big day and full of chaotic joy, so a couple of SIMPLE items a mom can whip up as a coping mechanism = cookies (If spiked spicy cider is out of the question)! I happen to have a bake sale fundraiser coming up this weekend, and a Halloween potluck at work, so I need to whip up some goodies to share with my little or big ghouls and goblins.
In a time crunch? ALMOND BARK.
The perfect Halloween treat creation combo - Oreos and almond bark!
Around Christmas time, it doesn’t matter how complex and amazing the treat options are, my children always end up gravitating to the cookies and crackers covered in almond bark. Making the same treats, with a little twist, for Halloween is super easy. Get some white almond bark, chocolate frosting in the piping gun or chocolate chips, and you’re good-to-go. If you want to get real-fancy, get a package of little candy eyeballs.
Ghosts? Peanut butter or Milano cookies covered in white almond bark with a couple eyeholes and a mouth: boom delicious ghosts.
Spiders? Top a large cookie or brownie with a chocolate-dipped Oreo and draw some legs with chocolate almond bark. You could also dip the cookie with white and then draw the spider onto the cookie, depending on how artsy you are feeling.
Pumpkins? Remember the Oreo? Throw some red and yellow food coloring in your white almond bark and dip those cookies like it’s your job.
Oh Kelli, I don’t want to just do sweet treats. Okay Healthy Hannah, here are some healthier options:
Pumpkins? Peel some small oranges, stick a little piece of celery on top for a stem-BOOM: fruity pumpkin patch. If you can keep the peel mainly intact, you can also put fruit or veggies into peel as little pumpkin bowls. Speaking of pumpkins: make a pumpkin veggie tray with baby carrots, use black olives as the eyes and mouth of the jack-o-lantern and then celery for the stem. Arrange on a plate. My children LOVE black olives and baby carrots, so everyone is happy. Another option: two small bowls of Ranch dressing for eyes…now Mama’s happy too.
Mummy pigs in a blanket. Get some frozen bread dough, thaw and wrap around hotdogs and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. You could also do little smoked sausages and make mini mummies but we are trying to keep things simple here. If you want eyeballs: cut some of the unused black olives, or heck, candy googly eyes.
Mummy prep!
Ready for some mummy eyes!
Voila! Yummy mummy!
So grab a glass of Halloween Spirit, throw on your favorite Halloween movie, open your pantry and let’s get ready to get festive.