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Halloween Breakfast - Papaya-Orange Juice, Twisted Bacon, Surprise French Toast, and Fruit in a Minipumpkin
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Halloween Dinner - Wormicelli Pasta, Cheezy Baked Beans, Hallowieners, Carrot and Zucchini Salad, Green Spider Web Dip,
Dracula's Punch, Frozen hand for fruit punch, Buggy Ice Cubes, Bloodshot eyes. -
Halloween Desserts and Goodies - Chocolaty-Orange Halloween Cake, Jack-O-Lantern Pops, Spooky Ghost Cookies
Halloween Breakfast - Papaya-Orange Juice, Twisted Bacon, Surprise French Toast, and Fruit in a Minipumpkin
Halloween night begins early, and with candy to come, a Halloween dinner does not get much attention from kids. However, starting off Halloween morning with this fun breakfast gets kids in the mood for a whole day of "thrills and chills." This meal is also good to serve on the weekend before Halloween. Invite your children's friends over or host a breakfast for other young friends - even adults who are still kids at heart.
First, a Halloween touch for your breakfast table:
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Use your jack-o-lantern as a centerpiece. Ask children to help scoop out the inside of the pumpkin the day before. Let them draw on the face with a marker and you carve out the pumpkin's face (for safety sake).
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Stick a dead branch, without leaves, into an orange to serve as an anchor (you can cut the orange in half, turn it over on a dish for a steadier base or leave it whole). Cut out tiny pumpkins, ghosts, bats, witches and so on from colored paper and hang the decorations on the branch. Add the tree to the jack-o-lantern centerpiece. This is an excellent project for children.
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Use a black marker and draw faces on the miniature pumpkins for the fruit salad. If you like, decorate a few more pumpkins than you need to serve, and add them to the centerpiece. This is another great project for children.
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Use a black and white plaid or checked tablecloth. Buy orange and black paper plates and napkins.
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Put a trick-or-treat bag at each place. Paint and decorate brown paper bags with favorite Halloween fiends, friends or familiars.
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Kids aren't the only ones who get to play tricks at Halloween. Hide a plastic spider or other Halloween joke item under the plates, or balance one on a serving platter.
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If it's a weekend, rent a scary film to view after breakfast. In the daylight you won't have to worry about the lights going off!
Recipes (serves 4 - just double or triple, etc. for a larger crowd)
Papaya-Orange Juice
3
cups orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 large ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped
Place all ingredients except orange slices in blender; cover and blend until smooth. Divide mixture in glasses; top with orange slice.
Twisted Bacon
8 slices bacon (or more)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Twist bacon slices tightly; place slices on rack in broiler pan. Bake, without turning, about 10 minutes until brown; drain.
Surprise French Toast
Use jams, jellies or peanut butter as a "surprise" in your French toast, along with the cream cheese in the recipe.
1
package (3 ounces) cream cheese
16 slices (1/2 inch thick) French bread
1 cup milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
Powdered Sugar
Syrup
Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each of 8 slices bread; top with second slice bread. Whisk together milk and eggs in large bowl.
Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat or to 350 degrees; melt margarine. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture; carefully place on griddle. Cook about 8 minutes on a side until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve with syrup.
Fruit in a Minipumpkin
You can add other fruits to this recipe to make it just the way your kids or guests will like it.
4
miniature pumpkins
2 bananas sliced
1 can (16 ounces) sliced peaches, drained
Cut a 4-inch opening in top of each pumpkin. Scoop out seeds. Mix bananas and peaches; fill each pumpkin with about ¼ cup fruit.
These delicious kid-pleasing dinner suggestions are so easy, it's positively scary: Choose "witch" ones you want to serve:
Wormicelli Pasta
Here is a pasta dish that will satisfy your goblins - just watch out for the olive "bugs"!
8
oz. orzo pasta
8 oz. perciatelli pasta
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, about 4 oz.
Pitted black olives, preferably Kalamata, halved
In large pot of boiling, salted water cook pastas together until tender 10-12 minutes; drain. In same pot over low heat combine pasta with sauce and cheese until heated through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl; top with olives.
Cheezy Baked Beans
1
can prepared baked beans
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 ribs celery, sliced
Shredded Cheddar cheese for garnish
In medium saucepan, combine first 4 ingredients. Over medium-high heat, cook 10 minutes until cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Garnish with shredded cheese.
Hallowieners
Your kids faces will light up when you serve them these breadstick-wrapped franks
1
pkg. (11 oz) refrigerated soft breadsticks
2 tsp. Prepared mustard, divided
2 tsp combination of any 2 dried herbs (such as rosemary and red pepper
flakes, sesame and fennel seeds, chili powder and kosher salt, poppy seeds
and minced onion), divided
8 all-beef frankfurters
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Separate breadsticks, but do not unroll. On clean, flat surface sprinkle your children's favorite herb combination. Unroll 1 breadstick and gently press 1 side into herbs. Spread ¼ tsp. Mustard on opposite side. Roll breadstick around frank, with mustard side facing inward, forming a spiral pattern. Place franks with seam-side down on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breadsticks and franks. Bake 10 minutes until breadsticks are golden brown. Serve with sauerkraut, hot-dog relish or pickle chips.
Carrot and Zucchini Salad
4
large carrots, pared into ribbons
1 zucchini, pared into ribbons
½ cup raisins
¼ cup bottled Italian salad dressing
Place carrot and zucchini ribbons in large serving bowl. Toss salad with raisins and Italian dressing.
Green Spider Web Dip
Here's a tasty onion dip that you can serve with red and green pepper "fingers"
1
pt. sour cream
½ cup green ketchup plus more for decoration
¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 env. (1 oz.) dry onion soup mix
Pitted black olives
2 red and/or green peppers, cut into curve strips
Potato chips, optional
Combine sour cream, ketchup, mayonnaise and soup mix; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight. Just before serving transfer to serving bowl; smooth top. Using ketchup decorate with spider web design. Place an olive over one end of each pepper strip. Serve dip with pepper fingers and, if desired, chips.
Dracula's Punch
8
cups cranberry juice
6 cups sparkling apple cider
Combine ingredients in punch bowl (see below for some creepy additions to your punch).
Frozen Hand For Fruit Punch
Serve your favorite fruit punch with a frozen hand or hands floating inside the punch.
Directions:
- To make a frozen hand, wash a disposable glove, fill with water, seal with a rubber band and freeze until hard.
- Dip the frozen hand briefly in warm water, then peel off the glove. Float the prepared hand or hands in the punch bowl for a ghastly effect.
Buggy Ice Cubes
Ice cubes with raisins in them look like "bugs".
Bloodshot Eyes
Add a small glop of "cool whip" or whipped cream. Then add a bit of red decorating gel to make the eyes look bloodshot. In the center of the eye add a dark grape, raisin or chocolate chip for the "pupil" of the eye.
Halloween Desserts and Goodies
Chocolaty-Orange Halloween Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs. Baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbs. Milk divided
¼ cup plus 2 tbs. Cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp. orange extract
1 tbs. grated orange peel
10 drops red food coloring, divided
16 drops yellow food coloring, divided
3 pkg. (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 box (1 lb.) plus 2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 squares (1 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
candy corn and pumpkins for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9" round baking pans. Set aside. In bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer at medium, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs. Alternately add flour mixture and 1 cup milk. Divide batter in half. In bowl combine cocoa powder with 1/3 cup water. Add cocoa mixture and vanilla extract to half the batter. To remaining batter add orange extract, grated orange peel, 4 drops red food coloring and 8 drops yellow food coloring. To prepare batter to be baked use the following marbling method: Step 1. Using two 1/3 cup measures, alternately pour orange and chocolate batter into prepared pans. Step 2. With knife or metal spatula, cut batter in a back and forth motion to create a swirl design. Bake 28-32 minutes or until tops of cakes spring back when touched. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; let cool completely.
Meanwhile, in bowl, with mixer at medium, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, remaining milk and remaining food coloring until smooth. In small bowl place chocolate and heavy cream. In microwave, cook on high 1-1 ½ minutes until melted; stirring once. Stir until smooth.
To assemble, place one cake layer on cake platter. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting on layer. Repeat procedure with remaining layers. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Slowly pour glaze onto top of cake. With metal spatula smooth glaze, letting excess drip down sides. Garnish with assorted candy corn and pumpkins.
Jack-O-Lantern Pops
Your little ghouls' and goblins' faces will light up when you surprise them with our sweet, smiling pumpkin pops!
3 tbs. butter or margarine
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (10 ½ oz) miniature marshmallows
Orange food coloring
6 cups toasted rice cereral, such as Rice Krispies
6 (6") lollipop sticks
Watermelon-flavored candy strips
Tootsie rolls
1 tube (.75) black decorating gel
In large, wide pot melt butter with salt over medium heat. Add marshmallows; cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Add enough food coloring to turn mixture bright orange; remove from heat. Coat inner sides of pot with cooking spray so cereal won't stick; stir in cereal until combined. Coat hands with cooking spray. Shape cereal mixture into 6 equal balls, each about 3" in diameter. Insert 1 lollipop stick into bottom of each ball; set aside. Cut candy strips crosswise into ¼" wide strips. Roll strips between hands to lengthen; twist to make tendrils. Cut Tootsie Rolls in half; roll into stem shape. Press stems and tendrils onto pumpkins or attach with decorating gel. Use gel to draw faces on each pop.
Spooky Ghost Cookies
Here's a treat kids can make themselves - take peanut-shaped cookies, spread on white frosting and add chocolate chips for the eyes and black decorating gel for the mouth.