Two days before Halloween and the festive spirit has caught up with you. All of a sudden, inviting a few neighbors over Friday seems like a great idea. Or, maybe the kids are getting together with friends and have just remembered to ask you to contribute snacks. Don’t stress. There are several simple ways to look good here, without investing a ton of money or time.
Grown-ups will enjoy a pumpkin-shaped cheese ball filled with zippy flavors. This version by the Saucy Southerner combines cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese with cayenne pepper, garlic powder and Tabasco. It’ll add “bite” to your Halloween.
Speaking of bites, try the mini faux caramel “apples” from blueberriesandblessings.com. These tiny-bites appetizers are simply grapes on a toothpick, dipped in melted caramel (or ready-to-use caramel sauce) and then pecan bits.
With just four ingredients, sweet-and-salty tumbleweed clusters are easy to prepare. And all ages will get a kick out of marshmallow ghosts, a sweet finger food.
Looking for quick ways to enhance your Halloween table? If you’re willing to do a little digging, turn a pumpkin into a drink cooler. Just select a large, wide pumpkin and cut off the top third with a serrated knife. Scrape out the pulp and seeds. Line the pumpkin with a large glass or plastic bowl, to keep it from getting waterlogged. Fill the bowl with bottled beverages and ice. It won’t hold all your drinks, of course, but it’s certainly an eye-catcher.
Dress up a centerpiece or mantel by glittering an assortment of small pumpkins. (Country Pumpkins in Caledonia has all sizes, from miniature to giant, but get there before they close for the season after this weekend.) Go simple by spraying them with gold, orange or black glitter spray paint. Or, get really hands-on by spreading a layer of white glue over the pumpkin surface with a paintbrush. Over newspaper, sprinkle powder glitter on the glue, covering completely and let dry for an hour. The pumpkins keep for months, says marthastewart.com.
How about decorating a bare tree branch in a vase with a few colorful wraiths? Yes, color. (Where is it written that ghosts must be white?) Select a few patterned bandanas in autumnal colors of orange, green and yellow. They’re generally very inexpensive at a dollar store or party store. Bunch a sheet of paper into a ball to form the head. Tie off the “neck” with string. Glue on goofy, movable eyes you can find at any craft store and a round mouth cut from felt or foam.
Mother Nature is doing her part to give Friday a seasonal nip in the air, a choice evening for whatever you have planned. For my passel of nieces and nephews, it will be a bonfire and hayride at our farm after trick-or-treating. I think I’ll try preparing the grapes-dipped-in-caramel and maybe the tumbleweeds. Whatever your activity, and whoever you share All Hallow’s Eve with, I hope you get just as much enjoyment from this special time of year.
SPICY PUMPKIN CHEESE BALL
10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (can combine white and yellow, if desired)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Tabasco
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Gourd stem for garnish, optional
(Source: thesaucysoutherner.com)
TUMBLEWEEDS
Makes 5 dozen
1 package (11 ounces) butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 jar (12 ounces) dry roasted peanuts
1 can (4 ounces) potato sticks
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
MARSHMALLOW GHOSTS
Makes about 15 servings
12 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Chocolate decorating gel or assorted candies
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
GREEN BREW HA-HA PUNCH
2 cups sugar
2 quarts water
2 (.13-ounce) envelopes lime drink mix
1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
1 quart ginger ale
(Note: For a scary presentation, place punch bowl into a larger bowl and add dry ice to the larger bowl.)
(Source: southernliving.com)
HALLOWEEN SNACK MIX
Makes about 2 quarts
6 cups caramel corn
2 cups salted cashews or peanuts
1 1/2 cups candy corn
1/3 cup raisins
(Source: tasteofhome.com)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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