Creepy, Yucky Halloween Foods for a Party

Halloween: time to serve foods that look gross, disgusting and freaky yet are still edible. With a few simple ingredients and instructions, you can make foods that look like actual brains, fingers, insects and even kitty litter. Whether you purchase or make them, edible inedibles will be the hit at your next Halloween party. Does this Spark an idea?

 

 Stuffed Roaches

The stuffed roaches recipe, found on the Divine Dinner Party website, is easy to prepare with only a few ingredients, such as walnuts, dates and cream cheese. They look eerily real and will freak out anyone who has a fear of insects. These are excellent to make as last-minute appetizers.
 

Kitty Litter Cake

The kitty litter cake recipe on the She Knows website looks just like a used litter box. All you do is combine white and chocolate cake mix, pudding, cookies, candy and food coloring, and serve it in an actual, brand new litter box. A litter scoop acts as a serving spoon. Freak out your guests by picking out one of the "poop" candies and eating it in front of them.
 

Chocolate-Covered Insects

Yes, there really is such a thing as chocolate-covered bugs. Give your party guests a chance to sample a truly yucky food that, chances are, many of them have never tried before. You can buy ants, worms and crickets smothered in white or milk chocolate.
 

Cookie Fingers

How about a cookie that looks like a severed finger? The recipe on the Free Webs website uses simple ingredients, such as raspberry jelly, almond extract and flour, and transforms them into disgusting looking cookies.

Panna Cotta Brains

Also available on the Free Webs website is a recipe for a lifelike brain, complete with bloody mess. The recipe calls for milk, unflavored gelatin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and a brain mold. Cornstarch and pomegranate juice create the fax blood. Dare party-goers to be the first to dig in!

Candy Body Parts

Candy body parts make excellent party favors since they typically come in large packages. You can buy either gummy or chocolate brains, feet, eyes, ears and fingers.

5 Tips on How to Grill For Kids... Without the Yucky Black Marks

 

I wouldn't consider my boys picky eaters, however, when I serve up grilled meat or vegetables striped with black lines, they won't touch it... even if I scrape it off.
Some of us avid grillers take pride in those nice grill marks. They scream "I have mastered the art of cooking over a (semi) open flame and I do it well"... but to our children, they signify dirty, burnt food. Someday they will learn to appreciate those well placed marks of a master grill-woman, but until then, here are some tips to skip the ‘yucky black stuff' on your food.

1. Clean your grill thoroughly before cooking. A lot of those black marks are from charred food left from your previous grilling experience, however, it won't leave your food completely mark free. If you have very sensitive grill-mark spotters, this may not be enough to do the trick.
2. Cook your child's food further from the flame like on the outer edges of the grill. His or her food will take a bit longer to cook thoroughly, but the farther away from the flame the less likely you'll get grill marks and little burnt bits.
3. If you are making chicken, you can grill it with the skin on and then remove the marked skin before you serve.
4. Cook it without sauces or herbs. If you cook it plain then there's less stuff to turn black. You can always add spices or sauce just before you serve the meat.
5. Cook the food wrapped in foil. This will protect it from the harsh effects of the grill fire. Be sure to cook over low heat.

Hopefully these tips will help alleviate any summer dinner-time issues and save you from having to cook something different for your little grill-mark-phobes in your family.