Goblin Toes

These creepy digits entertain my scouts every year!

You will need:
A jar of baby dill pickles
Sliced almonds
a paring knife

Lay out pickles on a plate or cutting board. Determine which side lays most stable, and pick an end for the nail. (I like the thicker end) Use your paring knife to slice the tip off the pickle to create a nail bed. I make an L shape cut, so there is a straight end where the bed meets the rest of the "toe."

Select an almond that fits the nailbed you have created, and simply place it on. The nails do slip loose, so if you are travelling with these, either pack them tight in a container or put the nails on right before serving.

Yummy Mummies

So these yummy things pop up every year at Halloween parties and family events. Here is our version.

Take your favorite type of hotdog -Turkey dogs are yummy, what can I say?
Pop out a can of Pillsbury dough. This time we tried the recipe creations, the dough is one big piece. Lay it out (on sprayed cookie sheet) use pizza cutter to cut into long strips. I found the ones about 1 inch thick were easiest to work with.

I warmed one package of hotdogs in the microwave. I like to think that gives them a headstart to heat all the way through. Move cut strips to the side. One by one, wrap each hotdog with one long strip of dough, leaving a space for the Mummy's face to show. Bake as directed, about 13 minutes at 375. Remove from oven when golden brown. Use mustard and a toothpick to dab eyes on each mummy. Don't worry if you don't like mustard, the portion is so small, you won't taste it. We tried making eyes with ketchup and BBQ sauce, they match the hotdog too much. Once they cool a bit, munch away and enjoy your yummy mummies!

Spooky kooky cakes

Mark and I teamed up our creativity to make these. Make a regular batch of cupcakes, and a batch of green frosting. (Recipe to come at a later date.) Prepare frosting and monster parts. We used:
Gummy eyeball candy
airheads- cut and molded to desired shapes
white chocolate chips
black gel icing
marshmallows (large ones cut in half)

Ice cupcakes with a star or grass tip. Use candies to add eyes, tongues, eyebrows, and whatnot. Have fun!

Ghost puddle potatoes

For the basic recipe you will need 1 batch warm mashed potatoes and one can of black beans, rinsed.


Make sure your potatoes are creamy. Fill a gallon or quart size freezer bag with potatoes. Use scissors to snip of one corner of the bag. Use this like an icing bag, squeezing from the zip end towards the open corner, rolling up the slack in the bag as you go. It works well to hold the bag vertical to the plate, squeezing consistently, and bobbing the bag up and down to make the puddled effect. Once you have a plateful of ghastly puddles, insert two black beans in for eyes, and one for a mouth if so desired. Viola!

Stuffed Puddle Ghosts:
Same as above, but mix in sour cream, garlic salt, mozarella, and precooked bacon bits. We used bacon bits for eyes. Tasty fine!

Breadstick bones

Begin with bread dough, homemade, frozen dough, from a can, whatever. I used a frozen loaf, thawed, of course. Flour your surface, and lightly flour both sides of the dough. Roll it out into a long rectangle. Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips the short way, so you have around 20 short sticks from the dough. Stretch each breadstick to about 10 inches, dip in melted butter, and tie each end in a knot. Arrange on lightly sprayed pan, taking care not to twist the center of the bone. Allow dough to rise, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown.

Bonnie's Minestrone Soup

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 can Italian green beens
1 cup zucchini, diced
6 cups water

1- 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1- 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1- 15 oz can kidney beans
3 tsp chicken bouillon

¾ tsp oregano flakes
¼ tsp oregano powder
1 tsp basil leaves

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp season salt

1 tsp dried parsley

pinch of black pepper

½ tsp garlic pd

1 tsp soy sauce

Beef, cubed and seared -optoinal and delicious

Don’t add until the last 20 minutes:

¾ cup dried small shell pasta
½ cup chopped spinach leaves

In large stock pot, heat oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini until soft. Add remaining ingredients, simmer for at least 15 minutes. Then add dry pasta and spinach for the last 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese (parmesan) and crusty bread.