More Gross Food for Halloween

Most kids go through at least one period of picky eating. For some of them, that picky eating period seems to last most of their childhood. Most parents wish it would be easier to get the children to eat healthy snacks like vegetable crudités. Well, this is the perfect time of year to make eating those crudités a bit more fun.

Try this:
Skeleton Crudites
Prep the freshest baby carrots, sugar snap peas, cut up cauliflower, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, celery stalks, and sliced bell pepper the day before your party and store them soaked in water in the refrigerator.
Arrange on a platter in the shape of a skeleton: celery sticks for ribs, squash circles for a spine, baby carrots for fingers, sugar snap peas for toes, carrot sticks or celery sticks for arms and legs; use cauliflower or broccoli florets for wrists and ankles; bell pepper slices for hips; cherry tomatoes for elbow joints; another cherry tomato strategically placed for a heart (I know, a skeleton wouldn't have a heart, but it looks creepy). For the final gruesome touch, hollow out a cabbage head and fill it with a favorite dip for brains.

Steak Dipped in Blood
You guessed it: cut up steak into bite size pieces. Serve with a dipping sauce made with tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of horseradish. Even kids who won't eat any meat but a Burger King special will have to take a bite!

This one will be irresistible, too:
Snake Bites
Roll out crescent roll dough to make one large rectangle. Brush with mustard. Layer your favorite cold cuts down the center of the rectangle and top with cheese. Fold one side of the dough over the meat, and fold the other side half over. Brush with beaten egg yolk to "glue" it together, and fold in half lengthwise again. Form one end into a "tail" shape and the other into a slightly thicker "snake head" shape. Beat two more egg yolks together, and separate into three small bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl, and "paint" your snake. Place on a greased baking sheet, and shape into a slithering shape and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. For an extra macabre touch, add some green pimiento stuffed olives with toothpicks for eyes.

And since even the healthiest diet has got to have dessert, try the ever popular Kitty Litter Cake:
1 German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small tootsie rolls
Additional supplies:
1 NEW, unused kitty litter box
1 NEW unused litter box liner
1 NEW unused pooper scooper ( looks kind of like a slotted spoon)

Bake cakes according to directions. Prepare pudding mix and chill. Crumble cookies in a small food processor. Set aside about ¼ cup and mix in green food coloring to this mixture.
When cakes have cooled to room temperature, crumble, add half the cookie crumbs, and pudding. Don't stir too much, you don't want the cake to get soggy. Line the litter box with the liner and add the cake/cookie/pudding mixture.
Heat 6 Tootsie rolls in the microwave until pliable, mash them a little and curve the ends a bit. Cover with the remaining cookie crumbs, and include the green ones. This will make the top look like kitty litter.
Melt the remaining tootsie rolls until they are almost melted. Scrape them on top of the mixture, and sprinkle a few cookie crumbs on them. For a really gross effect, drape one or two on the sides of the litter pan.
Enjoy!

And top your meal off, of course, with a truly frightening beverage:
Ghoul's Punch
6 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
3 cups cold water
1- 6 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
4 orange slices
Mix up in a punch bowl and add the Frozen Hands. For this final chilling touch, pour cranberry juice cocktail into two or three unpowdered clear plastic gloves. Seal the gloves with rubber bands, freeze until firm, and use scissors to cut away the plastic. Of course, if any fingers fall off in the process, simply add them to the punch.

This menu will guarantee that you have the best fed kids, and the best Halloween party in your neighborhood.