As we head toward Halloween I like to start incorporating some "spooky" touches to my cooking for my kids. Here is a recipe that they enjoy!!

Fudge Fingers ~

Cut into long, skinny bars, shape into fingers and add a candy corn fingernail for a fun fright.

4 1/2 c. sugar 18-oz. pkg chocolate chips
14-oz. can sweented 2c. chopped nuts
condensed mild 1 t. vanilla extract
1c. margarine

Bring sugar and milk to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan; boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until butter and chips are melted. Pour into an ungreased 13 X 9 baking pan; cool to room temperature. Cut into bars; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 3 dozen.

A few crafty ideas! I wanted to share some great ideas to help decorate your home. I will start with a few craft projects. Have fun with these!!

Light the way for mischievious goblins with a path of glowing pumpkins. Use cookie cutters for a pattern to carve your pumpkins. Either use battery operated lights or hide your cord in mulch or under leaves.

Pinking shears arent just for scrapbooking! They give a perfectly eerie appeal to the edges of paper plates, cups, and napkins.

You can turn gourds and small pumpkins into mini candle holders...just hollow out, slip a votive inside and float along with some colorful leaves in an old fashioned wash tub.

Next, a really cool craft project that you can do with your kids!

HALLOWEEN SHRUNKEN APPLE HEADS

You Will Need:

Apples
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
3 T of Salt
Peeler

Once these apples have dried they shrivel up making scary Halloween shrunken heads.

This project can be used as a hangup up or add them to a stake in the ground. Add them to a bowl full of chips for a scary surprise.

Start by peeling the apples and then coating them in the lemon juice and salt mixture. This helps reduce the browning of the apple.

Using a knife carve out a face with eyes and nose. Keep it simple, a hole for the eyes and triangle for the nose cause as it shrinks you will loose detail.

You can stick on wobbly eyes, use doll eyes or just use a peppercorn. Add some teeth with some wheat or rice grains.

Place them outside in a warm area but not in direct light for around 2 weeks. To speed up the process dry them out in the oven on a low setting for around 30 Min's then move them outside for 24 hours.

You can even add hair to these by gluing on some craft hair or use some garden moss or dryer lint.

And finally a prim project!

Salt Dough Recipe * No Baking needed

Materials

2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
Board
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Cookie cutter
Directions:

1. Mix 2 cups flour with 1 cup salt. Cinnamon can be added for darker prim dough.

2. Gradually add 1 cup of water.

3. Mix well and knead for 5 minutes.

4. Roll out on a floured board until approximately 1/4" thick.

5. Cut out with your favorite shaped cookie cutter.

6. Lay out your shapes on a cookie sheet to air dry; turning frequently (this can take a few days).

7. Once the shapes have hardened you can paint them with acrylic paint or dip them in unscented or scented wax.

Great for bowl fillers or air freshners!