Ghoul-ade

Ghoul-Ade
1/2 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
1 can (15 oz.) lychees, drained
1 bottle (46 oz.) V8 V-Fusion peach mango juice, chilled
1 envelope (.15 oz.) unsweetened orange soft drink mix (Kool-aid)
2 drops orange food coloring
46 oz. lemon-lime soda, chilled
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For floating eyeballs, insert a blueberry into the center or each lychee. Place in a single layer in a freezer container; freeze.

In a 3-qt. punch bowl, combine the juice, soft drink mix and food coloring. Just before serving, add soda and frozen lychees.

Ghosts to Go

Ghosts to Go
1 pkg. (2.7 oz.) French vanilla mousse mix
3 drops each neon blue, green and purple food coloring
Assorted decorations: cake decorator hearts, red decorating gel, and purple & red Nerds
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Prepare mousse mix according to package directions; divide into three portions. Tint one portion blue, one green and one purple.
Transfer each to a pastry or plastic bag; cut a hole in one corner of each bag. Pipe ghost shapes into 5-oz. plastic cups. Decorate just before serving.

Mounds of Bugs

Mounds of Bugs
1 pkg. (11.3 oz.) snack-size Mounds candy bars
20 pretzels
1/4 cup chocolate frosting
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Using a skewer, poke three holes in both long sides of each candy bar. Break rounded pretzel sections into 1-in. pieces; insert into holes for legs. Use frosting to attach candies.

Buried Surpise Cupcakes

Buried Surprise Cupcakes
1 pkg. (18-3/4 oz.) red velvet cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) cook-and-serve chocolate pudding mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup seedless raspberry spreadable fruit
24 Halloween gummy candy body parts or gummy candy finger rings
1 can (16 oz.) cream cheese frosting
6 to 12 drops purple neon food coloring
Purple sugar
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In a large bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes. Beat in the water, oil and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing form pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Using a sharp knife, cut a 1-in. circle 1 inch deep in the top of each cupcake. Carefully remove tops and set aside. Fill each with 1 tsp. spreadable fruit and a gummy candy; replace tops. Tint frosting purple; spread over cupcakes and sprinkle with purple sugar.

Stuffed Potato Ghosts

Stuffed Potato Ghosts
2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1 large baking potato
1/3 cup sour cream
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
7 thin slices Monterey Jack cheese
1 tbs. chopped ripe olives
2 green onions, thinly sliced
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Bake the fingerling potatoes at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until tender; set aside.
Meanwhile, pierce baking potato several times with a fork. Microwave for 6-7 minutes or until tender. Cut in half and scoop out pulp; discard shell. Place pulp in a small bowl; mash. Stir in the sour cream, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper until smooth.
Cut each fingerling in half lengthwise. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mashed potato mixture over each potatoe half. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Cut each cheese slice into six rectangles; place one on each stuffed potato. (Save remaining cheese for another use.) Bake at 350° for 10-22 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through. Position olives and green onions on each for eyes and mouth.

Caramel Apple Dip

Caramel Apple Dip
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow creme
3 medium Granny Smith apples
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. water
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In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel topping and vanilla until smooth; fold in marshmallow creme. Cut apples vertically into thin slices.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and water; toss apples in lemon juice mixture. Drain. Using Halloween cutters, cut out the center of each slice. Serve apple slices and cutouts with dip.

Jack-o'Lantern Oranges

Jack-o'-Lantern Oranges
8 small navel oranges
1 small apple, chopped
1/2 cup halved seedless red grapes
Slivered almonds and whole cloves
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Choose which side of each orange will be the jack-o;-lantern's face; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each so that it rests flat. Cut another small slice from the top. Spoon out pulp. Chop pulp and combine with apple and grapes; set aside.

Cut faces as desired; decorate with cloves and almonds. Spoon fruit mixture into jack-o'-lanterns.

Wiggly Pumpkins

Wiggly Pumpkins
2 pkg. (6 oz. each) orange gelatin
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
Candy corn
Black licorice and/or gumdrops
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Dissolve gelatin in water; set aside for 30 minutes. Whisk milk and pudding mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into gelatin; whisk until blended.
Pour into 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Chill until set. Cut inot circles or use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. Just before serving, add the candy eyes and mouths.

Cauldron Dip

This is one of my favorites from last year. Growing up I hated peppers. DID. NOT. LIKE. THEM. A few years ago we were at a family function and I watched as my two young cousins (I think they were 2 and 3) went nuts over the peppers. I decided that if a small child loved peppers so much, maybe I should give them another chance. I still don't care for green peppers, but I add the colorful ones to EVERYTHING.
Also, if you don't want to buy a whole bag of rye bread for one bowl, I just bought a small cauldron dish and used it instead.

Cauldron Dip
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 slice soft dark rye bread
1 each medium sweet red, yellow and orange pepper, julienned
10 pretzel rods, broken in half
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In a small bowl, combine sour cream, parsley, sugar, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Flatten bread with a rolling pin. Press over an inverted greased 10-oz. custard cup. Top with another 10-oz. custard cup. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes. Carefully remove top dish. Bake 3-5 minutes longer or until bread is lightly toasted. Immediately remove the bread form dish. Cool.
Fill bread bowl with dip. Arrange peppers and pretzels under and around bowl.

Magic Potion Punch

Magic Potion Punch
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) lime gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 cups cold water
1 quart non-carbonated lemon-lime drink (kool-aid), chilled
1-1/2 quarts lemon-lime soda, chilled
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Dissolve gelatin and sugar in boiling water; add cold water. Transfer to a punch bowl. STir in lemon-lime drink & soda.