Trick or Treat Smell My Feet

Halloween is a time when we seem to glorify the scary creatures come out at night to feast on any who dare to wander after dark. We decorate with tombstones, witches with warts and broomsticks, zombie attacks, blood, skeletons, ghouls, ghosts, oversized spiders, you name it... And we eat spooky looking food. It really is a weird holiday if you think about it!

Having small kids I keep Halloween decorations more on the cutsie side.  I convinced my 5 year old that zombies are trying to grab people because they like to give cold hugs. That RIP means "Read in Peace."  Ghosts are happy and friendly and like to keep us safe. Mummies are just people who got cold and needed to be wrapped up to get warm.  I think the only real Halloween thing that they are scared of are the spiders. But living in Arizona large, furry spiders are a real danger.  Add bats and scorpions to the list too.


Here are 5 fun Halloween treats to add something special to your Halloween.

1. Mummy Pizzas

I cut out a pizza man shape with the very versatile gingerbread man cookie cutter. Then I spread on some pizza sauce and criss crossed sliced mozzarella cheese on top. Add in some candy eyes for the ultimate mummy effect!

2. Spider Cakes

These bites were made with mini cupcakes and broken pretzel parts.

3.  Bagel Bites

You need an idea to make your Halloween morning  as easy as can be then check out these. I used google eyes from the craft store and those fun, fake dracula teeth that you can get at any market right now. No cooking is even necessary!

4. Used Band Aids

This snack was a big hit. The girls ate them up! Some grahm crackers, cream cheese and a dollop of jam created the ultimate boo boo treat!

5. Bloody Finger Hot Dog

I tried this one out on my kids thinking that they would get a laugh out of it. They were so grossed out by it. I thought it was pretty funny! If you want give someone the finger just be sure to cut the lines on the hot dog before boiling to get the real finger effect. The finger nail can be sliced off with a sharp knife after cooking.

**Trunk or Treat Idea**

Many schools and churches have a night of Trunk or Treating. This is when people decorate the back of their cars and the kids walk from car to car trick or treating. It is a safe and fun way for little kids to celebrate Halloween. 

This year at my kids school I decorated my car as Elsa's castle. As you can imagine all the little princesses loved it! I painted pumpkins for the theme as well. To top it all off my sister and I dressed up as Elsa and Anna to hand out treats. Seriously, I have never felt so popular in my life. Dressed as Elsa at a preschool was pure magic! 

"Let it go..."

P is for Pancake

At some point during our own socialization process we are indoctrinated to believe that pancakes have to be round. So what I am about to tell you is going to blow your mind. Are you ready for it? Pancakes DO NOT have to be round.  They can be shaped like a square or triangle, a star or a swirl, or better yet the ABCs. You can spell out your kiddos name, say 'thanks, ' 'I love you' or even better 'Happy Birthday.' The possibilities are endless here.

 

 

What you need:

• pancake mix (yes, you can make your pancakes from scratch but I am all about simple here)
• butter
• plastic bag
• scissors
• syrup

 

Directions:

 

Prepare the mix as directed on the box or based on great grandma's special secret family recipe.

Try not to make the mix too runny because it just makes a big mess.

 

Heat up your skillet on medium heat and add a tablespoon or 2 of butter.

 

Meanwhile, fill a plastic bag with the mix. And then snip off a small piece of the corner of the bag.

 

Now you can easily spell out your letters. Make sure that each of the lines in the letter are thick enough or they can easily break when you flip them over.





 

 

Have them cook until you see little bubbles forming on the top, usually about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook the other side for a minute. 

 

Breakfast and a lesson on the ABCs are served. Drizzle with syrup and enjoy!

 

My daughter decided that her favorite letter is 'C' which is perfect as her name starts with 'C.'

 



 

FOOD PLAY:   

Learning Your Letters

Kids all learn at different rates. Some are barely 3 and know all of their letters, how to play a piano and are star tennis players. Most kids are still grappling with the idea of the ABCs and are just happy to sing the song. Kids will learn what they learn when they are ready to learn it. Until then let's just have fun with our kiddos. Here is a fun matching game using letters.

 

My kiddo is still learning what the letters look like so I just used capital letters listed on a sheet of paper and then the same capital letters on little cut outs. If your child is older think about using capitals on one sheet and lower case letters on another.

 

If I had time and laminating paper I would have laminated these to ensure longevity. For now I put them in a large ziploc bag and bring it out at restaurants to keep my child entertained. Even if it is for 2 minutes that is 2 minutes of peaceful dining...just kidding, why the heck would I choose to go to a retaurant with a 1 and 3 year old!? That is just insanity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a swirly pancake just for fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BACON!

 

It is Sunday morning in the Fall. That means the men in our lives are gearing up for a big day of neglecting the kids, the house and even you to watch football. Many of us have begrudgingly accepted this as just the way it is while secretly wishing we could spend a day based around our own wants and needs. (Ahhh..I am imagining that right now.... no dishes, no meals to prepare, no butts to wipe, no double team crying, no crumbs to sweep up...honestly though, I have no idea at all what I would go and do. Truth be told I would be lost without my babies.)

But back to the man of my life and his wants and needs. Reality is all he wants is bacon. And what better way to send him off with his Sunday NFL ticket then with bacon. So, here is the breakfast of ex-champions for you dear!



 What you need:

• unbaked cinnamom rolls
• bacon

Directions:

Cook bacon. I put it in the microwave for ease of cooking and clean up. I line a plate with lots of paper towels then place bacon strips on it and then cover with more paper towels. Then I cook them for a minute per strip. If you want more crunchy bacon add on a minute or two.

And the best advice I can give you is that if you decide to cook the bacon on the stove top never, ever do it naked. You could get serious burns in all the wrong places and totally freak out your children!!

While bacon is cooking remove cinnamon rolls and unroll them. Then, once bacon is cool enough to handle place a strip on top of the unrolled cinnamon roll.

 

 

To reach bacon nirvana roll up that cinnamon roll around the bacon strip.

Bake according to cinnamon roll instructions, usually at 350 degrees for 15- 18 minutes.

These delicious baked treats will make him one happy boy! Oh, and Go Patriots!!

Magic Wands

"Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
It'll do magic believe it or not
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."

 

With a flip of their magic wand your kiddo will make their breakfast disappear... into thier bellies of course. Your little sorcerer might even be able to make you hop up and down on one leg, bark like a dog or even fly! See what they can do.

 

Moreoever, as a parent what could be more magical then getting food into your kiddo as you are running out the door late for school or that early morning soccer game.

 

 

What you need:

• 4 sausage links
• 2 waffles (frozen are easiest!)
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup of berries
• Real maple syrup (come on, your kids deserve the real stuff not that high fructose corn syrup!!)
• 4 popsicle sticks

 

Directions:

 

Cook the sausages and the waffles as directed on the packages. Then cut them into pieces. Cut bananas into 1/2 inch thick bites. Using popsicle sticks skewer each food item until the stick is filled. Drizzle some syrup onto each stick. Then grab them and go, go, go!!

 

There is no Food Play activity because you are headed out the door!