Halloween Open House

[justalilolesouthernbelle]

I have decided to have an Halloween Open House. (With a SLAH catalog party thrown in) It will be on the Friday night before Halloween from 7-9 and will actually be like a ladies night out and a bunch of girls and teenage/preteen girls. I need some help on my menu. Here is what I have so far:

"pumpkin" cheese ball (cheese ball shaped like a pumpkin) with crackers
Emeril's Brie en croute with apple and pear slices
Pumpkin spice cake

Then some cute little halloween nibbles
Butterfinger "eyeballs"
http://www.meals.com/imagesrecipes/134764lrg.jpg
nutter butter "ghosts"
"witches hats" made with fudge stripe cookies
(The Nutter Butter ghosts are just Nutter Butter cookies dipped in melted white chocolate and you use black gel icing to dot the eyes. The witches hats are an upside down Fudge Stripe cookie with a chocolate Hershey Kiss to form the hat part held in place with orange icing and then pipe a little bow with the icing. These came from SL in 1998)


Punch
Coffee

My punch is called "Brew-ha-ha" and is is green and very tasty. It is also a SL recipe. I get plastic spiders and freeze them in ice cube trays in punch to float in the punch. I like the idea of sitting it in a pumpkin (in a punch bowl of course) and I love the idea of using dry ice! I have a black plastic witches cauldren I have set it in before also. So I am not sure which presentation I will use.

The brie I plan to decorate like a jack o'lantern with extra pastry

I would like to do cheese straws but can I roll them out and cut them with a pumpkin shaped canape cutter?

As you see, everything is mostly sweets SO what else should I have??

Thanks!!

[Craigery'sLadybug]

Those are some great Ideas...Sounds good to me..

Sweets for ladies night out.. what else do you need :D

UMM.. Are you asking your guest to dress up - I think that would be fun!!

[jhiggins]

Sounds like FUN - lots of great ideas!

How do you make the eyeballs?

And I know this is a dumb question - but what do you use to dip the cookies in the chocolate?

[shopsticks]

Thought you might be able to use some of these ideas from Williams-Sonoma:

http://content1.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tiptechniqueview.cfm?objectId=C44A3F67-3E67-4C1B-B1296D73794305C3,returnPath=/recipe/index.cfm

Hope they help!

[jawilkin]

How about some "finger" sandwiches? Use your favorite chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, etc., trim the crusts off bread, slice in long thin sandwiches, put pastachio nut (green) on end of sandwich to resemble finger nail....or




Coffin Sandwiches

2 slices whole wheat bread
3 slices Smoked Ham
1 KRAFT Singles
1 Tbsp. MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 lettuce leaf

CUT bread slices into coffin shapes.
LAYER with sliced meat, Singles, dressing and lettuce. Spear each sandwich with plastic toothpick to hold it together, if desired.
CUT sandwich into coffin shape.

Also, go to "Kraft" website....they have a whole section of Halloween food ideas.

Of Course, the "pumpkin bundt" cake is a must!

[justalilolesouthernbelle]

The eyeballs come from verybestbaking.com:

Ingredients:

Wax paper
1 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (2.1 oz.) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bar, finely chopped
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Premier White Morsels
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 pkg. (1.7 oz. each) NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER BB'S Candies
1 small tube red decorator icing
Wooden pick or skewer for dipping


Directions:
LINE 2 baking sheets with wax paper.

BEAT peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Stir in chopped Butterfinger. Shape into 1-inch "eyeballs." Place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 1 hour.

MELT morsels and shortening in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute 30 seconds; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted. Remove one baking sheet of frozen "eyeballs" from freezer (keep other sheet in freezer until ready to use).

DIP one "eyeball" into melted morsel mixture using a wooden pick or skewer. Shake off excess and return to baking sheet. Gently press 1 Butterfinger BB on top of "eyeball" to make a "pupil." Repeat procedure with remaining "eyeballs" on baking sheet. Refigerate until coating is set. Repeat with remaining sheet of "eyeballs" and coating. You may find it necessary to reheat morsel mixture before dipping second batch. Before serving, pipe decorator icing around eyeballs to create bloodshot markings. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Best served cold.

[justalilolesouthernbelle]

And I know this is a dumb question - but what do you use to dip the cookies in the chocolate?

Are you referring to the Nutter Butter ghosts? Believe it or not, I use tweezers!! :eek:

[Lily]

These were a big hit at our pre-teen/teen parties last year:

"FINGER" FOOD

1. To prepare them, just fill a serving bowl with your favorite vegetable dip. We used the Knorr Spinach Dip recipe on the back of the box. Wash and peel 5 long carrots for fingers and thumb.

2. With a paring knife, cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot. Then use a dab of dip or softened cream cheese to glue a sliced almond fingernail atop each notch.

3. Stick the fingers in the dip, as shown, and serve with plenty of peeled baby carrots for dipping.



SIMPLE PIMPLES

Grape tomatoes
Chive and Onion Cream cheese

Core tomato and using a pastry bag with flower tip squeeze cream cheese into middle.


WITCHES FINGERS

Used bread sticks from Pillsbury..... Roll them out and cut each section in half and shape into a finger. Use an almond slice (can dye with red food color for effect if you would like) as the fingernail and make little slices about half way up for the knuckle effect.


MONSTER TOES

Oven at 350.

Cut thin Hebrew National hot dogs in half. Knotch out the toenail on top.
Use two large tortillias - cut into 3/4 x 4 inch strips and cover with damp paper towel. Microwave for 10 seconds Wrap around hot dog to make it look like a bandage and secure with tooth pick.
Bake for 8 minutes. Put ketchup on toenail and serve. Use toothpick as holder. Funny.