Ghost Pops

60 (total) green and purple JOLLY RANCHER Original Hard Candies , divided
1/2 baked and cooled white or yellow 13x9x2-inch cake*
1/2 cup vanilla frosting*
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips , divided
1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil) , divided
24 lollipop sticks
Styrofoam block
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Place candies of same color in food processor; coarsely crush. (Or place candies in heavy-duty food storage bag and crush with rolling pin.) Store crushed candies in food storage bag until ready to use so that candies don't clump.

Line tray with wax paper. Use hands to crumble cake into fine crumbs in large bowl. Add frosting; mix with hands until well blended.

Form mixture into 24 equal balls; place on prepared tray. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.

Place 1/4 cup white chips and 1/2 teaspoon shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into melted white chip mixture and insert stick about halfway into ball. Insert lollipop stick into styrofoam block. Repeat procedure with remaining balls. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or until balls are firm.

Line second tray with wax paper. Place crushed candies in shallow bowl. Place remaining white chips and remaining shortening in deep microwave-safe bowl (such as large glass measuring cup). Microwave at MEDIUM 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.

Dip cake balls into melted white chip mixture; gently tap off excess coating. Roll coated ball in crushed candies; place on prepared tray (much like dipped apples). Before coating sets press two small chocolate chips into ball to make "ghost eyes". (If coating sets too much before "eyes" are added dip the bottom of the chip into melted white chip mixture and add to pop.) Allow pops to set before storing in cool, dry place. Make 24 pops.

Cake may be from cake mix or your favorite cake recipe. Additional frosting may be needed depending on cake recipe used.

Batty Boxes

Cut two wings from folded black cardstock. Cut the slit as marked on the pattern, and slip a wing onto each side of the wire handle of a black take-out-style carton (available at crafts stores). Glue each wing shut. Punch circles from black, orange, and light green cardstock for the bat eyes. Cut a mouth from red cardstock and fangs from white cardstock; adhere all the features to the carton with a glue stick.

A Different Banana Pudding

 

1 (10 oz.) box yellow cake mix
ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)
2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant banana pudding
4 cups milk
1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
20 vanilla wafers, crushed

 Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13 cake.
Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.
Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking holes in the cake.

 You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down  in there. 
Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.

 In a bowl, prepare pudding.
Whisk together instant pudding with 4 cups milk.
Stir until all the lumps are gone. 
Let pudding sit for just about 2 minutes so it has just slightly begun to thicken but not fully set, it should still be easily pourable. 

 Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get it into the holes as much as possible.

 Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon gently push pudding down into the holes.

 Put the pudding into the fridge to set and cool.
Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on whipped topping.

 If you haven't done so already, crush your vanilla wafers.
I just place mine in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Leave some of the pieces big. It's nice to have a bit of a crunch when you eat the cake.

 Spread crushed wafers onto the top of the cake. You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like. 
This will ensure the wafers are crunchy when you serve it. 

I think this cake gets more delicious over time.
To me, it's even better the next day so it's a great dessert to make ahead of time.
Serve with freshly sliced bananas. Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Chicken Bog

• 1 (3-pound) chicken, quartered
• 1 pound smoked link sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt (recommended: Lawry's)
• 2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 cups water
• 3 cups raw white rice

Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. In a stockpot, combine the chicken, sausage, onion, butter, seasonings and bay leaves. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly. Pick the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the rice is done. Remove the bay leaves, and return the chicken to the pot.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  Enjoy!!!

Mummy Bars

Hershey Bars
Roll of White Crepe Paper
Package of Googly Eyes
Elmer's Glue
Black Construction Paper
Roll of Tape

Place googly eyes on a strip of black construction paper cut to width of a hershey's bar.  Place googly eyes near the top of the bar.

Take white crepe paper and wrap hershey bar until it is covered.  Tape in the back.   Have Fun and Enjoy!!!

Test Tube Goodies

  

What an easy and inexpensive treat for kids...Get plastic test tubes and fill with jelly beans...use your imagination for names...print label off on your computer or use calligraphy to make them spooky...         Have Fun!!

Upside Down Witch

 

• Halloween-colored tights
• Fiberfill
• A pair of shoes
• Gold foil paper
• A garden planter or plastic cauldron

Make it

1. Fill tights with fiberfill.
2. Place shoes on feet.
3. Cut buckles from gold paper, attach to shoes.
4. Place legs upside down in planter or cauldron.    Boo!!