Wonderful Life * Halloween

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Halloween Links

Halloween Online

Better Homes and Gardens - Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween.com

Welcome to Annie's Halloween Page - A Christian Perspective on the Holiday

Parents.com - Halloween

Enchanted Learning - Halloween Crafts

Halloween E-Cards

Halloween : 123greeting Cards

FamilyFun.com - Halloween Recipes

Halloween Themed Coloring Pages

SpookMaster - Online Pumpkin Carving Patterns

Billy Bear says... Happy Halloween!

All Free Crafts - Halloween

Edhelper - Halloween Worksheets

Southern Food - Apple Crisp Recipes

Washington Apples - Best Recipes

Halloween Costume Closet

Goosebumps

Razzle Dazzle Halloween Scary Desserts

Pumpkin Recipes

Better Homes & Gardens - Pumpkin Carving

Recipes squash, zucchini, pumpkin, recipes - harvest

Fabulous Foods featuring Pumpkins

Holiday Recipe | Halloween!

Pumpkin recipes on StarChefs

Silly Halloween Songs

Spookshows.com for Collectors of Halloween

Animated Candy Corn Critters Adoption

Halloween Games A to Z

Halloween Street.Com

Halloween Magazine's Food and Recipes

Kaboose.com - Halloween

Kate.net - Haunted Halloween

Awesome Halloween Greeting Cards

BlackDog's Halloween Party

HGTV - Halloween Television Network

Pumpkin Nook : Everything about pumpkins, growing, Halloween, recipes, facts, history, fun and games and more!

Haunted Bay - Virtual Jack-O-Lantern

Halloween -- The History and Customs of Halloween

Halloween Online Presents The Labyrinth of Links

Vermont Apples - Recipes

Free Halloween Holiday Graphic Collection for Web Page, Wallpaper + Email Backgrounds from Roxy

Hershey's.com - TrickorTreats

Halloween Greeting Cards

Halloween - Alphabet Soup

Halloween is Here - The Virtual Haunted House

Halloween Headquarters - Everything Kids Need for Halloween Fun

About.com - New England Foliage Central

Pumpkin Festival Recipes - from Keene, NH

Halloween Magazine : family, safety, crafts, trick-or-treat and more

Halloween Graphics

Ben & Jerry's Halloween

Halloween Recipes - by Mountain Breeze

The Teacher's Corner.Net - Fall & Back to School Bulletin Board Ideas

HauntWorld.com - Halloween Headquarters

Funtasia's Haunted Halloween!!

Question: "What do you use to mend a jack-o-lantern?"

Answer: "A pumpkin patch."

RECIPES

This time of the year, Pumpkin Pie comes to mind. To avoid the extra fat in crust, the next recipe is one that I have made many times, and if you are like me, I like just the filling, the crust just never sits right.

Top this one off with a little whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, or add a little diced candied ginger for additional flavor. And if you want a real easy treat, add a little apple pie filling on top of pudding before the whipped cream (or lite cool whip). Ice cream goes very well too!

PUMPKIN PUDDING

3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs,
1 can plain pumpkin (about 1 1/2 cups - can be cooked & mashed fresh - see below for cooking pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons light molasses, 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Combine first 5 ingredients. Beat in eggs. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350 F.) 1 1/4 hours or until firm in the center. (Or insert knife and if it comes out clean, pudding is done). Serve with whipped cream.

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SPICED CRANBERRY PUNCH

This is a very unique punch, the cloves and cinnamon give it a great flavor. When I make the
recipe I usually double it. I serve it in a punch bowl.

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, each 2 inches long
____________

2 cups cranberry juice (cranberry juice cocktail)
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh) this is about 2 lemons - good sized ones
1 cup orange juice
____________

1 quart ginger ale
Whole cloves
Fresh lemon and orange slices
______________

Mix first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boiling point and
boil 5 minutes. Strain out spices. Cool. Mix with fruit juices. Just
before serving, pour into a punch bowl over ice. Add ginger ale. Stud
lemon and orange slices with whole cloves and float over the top. Serve
in punch cups.

YIELD: 12 servings

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TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Each version makes 2 cups.

Salted Heat oven to 250 degreesF. Put 2 cups washed and dried
pumpkin seeds in a jelly-roll pan. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt.
Spread in a single layer and bake, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes
until toasted.

Chili-Coated Proceed as above, adding 1 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp ground
red pepper to the salt.

Parmesan Proceed as above, adding 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp
garlic powder to the salt.

HALLOWEEN HELPERS

Costumes and candy make Halloween a special day for kids - but safety measures are

a necessity. Here are practical tips from the National Safe Kids Campaign to make

sure your ghost or goblin stays safe and sound.

Costumes:

Make sure hats and masks fit securely and permit full, unobstructed vision. Or apply child-safe paint directly to the skin.
For young children, attach their name and phone number to the inside of their clothes.
Trim costume hems short enough to prevent accidental tripping.
Dress children only in shoes that fit. Walking in too large shoes makes falling likely.
Decorate costumes and trick-or-treat sacks with reflective tape.
Choose costumes (and beards, wigs, etc.) that are marked "flame retardant."
To make warts or other bizarre bumps, gently apply layers of tissue paper soaked in corn syrup directly to skin. Don't touch the area until it dries.
Make a thin, colorful makeup cream by mixing 1 part cornstarch with 2 parts shortening and drops of food coloring until you get the shade you want. Apply with your fingers. (Check for skin sensitivity first). To wash off: Apply cleansing cream and gently wipe off with a wash-cloth and water.

Trick-or-Treating:

Accompany young children on their treat collecting rounds. Older children should be supervised as well, by you or a responsible teen.
Establish an agreed upon trick-or-treat route in your neighborhood. Restrict visiting to homes where porches or outside lights are illuminated.
Instruct children not to cut across yards. Lawn ornaments and clotheslines are hidden hazards that can easily trip a child.
Remind kids that the usual rules of pedestrian safety apply, even on Halloween: Cross only at intersections; look in both directions before crossing; never dart out from between parked cars; obey all traffic signals; and stop at all corners.
Require each child to carry a flashlight out-side after dusk.
Insist children bring home treats before eating anything. Inspect candy and fruit carefully for any evidence of tampering and discard anything even remotely suspicious.

Decorating Ideas

Apples Aglow

Welcome ghosts and goblins with buckets of gleaming apple votives. Simply scoop out fruit so individual tea lights can sit inside and float on water. Place in galvanized tubs, pails and buckets.

Tips for Carving and Lighting a Pumpkin

Use a red grease pencil for drawing your design, as it doesn't show after carving.
When cutting the top opening, cut at a 45-degree angle, so the top won't fall in as the pumpkin dries out.
Tea light or votive candles in a clear glass holder last a long time and don't fall over.
Use caution when caution when carving a pumpkin with children. A child can scoop out the strings and seeds. An adult should do the cutting.

Tips for Cooking Pumpkin

Use a small to medium "cooking variety" of pumpkin. First wash the pumpkin, using a vegetable brush to remove caked-on dirt. Then cut the pumpkin in half, crosswise, with a large knife. Your child can help remove the slimy strings and seeds using his hands, an ice cream spade, large spoon and/or soup ladle. Save the seeds if you wish to bake them. (See recipe above).

Place the pumpkin, shell-side up, in a 9x13 inch pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about one hour, or until tender; test with a fork. Scrape pulp from the shell and mash. Put it through a strainer if you like a fine consistency. Pumpkin can be used in recipes or frozen for later use (see recipe above for pumpkin pudding).