Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Probably because of the sheer amount of sugar involved. As a kid (or adult for that matter), what other holiday can you dress up funny and stuff your face full of candy and sweets and not get yelled at? And then there are all of the fun (and sometimes absolutely disgusting) things that you can serve to your friends at Halloween gatherings that you would never dare to serve on any other holiday. The only time it is permissible and even encouraged to put worms, spiders, bugs, and bats in your food. Happy Halloween!

Halloween Crisp Treats

1/2 cup butter

10 cups crispy rice cereal

9 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups candy corn

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

candy pumpkins

orange food coloring

Grease a large jellyroll pan. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together. Mix it together until it is smooth. Put the crispy rice cereal, candy corn, and mini chocolate chips into a large bowl and mix well. Mix the orange food coloring into the marshmallow mixture and mix well. Put the marshmallow mixture into the cereal mixture and mix it together quickly. Spread the mixture into the greased jellyroll pan and press it down into the pan with well-greased hands (butter works best). Press the candy pumpkins onto the bars, keeping in mind how big or small you will want to cut the bars. You can have fun with this by serving it in a bed of gummy worms, cut “bites” out of the candy pumpkins and have the gummy worms look like they are eating the pumpkins.

Sparkling Halloween Punch

4 cups apple cider

2 cups orange juice

2 cups pineapple juice

2 cups apricot nectar

6 cups chilled gingerale

orange and lemon slices

gummy worms

In a large bowl, mix the apple cider, orange juice, pineapple juice, and apricot nectar. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more. Right before you are ready to serve it, mix in the gingerale and add the orange and lemon slices. Drape gummy worms over the sides of the bowl. For an added Halloween touch, put small plastic spiders in ice cube trays and fill with water. Put in the freezer and add the spider ice cubes to the punch.