The Best Halloween Ice Cream Cones on the Web

Now THAT is some black ice cream! I love the festive orange cones, the orange Kit-Kats, the Peeps ghosts, and all the other Halloween candy garnishes. I'm not a huge fan of ice cream, but I think I can overlook that fact for the sake of these beauties!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an original source for this photo, but it was posted on the Facebook page, Everything Halloween. Another fan of that page noted that this ice cream can be made at home by using activated coconut charcoal. Please note, however: If you are on any type of medication, including hormonal birth control, the activated charcoal will absorb it and render it ineffective!  Let me know if you try it, though...but only if its safe for you to do so!

Vintage Devil Chocolate Mold

 While looking for something totally off-topic, I stumbled across these photos, curated from eBay by the Antique Chocolate Mold website. They are from an eBay listing that went up last August featuring what the seller is calling a rare example of a Bermann vintage  Halloween chocolate mold in the shape of a Devil or werewolf.

I'm not seeing werewolf...but these spooky little guys are definitely demonic looking! I would use these for Halloween, of course...but then I would also use them in December and call them little Krampuses! I think they'd easily be able to pass. Hell, I'd use them year round. They're just the right amount of creepy and historically cool. Who wouldn't want to unwrap and eat one of them?

From what I can gather, this vintage chocolate mold sold for around $150, and if its as rare as claimed, that seems like a steal, lol. I couldn't find any additional information on this mold, or even the Bermann Company (spelled the way listed on the actual item). If you know any more about this subject, I would love to hear it! Let me know over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page!

Mac-O-Lanterns and Cheese

Since its been so long since the last Foodie Friday, I tried to find something really unique to get things started back up. I think I found what I was looking for...

This visually interesting dish is an orange bell pepper, carved into a Jack-o-Lantern and used as a bowl to serve macaroni. The recipe comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and although it seems pretty easy to make, I personally would probably just dump some boxed Kraft macaroni and cheese into a raw pepper and call it a day. But, don't be like me---if you're interested in serving this up as a unique Halloween side dish, follow the recipe over at Food Network. There's even a video and complete ingredient list.

I think this would make an adorable part of any family dinner, but since the macaroni spilling out the top DOES kinda look like brains, I'm sure it can be spookified up for a more mature audience!

Photo by Teri Lyn Fisher

Theresa Tries a Pumpkin Spice Donut

I have admitted to it before, but for those of you who are new to this blog, what I'm about to tell you may come as a shock.  As much as I love Halloween and everything to do with Halloween...I hate pumpkin-flavored food and beverages. There. I said it. Again.

But this Halloween season, I decided I was going to bite the bullet and really taste-test some of the pumpkiny goodies that everybody seems to rave about each year. I started this experimental trek off with a pumpkin spice donut from our local Tim Horton's. It LOOKED really good. It was very fresh with a moist center and perfectly glazed outside....but I just couldn't do it. Below are the before and after photos of my attempt at pumpkin spice. It didn't go to waste, though. My boyfriend gladly finished it off for me! I gave it my best shot and I will try again. Check back next week for my experiences with pumpkin flavored frozen yogurt!

BEFORE

AFTER

Jack Skellington Pie

I came across this photo while on Pinterest, and thought it was too cool not to share! And, while trying to find the photographer/baker to give credit to, I discovered a ton of different variations on this spooky twist to a classic crusted pie!

Obviously, there are also multiple websites and even YouTube videos available to help walk you through the process of adding a little Nightmare Before Christmas to YOUR favorite pie! I guess you could use just about any filling you wanted, but me personally....well, I'd turn Jack, the Pumpkin King, into Jack: The Pumpkin PIE King! Happy Foodie Friday!

Halloween Glow in the Dark Vodka Ghosts

It's another Foodie Friday here at Theresa's Halloween Wonderland and today I'm sharing a really fun idea that would make a great addition to any ADULT Halloween party:  Glowing Ghost Jello Shots!

With a little tonic water (you need the quinine to react under the black light), some booze, gelatin, and a ghost mold, you can make some pretty cute alcoholic treats for you and your guests! This video comes from Tipsy Bartender. Make sure you check below the video for a link to an ice cube mold...and happy haunting!

Ghost Ice Cube Mold

Foodie Friday: Bat Cake

I could spend hours looking at Halloween cakes...and honestly, I probably have. From cute to creepy, and gross to elegant, there is such a huge variety of skillfully decorated Halloween yummies that I always have such a hard time choosing examples to feature here. However, this little gem immediately caught my eye. The best part is, Erin Gardner of Wild Orchid Baking Company, has posted a tutorial for you to make your own! You can find it over on The Cake Blog! 

More Halloween Cookies

Happy Foodie Friday, Halloween lovers! I found today's beautiful photo posted over on the Facebook page, Halloween Magic - Hocus Pocus! These cookies aren't quite as fancy as the last batch I posted, but they're still quite lovely....and definitely adorable! I really enjoy the classic colors and familiar shapes, especially the lil' ghosts. 

Fancy Halloween Cookies

This are some darn fancy Halloween cookies! These would be great to serve at an upscale, yet spooky, dinner party....but who could have the heart to actually EAT them?! They're more art than food! Anyway, this example is from the Cookie Connection website, said to be inspired by the work of Arty McGoo and Sweet Ambs.

Skeleton Cupcakes

For Skeleton Week's Foodie Friday post, I wanted to share these cute skeleton cupcakes from All Day Chic. You can find the full tutorial on the website, but these look easy enough. The best part...they use white chocolate/yogurt covered pretzels. I LOVE dipped pretzels, lol. 

Spooky Halloween Chili

Okay, so I don't actually eat chili. However, I know plenty of people who love it, especially on a cold, wet, rainy fall day. Today IS a slightly cold, and super wet and rainy day here in the tri-state, making a spooky chili dish perfect for today's Foodie Friday post!

Ya'll know how much I love REALLY simple ideas for giving food a creepy Halloween feel, and you can't really get much simpler than this. Make a pot of chili like you normally would (or find one of thousands of recipes online), and cut out fun, Halloween shapes from slices of cheese. A variety of Halloween cookie cutters are available this time of year at just about any store for only a few dollars. The photo and recipe for this variation comes from Parents.Com and is included in a slideshow feature 'last-minute' Halloween dinners!

Healthy Halloween: Veggie Trays

Usually my Foodie Fridays involve less-than-healthy options for Halloween themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, and even cocktails---but sometimes I like to provide a healthy alternative to the traditional sweet and sugary treats of the season! Today, I'm sharing a few ideas for Halloween veggie trays. Veggie trays are a great way to offer a healthy option at Halloween parties and gatherings, and can even be incorporated into a family snack tray. Here are some options:


I love how quick and simple this idea is. De-gut your pumpkin, and just slide the container of dip right into it. Add your favorite cut veggies and you're done. For a Halloween party, you could take the creativity a step further with a fun platter and added touches, such as some olive spiders!

Source: One Little Project

Nothing screams Halloween like a Jack-o-Lantern, and the adorable icon of the season makes a great shape for a veggie tray featuring MY favorite cut veggie, carrots! Again, you can really put your own mark on this creation, using various veggies for the stem, vine, grass, etc. Get creative! 

Source: Mom Endeavors

If Jack-o-Lanterns aren't your thing, or you want something a little spookier, how about a cauliflower skull? I like this option because it allows you to have a variety of veggies available without having to worry about making them into something specific, lol.

Source: Mommy on the Money

As a paranormal investigator, I HAD to include something that features a ghost! This one is similar to the cauliflower skull, but instead is a lil' ghostie made of cauliflower on a bed of other veggies. I seriously might need to make this one!

Source: Mommy on the Money

Grim Reaper Cake

For today's Foodie Friday blog, I wanted to share another awesome Halloween cake with you all! Over the years, I've been honing and refining my own personal Halloween decorating aesthetic...and recently I've really begun to embrace the classic black and orange motif. There's just something about black and orange together that evokes a sense of nostalgia. To me, it just screams vintage Halloween.

So, I instantly fell in love with this cake, especially the little haunted house. I'm not a HUGE fan of the Grim Reaper, honestly. I much rather would have seen a classic ghost figure or something, but it is well done, and does look pretty cool.  I wasn't able to find an artist/baker for this cake, so if you know who it belongs to, please let me know and I'll properly credit them.

Hehehe, I actually found this image on Pinterest, which in and of itself isn't that funny, but the fact on what it was classified under IS. I found this image in a collection of ideas for someone's TWO YEAR OLD daughter's Halloween birthday. Yeah, this would make an awesome birthday cake, especially for someone reaching one of those milestone 'over the hill' birthdays, but I'm pretty sure having Death on a two year old's birthday cake sends the wrong message, lol.

Terrifying Tacos!

Halloween may fall on a Monday this year, but that doesn't mean you can't serve up some spooky tacos for a Taco Tuesday Halloween dinner! In my home, the Halloween celebrations last throughout the month of October, so some version of these will definitely be making their way into our lives in the weeks leading up to the big day. 

Food.com brings us this quite basic example of a basic crunchy shell taco. To achieve the spooky eyes, a few dollops of sour cream garnished with sliced black olives are strategically placed. Even though I personally can't stand sour cream, I think this version is the most likely one I'll try! 

Betty Crocker also has created a spin on the monster taco idea. Instead of the classic shredded cheese, an artfully cut slice of American cheese serves as a the teeth, and a tomato slice acts as the tongue. Cute!

I've seen this next example a few different places on the web, including the site, Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom. Just make your favorite taco, and add a spider made of olives as a garnish for an instant Halloween vibe. Hehehe, I think using the whole olive in this position makes the spider look a little more like an octopus, so I'd probably tweak that a bit myself if choosing to recreate this dish! But how cute is that little spider? He could be added to several different dinners for an instant transition into Halloween dining!

And, that does it for spooky tacos. However, if you a big fan of Mexican food like I am, don't fear! I have several more ideas coming up for you in the coming months!

Halloween Dinner: Italian Style

Pasta is definitely our go-to for quick, easy, and delicious dinners. There's a lot you can do with the different types of pasta and sauces, and the ingredients usually tend to run pretty cheap. In its Halloween section of its website, Kraft Foods explains how to kick up the spooky factor a notch with these gruesome meatball eyes! This is another great dinner idea for all ages. Serve it before a night of trick-or-treating...or present this dish at a fancy Halloween dinner party with a twist. I think I'll be trying this one myself, but I may be toning down the size of those monstrous meatballs just a bit, lol.

Get the recipe at Kraft:

The Magic of Mini Reese Cups

Today's Foodie Friday post is another collection of treats for those of us who just aren't very...bake-y. I love fun, clever, EASY goodies that are perfect for any Halloween party or event and that do NOT require much (if any) actual baking. Here are just a few examples I've found that use mini Reese Cups, one of my favorite Halloween candies!

Witch Brooms
This idea comes from Couponing To Disney, and you don't get much cuter or simpler than this; just stick a pretzel stick into a mini Reese Cup for an instant witch broom. Dump the rest of the pretzel sticks into a festive bowl for additional Halloween party snackage....or save a few for this savory version.

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies
This next idea is by Stefanie Fauquet of Mommy Musings. It's a little more labor-intensive if you choose to actually bake the cookies according to the recipe and full instructions as found at the link above. However, its possible to take a shortcut by just adding these little spiders to the top of some store-bought cookies and securing with a tad more icing!

Bat Bites

Today's last example comes from Chelsea's Messy Apron, and is an adorable way to incorporate both your Reese Cups AND Oreo cookies, two staples of Halloween treats! These little bats only require four ingredients total, and can quickly be assembled for any Halloween party. 

If you loved the ease of this simple treats, check out my other blog, Easy Halloween Cookies, featuring even more no-bake options! How cute would the Reese Cup Witch Brooms look  paired with the Witch Hats made from Fudge Striped Cookies and Hershey Kisses?

Video: How Candy Corn is Made

Candy corn. It's a Halloween staple. I personally prefer to decorate with candy corn over eating it, but it remains one of my mom's favorite holiday treats. Here's a little history on the tri-color confections and how one company churns out plenty of them each year!

Halloween Wedding Cake

If I ever get married THIS is the wedding cake I want! I wasn't able to find who created the cake or photographed it, but it was posted over on the awesome Facebook page, Halloween Fun. 

Ghost Bark

If you need a quick and easy homemade treat to serve at a party or bring to a social function, chocolate bark is my choice. It's sooo simple: melt some chocolate, spread some chocolate, add in some festive sprinkles or candy pieces if you want, chill, break and serve. It takes no time or effort, looks fancy, and people will think you've been channeling Martha Stewart or something.

Since I'm such a big fan of the bark, I was thrilled to see this ghostly version over at The Simple Sweet Life! Obviously, this would be perfect for a Halloween party or event, but since it's just a simple ghost pattern, it's something that I'll be using ALL year long! As a paranormal investigator, I'm often at ghostly-related events where food is served---how cute would THIS be to share?

The photos are from Claire over at the Simple Sweet Life. Please check out her website for the full instructions on how to make this yummy treat, as well as how to make tons of other awesome Halloween goodies!

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I've already admitted to the fact that I am NOT a fan of pumpkin flavored foods, especially things like pumpkin spice lattes and other similar offerings. When I shared this lil' piece of trivia last year on social media, I was accused of not being a 'proper white girl.' I can live with that.

Anyway, I found this recipe posted on the Facebook page, ALL HALLOWS EVE. Even though I'm personally not a fan of the pumpkin flavor, I know plenty of you are, so I thought I'd pass this along. And who knows? I might get brave this fall and give it a shot out of curiosity. I wonder what you'd serve this with? It seems to me that pumpkin pie a la mode using this would put you into a pumpkin coma!