These are fun to make and fun to give--wrap them in orange tinted cellophane or clear wrap and tie with a ribbon. This makes about 18 three inch balls. Unless you have a really large pot, make these in two batches.

Directions:
1/2 cup solid margarine
2-10oz packages of large, white marshmallows
orange paste food coloring
Melt margarine in a large pot. Add marshmallows, turning to cover with oil well, and cooking slowly to melt completely. Stir in tiny amounts of food coloring with a toothpick until the color appeals to you. When completely melted, remove from heat. Then: 20 cups popped, fresh plain or colored popcorn (don't use microwave corn)
1 cup candy corn (optional)...stir in popcorn and candy, covering well with melted marshmallow until marshmallow turns to stringy threads. Let sit a few minutes.
extra butter...butter all popcorn ball-maker's hands liberally, and begin to pack mixture into balls. Adults mind that the mixture can still be quite hot, so put aside a pan in which to set balls down if children find them too hot. Let balls thoroughly cool, then wrap them up!

Worm Cake

1 (18.5 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting
1 (16 ounce) package gummi worms

Directions:
1 Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into cupcake pans and bake as directed on cake mix box. Let cupcakes cool thoroughly before frosting.
2 Spread cupcakes lightly with chocolate icing. Sprinkle cookie crumbs on top.
3 Cut gummi worms in half (as many as you like). Put icing onto cut end of the worms and stick to the top of cupcakes. You can use as few or as many as will fit on each cupcake. Let icing set for 10 minutes and then enjoy.

2 quarts apple cider
1 cup Vermont maple syrup
1 stick cinnamon; a few whole cloves
Lemon slices, cut in half for garnish

Directions:
Combine cider, syrup, cinnamon and cloves and heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Remove cloves and serve hot, garnished with a half lemon slice

Candied Apples For Halloween
Yield: 10 Servings

1 1/2 c sugar
2 ts vinegar
2/3 c water
1 pk cherry kool-aid
10 apple

Directions:
Mix sugar, vinegar and water. Boil until mixture reaches 300-degrees; cool. Stir in Kool-Aid. Put apples on sticks and dip into mixture quickly.

Halloween Crisp Candy Corn Treats

1/2 c Butter
10 c Crispy rice cereal
9 c Miniature marshmallows
2 c Mixture of candy corn and -Indian corn
3/4 c Miniature chocolate chips
Candy pumpkins
Orange food coloring

Directions:
Melt butter and marshmallows; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, mix rice cereal, candy corn and miniature chips together. Add orange food coloring to marshmallow mixture, or squirt over cereal in bowl. Add marshmallow mixture to cereal mixture; stir quickly to combine. Spread on a large buttered jelly roll pan; press with buttered hands. While warm, press on candy pumpkins spaced 1 to 1/2-2 inches apart. Refrigerate and cut into squares.

Kitty Litter Cake

1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large pkg vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large pkg vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new plastic kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper

Directions:
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don't want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything -- this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

1) Ever have the guests put their hands in bowls and have them guess what the "stuff" inside are?
*Peeled grapes: eyeballs
*Mushy spaghetti: hair or tendons
*Sausage casings: skin (ew!)
*Tomato sauce: Blood! (double ew!)
*Raisons: Be creative (icky! really icky with honey!)
*Jello: Organ of body
*Piece of a hot dog: finger or nose
*Tops of califlower, cooked: brains
2) Make sure the lights are dim and spooky music is playing. Cackle randomly and speak in low tones.

3) Strobe lights and black lights. 'Nuff said.

4) Use cotton and double sided tape to create the illusion of cobb webbs. Dust the web lightly with baby powder for that "dusty" feel

5) How about white sheets draped on furniture with strange red stains and lumpy things underneath...

6) In the low lights, make sure you don't step on the spiders and bugs on the floor, furniture and, um, food? (plastic of course...well, maybe)

7) Make ghosts...put light weight sheets over floating helium filled balloons

Why was there no food left after the monster's party?
Ans. Because everybody was a-goblin!

What kind of street does a ghost like best?
Ans. A dead end!

What room can't a ghost go in?
Ans. The Living Room!

How do you tell twin witches apart?
Ans. It is hard to tell which witch is which!

Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball?
Ans. Because he had "no body" to go with!

_______________

Top 10 Signs You Are Too Old to Be Trick or Treating

10. You get winded from knocking on the door.
9. You have to have another kid chew the candy for you.
8. You ask for high fiber candy only.
7. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.
6. People say, "Great Keith Richards mask!" and you're not wearing a mask.
5. When the door opens you yell, "Trick or..." and can't remember the rest.
4. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.
3. You have to carefully choose a costume that won't dislodge your hairpiece.
2. You're the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker.
1. You avoid going to houses where your ex-wives live.

________________

The IRS Trick or Treater

The door bell, rings, and a man answers it. Here stands this plain but well dressed kid, saying "Trick or Treat!" The man asks the kids what he's dressed up like for Halloween. The kid says, "I'm an IRS agent." Then he takes 28% of the man's candy, leaves, and doesn't say Thank You.

____________

Did you hear about the cannibal who was expelled from school?
- - - He was buttering up his teacher.

_______________

How did one witch know the other?
They where broom mates in collage!

What is a ghosts favorite desert?
I scream and boo berry pie!

How do witches keep their hair in place when flying?
With scare spray!

Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist?
To improve his bite...

What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
Frostbite...

Why do witches use brooms to fly on?
Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy...

_____________

The Raven
Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. " 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-- Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; -- vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow-- sorrow for the lost Lenore-- For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-- Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me-- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating: " 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-- Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; This it is and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came tapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door;-- Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-- Merely this and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before. "Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-- Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore;-- 'Tis the wind and nothing more.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he, But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-- Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-- Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore-- Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door, Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such a name as "Nevermore."

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered-- Till I scarcely more than muttered: "Other friends have flown before-- On the morrow he will leave me as my Hopes have flown before." Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, "Doubtless," said I,"what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-- Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of 'Never--nevermore'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-- What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methougt, the air grew denser, perfumed from some unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. "Wretch,"I cried,"thy God hath lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee Respite--respite and nepenthe from they memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!-- Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-- On this home by Horror haunted,-- tell me truly, I implore-- Is there-- is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil! By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore-- Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-- Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore." Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting-- "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! --quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And the eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted--nevermore!

1) Dress as only half a soldier. If someone asks, you are only an upper or lower GI. (adults love this)

2) Can't wear a costume to work? Use a brown eyeliner to put a smear of brown on the tip of your nose. If someone asks, you are a brown noser.(my office loved this one)

3) Put a smear of white on your upper lip and put a sign around your neck saying "Got Milk?"

4) Dress all in black and tease your hair. Affix popcorn, candy wrappers and gum all over. Add movie cups and popcorn holders. If anyone asks, you are the floor of a movie theater.

5) Take old clothes and cut holes in them. CAREFULLY burn the edges of the holes. Tease hair as straight up as possible. Smude face and blacken any other exposed skin. If someone asks, you are a lightning victim.

6) Wear all black. Paint face black, wear black gloves and put a black stocking cap on head. Take small animal figurines, cars, house and maybe people and string them all together. Wrap this around you and finish with bits of twigs, wood and whatever. If anyone asks, you are a tornado.

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