Halloween Birthday Party: Part Trois (or is it quatre?)

My kids have birthdays a month apart. One is turning 13 in a week (save me!) and the other is turning 10 in Oct.
We always do Halloween themed birthday parties (click link for decorations,food, and crafts) for my youngest daughter Onyx.
The husband has demolished our deck so this year's party may have to be somewhere else. I don't really want anyone falling out our sliding door onto the ground below!
 ..and that may happen, last year the kids knocked over the basketball goal in our backyard (encased in cement). Thankfully no one was hurt!

Onyx wants a spa themed Halloween party this year so we are planning a haunted salon. We have a bodiless foot to go in a pedicure bath, a hand for the manicure area, and will be doing "monster" mud masques.
I may set up different rooms as stations.

She is going to be Alice from Alice in Wonderland. I am going to be Marie Antoinette and my oldest hasn't picked her costume yet.

BBQ pizza for dinner!

BBQ pizza for dinner! Excuse the messy kitchen and low sound. I had to put the cam further away on the first video and put it on mirror image so I could get the right angle. Hence the backwards words on the packaging!



Part 1



Part 2

Ben & Jerry's Mission To Marzipan

I am loving this new(ish) Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor!

"Sweet cream ice cream with almond cookies and a marzipan swirl!"

Having been visited by the sore throat from HE double hockey sticks, I am on the lookout for something to break up the monotony of broth and Gatorade.
I was actually desperate enough to eat a "burger" last night. Yes, my husband HAD to grill when I can't eat anything. I won't even go into his promise of coffee this morning then he says "By the way I made CHOCOLATE coffee." I am allergic to chocolate. Meanie. Anyway, so I actually ate about a spoonful of burger patty smashed up with onions and pickles in plain yogurt. Sounds appetizing eh?

I had to fill a prescription throat gargle at the grocery store pharmacy (which they wouldn't fill because the quantities weren't billable or something. arrgh!) so snatched up a few throat friendly snacks while I was there. Cottage cheese, tapioca pudding, popscicles, and tasty Ben & Jerry's Mission To Marzipan are my new friends!

Party of the Year part 1

Frog's birthday was a great success. She had a Halloween themed party then a sleepover for the girls. Unfortunately this one was a sleepover w/o the sleep! Dd had permission to stay up until MIDNIGHT. Some kids fell asleep before then but most made it to the witching hour. We awoke to thundering feet early in the morning. The girls who fell asleep were woken up by the ones who slept briefly. I am sure the copious amounts of treats didn't help. Also Frog got a black eye because one of her friends hit her with a jawbreaker. Otherwise it was a blast.

I made Vampire Cupcakes but didn't get a pic before they were eaten!
Disclaimer-NOT MY PICS NOT MY PICS!
Here is what they look like at Baking Bites.


I cheated and used cake mix bought for very little at Kroger. The Kroger site has coupons that you can load onto your shopping card. Combined with a sale they were having on that type of mix these were a really good deal!
Ditto on the frosting. I bought Cream Cheese and a white whipped frosting. If you would like to do different frosting "skin tones" you can use chocolate or the very tasty looking fudge. Or a mix of the two. I chose not to get chocolate because I am allergic to chocolate (I know...what a pain!).

The inside of these cupcakes are filled with blood. Ok really it was pureed cherry pie filling which added just the right tartness. I cut holes in the top of the baked and cooled cupcakes with a bottle lid (before adding the frosting!). Then I removed that part. Next I spooned the cherry puree into the holes. You will need to add a lot for the right gushiness.


Replace the lids and frost.
Use an icepick or skewer for the bite marks and red cake decorating gel for the blood trail.

I will have to try these other great cupcakes Slime-Filled Cupcakes From the Black Lagoon (also from Baking Bites).