Nothing dresses up a Halloween party like a big punch bowl full of slimy green stuff! If you’re looking for libations for tonight’s trick-or-treat shindig, we’ve got several possibilities for you - frothy concoctions to drink and creepy decorating ideas for your glassware. You’re looking at Slimy Lime Fruit Punch, but we’ve got a bloody Witch’s Potion and a green Witch’s Brew for you too. Let the haunting begin…
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Got kids with braces? The American Association of Orthodontists just asked celebrity chef Michael Chiarello for a slew of colorfully creepy, braces-friendly Halloween recipes and the results are so appealing… well, you have to check them out. Here are Chiarello’s frozen Black & Orange Bon Bons. (But we’re also smitten by Chiarello’s Green Goo Slimedoo, a green-tinged chocolate fondue with apples, strawberries, bananas and pretzels for dipping. Mmmm…)

BLACK AND ORANGE BON BONS
Ingredients:
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup powdered orange drink
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in chunks
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It’s hard to get little trick-or-treaters to down something nutritious on Halloween night. They’re much too eager to go scavenging for candy to wait for you to, like, cook something. But if you whip up this “ghoulash” the night before, you can just nuke it and scoop it on Halloween night. This recipe’s both delicious and easy, and it’s from our new favorite book, “A Ghostly Good Time: The Family Halloween Handbook.” You’ll find even more recipe ideas - including the cheesy spider perched on the bowl above - in this morning’s Times and Tribune food section spread on Halloween parties. Here’s how to make the Ghoulash…
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Need a quick craft or game for that classroom Boo Party? Halloween bingo fills the bill. Make them yourself for a game station, or have the kids construct their own. Here’s how:

MATERIALS:
Heavy paper
Markers - candy corn or plastic spiders
Halloween rubber stamps, clip art or stickers with 25 different images (if you’re making six cards, you’ll need seven identical sets of images).

1. Open a new Word document on your computer. Hit the “insert a table” button near the top, and make one that’s five columns across and six rows down.
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The big trick-or-treat fest is just days away, and the American Academy of Pediatrics wants to make sure your kids stay safe and healthy when they’re out cavorting with ghouls and such. We’ll assume you already know the no-brainer stuff - make sure they can see out of their masks and their superhero capes aren’t tripping length, don’t go into strangers’ homes, be careful crossing streets, blah blah. But here’s a Fab Five of, er, brainer safety tips:

1. Use a votive candle - or a glow stick - to light your jack o’lantern, and place it on a sturdy surface, away from flammable objects, including small trick-or-treaters whose too-long capes might float dangerously near. While you’re at it, clear a path for those little ghouls so they don’t trip over hoses, bikes and other detritus. Make sure there’s enough light for them to see their way, and put Fido in the backyard so he doesn’t frighten anyone. Or vice versa.
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We’ve always been big fans of Family Fun magazine, but our favorite FF craft ever would have to be the Beadles from the “Family Fun Crafts” book. Who knew pipe cleaners, wooden beads and embroidery floss could make children and adults so darn happy? We’ve entertained literally hundreds of children at a time with this craft project - you shoulda seen us on the fourth grade overnight with a sea of 9-year-olds, both boys and girls, all carefully drawing little faces on their beadle heads and threading embroidery floss hair. It’s a great project for grade schoolers, tweens and even teens.

We’ve always wanted to try this project as a Thanksgiving craft - little pilgrims and American Indians - but somehow, we always end up with mad scientists. Something about that neon green hair, you know?

Here’s what you’ll need:
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We couldn’t resist the cheery, orange cocoa in Matthew Mead’s new book, “Halloween Tricks and Treats.” It’s a hot, vanilla-scented concoction sure to warm up freezing trick-or-treaters. And we’re tempted to try it with a little orange extract too. (Or maybe some Cointreau for the parents!) Yum. Here’s how to make it…

ORANGE HOT CHOCOLATE
12 oz. premium white chocolate
8 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops orange food coloring
Whipped cream and chocolate nonpareils or sprinkles to garnish

1. Coarsely chop the white chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the milk until not quite simmering, so bubbles just begin to form at the edge. Immediately pour the hot milk over the chocolate. Stir until smooth.
3. Whisk in the food color and vanilla, then continue to whisk until a light foam forms on the surface. Pour into 10 mugs and garnish with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
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I have a confession to make: I’ve always envied those tricked out front yards transformed into eerie graveyards and monster’s lairs at Halloween time. Problem was, I didn’t have the time or money to recreate a scene from the Addams family. Then came the perfect assignment: create affordable and simply Halloween decorations for a Home & Garden article. Essentially, the job was requiring me to turn envy into reality, or at least a scaled-down version of it.

Imagination took over. I wanted something spooky, but more eerie-like than frightful. The whole glowing fog image topped my must-have list. And so, the Ghoulish Cauldron was born, and less than $25 later, I had a make-it-yourself monster standing over a brewing black cauldron. In the light of day, it looks almost cute. But after dark, it startled both my unsuspecting husband and stepdaughter the first time they came home to find it waiting in the front yard. To try it yourself, follow these instructions (and to learn about more Halloween decoration ideas, check out the Home & Garden section):
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Is the table or front porch looking a little bleak? Does it need a Halloween pick-me-up? I’ve always been BIG in the decorate-for-Christmas department. Not so much for Halloween. Considering I’m throwing a Halloween party this year, I decided it was time to bust out the orange and black. But of course, with the economy being tight, I needed to do it on a budget.

That brought me to the discount stores. With just a few bucks and lots of imagination, it’s possible to whip out a porch or table centerpiece in just about an hour. I wanted one that would work both indoors and out. Even better, the pumpkin tree uses indoor and outdoor elements, cost less than $20 to make, lights up with battery-operated votive candles and was simple enough that my 11-year-old stepdaughter could help put it together. (One note: Branches are fragile, a lesson I learned the hard way when I accidentally tipped the centerpiece over and snapped one side of it. The good news, however — branches are free, so it was easy to fix.) Want to make a pumpkin tree of your own, just follow these instructions (and for more affordable Halloween decoration ideas, check out the Home & Garden section Saturday):
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Forget the nine ladies dancing and the partridge atop a pear tree. On the ninth day of Halloween, my true spook gave to me … SLUDGE FUDGE. Oozing peanut butter and marshmallow creme, with a crinkled toffee surface, this one’s a Halloween party winner. The recipe’s adapted from Kraft’s classic Fantasy Fudge, but it gets its sludgy appearance from added ingredients and less-than-thorough mixing.

Mix 3 cups sugar, ¾ cup butter and 1 small can evaporated milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring it to a full boil and let it boil at medium heat for a good five minutes, stirring all the while.
Meanwhile…
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