Easy Bat Marshmallows – The Perfect Halloween Treat
I can’t believe that Halloween is in less than two weeks! We are busy putting together the final details of our costumes, setting up our decorations and getting things ready for school parties. I’m so busy lately. As a blogger, holiday time is our ‘busy time’. It’s also time for holiday school performances, fall breaks, and trying to enjoy those last few nice days outdoors. I really needed a simple treat that kids would love and that I could make in a flash. And I found just the treat!
These bat marshmallows aren’t just cute, but the kids think they are so fun to eat! Plus, you can make up a big batch in no time.
Ingredients & Supplies
- Marshmallows
- Brown Candy Melts
- Halloween Straws or Lollipop Sticks
- Candy Eyes
- Oreos
- Black Decorating Gel
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
- Spread out a piece of parchment paper on your counter. You will want to use parchment paper because once the marshmallows are coated, they won’t stick!
- Melt brown candy melts according to the package directions in a bowl.
- I cut my straws in half. This is really up to your personal preference! Lollipop sticks are another option if you don’t want to use straws.
- Twist the Oreos in half. Don’t worry about buying double stuffed – we won’t use the cream side for this project. We just sandwiched up the two unused cream sides to create our own ‘Double Stuffed Oreos’ and put them back in the Oreo box. 🙂
- Once you have the Oreo cookie, use a knife to cut it in half. I found that even pressure helps to not have the cookie break into several pieces. The Oreo is going to become your bat’s wings.
- Arrange the wings on the parchment paper where you would like to have your first Bat sit to harden. **See note below
- Add a marshmallow to the end of the straw and evenly coat in the melted candy.
(TIP: If you are planning on the bats standing on their own, be sure to use a knife to even out the candy coating on the end so it is flat.)
- Lay the marshmallow on top of the bat wings. Since I cut our straws in half, I added a second marshmallow on the end to help even out the weight. Later I just removed the plain marshmallow.
- Before the candy hardens, add two candy eyes. Allow to sit and harden.
- Once it has hardened, use the black decorating gel to add a smile.
NOTE: The way you arrange your bat wings and position your eyes will depend on how you are going to position your bats for presentation. If you are planning on having them straw/stick down (like we did for our wrapped bats) then you will position them like you see in the photos below. If you plan on the bats standing on their own, you will want to construct the bats ‘upside down’ as shown here
These sweet treats are perfect for setting out at your Halloween party or package them in gift bags to hand out at school events or treat bags.
Looking for more fun Halloween treats?
Oreo Spider Cookies and Cream Cookies
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Halloween Dinner Idea: Mummy Meatballs
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. We love coming up with fun costumes and dressing up. We take our pumpkin carving very seriously. And the whole house is decorated. So why would we not have a fun themed dinner? These mummy meatballs completely made my son’s night when I served them up. In fact, he’s requested them several times since! I’m more than happy to oblige since they are SO simple. This Halloween dinner idea is a winner!
Because these are so simple and you can make a big batch at a time, they also make the perfect party food. Not to mention, they are so fun!
Dunk your mummy in a side of marinara sauce (or brains as my son so elegantly put it!) and dinner is served. Yum, yum, yum!
Supplies & Ingredients:
½ lb ground Italian sausage
½ lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 egg
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
Olive oil
1 package crescent dough (find it in your refrigerated section of the grocery store)
Candy Eyes
Black decorating gel
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to the crescent dough’s instructions. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pour a bit of olive oil in a skillet and heat on medium heat.
- In a mixing bowl, add your meat, egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasoning.
- Using your hands, gently mix everything together. One of the secrets to making great meatballs is to not over mix your ingredients.
- Form your meatballs and place in skillet.
- Brown your meatballs, cooking them almost all the way through.
- While the meatballs are cooking, unroll the crescent dough.
- Cut the dough into long strips.
- When your meatballs are done, pat dry and wrap one of the crescent roll strips.
- Place on your greased baking sheet.
- Bake according to the crescent dough’s instructions.
- Once baked, use a small drop of decorating gel on the back of a candy eye and attach to the mummy meatball.
- Serve with a cup of marinara sauce (or brains as my son put it) to dunk into.
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Halloween Frankenstein Treats
Can you believe that it is October already? It’s time to get started with the Halloween treats! And these Frankenstein treats are a great place to start! They are so cute and super easy. Heck, if I can do them then you can totally pull it off!
You will need:
Snack cakes of your choice ( Twinkies, Hoho’s, etc. We used Sara Lee Devil’s Food Creme Cakes.)
Semi-Sweet Chocolate (I used Baker’s) or Brown Candy Melts
Green Melting Candy Wafers
Green Sixlets (Find them in the wedding and cake decorating section of Walmart for $1!)
Small Candy Eyes
Black Decorating Gel
White Frosting
Parchment Paper (Parchment paper is so important for this project! Nothing will stick to the parchment paper making it a perfect choice.)
Here is how to make them:
- Put a sheet of parchment paper down on your counter. You will also want to open the candies and put them in their own bowl. This is a simple project, but it’s easiest to have it in an assembly line order.
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl according to the package’s instructions.
- Unwrap the snack cakes.
- Start with the hair. Dip one end of the snack cakes into the semi-sweet chocolates. For Frankenstein, we just dipped the ends. For the Brides of Frankenstein, we dipped about half of the snack cake in the semi-sweet chocolate. You may need a knife to help spread the chocolate.
- Lay the cakes on the parchment paper to allow to harden.
- Melt the green candy wafers according to package instructions into a bowl.
- Once the hair has hardened, you will dip the opposite corner in the green mix.
- Using the decorating gel, attach two eyes on each snack.
- Dip a Sixlet in the green candy melts and attach the nose on each snack.
- Use the decorating gel to create a smile, eye lashes or scar marks on your Frankensteins.
- For the Bride of Frankenstein, use a drawing tip or a ribbon tip and make some waves with white frosting on her hair.
- Add to a treat bag and you are finished!
*Note: These were a HUGE hit! I will be making some for my son’s class closer to Halloween. Next time, I will replace the chocolate with the brown melting wafers. The melting wafers harden much faster and are so easy to work with! But if you love the idea of an extra layer of chocolate, the chocolates work just fine too! 🙂
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DIY Frankenstein Mason Jars
It’s getting close to my favorite time of year. I love everything there is to love about fall and Halloween. Pumpkins, trick or treating, hoodies, bonfires …. if it happens in fall, I love it! So get ready for tons of fun Halloween and fall posts coming your way!
Today I’m sharing this super easy DIY project. It costs next to nothing to make and only minutes to put together. You can use this Frankenstein Mason Jar to make a fun treat jar to hand out to teachers or neighbors, to set out at your Halloween party for drinks or just for creating a fun lunch time with the kids.
You will need:
Mason Jar
Green Balloon
Black Balloon
2 Googly Eyes
Scissors
Hot Glue
Sharpie
Here is how to make it:
- First wash and dry your jars so they are ready for serving.
- Then cut off the long skinny part of the green balloon and cut part of the other end of the balloon as well.
You want there to be a hole on each end of the balloon.
- Stretch the balloon over the bottom half of the cup.
- Cut the black balloon like you did the green. On one end you can cut out a bit of angles for Frank’s hair do.
- Stretch the balloon over the top half of the balloon.
- Lift one end of the balloon on the jar and make a very small slit in the green balloon for the mouth. It will stretch and form an ‘O’ shape on it’s own.
- Hot glue two googly eyes onto the balloon.
- Using a Sharpie, draw on stitches.
This project is so fun! You can do it in so many different ways – solid colors, orange and black stripes, or use fun Halloween balloons like polka dots or printed balloons!
Don’t forget fun Halloween straws!
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10 Fun Dinosaur Snacks + The Good Dinosaur Trailer and Poster
I think every child goes through a dinosaur faze. Heck, even as an adult I think that they are fascinating creatures. Perhaps it is their size or just the mystery behind them. Joshua used to read book after book about dinosaurs. Some I could pronounce and some we made up nicknames for. 🙂 He asked so many questions about them, but his favorite question was always “What if…”
Obviously he wasn’t the only one! I’m so excited about this new Pixar movie The Good Dinosaur. “The Good Dinosaur” asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.
Seriously, how adorable does this look? The Good Dinosaur will be out in theaters November 25, 2015.
If you are excited about The Good Dinosaur as I am you will want to celebrate! Here are 10 fun dinosaur inspired snack and birthday ideas that your kids will go crazy for!
Want an impressive way to serve up a bowl of fruit? This watermelon T-Rex is a fun way to add some fruit to your party!
This was such a clever idea! Have kids go on a dinosaur dig. Layer yummy things like cookies, pudding and treats into a clear cup. In between two of the layers place a small plastic dinosaur. The kids are sure to love this!
Healthy? Check! Clever? yep! These veggie cups with the sign herbivore are a great tribute to our favorite veggie and green loving friends!
An update on the classic ‘dirt pudding’, these dinosaur cups are super fun!
Who doesn’t love cookies? (The answer is nobody….everyone loves them!) Using plastic dinosaurs make foot prints in sugar cookies and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar. Ta da!
Don’t these dinosaur claws look fab? Creepy and fun the kids are sure to love these!
Ok. Out of all of the ideas I’ve seen on Pinterest, this is one of my favorites! A Queso volcano. Seriously! This is SURE to be the talk of the night!
Another volcano idea, this one is made out of Cheerios! Yum!
This whole party is amazing! I love the idea for the Swamp Sludge!
And last, but certainly not least is this Molten Lava Volcano Cakes. I love the idea that everyone gets their own little cake and a unique twist! Not just a cupcake, but your own personal volcano.
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Marvel Avengers Birthday Snack Idea: Hulk Pudding Cups
I’m super excited to share this DIY project with you! If you are planning a Marvel Avengers birthday party or looking for fun snack ideas, these Hulk pudding cups are sure to be a hit!
Supplies needed:
- Vanilla pudding
- Package of Oreos, crushed
- Green food coloring
- Clear plastic cups
- Black vinyl and Silhouette Machine
- If you are drawing by hand: a black permanent marker and an X-acto knife
- Start by downloading the Hulk Face silhouette (above) and upload it into your Silhouette Studio software.
- Trace your image (I traced only the face and not the words below it.) Resize your image to fit the cups you have chosen.
- If you are using the cups above, resize your image to 2.500 in x 2.340 in or smaller.
- Weed out your image and apply your transfer tape. Apply pressure until the image is transferred onto your transfer tape.
- Aline the image on your cup and firmly press down until the vinyl adheres to the plastic cup.
TIP: Do not place your image against the plastic until you are sure it is straight, otherwise the image will be difficult to fix.
- Make your pudding according to the directions on the package. Set aside and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Once pudding has set, add 8-9 drops of green food coloring to the pudding mixture. Stir well. If your color is too green, you can add a few drops of yellow food coloring in to brighten it up a bit.
- Fill a baggie with about 6 Oreos and zip it shut.
- Using a rolling pin or glass, crush the Oreos into smaller pieces. This will serve as The Hulk’s hair so you want them coarsly crushed.
- Fill your cups with the green pudding all the way to the top.
- Sprinkle the crushed Oreos on top of the cups.
- Get ready for the kids to be excited! Serve and enjoy!
If you do not have a Silhouette machine and plan on doing these by hand, print the Hulk image on a thick cardstock. It should be the appropriate size for your cup. Using your X-ACTO knife, trim the features to create stencils. Then, trace around your stencils onto the vinyl. Cut out with your X-ACTO knife and adhere to the cups. Follow steps 6-12 as stated above.
Don’t forget to check out our Hulk Cupcakes! These are so cool and even beginners can make them!
Get awesome Avengers and Hulk party supplies here!
Our friends at Spaceships and Laser Beams have more great Hulk party ideas!
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Marvel Avengers Birthday Idea: Hulk Cupcakes
With the new Marvel Avengers: Age of Ultron movie that just came out, everything in my house is all about Captain America, Iron Man, and Joshua’s personal favorite, The Hulk!
To celebrate this awesome movie we just had to create some Hulk cupcakes! (HULK SMASH!) These are the perfect treat to serve at your child’s next birthday party. And trust me, while they look amazing, you can totally do this! Everyone will be super impressed and get a kick out of the totally cool cupcakes.
The Supplies:
- White or vanilla cake mix
- White frosting (or cream cheese!)
- Purple baking cups
- Violet Icing coloring (the gel works best)
- Electric Green Fondant
- Toothpicks
- Cake decorating bag and tip
Now, if you have never used fondant before don’t be intimidated! Think of it as clay or play-doh. And we are going to break up the Hulk’s fist in really easy basic shapes that I promise, you can do! (Remember rolling snakes in elementary school with the clay? Yes? Well, then I think you are going to be a fondant pro!)
1. Preheat your oven and prepare your cake mix according to the directions on the box. Once the cake batter is prepared add a few globs of the icing color and mix well.
2. Bake according to the box directions in your purple cupcake liners. Once baked, remove from the cupcake pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. 
3. In a bowl, combine your frosting and add icing color to achieve the perfect purple color. (I added the same amount that I added to the cake mix to keep it a consistent color.) Frost your cupcakes and set aside.
4. Begin working on your Hulk fists by removing the fondant from the package and kneading it until it begins to soften. Then create a round ball, flattening it just a bit. This will serve as knuckle part of the fist.
5. Your next piece is going to be the Hulk’s wrist area. It should be a cylinder shape.
6. Alright, remember rolling those snake shapes? We are going to do that again! Take small pieces of fondant and roll them in your hands until you have 5 matching pieces. These will be the fingers.
7. You are totally rocking this! At this point you should have all of the pieces as seen in the photo above.
8. It’s time to start assembly. Place the 4 fingers on the round ball shape piece that you made in step 4. Gently apply pressure to the backside of the fingers to get the pieces to mold together.
9. Then add the thumb to the side of the fist as shown.
10. You can add the details of the fist by using a craft stick or your finger. Add nail beds, lines of the skin, etc.
11. Add 2 toothpicks into the wrist piece you made in step 5. This will help keep the fist together and provide some extra stability when placed into the cupcakes.
12. Add the top part of the fist onto the other end of the toothpicks.
13. You did it! Your fist is complete! Simply push into the tops of your cupcakes.
Ta da! Hulk fist cupcakes!
Get awesome Avengers and Hulk party supplies here!
Our friends over at Spaceships and Laser Beams has a super fun Hulk birthday party with lots of great ideas!
Candy Sprout Dirt Cupcakes – A Perfect Earth Day Treat!
Earth Day is April 22nd and today I’m sharing these adorable Candy Sprout Dirt Cupcakes that are sure to make for a fun treat! This is a super easy and cute dessert to make. Served in mini terra-cotta pots they look just like the real thing!
These cupcakes would also be great for a gardening party!
You will need:
- Box of chocolate cake mix
- Chocolate frosting
- Oreos
- Green Taffy or Green Air Heads
First you will need to make the cupcakes according to the box directions. Let the cupcakes cool completely. Place a cupcake in the wrapper into a mini terra-cotta pot.
Crush some Oreo cookies and put on top of the cupcakes. It’s looking like dirt all ready!
Now comes the fun part! Using the taffy or the airheads cut out leaves, blades of grass, or other sprouts. Leave room for you to push them into the cupcakes.
Add to your cupcakes and ta da!
You have some adorable Earth Day treats!
Looking for some Earth Day books?
Here are some fun ideas that would go along well with these cupcakes.
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Super Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Mailbox
Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is only a few days away? Today we are sharing this really adorable Valentine’s Day Mailbox that is a super cinch to put together! When I was in grade school we had Valentine Box contests. I remember it well and how much we looked forward to making fun and creative boxes to take to school for Valentine’s Day. Now my children are making Valentine boxes and enjoying this same experience! Here is a special box we created together.
Supplies:
- Several sheets of scrapbook paper
- Sticker letters
- Empty facial tissue box
- Scissors
- Small heart shaped scrapbooking brad
- Hot glue and glue gun
- Ribbon
Use scissors to remove the top from the tissue box so that the entire top is open. Also cut an opening in the bottom of the box, leaving one edge attached to create a flap. This opening will allow the Valentine cards to be removed without taking the box apart. Cut a small piece of scrap from the box and attach it to the flap for easy opening later.
Measure and cut a piece of scrapbook paper the length of the box. Attach it with hot glue to the sides of the box, creating a domed top like a traditional mailbox.
Add small pieces of scrapbook paper to the sides of the box covering any area that is still exposed.Cut a slit in the paper that is the top of the mailbox for Valentine cards to be deposited.
Turn the box on its end on another piece of scrapbook paper. Trace the shape of the box to create the ends for the mailbox. This part will need to cover the end of the box and meet the dome shaped top.
Cut the ends out and attach them to the box using hot glue. The ends will be difficult to secure to the dome shape. I glue ribbon on to hold the piece of paper together and to cover the corners and seems of the box. I also used ribbon to frame the opening in the top of the mailbox. I added small hearts to the corners for extra detail.
Use letter stickers to add a message on the side of the mailbox that will tell who this pretty little box belongs to. I made up a fun address all about love!
Using scrap pieces of paper I also made a flag for the side of the box. I attached this with a small heart rivet found at the scrapbook store.
To finish the mailbox off, add a pull tab on the end. This will not actually open the mailbox but makes it look more like a real mailbox. I used a pom pom. I also added sticker letter X’s and O’s.
This is a fun and creative box for receiving Valentine cards from special friends! Do you remember making Valentine’s Day boxes as a child?
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9 Awesome Valentine’s Day Ideas – Moms Check In
Are you as excited about Valentine’s Day as I am? I’m not sure if it’s all of the pink or the hearts, but something about it gets me feeling all happy. Here are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day ideas! #MomsCheckIn
Valentine’s Day is so much fun for us. I mean…chocolate, right? And love. What could be better? One of our favorite homemade Valentine’s are these Rainbow Loom cards. Just print out the free template and attach the bracelets my daughter can make in her sleep. She gave them out last year and the kids loved them. On Valentine’s Day we have to have dessert too (of course)! This Valentine’s Day Pudding Parfait is so easy, pretty, and totally delicious! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!
I LOVE Valentine’s Day. It’s fun to create special memories with Sam including home made crafts and treats. We always have a great time together. I also try to do a special dinner date with Mike each year.
– Stephanie is the mom to Sam and the author of Spaceships and Laser Beams. If you ever need party ideas her site is the place to visit! Specializing in all things boy, it’s full of inspiration! Follow her on Twitter here!
Valentine’s Day is just the coolest. We love to make our own Valentine’s Day cards for little man’s classroom exchange. They’re just always a bit more unique and fun, I think. Here are some really great Valentine’s Day printables for cards, treat toppers and more. We also make up baggies of these strawberry muddy buddies to pass out in his classroom. That stuff is SERIOUSLY addictive – so beware!! xoxo
– Jenni is the mom of one and the author of Sweet Pennies From Heaven. A hearth and home website, Sweet Pennies From Heaven focuses on recipes, crafts and creating a comfortable home. Follow her on Twitter here!
Every year we make homemade Valentines to pass out at school. We try to do something more than candy and super fun. A few years ago I made printable tags to attach to mini boxes of cereal. They were a HUGE hit! This year we are sending in lip balms for the girls and bags of chips for the boys.
– Amanda is the mom to Joshua and owns It’s a Fabulous Life. If you are looking for a one stop place for all things mom, It’s a Fabulous Life is it! Full of recipes, fashion, DIY projects, recipes and parenting articles it’s the place for all of Mom’s favorites to come together! Follow her on Twitter here!
How do you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day?
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