Grinch-Kabobs

Grinch-Kabobs

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I found it on Pinterest, the vast land of handy crafts and recipes.  I find the site very helpful when trying to impress others.  I was looking for a healthy idea for my daughter's Christmas party for her dance class.

Every year parents are asked to bring a snack.  More often than not, the table is covered with cookies, brownies, candy, and other sugary treats.  I didn't want to be the kill joy dad, but I do like to find healthier options for events like these when I can.  That's when I came across Grinch-Kabobs.

They're super easy to make.  Start with a tooth pick.  Add one white grape (the ones that look green, but they're technically white), a sliver of banana, a slice of strawberry, and a miniature marshmallow (cut in half).  When the four things are put together they form what looks like the Grinch's head.  I saw some crafty people who added eyes and a mouth, but I didn't have the time or the patience to try it.

Yummy

My advice when it comes to the strawberry, use just the tip of it to make it really look like a Santa hat.  In an effort to not waste anything, I used "flatter" pieces of berry too so they don't all look like traditional Santa hats.  But overall, I'm happy with how they turned out.

I think everyone at the party enjoyed the treats.  Sure they weren't something dipped in chocolate or fried or covered in sugar, but they did taste good and looked pretty awesome.  I did something similar, but not as healthy at the Halloween party with my Puking Pumpkin and chips.  But if you're looking for a quick snack for your next holiday party, these are easy and pretty inexpensive to make.

Boo: Tasty Witch Fingers

Witch fingers

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I'm comfortable enough to admit that I have a Pinterest page and from time to time I actually try some of the recipes and crafts I find on the popular site.  Last Halloween, one of the pins I came across lead to me create witch fingers.  It's a really simple process.

Start by melting some white chocolate.  Add green food coloring and mix it well. Then dip some pretzel rods in it.  I used a tooth pick to mark the knuckles before the chocolate hardened.  I sliced some almonds and then placed the slivers at the top of the rod to make the finger nails.  My kids enjoyed the treats and it was something fun for the season.

Mummies or ghosts
from Deep in the Heart of Tejas

If witch fingers don't float your boat, you can forgo the food coloring and just make ghost or mummy sticks.  When I was a Cub Scout leader, one of our scouts made these for a meeting snack one night.  The picture you see is from the blog Deep in the Heart of Tejas, where I got the idea for the witch fingers from too.

There are plenty of other Halloween treats to make this time of year.  I've tried a few and will make more this season.  I plan to do posts on those in the next few weeks too.