Halloween begins at home!

Halloween Safety Tips

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From Easy Art to a Sweet Treat

Spooky, silly or symbolic, carved pumpkins are an essential ingredient to any Halloween celebration. This year, scare up some special fun for your party with a wicked watermelon carving, instead – but don't stop there.

After crafting your watermelon into an artful mummy, take advantage of the healthy, immune-system supporting qualities of the lycopene leader among fresh produce. At 92 percent water, as well as an excellent source of vitamins A and C, watermelon is a hydrating post-art snack.  

Carving a creative design into a watermelon is a simple way to kick off the festivities and requires only a handful of common tools. Add a twinkling candle to make a fantastically frightful centerpiece. Or fill it with a fresh fruit salad or salsas for a more functional, practical approach.

Even if you're planning on a hollowed-out carving, keep the sweet juicy fruit and make it a healthy addition to your Halloweenparty menu with a recipe that puts to use all your carving leftovers.

To take advantage of all a watermelon has to offer – outside of the fun carving – try Frosted, Frozen Watermelon Balls or Kids Watermelon Pizza Supreme. These fun, simple recipes make it easy to incorporate a healthy snack after all your hard work carving up a Halloween masterpiece.

Find more recipes, carving patterns and inspiration at watermelon.org.

Carving Tips

• Prior to carving, read through all of the directions.
• Cuts are easiest when the watermelon is at room temperature. Once your handiwork is complete, chill the carving and contents before serving.
• After drawing your design on the rind, insert toothpicks in key places to guide your cuts.
• A sharp knife with a pointed tip makes the easiest, cleanest cuts.
• Remove excess flesh in large pieces, when possible, to allow for easier melon ball or cube creation.
• Use round toothpicks or skewers to attach pieces to your design as flat toothpicks are not strong enough to bear the weight or stand up to the thickness of the rind.

Choosing a Watermelon
With a thick rind covering the fruit inside, you may wonder how to choose the best watermelon at the market. Here are some tips for picking the perfect one:

• Look it over. Look for a round, oval or oblong shaped watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
• Lift it up. The watermelon should be heavy for its size. On average, a 5-pound watermelon yields 15 cups of edible fruit.
• Turn it over. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Mummy
Supplies and Tools:
Oval or round seedless watermelon
Cutting board
Kitchen knife 
Small bowl
Dry erase marker
Paring knife 
Melon baller, fluted or regular
Scoop
Assorted peelers
Cheesecloth
Straight pin
Battery-operated candle or light
Candy eyeballs or blueberries

Wash watermelon under cool running water and pat dry.

On cutting board, place watermelon on its side and use kitchen knife to cut off 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch from bottom (end opposite stem), being careful not to cut too deep into white part of rind.

Cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch from stem end to create opening large enough to fit small bowl. Using dry erase marker, draw eyes, nose and mouth, along with wavy slits around carving to let more light flow through. Use paring knife to cut out design, being sure to cut through to red fruit.

Use fluted or regular melon baller to hollow out inside of watermelon. Use scoop to remove excess watermelon.

Peel green rind off outside of watermelon. (Tip: Different peelers work well for different parts of the watermelon, depending on how flat or round the melon is.)

Wrap thin strips of cheesecloth around mummy carving and secure with straight pin, if needed.

Put battery-operated candle or light into carving. Fit small bowl into top of carving and trim away excess rind to make bowl fit securely. Fill bowl with melon balls and attach candy or blueberries to make eyes.

Kids Watermelon Pizza Supreme
Servings: 6
            1          watermelon slice (8-10 inches around and 1-inch thick), drained 
            1          cup strawberry preserves
            1/2       cup white chocolate chips
            1/2       cup raisins
            1/2       cup chopped walnuts
            1          cup sweetened shredded coconuts

Place watermelon slice on serving platter and cut into 6 wedges, leaving in shape of pizza.

Spread preserves over watermelon and sprinkle chocolate chips, raisins, walnuts and coconut.

Frosted, Frozen Watermelon Balls 
Servings: 35-40
            1          small watermelon
            1          package (3 ounces) watermelon or other red flavor gelatin dessert

Using melon baller, scoop out 35-40 small watermelon balls. Place on paper towels and set aside.

Pour gelatin into shallow bowl. One-by-one, gently drop watermelon balls into bowl, roll around, take out and place on plate covered with paper towel. Repeat until all gelatin is used.

Place plate of frosted watermelon balls in freezer. Allow at least 2 hours to make sure they are completely frozen. Remove from freezer and let sit a few minutes before eating.

Note: To serve with toothpicks, place toothpicks in before freezing to aid in serving.

Create Spook-Tacular Treats And Spiced Sweets This Fall

Celebrate the colors and flavors of autumn with Monster Cupcakes, Spiced Cider and Candy Corn Fudge

Sweltering temperatures are on the way out, making way for beautiful changing leaves and the familiar scent of pumpkin pie spice. Just in time for family trips to the pumpkin patch and parties with spooky desserts and drinks, McCormick has created recipes to help you celebrate all the flavors of autumn and its warm hues.        

"The crisp air seems to inspire us all to start baking again," said McCormick Executive Chef Kevan Vetter. "Create an autumn frosting palate with our new Color from Nature Food Colors, which are made from ingredients such as beets and turmeric. You can combine the trio of starter colors – berry, sunflower and sky blue – to make everything from a maroon glaze for an Autumn Leaf Cookie to yellow-and-orange-tinted white chocolate to make Candy Corn Fudge."

Fall Sweets

• Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes: Ice cupcakes with green frosting then top with a marshmallow "pumpkin" dipped in orange frosting for a sweet addition to your fall gathering. Use a chocolate taffy roll for the pumpkin stem.
• Glazed Autumn Leaf Cookies: Decorate leaf-shaped maple cookies with glazes tinted the stunning colors of fall foliage, like maroon, forest and pumpkin.
• Spiced Caramel Apple Cider: Make this seasonal coffeehouse favorite at home with apple cider, caramel topping and apple pie spice. Add an extra touch of flavor with maple, rum or orange extract.
• Spiced Cupcakes with Autumn Colored Cream Cheese Frosting: Frost these spice cupcakes in different shades of yellow and orange, and organize in an ombre formation -- from dark to light - for a colorful addition to your dessert table.

Halloween Treats

• Halloween Monster Cupcakes: Topped with decorations like candy eyeballs and colorful fur-like frosting, these spooky cupcakes will impress adults and kids alike.
• Candy Corn Fudge: Inspired by Halloween's favorite candy, this delicious white chocolate fudge has yellow and orange layers. Cut into small triangles and wrap in cellophane for a fun addition to party goodie bags.
• Orange Hocus Pocus Fizz: Blend rum, coconut and pineapple juice into an enchanted drink that's sure to be a Halloweenhit. Leave out the sparkling wine and rum for a whimsical "mocktail" everyone can enjoy.
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candy Corn Colored Buttercream: Frost pumpkin cupcakes with layers of white, yellow and orange buttercream frosting.

Pop Culture Dominates 2016 Halloween Costume Trends

From Pokémon GO to Suicide Squad, Americans look to their screens for stand-out ideas

Nearly a quarter of Americans call Halloween their favorite holiday, and according to a new survey* from Savers thrift stores, there will be no shortage of celebrating this year. The majority are planning to attend multiple parties in one night, and the social calendars of those aged 35-44 are packed; this demographic is anticipated to attend about three parties this Halloween season, outshining their millennial contemporaries.

Decision 2016What will you be for Halloween, and have you started planning yet? A quarter of people insist on having a different Halloweencostume every year, and with plenty of party appearances to be made, selecting a costume can be serious business. The average span of planning is nearly three weeks and a quarter of millennials have been planning their outfits since last year.

The Trends:

• Pokémon GO Over Politics: Despite the U.S. election dominating headlines, candidates take the back seat when it comes to inspiring costumes. Americans are one-and-a-half times more likely to see Halloween ensembles inspired by Pokémon GO characters than by the election.
• Still, Trump Trumps: While the election may not inspire the most costumes, when comparing the two parties, 52 percent of Americans say Republican candidates would have better costumes than the Democratic candidates.
• Mirror Mirror on the Wall: Nearly a third of people (28 percent) want their outfit to make them look scary, but the vanity factor is key for millennials who want their outfits to make them look beautiful, handsome or sexy (40 percent) – not surprising since this is also the crowd that's likely to be snapping the most selfies and sharing on social media.
• Squad Goals: Most people believe that Pokémon GO will be the most popular group costume inspiration, but millennials are much more inclined to say it's Suicide Squad. The Avengers have the vote among those aged 25 to 34, and when it comes to Star Wars, the Force is strong with those aged 45 and older.
• Celeb Showdown: Americans are confident that Ellen DeGeneres will dress to impress (30 percent), beating out Kim Kardashian (18 percent) and Justin Bieber (7 percent) for the best celebrity costume.
• Being a Good Sport: Of the 2016 star athletes, one in three Americans picked Michael Phelps as the most popularHalloween costume, followed by Ryan Lochte and Usain Bolt.
• Battle of the Sexes: While all people aged 18 to 44 will be increasing their spend on outfits, men in particular are nearly 50 percent more likely to spend more than females.

Thrift or TreatWith Americans showing an appetite for originality and many making or buying multiple costumes for Halloween, Savers offers the one-of-a-kind finds shoppers want at prices that won't break the bank. During Halloween, Savers stocks its shelves with new packaged costumes, makeup, wigs and accessories – perfect to combine with the reused clothing and accessories that fill the aisles at Savers for a fraction of their original price. Two in five people look to thrift stores as great places to gather ideas during Halloween. 

"Savers is proud to be the one-stop destination for shoppers to find a unique, budget-friendly costume. Halloween is one of our busiest times of year and of course, one of our favorite holidays. Our stores are especially popular during this time because we're the only retailer that offers a huge selection of both new and pre-owned Halloween merchandise all under one roof, and at prices to accommodate every budget," said Ken Alterman, President and CEO of Savers, "Our store teams look forward to being a part of your celebration."

Savers stores have trained "Costume Consultants" ready to help put together the perfect costume, and host free "HalloweenCostume Catwalk" fashion shows at 3 p.m. every Thursday in October that showcase the season's most popular and unique looks for adults and children.

Online Inspiration and Fun  

• Savers.com Halloween Hub: Savers.com provides a store locator tool, costume inspiration and instructions for HalloweenDIY costumes and home décor.
• Social Media: Find Halloween costume ideas, DIY tips, spooky décor and more on the @SaversVVillage Pinterest channel and engage with Savers' social networks via the #thriftortreat hashtag on Facebook.com/Savers, @SaversVVillage on Twitter and @Savers_thrift on Instagram.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Safety Tips

Frisco No. 5 Best Place in the Nation to Collect Halloween Treats!

As the nation gears up for the most neighborly of holidays, Halloween, Nextdoor has released the Top Ten U.S. Cities for Treats. For the first time, Nextdoor analyzed data from the tens of thousands of neighborhoods that use the platform's annual Treat Map feature to create this list. Trick-or-treaters in these top cities will hit the candy jackpot this Halloween.

Top Ten U.S. Cities for Treats:

1. Cary, NC
2. Ann Arbor, MI
3. Omaha, NE
4. Columbus, OH
5. Frisco, TX
6. Orlando, FL
7. Downers Grove, IL
8. Greenville, SC
9. Baton Rouge, LA
10. Boise, ID

List methodology: This list is based on the ratio of Nextdoor members who indicated they were passing out candy on their neighborhood's Treat Map to the total number of Nextdoor members in a city. Data was analyzed in U.S. cities where more than 5,000 neighbors are using Nextdoor.  

Each day neighbors across the country rely on Nextdoor to connect about the things that matter most in their communities. Every October, neighbors use Nextdoor's Treat Map to let each other know they will be passing out candy by marking their home on their neighborhood's Treat Map with the ultimate Halloween icon, a candy corn. Parents and trick-or-treaters can use the map to plan their routes ahead of time.

"Passing out Halloween candy is one of the most neighborly things you can do," said Nirav Tolia, Co-Founder and CEO of Nextdoor. "We are excited to share this year's list of the Top Ten U.S. Cities for Treats and encourage neighbors everywhere to show theirHalloween spirit by adding their own homes to their neighborhood's Treat Map."

1. Boise, ID

Halloween: A Sweet Time for Family, Fun and Traditions

(Family Features) Halloween is a fun time of year meant to be celebrated with friends and family. While the holiday originated more than 2,000 years ago with Celtic tribes, the traditions of dressing in disguises and celebrating with food and drink endure to this day.

According to a survey conducted by the National Confectioners Association, more than three quarters of Americans will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year and many others will participate in community sponsored Halloween events, display a seasonal candy bowl or attend a Halloween party.

No matter what age group, Halloween is a time to let loose and have some fun. Here are some tips to help you and your family make the most of this sweet and spooky holiday:

Make new traditions together. While trick-or-treating is a perennial favorite Halloween activity, don’t be afraid to expand your options. Many families already enjoy things like carving a jack-o-lantern or attending a family oriented Halloween party. For some new ideas, try transforming your home into a haunted house with spooky displays, decorating customized trick-or-treat bags or even going on a hayride at a local farm. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you can spend time with loved ones.

Amp up the spook-factor with creepy treats. Candy is a special part of Halloween, and one of life’s little pleasures that is meant to be enjoyed as a treat during the holiday. On Halloween, candy shaped like eyeballs, brains or spiders can be a fun way to create a memorable celebration. Parents are 24 percent more likely than non-parents to pick creepy candy over other Halloween themes.

Enjoy candy in moderation. With lots of treats being handed out on Halloween, it’s a good time to keep moderation in mind. Nearly 80 percent of parents surveyed report that they have a plan in place to help their children make smart decisions when it comes to the enjoyment of treats. NCA’s moderation guides are a handy way to make sure you treat right on Halloween or any day of the year. Let your children enjoy some candy on Halloween and then portion out two or three treats into small bags for enjoyment later. For school-age children, consider slipping a small piece of candy into their lunch boxes as a fun surprise.

Remember that safety comes first. There are a number of easy ways to make the evening a safe and enjoyable one. Wear light-colored clothing that’s short enough to prevent tripping and add reflective tape to the sides, front and back of costumes. Trick-or-treat before the sun is completely set and carry a flashlight in case of delay. Finally, try to stay within your neighborhood and only visit homes you know.  

Learn more about Halloween traditions and how to enjoy sweets in moderation at CandyUSA.com/HalloweenCentral. There you can also find great recipes, moderation tips and guides, craft ideas and safety reminders to make sure you enjoy a spooktacular holiday.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images 

Dream Homes Turn Into "Scream" Homes with New Interactive Haunted House Feature on Realtor.com®

Buyers and sellers can now create the home of their dreams and worst nightmares on realtor.com®. Just in time for Halloween, realtor.com®, a leading provider of online real estate services operated by News Corp subsidiary Move, Inc. today announced the launch of "Build Your Own Haunted House."

Consumers can build a spooky home complete with haunts and sounds and share it via email, Facebook or Twitter any time during the month of October. The haunted house option offers a menu of animated and customizable options such as lighting color to adorn the outside of the home as well as lawn features, including a customizable for-sale sign, tombstones, jack-o-lanterns and skeletons. Spooky homes also can be customized with flying features that include witches, ghosts, crows, or bats, and sounds from wailing ghosts, shrieking witches, thunder or wind to add even more fright.  

Since no Halloween is complete without a creepy costume, users also have the option to place a headshot onto a zombie as part of their scary home scene. Once the house is complete, it comes alive with the sights and sounds of Halloween.

"At realtor.com, we want to make the home experience enjoyable, and what's more fun than having the opportunity to build your own haunted house and share it with friends and family," said Nate Johnson, chief marketing officer for realtor.com®. "This speaks to the brand experience we are trying to create at realtor.com."

Users are invited to "Share the Scare" with all their friends, an option which encourages them to show off their creepy creation by either sending a "Happy Halloween" email-o-gram with a personalized note or posting their haunted house to Twitter or Facebook.

Realtor.com®'s "Build Your Own Haunted House" will be available until midnight on Oct. 31.

About Move, Inc. and realtor.com®

Move, Inc. operates the realtor.com® website and mobile experiences, which provide buyers, sellers and renters of homes with the information, tools and professional expertise they need to discover and create their perfect home. News Corp [NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV] acquired Move in November 2014, and realtor.com® quickly established itself as the fastest growing online real estate service provider in the first half of 2015 as measured by comScore.

As the official website of the National Association of REALTORS®, consumers know they can look to realtor.com® for the most comprehensive and accurate information anytime, anywhere. With relationships with more than 800 multiple listing services (MLS), realtor.com® has more than 3 million for-sale listings, which account for more than 97 percent of all MLS-listed for-sale properties. More than 90 percent of the listings are updated every 15 minutes. Move's network of websites provides consumers a wealth of innovative tools, including Doorsteps®, Moving.com™, SeniorHousingNetSM and others. Move supports real estate professionals by providing many services to grow their businesses in an increasing digital, on-demand world, including ListHub™, the nation's leading listing syndicator and centralized intelligence platform for the real estate industry; TigerLead®; Top Producer® Systems; andFiveStreetSM and Reesio as well as many free services.

Halloween revelers prefer do-it-yourself costumes

Funny costumes were deemed the most popular type of costume this year, edging out iconic/classic and minimalist costumes, according to Goodwill's National Halloween Poll. Goodwill polled thousands of Americans by phone and in person to find out what's hot and what's not. The survey led to many surprising findings:

• Survey respondents preferred do-it-yourself costumes (51 percent) over packaged costumes (27 percent). The trend shows people are more interested in creating original looks or being creative and unique by blending accessories.
• There's a surge in popularity for group, family and couples costumes this year, especially among millennials. Of those planning to wear costumes, 19 percent will look for group, couple or family costumes and 31 percent of millennials plan to participate in those costumes this year.
• Goodwill customers like the idea of merging two or more traditional costumes to create unique looks. For example, a zombie-princess, pirate-cat or another merged creation. This reflects the trend toward do-it-yourself, creative and original costume designs. To determine your unique costume creation using your initials, visit Goodwill's Halloween costume generator.
• Respondents revealed what not to wear: They will avoid risqué/overly sexy costumes (60 percent) and political costumes (35 percent).

For the second year in a row, respondents deemed zombie, pirate and vampire costumes as the most popular choices.

Goodwill has more than 3,000 stores in the United States and Canada that are full of the items needed to create unique costumes on a budget. Shoppers can take pride in knowing that their purchases help people in their communities. Store revenues help Goodwill agencies fund job training programs and services, such as résumé assistance, career counseling, computer classes, financial education, transportation and many more. These services help people find jobs, earn paychecks and care for their families.

"Goodwill has everything you need to create a unique costume on a budget," said Evette Rios, lifestyle expert, television host and Goodwill spokesperson. "Find pieces at Goodwill to wear again, and then look for the right accessories to put together a unique Halloween look. If you don't find what you're looking for, come back, because Goodwill stores get new items each day."

Goodwill's Halloween website is a one-stop shop, with a costume generator, makeup videos and a locator to find your nearest Goodwill store. Visit www.goodwill.org/halloween.

About the National Halloween Poll ORC International conducted a landline and cell phone survey of 1,012 respondents from September 24 – September 27, 2015. The margin of error was +/- 3.08 percent. Goodwill agencies conducted a separate in-store costume poll of more than 3,000 respondents at Goodwill stores in Washington, California, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Florida from September 23 ­– October 1, 2015.

Americans Stay Sweet on Halloween by Embracing Moderation

The trick to enjoying your favorite Halloween treats? Moderation, according to the results of the National Confectioners Association's (NCA) new national survey. As the holiday approaches, nearly 80 percent of parents report that they have a plan in place to help their children make smart decisions when it comes to the enjoyment of treats. More than three-quarters of Americans will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year and many others will participate in community-sponsored Halloween events, display a seasonal candy bowl or attend a Halloween party. NCA projects that retail sales of Halloween candy in 2015 will be $2.6 billion, a boost to the U.S. economy that helps support 55,000 manufacturing jobs and hundreds of thousands of jobs in related industries.  

"People understand that candy is a treat, and this year's survey tells us that they are celebrating Halloween in more ways than ever and practicing moderation," said Alison Bodor, executive vice president of the National Confectioners Association. "Parents, including me, are embracing Halloween celebrations and traditions, but we're also using the holiday as an opportunity to teach our children how to enjoy candy as a fun part of a balanced lifestyle."

Bodor added that the U.S. confectionery industry supports 465,000 American jobs. "From our industry's own manufacturers to the jobs we help support on the farms where our ingredients are grown and in the stores where our products are sold, candy makers are supporting good-paying jobs in this country. Confectioners are vital to the economic success of their communities – at Halloween and year round."  

According to NCA's seasonal survey, more than 90 percent of parents discuss or plan to discuss balance and moderation with their children relative to their candy consumption, and while most report having these conversations year-round, many use the holiday as a starting point.

Those who stay home to hand out candy also recognize the importance of balance and moderation. More than 60 percent of respondents prefer to hand candy to trick-or-treaters, rather than having the ghosts and goblins help themselves, and nearly 60 percent of those surveyed believe that up to two pieces is just the right amount per household.

Halloween Is Meant For Sharing    Halloween continues to be the top candy-giving holiday with 86 percent of people gifting or sharing chocolate or other candy. Seven in 10 people believe that holidays like Halloween are meant for enjoying candy, and that it is important to do so in moderation. Parents support the notion that sharing is a critical piece of the Halloween celebration – a full 80 percent report that they enjoy some of their children's Halloween bounty by either sneaking it when the kids aren't looking (23 percent) or by instituting a house rule that it must be shared (57 percent).

Candy Is Always A Treat   NCA's survey revealed that 81 percent of Americans support the notion that candy is a treat and 75 percent agree that it is okay to enjoy seasonal chocolate or candy. Almost 20 percent of consumers say they are more likely to buy seasonal candy in smaller portion sizes than they were five years ago.

Everyone Has A Favorite Americans love chocolate year-round, and Halloween is no exception. A full 70 percent of people say chocolate is their favoriteHalloween treat, followed by candy corn (13 percent), chewy candy (6 percent) and gummy candy (5 percent). Despite chocolate's popularity, most Americans (63 percent) say they stock their trick-or-treat candy bowls with a mix of chocolate and non-chocolate, so that they can be sure to have something everyone will like. When it comes to selecting candies in shapes like spiders, eyeballs and brains to inspire seasonal celebrations, parents are 24 percent more likely than non-parents to pick creepy candy over otherHalloween themes.

Keeping An Eye On The Candy StashNearly four in five parents (79 percent) encourage moderation by keeping tabs on their children's candy consumption followingHalloween, but they take different approaches. Some limit their children to a certain number of pieces per day (35 percent), a total number of pieces overall (14 percent), or a general amount of calories (9 percent) and then take the rest away. Twenty-one percent opt to take responsibility for the candy and dole it out as appropriate. NCA supported research at Pennsylvania State University to help parents learn practices that promote balance and moderation with treats in their homes. As part of that research, a scientificliterature review published recently in the Journal of Pediatric Obesity concluded that simply restricting or forbidding children from having snack foods or other treats, like candy, is not an effective approach to helping them learn how to consume these foods in moderation.

For more sweet information on candy, Halloween and moderation, visit www.candyUSA.com or follow NCA on Twitter and Instagram (@CandyUSA) or on Facebook (National Confectioners Association).

How to Host a Mad Scientist Halloween Party

Transform your house into Frankenstein's lab with a few party tricks and Halloween treats. Set the scene with a mad scientist-themed sweets table and carry it home with a crazy good menu featuring frightfully yummy appetizers, mocktails and, of course, treats.

Tricks for Your Treats

• Chili Mac Cup Concoction: Use a regular muffin pan to bake mac and cheese cups – a fun twist on the kids' favorite. The macaroni cups are the perfect chili topper for a hearty fall favorite.
• Little Monsters Mocktail: Play mixologist with a perfect potion recipe featuring a few easy ingredients: apple juice, club soda and delicious drops of Treatology flavor concentrates in taste-tempting Cinnamon Graham and Creamy Vanilla Custard flavors. Serve up these mad scientist mixtures in food-safe Wilton plastic beakers.
• Candy Corn Craze: Halloween wouldn't be the same without candy, especially candy corn. Wow guests with your inventive use of the iconic Halloween flavor. Infuse limited edition Candy Corn flavored Candy Melts Candy into cupcake icing.
• The Guest of Horror: You can't have a mad scientist Halloween party without Frankenstein. This easy buttercream cake makes a big statement, a fantastic centerpiece for your sweets table and will make others green with envy over your decorating skills. The Color Right Performance Color System makes it easy to mix the precise shade of Frankenstein green.

For more Halloween party ideas and inspiration, visit www.wilton.com.

Frankenstein Cake
Serves:	12
	6	cups favorite cake recipe or mix
	4	cups Wilton White Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing (4.5-pound tub)
		Wilton Color Right Performance Color System
		Wilton Black Icing Pouch with Tips
		Wilton Large Candy Eyeballs
Tools:
		Wilton 6-by-3-inch Round Pan
		Wilton 10-by-16-inch Cooling Grid
		Cake plate
		Wilton Cake Leveler
		Wilton 13-inch Angled Spatula
		Wilton 12-inch Disposable Decorating Bags

Prepare cake according to box instructions and make two layers using 6-inch round pans. Bake and cool on cooling grid.

Prepare Spring Green icing using this color tint formula from the Color Right Performance Color System: 4 cups icing + 30 Y + 6 B. Stack layers on cake plate for a two-layer cake, using leveler as needed. Ice cake sides smooth with green icing.

Use black pouch icing without tip to cover top of cake. Use tip of spatula to create spiral effect. Use black pouch icing with star tip to pipe pull-out bangs around top edge and two hair strands on cake top.

Prepare a disposable decorating bag with green icing; cut a hole in point of bag the size of tip 3. Attach candy eyeballs with dots of green icing. Pipe green eyelids.

Use black pouch icing with round tip to pipe dot nose and neck bolts, outline mouth and stitches.

Mac and Cheese Cups with Chili
Makes:	24 servings
	2	tablespoons butter
	1/4	cup all-purpose flour
	2	cups milk
	8	ounces white American cheese, shredded
	1	package (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
	1/4	teaspoon onion powder
	1/4	teaspoon dry mustard
	1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
	1	package (16 ounces) elbow pasta, cooked and kept warm
	2	cans (25 ounces each) chili

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare two muffin pans with vegetable pan spray.

In large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir flour into butter and cook 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses, onion powder, dry mustard and pepper. Stir in cooked pasta.

Divide evenly into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool in pans 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat chili according to package directions. Serve each macaroni cup on top of 1/4 cup chili.

Tip: To make ahead, refrigerate macaroni and cheese cups in muffin pans after baking. When ready to serve, remove from pans and microwave 30-45 seconds each until heated through.

Candy Corn Cupcakes
Makes:	2 dozen cupcakes
	1	package (16.25 ounces) white cake mix
		Egg whites, water, vegetable oil to prepare mix
	17	drops Wilton Orange Color Right Performance Color
	3	drops Wilton Yellow Color Right Performance Color
	1	package (10 ounces) Wilton Limited Edition Candy Corn Candy Melts Candy
Candy
	1/4	cup heavy whipping cream
	2/3	cup solid vegetable shortening
	2	tablespoons honey
	1	teaspoon Wilton Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract
	2	cups confectioners' sugar (about 1/2 pound)
		Candy corn for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin pans with baking cups.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, egg whites, water and colors with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among baking cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans on cooling grid 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on grid.

In medium microwave-safe container, combine Candy Corn Candy Melts Candy and heavy cream. Microwave at half (50 percent) power 1 minute. Stir. Microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melts are almost melted. Stir thoroughly until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add Candy Melts mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in honey and vanilla. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Top with candy corn, if using.

Apple Pie Potion
Makes:	8-10 servings
	1	bottle (1 liter) club soda, chilled
	5	cups apple juice, chilled
	7	drops Wilton Treatology Warm Cinnamon Graham Flavor Concentrate
	3	drops Wilton Treatology Creamy Vanilla Custard Flavor Concentrate
	4	drops Wilton Yellow Color Right Performance Color
	1	drop Wilton Blue Color Right Performance Color

In large pitcher, combine club soda, apple juice, Warm Cinnamon Graham and Vanilla Custard flavors and colors. Whisk until well combined. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.