Candy Corn Fruit - A Healthy Halloween Treat

I was tasked with bringing a healthy Halloween Treat to the party my daughter's Brownie Troop was having for Halloween and Juliette Gordon Low's Birthday (Juliette Gordon Low is the founder of Girl Scouts).

Since it was Halloween, I wanted to bring in a themed treat. Since there are 24 girls in her troop and it was a combined party with 10 Daisies, I had a few constraints due to the quantity involved. I needed to be able to assemble them fairly rapidly, they needed to be easily transportable (with the quantity I needed), and I didn't want to spend a fortune.

A few years ago I had carved Jack O'Lantern oranges for my daughter's preschool class of 12. I knew from experience that I didn't have the time to carve 35 oranges. I found candy corn fruit cocktails on Pinterest and liked the idea, but needed to shrink the serving size for both transport and cost purposes. I also knew the whipped cream on top would be a challenge since I needed to pre-make the fruit.

I took this inspiration and used the pineapple (my daughter's favorite fruit) and oranges as the yellow and orange layer. My daughter and I visited the produce section of the store to pick a white fruit. We settled on bananas since the inside is white. I also opted to use fresh clementines instead of canned Mandarin oranges.
I peeled the oranges and separated them into individual segments. I cut the pineapple into wedges about 1" wide and 1/2" tall. Then I sliced the bananas into 1/4" thick slices and cut them in half.

I used wooden toothpicks to skewer a pineapple chunk. an orange segment and a banana. I was able to fit enough candy corn fruit for 35 girls into a container and packed additional fruit in separate containers for the girls to take more of their favorite.



Overall, I was very pleased with how these turned out. The bananas did start to turn brown by the next day, but lasted about 2 hours before that. Definitely not a food you can make far in advance, but less time sensitive than whipped cream. The only change that I would make in the future would be to use plastic toothpicks as my toothpicks softened over time and a few broke.

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Leftover Halloween Candy? Make Halloween Candy Bark

I was really worried that our trick or treat numbers would be down this year due to the rain so I was making plans to use my leftover Halloween candy. However, I don't seem to have much of a drop-off and have far less candy left than I thought I would. I was surprised that my daughter lasted for almost 90 minutes in the rain. If the weather's nice next year, I think I'll need more candy.

Last night when I was deciding what sweet treat to bring to my daughter's class Halloween party, I stumbled on a few suggestions for Halloween Candy Bark. I was inspired and offered it to my daughter this morning and she loved the idea.

I prepared the pan by lining a cookie sheet with my Silpat Baking Mat. You could also use parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil.

My first step was to chop up the Halloween candy. I started with two fun-size bars of each of our chocolates: Hershey bar, Twix, Kit-Kat, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, and Snickers. Plus I had two packs of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, and Whoppers. After chopping each up, I spread the candy on my cookie sheet to determine if I had enough chocolate. I decided I wanted more chocolate, so I added two more of each type. I then transferred the chopped chocolate to a bowl. Be sure to mix the chopped pieces up so that you end up with a variety on your bark instead of concentrations of a particular type of chocolate.

Not Quite Enough - Time to cut more

Rather than use chocolate chips that would need shortening added, I used Wilton Candy Melts as the base for my bark. One of the recipes recommended using dark chocolate since you are adding more sweet with the mostly milk chocolate candies. I used a combination for my base - 1/3 of a bag of light cocoa melts and a full bag of dark cocoa melts. I melted the chocolate melts in a double boiler although you could also melt them in the microwave according to the directions on the package.

Ready to be Refrigerated

When the chocolate was smooth, I spread it on the cookie sheet being careful not to hit the edges. Then I sprinkled the chopped chocolate bars on top. I placed it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow it to solidify. Once the chocolate had hardened, I removed it from the baking mat and broke it into chunks.

Finished Product

I found the M&Ms add some nice color (I used a Halloween color pack). My daughter asked about adding StarBurst, but I suggested sticking with chocolate varieties. The beauty of this is that you could add whatever you had. I have a feeling it might be a good way to get rid of some less popular choices like Baby Ruth that would be fine in smaller quantities and add a crunch to the bark.

The chocolate bark was a big hit at my daughter's class party. Unfortunately I had to ration it after a mishap on the way into school. I was juggling a bag of games, a witch's hat, my water bottle, my phone, my keys, and the container of bark. The container of bark was the ball that got dropped, with the lid popping open and half of it spilling on the sidewalk. I was lucky that half of it stayed in the container and I was safely able to serve it. I had nothing to put the spilled bark in, so I pushed it off to the side and collected it into the empty container on our way back to the car after the class party.

I am definitely remembering this recipe for next year, or maybe for my daughter's rejects this year (I only have about 10 pieces left).

FREE Pancakes at IHOP for Halloween

IHOP is offering all kids 12 and under FREE Scary Face Pancakes on Halloween.

Free Scary Face Pancakes are available from 7a-10p at participating locations.

Sounds like a great breakfast treat before school or breakfast for dinner between school and trick or treat.

FREE Kids Meal at Outback on Halloween

Outback Steakhouse will be offering FREE Kids Meals on Halloween (with the purchase of an adult entree).

From the fine print in the email that I received, there is a limit of one child's meal per adult entree, maximum of two per visit. The deal is valid on dine-in or take out. The deal is valid all day on Thursday, October 31, however most Outback locations are only open for dinner on weekdays. My location opens at 4p on Thursdays, including Halloween.

You can find an Outback near you with their locations directory.

Discounted BOOritos at Chipotle

It's Back! Chipotle is offering $3 BOOritos on Halloween.

From 4p to closing head to Chipotle in costume and receive a boorito - or bowl, salad, or tacos for just $3. Even better than the $3 boorito is that 100% of proceeds benefit Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

Last year, my daughter and I had our booritos for dinner on Halloween after school before Trick or Treat. She opted for the kids make your own taco plate. My "costume" consisted of a witch's hat with a black skirt and purple turtleneck.

The booritos were $2 last year, but $3 is still a great deal.

October Events at Michaels

Michaels offers Kids Club events in their stores on Saturday mornings from 10a-noon with half hour sessions starting every 30 minutes from 10a until 11:30a. Classes cost $2. Parents are free to shop in the store during class, but need to remain in the store. Periodically they also offer Free Family Craft Events (these may replace Kids Club events on select Saturdays or may be in addition to the Kids Club Event). The Free Family Craft events are free and are for parents to do with their child.

Unless otherwise specified the events listed below are the Kids Club events which cost $2.

The Halloween craft season kicks off in force on October 5. From 10a-noon they will have a Scary Jewelry Kids Club Event form 10a-noon.

Then, from 1-3p they will have a FREE Family Craft Time from 1-3p. The event is free with the purchase of a 9 1/2" craft pumpkin.

Tulip Fabric Markers are sponsoring the Bandana Mask event on Saturday, October 12 so kids can create a fast & easy Halloween disguise.

On Saturday, October 19 kids can create a Duck Tape Costume by making masks from Duck tape. For an additional $3, kids can create a t-shirt. We created Halloween t-shirts at Michaels a few years ago and my daughter loved it.

Finally on Saturday, October 26 kids can create a treat bag, have their face painted, join the Halloween parade through the store. Don't forget to wear your costume.

Kids Club events will continue the fall celebration in November with a Thanksgiving Handcrafted Turkey on Saturday, November 2.

Spooky Stacker at Lowe's

Lowe's offers Build and Grow workshops. Workshops are typically held on Saturday mornings at 10a and occasional Sunday afternoons.

On Saturday, October 12 Lowe's will celebrate Halloween with the Spooky Stacker Workshop at 10a.

I took my daughter to a Lowe's Build and Grow workshop last spring and she had a really great time. We would have attended again except the location near our house books up quickly so I often don't know our schedule before it fills up.

Save Up to 75% on these Friday the 13th Sales on Halloween Costumes, Decor, and More

This weekend Zulily is running several Friday the 13th special sales. Included in the sale are several monster/villain costumes including Monster High, Star Wars (Darth Vader), Batman (Bane, Joker, and Harley Quinn) and more.

Disclaimer: I am a Zulily Affiliate and am compensated for sales through Zulily links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read all terms & conditions before purchase.

See the Friday the 13th Events: up to 75% off Halloween costumes, decor and more!

My daughter is not a fan of Monster High, so I don't really know a lot about the characters, but I know they are popular. The Monster High merchandise includes dolls, costumes, crafts, electronics, and much more.

On the other hand she loves Star Wars. There are a number of Darth Vader items on the list. There are also villains from Batman on the costume list. There are also various Disney Villain knick-knacks.

Deals for Girls - Princess/Fairy Costumes & Doll Clothing/Accessories

Over the years, my daughter has had her share of Princess/Fairy Costumes. She was Snow White at 1.5, Tinker Bell at 2.5 and 3.5 and Rapunzel at 5.5. Even when it wasn't Halloween, she went through a phase where she was dressing up in a costume every time she went to the basement to play. I ran into an issue with her height, where she was outgrowing the standard dress up costumes which come in a single 4-6x size. It was particularly noticeable in the two piece costumes (top and bottom) where there was a 2" gap between the pieces. Post-Halloween clearance sales are a great way to inexpensively add to your child's dress-up wardrobe particularly if the standard size 4-6x costume is too big or too small.

Last year we moved on from Princess costumes when my daughter decided she wanted to dress for Halloween like Molly her American Girl doll did.

Speaking of American Girl, my daughter loves her American Girl and pores over the catalog when it arrives. However, with their prices, she can't have everything. I have found that it really matters to her with a few pieces to have the piece from the catalog, but on others she is just as happy to have a less expensive equivalent. For example, with her historical dolls (Molly & Emily), she really likes to have their clothing since it relates to their stories and is time period specific. But, for things like a bed or furniture, she is less concerned about having it match the catalog.

Disclaimer: I am a Zulily Associate and am compensated for sales through Zulily links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

Today, sales have started on Zulily for both Princess/Fairy Costumes and 18" doll accessories from New Best Friend.

The Princess/Fairy Costumes include both licensed Disney costumes and accessories, and generic princess or fairy accessories. Costumes are available starting from infant to size 12/14.

New Best Friend offers clothing, furniture, and accessories.  Some cute options are the bunk beds, sleeping bags (and only $7.99), and table and chairs.

Both of these deals are valid through Tuesday morning - or while supplies last.

$8 Costume Sale

Does your child love playing dress up? Or do they already know what they want to be for Halloween?


Disclaimer: I am a Costume Express affiliate and am compensated for sales through CostumeExpress links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

It is never too early for a costume with this great deal from Costume Express. They have a number of costumes and accessories on sale for $8 or less...some as low as $1.

Costumes include:
Boys: Iron Man 2, Transformers Bumblebee, Star Wars Obi Wan
Girls: Alice in Wonderland, Spider Girl, Minnie Mouse

Kids Accessories include a Pirates of the Caribbean hat & beard, Angry Birds Mask

Preserving your Halloween Memories

Now that Halloween is drawing to a close (my daughter and husband just returned from trick or treating), it is time to start thinking about preserving your Halloween memories. Unfortunately, I never seem to get good Halloween photos once it gets dark.


Preserve your Halloween memories in a Shutterfly photo book and From 10/31-11/4 Save 50% on hard cover Photo Books from Shutterfly.com. I love Shutterfly Photo Books and have made them for many occasions.

From 10/31-11/2 Get 101 Free Prints from Shutterfly.com with promo code: SPOOKY. This is perfect for someone who loves to scrapbook, to share with family who are not online, or to display in your house.

You can also enter Shutterfly's Howl-O-Ween photo contest by uploading your favorite Halloween photo for a chance to win a stay for 4 at Great Wolf Lodge and $200 worth of Shutterfly gift certificates. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, MI last October and had a great time.

Finally, you can Halloween-ify your Facebook cover photo with this app. The cover photos that include pictures will rotate through an album, so it is best if you upload your Halloween pictures into their own album.

Did you get great Halloween photographs? How are you planning to preserve them?

Disclaimer: I am a Shutterfly affiliate and am compensated for sales through Shutterfly links. I am also being compensated for sharing this post. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read all terms and conditions of the deal before purchase, they are only summarized here.

Kids Eat Free on Halloween!

Outback Steakhouse is offering a Kids Eat FREE promotion on Halloween. Kids (10 & under) will receive a FREE kids meal on Halloween with purchase of an adult entree. The promotion is valid for both dining in the restaurant and curbside takeaway. Halloween would be a good night for either an early dinner or takeaway.

If you are dining in, check out the beverage book on your table to see if there is a treat. Show it to your server to receive a free steak on your next visit (Nov 1-29).

Kooky Spooky Bear Bash

Build a Bear stores are having a Kooky Spooky Bear Bash this weekend.

Kids who come dressed in their costume with their bear friend will receive a FREE Fruit Roll-Up and a FREE virtual gift on Bearville.com. There will also be more Halloween Fun.

My daughter is very disappointed that our local Build a Bear closed this summer. We were at another mall a little further away earlier this week and she had to stop by and visit.

Duck Tape Pail, Face Painting and Halloween Parade

Michaels Face Painting
October 2011

Michaels stores nationwide will be having a Halloween event today from 11a-2p.

With the purchase of a pail or tote, kids can decorate it with Duck Tape. There will also be face painting and a Halloween parade.

Our Michaels is in the same shopping center strip as Toys R Us and last year we attended both events back to back. This year Toys R Us is holding LEGO Bricktober from noon-2p so we may try to stop at both.

A Fruit Treat for Halloween

A few years ago for my daughter's preschool Halloween party I signed up to bring a snack, but was not sure what I was going to bring. I was planning to use my Halloween shaped pans, but had not picked something to put in them yet. Well, everyone else had picked something and no one was bringing fruit, so I was asked to bring fruit.

I found these "Snack O'Lantern" oranges on Family Fun. I made a few modifications to the "recipe". I sliced a small sliver off of the bottom in order to make the cup stand up straight. I only filled the cup with the orange I removed from it. I may mix with other fresh fruit, but we don't care for canned fruit. I also skipped the green spoons.

When I carved the orange with a knife I had a hard time getting detail done. When I made them for my next event, I used pumpkin carving tools to carve the faces instead of a knife. It was much easier. I also filled them with grapes and oranges instead of just the chopped up oranges.

While they turned out adorably, they took quite a while to carve 20 small faces. I recommend this snack for a small group - 5-10 kids.

Old Navy Spider T-Shirt Decorating

Old Navy is partnering with Michaels craft stores to offer a FREE Spider T-Shirt decorating event on Saturday, October 13. The craft is open to the first 20 kids ages 6-12 per participating Old Navy store. Kids will use Tulip paints to draw their spider design.

Both the Michaels Facebook post announcing the event and the Old Navy Facebook Post (at 10p Eastern Time) say to contact your Old Navy store for more details and to sign up. Of course, the store was closed when the event was posted and if I wait to call to see if they are participating, the store is likely to have reached the 20 child limit already. Not impressed with the planning here.

Halloween T-Shirt Decorating at Michaels

On Saturday, October 20, Michaels stores nationwide will have a Halloween T-Shirt event. From 10a-noon, kids ages 3 and up will be able to decorate a t-shirt for Halloween. The event requires the purchase of a t-shirt.

We attended this event at our local Michaels 2 years ago and my daughter really enjoyed it. We decorated using fabric paint, so I recommend having a plan for transporting your shirts home. Fortunately, we had driven my SUV and I did not have much in the back, so we were able to lay them flat. It might be worth bringing cardboard to insert in your t-shirts especially if it is a windy day.

Customized Halloween Tote for $2

Halloween is coming and the kids will need a trick or treat bag. I have made my daughter totes before using iron on logos with mixed success. This year, VistaPrint is offering $2 Halloween Tote (shipping is not included).

There are almost 50 Halloween designs to choose from or you can select a bag where you can upload an image and use one of your child in their Halloween costume - or a collage of past costumes. (I recommend Turbo Collage available from the Mac App Store). There is a $2.49 image upload fee. You can also select one of the default images and add a printed back with your own image ($3.49 for a printed back).

I have a small tote that I ordered from VistaPrint last year and it has held up nicely.


Disclaimer: I am a VistaPrint affiliate and am compensated for sales through VistaPrint links. I have ordered from VistaPrint and been satisfied with the products I have received. I am also a Mac App Store affiliate and am compensated for sales through App Store or iTunes links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. 

Crazy Pumpkin Event at Michaels

Michaels is getting into the Halloween spirit with The Crazy Pumpkin Event on Saturday, October 6 from 10a-noon.

Kids, ages 3 and up, will be able to decorate a pumpkin. The event requires the purchase of a 9" pumpkin (for $6).

My daughter loves pumpkins and decorating them, so I am sure she would love this event.

LEGO Bricktober at Toys R Us

Every October, LEGO celebrates Bricktober.

Toys R Us stores nationwide will be having a LEGO Bricktober event on Saturday, October 27 from noon-2p.

At LEGO Bricktober, attendees will work together to build a LEGO Monster Fighters spooky city. They will also receive a FREE LEGO Monster Fighters accessory pack. LEGO Bricktober is intended for kids ages 5 and up.

I have had mixed experiences with Toys R Us events. Sometimes they do not order enough supplies, so I recommend arriving at the start of the event.

My daughter and husband want to get some of the LEGO Monster Fighter sets to use a Halloween decorations.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and am compensated for sales through Amazon links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.