Halloween is the perfect chance for kids to get caught up in the spooky spirit, preparing ghoulish creations, slimy food or decorative treats.

For kids who enjoy trick-or-treating, making special goodies can give them a feeling of personal contribution to the holiday fun. Playing with candy and icing -- and eating the results -- is a Halloween dream for children, and parents can spend quality time with their children and make memories -- no costumes or pumpkin carving required. Make the kitchen a place where Halloween traditions are born.

Three ingredients lead you to a cute, tasty Halloween treat in Witches Hats.

The Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House can be an edible household decoration. Decorate a scary yard with walkway to make the scene complete. Line the milk cartons and fill them with candy to give as a gift. The house will be functional, attractive and edible -- a triple treat.

Swamp Slime is a gross, easy way to capture the creepy side of Halloween.

Chocolate Halloween Eyeballs appeal to the gruesome spirits -- but with a dose of grapes, so that even ghouls can't avoid a serving of fruit.

These recipes are easy, fun and perfect for festive Halloween parties or creative family munchies. Some require assistance and supervision from adults, but older kids can do some of these on their own. And you're never too old or young to decorate sweet treats.

Pour some apple cider and gather in the kitchen to get ready for the tricks and treats of the eerie holiday. Spend some of the cold, damp days this week preparing these seasonal sweets, and let your sweet tooth and imagination be your ghostly guides.

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Witches Hats

	John Heller, Post-Gazette Witches Hats are cute cookies. Click photo for larger image.

• 1 package Keebler Fudge Stripes Cookies
  
• 1 bag Hershey Kisses
  
• 1 tube orange decorator icing

Turn cookies upside down so that the chocolate side is up.

Use the decorator icing to pipe around the hole in the center of each cookie.

Place an unwrapped kiss on the icing circle.

Finish by piping icing around the base of the kiss and drawing a little bow.

Makes 32 cookies.

www.night.net/halloween/treats.html

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Swamp Slime

• Green Jell-O
  
• Gummy worms and bugs
  
• Whipped cream

Prepare green Jell-O according to package directions. Divide it into two containers when it starts to solidify.

Stir various gummy bugs into the first container.

Beat the rest of the Jell-O into a froth with some whipped cream and add to the top of the slime. Let set.

www.fabulousfoods.com

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Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House

	Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House uses graham crackers. Click photo for larger image.

• Two 1-pint milk cartons, empty and washed
  
• Graham crackers
  
• Decorations (candy corn, pumpkin candies, black licorice, Peeps ghosts, chocolate bar miniatures, green decorating sugar, Reese's Pieces, etc.)
  
• Frosting "glue" (recipe below)

Frosting glue

• 1/2 pound confectioners' sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 drop each of yellow and red food color to make orange

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and easy to spread, but not runny. More sugar or milk may need to be added to create the proper consistency. Place frosting in a pastry bag and use small tip. Or put frosting in a plastic sandwich bag and cut corner diagonally to make a hole.

To make the house:

Completely open the top of the milk cartons and thoroughly wash them out. (If you have quart-size cartons you'll need to cut them to a more realistic height.)

Staple or tape the top closed again.

Place your carton on a sheet of waxed paper on top of heavy cardboard or a paper plate.

Attach graham cracker squares to sides of carton by spreading frosting on carton and pressing cracker firmly onto carton. Do the same for the roof using two graham cracker squares.

Cut a graham cracker in half diagonally to make a triangle for the front and back of the roof and attach it the same way.

Let the house harden for about 10 minutes.

Cover one side of the roof with frosting and place rows of candy corn all over the top.

Repeat on the other side.

Use your frosting "glue" to attach all pieces of candy to the house and yard base. Small candies, chocolate bar miniatures or taffy can be used to make windows, doors and walkways. You can also use decorator's icing on the structure for extra color and hold. The frosting decorating bag can be used to make icicles.

For the yard:

To create a scary tree in the yard, make a few 2-3 inch slices lengthwise in a piece of black licorice.

Stand the licorice upright and attach it to the base with the "glue" frosting. You will need about a tablespoon to really hold it secure.

Hold the tree upright for a few minutes until the "glue" has hardened. The walkway can be pretzels, Reese's pieces, hard candies, gumdrops, licorice strips, or chocolate kisses. Candy pumpkins can decorate a garden.

Frost the entire base and sprinkle with green sugar to make the grass.

Attach one or two Peeps ghosts in the yard for extra effect. Use miniature chocolate bars as tombstones.

www.amazingmoms.com

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Chocolate Halloween Eyeballs

• 1 package seedless grapes
  
• 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips
  
• 1 package red hots
  
• Wax paper
  
• Colored toothpicks

Wash seedless grapes and drain. Spread out onto paper towel and pat dry. Transfer onto wax paper.

Melt chocolate chips and cool slightly. Pour onto room-temperature grapes and/or dip into chocolate mix.

Within one minute, stick a red hot into the middle of a chocolate-covered grape. For better eyeball effects, make a circle around the red hot with vanilla frosting.

Insert toothpicks into the side of the treat. Eat right away or chill eyeballs.

Jodie Lynn, author of "Mommy CEO"