Ghostly Treats

The other day Amelia and I made some ghostly Rice Krispie treats for Halloween. She helped count marshmallows and measured the cups of Rice Krispies. Oh, and she ate a few marshmallows and chocolate chips, too! Every kitchen needs a little quality control, right?

Ghostly Rice Krispie Treats

Step one: Count out 40 large marshmallows or 4 cups of mini marshmallows. Add to 3 tablespoons of melted butter over low heat.

Step two: Measure 6 cups of Rice Krispies. Add to the melted marshmallows and butter. Stir until combined.

Step three: Press into a greased cookie sheet and cut with a ghost cookie cutter. Add chocolate chips for eyes.

Cute, aren't they?

Tip: If you reheat the scraps for 15 seconds in the microwave you can press them into the pan again and cut additional ghosts.

Step four: Enjoy the fruits of your labors. Amelia says this is the best part of cooking. Can't argue with that!

Happy treat making!

Halloween Fun

I didn't post all weekend because I was busy making Halloween costumes so we could go to the zoo for Halloween festivities on Sunday.

Here is the result:

Little Bo Peep and her sheep ~ October 2009

We drew a "flock" of comments, as Jeff said. But of course we expected that. And the kids looked so cute! It almost made it worthwhile that my entire house is now covered in sheep fur. I'm sure I'll be finding that stuff for months.

As for making the costumes, don't be too impressed. They were simple, and wouldn't win any prizes in 4-H. I figured everyone would be so busy looking that no one would look that closely. I was right about that!

We had the dress (remember Goldilocks, from last year?). So I only made Amelia's bonnet, and I cheated on the pantaloons by sewing a few layers of lace to the bottom of a white pair of Bermuda shorts. Jeff made the shepherd's staff out of an old curtain rod, some brown craft paper, duct tape and spray paint.

The boys' sheep costumes are just ponchos with hoods. Literally, a square of fabric with a hole for their heads and a hood with ears. I didn't even bother to hem them. And all that fur hides a multitude of sewing errors, like ears that have raw edges, and less than perfect seams. Plus, there's nothing like a little polyester fur to keep you warm and toasty. The weather was nice, but the boys certainly didn't need jackets under their costumes.

Taylor and Amelia

We met our friends Sarah, Dustin and Taylor at the zoo, which gave us some extra hands. Amelia and Taylor had fun trick-or-treating together. The boys were great about hanging out in the stroller and even ate supper there. But we definitely needed the help when we turned them loose on the playground! It was fun to go out and do something as a family. And we know that will get easier and easier, too

We'll be trick or treating in our neighborhood in these costumes on Halloween. Hopefully I can get some better pictures then, (because putting a three-year-old within 100 feet of candy and asking her to stand still for a picture is a real recipe for photo success, you know) but I just couldn't wait to share.

Trick or Treat

Amelia went out for trick or treat around the neighborhood for the first time this year. She was dressed as Goldilocks and the three bears. Fortunately, the weather was very nice tonight, and Amelia and Mom and Dad enjoyed a little walk while Grandma D. handed out candy at the house and kept an eye on the boys.

Amelia as Goldilocks and the three bears.

The boys also got dressed up for Halloween. Thanks to the people from Jeff's office, they had these darling little jack o'lantern onesies to wear for the occasion. Look, we've got our very own pumpkin patch!

Our three little pumpkins: Isaac, Alex and Sam

Happy Halloween! Amelia with Sam, Isaac and Alex.