For most, Halloween is a valid excuse to eat fun-size chocolate bars and candy corn until falling into a sugar coma – and I’m not immune. Aside from chocolate anything (natch), my favorite “kid” candies are banana Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls and Hot Tamales!  There’s a reason why I don’t buy Halloween candy until the day before; if it’s in front of my face, I’m going to eat it! Actually, I’m repeating my treats last year and giving trick-or-treaters SunRype Fruit Strips (100% all-natural, no preservative fruit leathers). To prevent being “tricked” by ticked off pre-teens, I also offered candy under the obligation that each kid must take taking at least one healthy treat. (Nov. 1 update — the SunRype were actually very popular as Halloween handouts!)

My older boys are having some friends come over for a scary-movie and video game party! I’m setting up a bone-chilling buffet similar to this one I created for Litehouse Foods. Look closely and you’ll see that this deconstructed platter of goblin parts is actually quite healthy, and could even be called a well-balanced meal. There are blood shot eyeball eggs, baked shrimp goblin fingers, molded intestine noodles and creepy crudities. Rattle your bones and get on over to Litehouse Foods to get the recipes for the Bloodshot Eyeball Eggs and Shrimp Goblin Fingers – your family will be screaming . . . with delight!

Make these bloodshot eye eggs by gently tapping them to crackle shell and soak overnight in beet juice.

Now, I’m not that mom who refuses to serve something sweet and sinful. I’ll also be making this Halloween Trash recipe I found floating around on Facebook – it certainly looks to die for! So, for whomever is keeping score out there, this one is NOT as healthy! But, enjoy!

Here’s my take on throwing it together (plus I’m adding m&ms and pretzels) — 8 cups popped corn using my microwave brown paper bag method, 2 cups mini pretzels , 1 cup fall-colored M&Ms, 1 cup candy corn, 1 pound vanilla bark, Halloween sprinkles. Mix popped corn, pretzels and candy together on wax-paper lined, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with vanilla bark melted according to manufacturer’s directions. Toss to coat evenly. Finish up with Halloween-colored sprinkles.