Spooky snacks

To heck with the Monster Mash. This Halloween, cook up some Tomb Treats or Mummy Munchers from Hormel’s “Tricks for Treats” booklet. Its pages are packed with funny, tasty treats such as Finger Food – breadsticks wrapped around pepperoni sticks that look like fingers; Bone Appetite – a skeleton made of pepperoni and cheese, lying on a cracker; and a cauldron full of Doom Dip, a cheesy pepperoni concoction. The booklet is available free at www.hormelpepperoni.com/boo, or send a business-size SASE to: Hormel Pepperoni Halloween Brochure, P.O. Box 270071, Minneapolis, MN 55427.

Cool cocktails

Looking for a treat for the grownups at holiday parties? Mix up a batch of Harvest Martinis. According to the folks at Bacardi, “It’s as if Agent 007 spent a brisk weekend in the country.” We’ll let you be the judge. For each martini, pour 11/4 ounce Bacardi Select, 1/2 ounce Bacardi white rum, 1/4 ounce orange juice, 1/4 ounce cranberry juice, and a splash of extra dry vermouth into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Frighteningly frugal fun

Here’s a scary thought: the average American family spends more than $100 a year on Halloween goodies. Tawra Kellam, author of “Not Just Beans: 50 years of Frugal Family Favorites,” has some spooktacularly inexpensive ideas to celebrate the season without breaking the bank. If you’re planning a Halloween party for your child this year, try making some Deviled Eyeballs by sticking a green olive “eye” into the finished eggs. Or start the day off right by serving Brains for breakfast. Simply add green, yellow and blue food coloring to scrambled eggs. For more ideas, including a recipe for Fake Blood, visit www.notjustbeans.com.

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