Jack O’ Lantern Cinnamon Buns

Jack O Lantern Cinnamon Buns

We had these Jack O’ Lantern Cinnamon Buns for breakfast the morning after Halloween.

I know, I know… didn’t we get enough sugar from trick or treating??

Well, yes, but Halloween was on a Friday and darned if I was going to let an entire weekend go by without continuing the celebration.

However, I was looking for something very easy.  Not “oh, that wasn’t too bad.”  EASY.

I mean, I could have gone all out and made the dough from scratch, taking the time to dye it orange, and mix in some real pumpkins, and to dye the icing as well, but – really – I couldn’t be bothered.

Not while dealing with a candy hangover, anyway.

Jack O Lantern Cinnamon Buns

One of the reasons this was easy was because nothing was homemade.

Except the faces.

But those I did when I was making chocolate covered marshmallow ghosts a few days earlier.

Either way, you should do these ahead of time.  There’s no reason not to:  they keep well.

What I did was freehand some jack o’ lantern faces on some waxed paper with some melted dark cocoa candy melts.  You could try to use regular chocolate chips, but I don’t suggest it.

At first, I tried to make two eyes, a nose, and a mouth {see the faces in the upper right hand corner of the above photo} but they just looked strange.  Instead, I switched to just making two eyes and a mouth.

Just make sure that the mouth touches both of the eyes so that the face is all one piece.  Otherwise you’ll be pulling a bunch of little pieces off of the waxed paper and puzzling it together waaaaaaay too early in the morning.  This way it’s just peel-and-stick.

I stored my faces, along with the waxed paper cut into smaller pieces, in a baggy in the fridge.  When I stuck the buns in the oven, I stuck the faces in the freezer.  This made them easier to remove from the waxed paper and less likely to start melting in my hand.

Jack O Lantern Cinnamon Buns

To Make the Jack O’ Lantern Cinnamon Buns: 

As I mentioned, the buns and icing were just regular store bought cinnamon rolls.  So cook them according to the package directions, then remove them to a serving platter and add the icing.

Before the icing starts to dry and harden, sprinkle them generously with the orange sugar sprinkles.

Then place the chocolate faces on top.  Press ever so gently to make sure it’s stuck to the icing, but don’t press down too hard.  Pressing down roughly will cause the faces to break, and after a few minutes they’ll melt slightly, adhering to the icing all by themselves.

Then just serve and relax!

Here are the sprinkles and candy melts I used:

Wilton Orange Sugar Sprinkles Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts

Orange sprinkles can be more difficult to find when it’s not fall, but then, you probably won’t be making these for any occasion but Halloween anyway.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Covered Mini Marshmallow Ghosts

Chocolate Covered Halloween Ghost and Pumpkin Mini Marshmallows

I have caused myself to possess a strangely large amount of self control by making so many chocolate covered mini marshmallows recently.

You see, the mini pumpkins that I had made earlier this month were gone.  Long gone.  So I made some more.  And some ghosts, too.

And I know what you’re thinking – why would you cover white marshmallows with white candy melts… aren’t the marshmallows ALREADY white??

Well, yes.  Yes they are.  BUT, they weren’t covered in chocolate, were they?

Everything’s better covered in chocolate.

Even bacon.

But I digress.  My point is that they’re a super easy to make snack and they look so fun.  Even though I made the eyes kind of fast and they kind of look like they’re melting.

I figure that adds to the Halloweenish charm.

Chocolate Covered Halloween Ghost Mini Marshmallows

To get the instructions on how to make these ghosts – and the mini pumpkins, too – check out my post:

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Candy Corn & Mini Marshmallow Pumpkins

To sum it up, I dipped the mini marshmallows in melted white candy melts, let them dry on waxed paper, and when they were dry I piped on some eyes with melted dark cocoa candy melts that were in a little baggy from which I’d snipped off the corner.

But like I said, to get more details, check out the post I linked to above.

Chocolate Covered Halloween Ghost and Pumpkin Mini Marshmallows

Don’t these just look deliciously cute???

I separated the marshmallows into different cupcake liners in a container and surrounded them with candy corn, both for decoration and to keep them in place.

Kind of like a super sweet bento.

And if you really like the combination of chocolate and marshmallows, make sure to also check out:

Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

Happy Halloween!

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Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Aren’t those just the sweetest looking mummy cookies you’ve ever seen??

I haven’t made these things in years and I was really craving them, but this year I changed things up a little.

All I did was add some almond extract into the batter and icing, but it really makes a difference.  It adds so much dimension to the cookies.  I feel like vanilla extract gets lost in chocolate cookies, but almond brings out both flavors.

And I like the royal icing as the mummy wrappings because it dries hard and shiny, although royal icing isn’t really known for it’s spectacular flavor… but a little almond is the perfect fix!

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

The cookie batter is based on the Hershey’s chocolate cutout cookies.

It’s an easy recipe, which is part of the reason I like.  You mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, blend the wet in the other, then mix ’em all together.

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Once you have your yummy chocolate almond cookie dough, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for an hour.

Try to do this before you – ahem – “taste test” the entire batch.

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Roll it out on a floured surface and use some gingerbread men cookie cutters to make the mummies.

My cutters were about 2.5 inches tall and I got 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

The icing can be whipped up quickly with a fork.  I can’t be bothered dragging out the mixer all the time…

Anyway, if you don’t already have meringue powder, it’s worth picking some up.  I swear this stuff lasts forever.

To easily fill a plastic bag with the icing, put the bag in a glass first and fold the edges over the rim.  Scoop in the icing, and you have an instant decorating bag!

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Don’t those look gorgeous??

Once the cookies are completely cooled – and once you’ve made sure to place some waxed or parchment paper under the cooling racks – then go ahead and “wrap” your mummies.

Snip a small hole in the corner of that decorating bag you’ve just filled and drizzle it back and forth over the cookies, allowing it to overlap now and then.

When the icing is hard, CAREFULLY remove the cookies from the racks.  {A couple of my guys lost their heads this way because I got impatient.}  Just use a spatula instead of yanking them off and you should be fine.

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

And while the icing is still wet, you COULD add some eyes, by way of mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms or something along those lines, but I don’t find that necessary.

I like the look of them without any eyeballs.  More elegant.  If mummies can be such a thing…

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups confectionary (powdered) sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 tablespoons water

Blend the butter, egg, sugar, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 to 3 inch cookie cutter in the shape of a gingerbread man for the mummies. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until you can lightly touch the cookie without leaving an indentation. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the icing, use a fork to blend the sugar, meringue powder, extract, and 3 tablespoons water. Continue to add about half a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You should be able to lift the fork out of the bowl and have the icing slowly drip off in a thick line.

Put the icing in a decorating bag or in a plastic baggie with the corner snipped off, and decorate the cookies by moving the icing back and forth over them. Be sure that you have something under the racks to catch the excess icing, such as waxed paper.

Once the icing has hardened, very carefully remove the cookies from the racks. Store covered.

**********

Here is the free printable PDF version of the recipe:  Chocolate Almond Mummy Cookies

And a few things you may need:

Wilton Christmas Cookie Cutters Wilton Meringue Powder Imitation Almond Extract Organic Almond Extract

Enjoy!

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Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

These Mummy Marshmallows are soooooo cute!

But to be perfectly honest:  they were a pain to make.

The good news?  I know what I did wrong and can help you avoid my mistakes!  :)  If you don’t do what I did, then they’re super, super easy to make.

I picked this particular combination because I liked the concept of these as a somewhat “reversed” mummy.  Usually the mummy wrappings are white and the background dark, but I switched it around by using white marshmallows and a dark colored “wrapping.”

I suppose you could get some chocolate marshmallows and drizzle white candy melts over them, too.

Just a thought.

Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

You can see that I decorated them on the floor.  This was to make it easier for my 4yo could help {her little sister was napping}.  More casual, I guess you could say.

Anyway, to get to the heart of the matter:  I used melted chocolate chips for this.

I don’t know why.

I bake with chocolate chips all the time and seem to repetitively forget that they’re best for just that – baking.  NOT decorating.

To solve this problem, just use candy melts instead.  The regular chocolate chips get too hot, harden too fast, and don’t melt as evenly in the microwave.

I also stuck them in a little plastic baggie.  To my credit, that’s all I had available.  But the tiny sandwich bags tend to burst open when you have something in them that you’re trying to squeeze out of a snipped corner.  Thus:  the half-cleaned blob on my tray.  So do yourself a favor and use either a heavier, freezer-weight baggie or a traditional cake decorating bag with a metal tip.  It’ll save your sanity.

Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

So…

To make the Mummy Marshmallows: 

1.  Place marshmallows on their side on waxed or parchment paper.

2.  Drizzle melted Dark Chocolate Candy Melts over the tops of the marshmallow, moving from side to side.

3.  Place two mini M&Ms on top of the chocolate as eyes {preferably with the “m” facing down} and drizzle a little chocolate over the eyes to make them appear partially hidden.

4.  Let the chocolate harden.  Store covered.

Halloween Marshmallow Mummies

An easy concept, really.  And if you don’t make the mistakes I did, it will only take a few minutes to complete the entire project.

Maybe next year I’ll attempt this with more coffee in my system and remember to follow my own advice.  :)

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Halloween Mini Pumpkin {Easter Egg} Hunt & Decorating Glitter Pumpkins

Halloween Mini Pumpkin Easter Egg Hunt

This Mini Pumpkin Hunt is just about one of the easiest Halloween projects you can do, and your kids are just about guaranteed to completely freak out over how awesome it is.

Well, at least those kids who love Easter egg hunts will freak out over the awesomeness.  But I don’t know any kids who don’t love Easter egg hunts.

The setup is simple:  buy a bunch of mini pumpkins, hide aforementioned mini pumpkins in your yard or house, hand your kids a bucket or basket in which to collect them, and stand back while they stampede.

Halloween Mini Pumpkin Easter Egg Hunt

Unfortunately for us, on the day I told my girls we were going to go outside and search for mini pumpkins, it rained.

A lot.

So, we relegated the search mostly to areas of flora that could be easily accessed with feet still firmly planted on the sidewalk and out of the wet grass and mud.

It didn’t even matter to them that it only took a couple of minutes to find all 10 that I’d hidden.  They were so excited about it that they hid them again so I could find them.  And again.  And again…

Halloween Mini Pumpkin Easter Egg Hunt

Eventually we made it inside to decorate our mini pumpkins.

I’d pulled out some glitter glue and some glitter in silver and gold.  Neutral but shiny.

Halloween Glitter Pumpkin Decorating

I spread a disposable table cloth over the floor and some newspaper in the middle of it, opened up the containers of glue and glitter, and stood back.

Well, not very far back.  They insisted I help, and, really, it’s pretty fun to bury your hands in glitter sometimes.  :)

Halloween Glitter Pumpkin Decorating

And the end result looked rather pretty.

Some had designs, some were completely covered, but they all looked so fun and sparkly.

Halloween Glitter Pumpkin Decorating

It was much easier to clean up, by the way, than it looks.

Once you move the pumpkins and glue/glitter containers, simply fold the paper in half to make it into a partial funnel, and let the glitter slide back into the container again to be reused for another project.

Halloween Glitter Pumpkin Decorating

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Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Candy Corn and Mini Marshmallow Pumpkins

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

I am in love with these itty bitty mini Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins!

As you can see below, I also made some Chocolate Covered Candy Corn Marshmallows, but the little pumpkins were my favorite.  :)

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

Here are all the supplies.  The chocolate chips were used for my Mummy Marshmallows, but everything else was used for the Pumpkins and Candy Corn.

For the mini Pumpkins, I used the store brand mini marshmallows, because they were slightly larger than the name brand ones.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

For the Candy Corn Marshmallows, I dipped the large, white marshmallows into yellow candy melts, rolling them slightly to make sure that the candy went about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the marshmallow.

It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

But, tips are as follows:  make sure that the candy melts are melted but not too hot.  Let them sit for a couple of minutes after melting so that they cool down enough to not melt the marshmallow.  I suggest dipping them in while holding them with your fingers, but also using a fork to help you lift them out of the candy.  Knock the fork against the side of the glass/bowl to get rid of excess candy.

Place the marshmallows on parchment paper to dry.  After the yellow candy has hardened, dip them about 1/3 of the way into orange candy melts.

If any excess candy seems to be pooling at the bottom of the marshmallow, trace around it with a toothpick.  This will make it easier to break off the excess candy once it dries.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

The mini pumpkins were SO much easier.

Dip the mini marshmallows into melted (but not too hot) orange candy melts.  Use a fork to take them out of the candy and tap the fork against the side of the bowl to get off the excess.  Place on parchment paper, using another fork to push them onto the paper, and trace around them with a toothpick if too much excess candy is pooling at the bottom of them.

Also, right after dipping the mini marshmallows in the candy melts – or right after doing a few of them – stick a green star or flower shaped sprinkle into the top to represent the stem.

You could use a leaf shaped sprinkle to represent the stem, but the Daisy Flower Sprinkles are easy to find year round.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

Here are the finished Candy Corn Marshmallows.

They were a big hit, even though they didn’t look perfect.

I also gave some away that I put in a dish with the mini pumpkin marshmallows and a handful of actual candy corn.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

I loved these little mini chocolate covered marshmallows so much, mostly because they were little bursts of fun.

The smooth but hardened chocolate surrounds tiny clouds of fluff, and that one sprinkle adds a giant dimension of texture.

They’re kind of addicting.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins and Candy Corn

I didn’t type up a recipe for these.  To sum it up, though:

For the Candy Corn Marshmallows:  Dip marshmallow 2/3 into melted yellow candy melts.  Let harden.  Dip 1/3 into orange candy melts.  Let harden.  Store covered.

For the mini Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pumpkins:  Dip mini marshmallows into orange candy melts, covering completely.  Immediately top with a large green sprinkle in the shape of a flower, star, or leaf.  Let harden.  Store covered.

These are the candy melts and spinkles I used:

yellow candy melts orange candy meltswilton daisy flower sprinkles

Enjoy!

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Free Halloween Printable Games

FREE Halloween Printable Games at RoamingRosie.com

My girls love activities like this.

And I love sneaking a little learning {like fine motor control} into things they enjoy.

So I made some Halloween worksheets featuring activities that my 4yo especially enjoys.  And though my 2yo is more inclined to color the ghosts than trace the dots, she still enjoys being involved in whatever her big sister is doing.  :)

Click here for the FREE printable PDF worksheets:

Bat match

Ghost Race

Jack O Lantern Maze

Also, a fun dinner to follow up your Little One finding the path of a worm through a jack o’ lantern would be my Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O’ Lanterns:

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns 1

Happy Halloween!

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Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Jack O’ Lantern Pepper Pumpkins

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

I’ve been wanting to make these jack o’ lantern pepper “pumpkins” for a long time, so I was very happy when October arrived.  :)

One of the best parts was when my two-year-old looked into the fridge drawer, saw the orange peppers, and exclaimed, “Pumpkins!”

And that was before they had faces.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

Don’t they just look amazing?  And I didn’t even do a spectacular job of carving them.

I mean, they’re not magazine cover worthy or anything, but my kids thought they were pretty awesome.

But no – in case you’re wondering – we didn’t actually eat the peppers.

The pieces carved from the faces were added to the spaghetti, but the peppers themselves were rinsed after dinner and used the next day in an omelet.  A breakfast for dinner kind of thing.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

If you’re in a hurry, or planning to do this on Halloween evening itself and don’t think you’ll have time to make it, you could prep it by cutting all of the veggies ahead of time and storing them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Or you could just use jarred sauce.

But I put together this recipe because I wanted to have a bit of spice in my meal, seeing as how I was going to be serving it in peppers and all.

And it is easy.  Look at the photo:  just a handful of ingredients.

The hardest part was carving the “jack o’ lanterns,” and, really, the peppers are MUCH easier to cut than actual pumpkins, so I have no complaints about the process.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

You’ll notice that I call for 6 to 8 peppers in the recipe, but I only used 3.

The peppers were pricey when I bought them, and I simply refused to buy more than enough for me and my two daughters.  But the recipe makes quite a bit of spaghetti and you can fill quite a few more than 3 peppers.  The final amount, however, is up to you and depends on your needs and desires.

Another important note:  before you buy the peppers, it’s helpful to check and see if they can stand on their own.  You can always balance them on top of the spaghetti when serving them, but it’s nice if they can stand up all on their own without falling over.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

As I said, the meal itself is pretty easy to make, and I would certainly suggest not just reserving it for a once-a-year treat.

If you want to celebrate autumn and not Halloween specifically, you could serve the spaghetti in the peppers without carving them.  Or serve it in small hallowed out pumpkins instead.

For the spaghetti, after you cook the veggies, you just stir in the tomato sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes to get all that yummy flavor dispersed.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

Then toss in the noodles – oh, I’m sorry:  worms.

My kids loved the fact that we were eating worms for dinner.

It’s why I used linguine instead of spaghetti.  We eat spaghetti noodles all the time, and they would certainly work for this recipe, but the linguine gave us a slightly different texture.

More worm-like.

But scrumptious worms.  Seriously:  this is good stuff.

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

Come on … don’t those jack o’ lanterns filled with worms just look devilishly delicious??

I just can’t get over how adorable these are!

If you agree, please leave me a comment telling me all about it.  And don’t forget to Pin your favorite pics to remind yourself that you totally have to try this recipe.  :)

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O Lanterns Halloween Recipe at RoamingRosie.com

Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O’ Lanterns

Ingredients:

6 to 8 orange sweet peppers
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
28 to 32 ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound linguine

To make the jack o’ lanterns: cut the tops off of the orange sweet peppers. Scoop out the insides and discard. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully cut out faces in desired patterns. Reserve the pieces.

To make the spicy spaghetti: add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and warm over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until nearly translucent, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic, jalapeno, and diced pieces of reserved pepper from the jack o’ lanterns to the onions, adding a little olive oil if the pan appears dry. Continue to cook over medium for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until peppers are softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomato sauce to the onions and peppers. Combine well and gently simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain pasta and add it to the tomato sauce. Toss to combine.

To serve: scoop the linguine and sauce onto a large platter. Place the jack o’ lantern peppers on the spaghetti. Fill the peppers with spaghetti and top with the pepper stems.

[Note: after the meal, the peppers can be rinsed and reused in another dish, such as an omelet.]

**********

And click here to print the free PDF version of the recipe:  Spicy Spaghetti Worms in Pepper Jack O’ Lanterns

Enjoy!

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Halloween Sensory Bath

Halloween Sensory Bath {RoamingRosie.com}

I wanted to do something special for Halloween, and settled on a sensory bath with orange, green, and purple noodles that would be mixed with black, creepy toys.

It was a hit.  But then, I knew it would be.

How could kids NOT love a sensory bin that you let them climb inside of?

Earlier this year we did an Ocean Sensory Play Bath.  My girls really enjoyed it and requested it again and again.

But this time we did a “creepy” version.

Seemed a good way to get into the Halloween spirit.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

I had the food coloring on hand, but the rest of the supplies I picked up at the dollar store.

You’ll need:

4 lbs. of spaghetti
Food coloring in orange, green, and purple
Various toy bugs

I got a package of 8 rubbery mice, 8 rubbery spiders, and a dozen plastic centipedes.

I thought about sticking with the traditional colors of orange and black, but eventually decided to throw in the green and purple, too.  They added a nice dimension to it.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

You need to cook the spaghetti ahead of time, but it can sit for awhile.  This is helpful, for example, if you want to take care of this part while your kids are sleeping or at school.

I put most of the 4 lbs. into one large pot with a big scoop of orange food color.  Then I put green and purple into two smaller pots with smaller amounts of spaghetti.

I cooked them according to the package directions, then took the pots off the heat and allowed the noodles to sit in the colored water for 20 or 30 minutes.

You could also cook all the noodles in one big pot and then separate them into plastic baggies.  You can add the food color to the baggies and mix it all around to dye the noodles this way.

Sometimes I have issues with that method, so I used the dye-them-on-the-stove technique.  It takes very little time to wash the pots afterwards, and if you don’t have that many pots, you can always reuse the same one or make fewer colors.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

Once you’re ready to drain the pasta, make sure you rinse the noodles with cool water, too.

Rinse until the water that’s draining from the bottom of the colander runs clear.

Some of the food color that is in the spaghetti will still leak into the tub as the noodles steep, but rinsing helps eliminate as much color as possible beforehand.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

Here is a photo of the dyes spaghetti in one big bucket and all the creepy, crawly critters in a little dish.

I put these on the bathroom counter until we were ready to play.

As I mentioned, the spaghetti can sit for awhile.  We waited at least an hour, because my youngest was still napping.

And if you don’t have a bathtub {or just can’t imagine putting food in your tub}, you could always use something else.  For example, a kiddie pool.  Or, if you don’t want your kids sitting in the spaghetti, you could put it in a water table or large plastic bin instead, and let them play with it that way.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

Fill up the tub with just a few inches of water.

Then dump in the spaghetti and any toys.  Here you can see me and my daughter tossing in all the creepy vermin.

Swirl everything together with your hand or a small strainer.

We used the small mesh strainers to clean up afterwards, but also to play.  The girls used them to scoop up the toys.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

The orange faded from the spaghetti rather quickly.

Next time I would use more color and perhaps let it sit a little longer, since orange is such a light color.

And, as you can see, the green and purple did seep into the bathwater.  This makes it even creepier, though, and more of a challenge to find all the toys.  So not a total negative.

Plus, in case you’re wondering, my kids did not turn green and purple.

Halloween Sensory Bath  {RoamingRosie.com}

To clean up, we took out all the toys and scooped all of the noodles back into the bin.

We used both our hands and the mesh strainers to remove the pasta.  My kids have nearly as much fun with this part as they do with playing in the spaghetti.

Once all {or as much as I can find} of the noodles are out of the tub, I drain the water.  Then I make sure there’s no food coloring left in the tub and my kids get a real bath.

When the bath is over, I sprinkle a bunch of baking soda over the drain and rinse it down with white vinegar.  {This is my normal method of cleaning bathtub/sink drains.}  It is inevitable that some noodles will escape down the drain, and certainly some starch, so this extra step is important.

Have fun!

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Happy {Caffeinated} Halloween

halloween pumpkin coffee art

Happy Halloween!

Mwabwahahahahaha… [insert creepy voice here]

But no holiday (or any hour of any ordinary day either) would be complete without coffee.

So, for this holiday, I’m sharing with you some thematically appropriate awesomeness via Etsy.  ‘Cause I just think Etsy rocks.

witches brew halloween coffee spoon

Witch’s Brew Coffee Spoon

pumpkin coffee cozy for halloween

Pumpkin Cozy

boo spider halloween coffee mug

Boo Mug

black cat coffee vintage sign

Black Cat Coffee Sign