Something Wicked

Photographing Death

2010-05-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

Lets start you off slow...
Weegee pictures of the murder scene. Must have been one hell of a party hu?

Suicide in mid fall. Possibly Weegee, which would make it New York mid 30's to 40's.

Punishment by Strangulation, China. c1890.

The shooting death of mobster Johnny Stompanano in his wife's home (Lana Turner's Home).

Famous murder on the streets.

Housing the dead?

2009-10-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

Lovely lights

Oh-- and let's have a nice mural in the dining room

Films for the walls...

Your basic halloween bathroom:

Sexy Starlets

2009-10-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hollywood jumped on the Halloween Bandwagon during the 30's and 40's to promote their starlets. Glad they chose the cute witch motif!

Judy Garland in a classic fright pose.

Betty Grable in one of the most re-posted shoots of all time.

Veronica Lake in a promotion for her movie "I Married A Witch"

The classic Betty Grable spook.

Judy Garland camping it up.

Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh

Clara Bow

Clara hamming it up.

Virginia Welles

Clara Bow (The 'It' Girl)

Peggy Ryan 1944

Paulette Goddard

i have no name for these 2 cute chicks.

Nan Grey

The lovely Nancy Carroll

Another Carroll

Lillian Wells - Glamour for Halloween

Grace Bradley

More Grace

Four contestants of the Halloween Slick Chick beauty contest in Anaheim, Calif. 1947

Gale Robbins

1934 Nancy Carroll

Carroll in 33

1933 Grace Bradley

1933 Grace Bradley

More of the Art of Halloween Gone By

2009-10-06T22:26:00.001-07:00

Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos

2009-10-06T22:11:00.001-07:00

Most people have never heard of her.
She was not someone important, and she never did anything of note other than die young of tuberculosis.

What is is known for is for having a love affair that lasted 7 years after her death.

Her doctor had fallen in love with the young woman, and made sure he had her in his bed every night from time he paid to have her entombed.

The story, well documented on the internet, is basically thus (From Wiki) :

Carl Tanzler or sometimes Count Carl von Cosel (February 8, 1877 – July 23, 1952) was a German-born radiologist at the United States Marine Hospital in Key West, Florida who developed a morbid obsession for a young Cuban-American tuberculosis patient, Elena Milagro "Helen" de Hoyos (July 31, 1909 - October 25, 1931), that carried on well after Hoyos succumbed to the disease. In 1933, almost two years after her death, Tanzler removed Hoyos' body from its tomb, and lived with the corpse at his home for seven years until its discovery by Hoyos' relatives and authorities in 1940.

The photos above are her corpse presevered under layers and layers of wax over the years to keep the smell down and the features more human like.

In April, 1933, Tanzler removed Hoyos' body from the mausoleum, carted it through the cemetery after dark on a toy wagon, and transported it to his home.He reportedly said that Elena's spirit would come to him when he would sit by her grave and sing a Spanish song,he also says she would tell him to take her from the grave. Tanzler attached the corpse's bones together with wire and coat hangers, and fitted the face with glass eyes. As the skin of the corpse decomposed, Tanzler replaced it with silk cloth soaked in wax and plaster of paris. As the hair fell out of the decomposing scalp, Tanzler fashioned a wig from Hoyos' hair that had been collected by her mother and given to Tanzler not long after her burial in 1931. Tanzler filled the corpse's abdominal and chest cavity with rags to keep the original form, dressed Hoyos' remains in stockings, jewelry, and gloves, and kept the body in his bed. Tanzler also used copious amounts of perfume, disinfectants, and preserving agents, to mask the odor and forestall the effects of the corpse's decomposition.

****Warning****

The following is NOT for the squeamish

(yes, like you weren't already WAY past that point!).

Though not reported contemporaneously, research (most notably by authors Harrison and Swicegood) has revealed evidence of Tanzler's necrophilia with Hoyos' corpse. Two physicians (Dr. DePoo and Dr. Foraker) who attended the 1940 autopsy of Hoyos' remains recalled in 1972 that a paper tube had been inserted in the vaginal area of the corpse that allowed for intercourse. Others contend that since no evidence of necrophilia was presented at the 1940 preliminary hearing, and because the physicians' "proof" surfaced in 1972, over 30 years after the case had been dismissed, the necrophilia allegation is questionable. While no existing contemporary photographs of the autopsy or photographs taken at the public display show a tube, the necrophilia claim was repeated by the HBO Autopsy program in 2005.

Separated from his obsession, Tanzler used a death mask to create a life-sized effigy of Hoyos, and lived with it until his death on July 3, 1952. His body was discovered on the floor of his home three weeks after his death. He died under the name "Carl Tanzler".

It has been recounted that Tanzler was found in the arms of the Hoyos effigy upon discovery of his corpse, but his obituary reported that he died on the floor behind one of his organs. The obituary recounted: "a metal cylinder on a shelf above a table in it wrapped in silken cloth and a robe was a waxen image".

Happy Halloween folks. We told you this was "something very wicked" blogspot, didn't we?

Postcards from the Edge of Halloween

2009-10-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

More bloody wonders

2009-10-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

Morgue photos were very popular when the camera was first available to the average man.

Behedding in midst of execution.

This is purported to be the last public guillotine death sentence carried out in France.

Public Justice of a different sort. Unknown lynching.

Unknown lynching in Southern USA.

Hanging of Ruggles Bros, Redding Cal, 1892.jpg

The body of gaspare candella found in a 55 gallon drum. Mobster deaths were always rough.

Police photo of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of the Purple Gang.

The trophy deaths of Bonnie & Clyde

I am sorry I don't have something less vulgar and tasteless but this was the only version of this photo i have found. Police photo at crime scene, recently found and put on net.

Scene photos of Sharon Tate at the Manson Murders site.

And then we have some odd things:

Hollywood Horrors

2009-10-04T22:48:00.001-07:00

Odd things from Odd People

2009-10-04T22:45:00.001-07:00

Masquerade

2009-10-04T22:40:00.002-07:00

A hanging

2009-10-04T22:40:00.001-07:00

Hanging of Ruggles Bros, Redding Cal, 1892

Vintage Spooky

2009-10-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

This World

2009-10-04T22:01:00.001-07:00

	Supreme Beings of Leisure - This World

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

More deaths for the Holiday!

2009-10-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Fayrie sent me to a great site of Aussie shots lost for about 80 years that were mostly cop shots for crime scenes like this:

I don't remember if I posted these last year either, so here they are now.

Posties!

2009-10-04T20:43:00.001-07:00

The art of the VINTAGE postcard lives.
Every year I find a few that I wish I could afford as framed art, use as backgrounds to adverts, or just decorate with.

Food!

2009-10-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween again so i am off on a rush through the net to find and keep some more fun pics of things i want to make....
please do visit the original pages (most will click through if you right click for properties).
from Blogspot lady: http://cookingwithtanya.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

There are some really cute ideas out this year-- and some great display ideas too.... i always need to start with inspiration before i get crazy and creative myself!

Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cakes

Servings: Makes 3 (4-inch) pumpkin cakes

Comments:
Serve these little pumpkin cakes for a children's Halloween party or can be served for an adult get-together also. You will be surprised how delicious these mini pumpkin cakes are. The cake batter is made with pumpkin puree, white and dark chocolate, mixed fruit bits and chopped walnuts and other goodies. When ready to serve, cut cakes in half, making enough servings for 6 people.

Ingredients:
Mini Pumpkin Cakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
1.5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1.5 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit bits
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Orange food coloring

Garnish:
2 ounces marzipan
Green food coloring
Confectioners' sugar

Instructions:
For the Mini Pumpkin Cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Coat six mini bundt cake pans with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable shortening.

2. Beat butter and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Mix flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture, pumpkin, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir until ingredients are blended. Do not overmix. Gently fold in chocolate, white chocolate, fruit bits and walnuts. Divide batter among prepared pans.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into each cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and cool completely. After frosting and decorating the cakes and when ready to serve, place cakes on a platter and slice each in half to make 6 servings.

For the Frosting:

1. Place cream cheese and butter in large bowl. Beat on high speed until smooth. Gradually add half of the confectioners’ sugar, beating on low speed. Add the lemon juice, orange food coloring and remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.

2. Cut tops off cakes so that they are flat. Using a small spatula, frost the flat sides of each cake and "glue" together to form a pumpkin. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Frost the outsides of the pumpkins with the frosting. Refrigerate the cakes.

3. Knead the marzipan and a bit of green food coloring until color is blended. Sprinkle a bit of confectioners' sugar on work surface. Roll out marzipan to 1/4-inch-thick. Using a sharp knife, cut out leaf and stalks shapes. Let them air dry on a baking sheet for 3 or 4 hours before decorating pumpkin cakes.

Makes 3 (4-inch) pumpkin cakes, 6 servings (if each cake is cut in half).

Click here to view recipe and photo of Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cakes on Diana's Desserts Website

Found another person who collects the pics HERE

this shot i just good-- the batter is ... well, i love this pic...

Great cooking is not about how it tastes ALONE--- the presentation is 50% of what is fun... and i have been hunting a lot more for BETTER presentations.

They need to be *pretty* or *hot* or at least not looking all ,.... sad.

x

http://www.alsadesign.com/sweetcake/image/

The 5 worst cakes in the history of cake.

1: Roadkill crow

This cake would be perfect at a roadkill restaurant or for a halloween party. I especially like the subtle use of blood, it is just enough to know that the bird is not sleeping (well – that and its broken neck).
I’ve had a hard week and it’s affected my taste. Enjoy more sick cakes at your peril…

2: The divorce cake
I have one thing to say: where was this cake when I had my divorce party? I might have added the subtle touch of a knife to the brides intent grip. It’s the groom who gets it and that’s what counts. Nice.

3: Kitty litter cake
WTF?? Seriously this is insane. Kitty litter is something smelly, that you would prefer not to think about when considering a kitten in your life. What occasion do you need this cake for? Kitty birthday? Toilet training celebration? Please advise.

4: Carrie Cake
Beautiful yes? An alternative prom – coming of age cake? See the movie and say no more….

5: Severed handy work…

Happy Halloween!

And yippee today was the day to get one (sugar fix). I have been meaning to post this since this morning but we are having terrible internet connections these days...off/on/off/on...enough to drive you crazy!
These cookies may not look like the ones you will find on the shelves of professional decorators but this is what you get for working with a dinosaur, two knights, a mermaid, a pirate and a zebra...yes, we had a slight chance of costume programming! We took the kids trick or treating on an old golf cart with a trailer attached to the back and they had a great time!

Cut Out Sugar Cookies, adapted from allrecipe site:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Refrigerate dough, roll out and cut as desired
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Royal Icing, from Joy of Baking site
4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)
1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.
The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
Makes about 3 cups

Sometimes it's good to just bake with the kids and be one again!

Posted by Tartelette

2 batches decorating icing
1 batch sugar cookies, cut out using 3 1/3-inch round or octagonal cookie cutter, baked according to directions in recipe, and cooled completely
Black food coloring, preferably liquid

Special equipment: 3 pastry bags fitted with couplers, 2 #3-size (medium, round) decorating tips, 1 #1-size (small, round) decorating tip, small offset spatula, toothpicks

Make thin icing: In large bowl, stir together 1 batch icing and 2 tablespoons water. Fit 1 pastry bag with #3-size tip and fill with thin icing.

Color thicker icing: Divide second batch icing between 2 medium bowls. To icing in 1 bowl, gradually mix in black food coloring until icing is black. Fit second pastry bag with second #3-size tip and fill with black icing.

Fit third pastry bag with #1-size tip and fill with remaining (thicker) white icing.

Pipe border: Using pastry bag with #1 tip and thicker white icing, pipe around outer edge of 1 cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and let set 2 minutes.

"Flood" to fill center: Using pastry bag with #3 tip and thinner white icing, squirt pool of icing into center of 1 cookie, then spread to edge with small offset spatula. Repeat with second cookie, giving first time to set.

Pipe circles: Returning to first cookie, using pastry bag with black icing, pipe concentric circles over white icing, beginning in center and ending almost at edge. Repeat with second cookie, giving first time to set.

Form spiderweb pattern: Returning to first cookie, position tip of toothpick in center and drag through icing out to edge. Wipe tip and repeat 7 more times to make 8 evenly spaced, radiating lines like spokes of wheel.

Next, position tip at edge, halfway between 2 lines, and drag inward to center to create another line. Wipe tip and repeat 7 more times to make 8 more lines between first 8.

Repeat process with second iced cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies, working in batches of 2 to allow icing to partially set, but not harden, between steps. Let cookies dry, uncovered, at room temperature 10 hours or overnight. (Once dry, cookies will keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in airtight container at room temperature 1 week.)

A little bit of presentation turns "pigs in a blanket" into oozy mummy dogs! This is super simple and even healthy if you follow these suggestions. Normally this meal is plenty creepy on its own since hot dogs are made from scrap pieces of various species of dead animals. Eeeew. Just grab yourself a pack of veggie dogs (I prefer Tofu Pups and Smart Dogs), some biscuit dough, and a batch of Green Goo and you’ve got yourself some yummy mummies.

tep 1: Make the Green Goo sauce. I have already posted the recipe (called “Vegan Cheese Sauce”) on the Post Punk Kitchen website, so just head on over there for the instructions. Also, if you’re feeling gourmet, you can make a swankier version called Vegan Colby Cheese Dip which is AMAZING. After it’s done cooking, put in a few drops of natural green food coloring or add a teeny bit of pureed greens like spinach before cooking (you won’t notice the flavor at all).

Step 2: Make your biscuit mummy wrapping. Either pop open a pre-made can (but really, check out those ingredients. Scary!) or make your own from scratch. I used a pre-made can for this demonstration and the flavor seriously lacked because of it. On Halloween night I will be using this recipe. Why not give it try with me?

Step 3: Put it all together! I tried making slices in some of my veggie dogs to give the cheese plenty of room to goo around (see picture), but it didn’t seem to make any difference compared to the veggie dogs that didn’t have slices in them. So lay out your biscuit dough (a little bit goes a long way), lay down the dog, put a glob of Green Goo along the length of the dog, and wrap the whole thing up. Although it’s easier to just roll them up triangle style, it looked infinitely better when I meticulously wrapped the dough around several times to look like real mummy wrappings. Pull the dough until it’s thin and wrap, wrap, wrap. Make sure to leave room for the “face” to show so you can do a little decorating. I made slits for mouths and tiny holes for eyes filled with yellow mustard seeds. Pimento pieces for super creepy red eyes, or black mustard seeds would probably make excellent substitutes.

Step 4: Well, just bake them up! The cooking time for the biscuits should be sufficient, but recipes and hot dogs vary, so just keep an eye on them. Proceed to chomp down. Notice the creepy, yet delicious Green Goo that oozes from your mummy and be glad that such a holiday as Halloween exists : )

After having some of the BEST soup at LU*PIN last week during a meeting, i need to have MORE:

Eat me

2009-10-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Candy corn cupcakes from Flickr user Destination:Cupcake!
Yellow cake infused with honey, candy corn flavored buttercream with candy corn and peanut bits.
The COLORS of halloween have changed too:
Create a creepy scene for Halloween! Surround standard cupcakes with haunting wraps and add spooky pix in 2 eerie designs.

Includes 12 cupcake wraps and 24 pix.

Item/Number	Price	Qty
Haunted Manor Cupcake Wraps ’n Pix 415-1712	$3.99	OUT OF STOCK Notify me when available

Williams sonoma has this:
THIS person had WAYYYY too much time on theiir hands:
and this last one is one my boyfriend will love:

Elvira

2009-05-31T12:41:00.001-07:00

The modern day remake of the 50's C- Ed Wood Movie horror "Vampira", Elvira camped it up and used cleavage for fun- and profit.

The real Hell House

2009-05-31T12:36:00.001-07:00

Filmed in England, The home was a real private estate.

Addams Family

2009-05-31T12:31:00.001-07:00

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2009-05-31T12:24:00.001-07:00

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

2009-05-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

rEAL pUMPKINS

2009-05-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Maleficent

2009-05-31T12:05:00.001-07:00

Were Wolves

2009-05-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

Werewolves

2009-05-31T12:02:00.001-07:00

Haunted Houses

2009-05-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Haunted Houses

2009-05-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Vintage pics

2009-05-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Blood shots

2008-10-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

"blood shots" actually black cherry jello with rum. I added mini gummy brains after.

Spider Cakes

2008-10-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

http://abighoul.livejournal.com/4341.html

Whew! Now I'm feeling inspired!
While the design may not be original,
it at least incorporates the entire cake surface
and doesn't require much frosting expertise
beyond smoothing, blobs, and continuous lines.
Nice 'n easy C:

Thank you, Ladies' Home Journal. You have restored my cake-crafting faith.

And if you want all the crafty kudos for a spider web cake
without resorting to "spider web" lines,
pick yourself up one of these MSC stencils

and just rake in the compliments.

Eyeball cookies

2008-10-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/lib/inc/showImage.asp?id=8016&size=l

Eerie Eyeball Cookies
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup shortening
* 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Granulated sugar
* About 1 cup vanilla frosting(homemade or ready-to- spread)
* Red and black decorator frosting in tubes
* WHOPPERS Malted Milk Balls

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375° F. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

4. Frost center of cookie with vanilla frosting to form white portion of eye. Decorate with red and black frostings to form outline of eye and bloodshot markings. Press malted milk ball "iris" into center of eye. About 4 dozen cookies.

http://www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/treats/recipe.asp?id=8016

Ghost cake

2008-10-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/treats/

Made by lunara06. She is a genius!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-marshmallow-ghost-cake-and-mini-cupcakes?lnc=c479cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=foodpromo_Homepage_Homepage

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-marshmallow-ghost-cake-and-mini-cupcakes?lnc=c479cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=foodpromo_Homepage_Homepage

From:

Send Me a Free
Preview Issue Now!

You can use standard twelve-cup muffin tins instead of mini muffin tins; bake them for about twenty minutes. To frost the ghost cake, cover each of two layers with two-thirds cup Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting, and stack the layers; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of assembled cake. To frost the mini cupcakes, use the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (for vanilla frosting, omit the chocolate).

Ingredients

Makes three 6-inch layers or about 6 dozen mini cupcakes

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 6-inch round cake pans. Dust with cocoa powder, and tap out excess; set aside. Alternatively, line six mini muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined. Divide batter evenly among pans (about 2 cups batter per pan) or lined muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon batter per cup).
Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes for cake layers and 14 to 16 minutes for mini cupcakes. Let cool in pans or muffin tins on a wire rack. Decorate as desired.
***

Brain cupcakes

2008-10-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

********************

Brain Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by lunara06

*****************

Food for the SX halloween party

2008-10-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Party time
Every year we have a huge halloween party (got three firespinners for this year...hubby being one of them). I thought I'd share a party favorite (well, the kids won't eat it).

I present....

Instructions:

1 box of spice cake...bake and let cool completely. Make one box of vanilla pudding. Set aside (the pudding will get mixed in to the cake so it isn't so dry). Get one box of vanilla wafers and use a blender to grind them so fine it feels like sand. Take two table spoons of the "sand" and mix it with blue dye. Set the blue sand aside.

Use a powder/chemical/scent free litter liner and a NEW litter box and shovel. I must stress NEW. The above pic was the first year I did this. I didn't use a liner. It looks better with the liner.

Crumble the cake into the box and stir in the pudding. Cover the whole thing with the "sand." Sprinkle the blue "sand" in to make the crystals. Final touch? Tootsie rolls. Warm them for a few seconds in the microwave and shape them into little poops. Bury some of them...leave some on the side of the litter box...use your imagination.

Serve with a NEW (I repeat NEW) litter scoop!

Have fun!

**Warning: I have never found a little kid who was willing to try it. If you find this a problem, serve it onto plates and hand the plates to the kids. You'll get a better response.

Graveyard Cake

2008-03-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
Bleeding Chocolate Glaze, recipe below
Espresso Shortbread Headstones, recipe below
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Line with parchment paper; butter lining. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Set pan aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce speed to low; alternate between adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with f lour. Add pumpkin, and beat until completely combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Unmold; peel off parchment. Let cool completely on rack, top side up.
Set cake and rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour warm chocolate glaze over cake. Using a small offset spatula, gently smooth glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate until set. Arrange 6 headstones on top; serve with the remaining.

Makes one 9-by-13-inch cake.

Bleeding Chocolate Glaze

2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Stir together cream and honey in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate; stir until smooth.

Makes 2 cups.

Espresso Shortbread Headstones

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely ground espresso
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, (sifted, then measured)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Whisk together flour, salt, and espresso in a large bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Transfer dough to plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a paring knife, cut dough into 12 headstones shapes. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Bake cookies until set but not browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Let stand until cool but not stiff.
Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip, such as an Ateco #2, or to a parchment-paper cone. Pipe desired design on cookies

pics

2008-03-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

eerie eyeballs

2008-03-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Eerie Eyeballs

Yields approximately 9 dozen bite-sized eyeballs

3 oz (small box) lemon gelatin (can be sugar-free)
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup pineapple juice
8 oz cream cheese (can be lowfat/Neufchatel)

Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup water in double boiler, add marshmallows and stir to melt. Remove from heat. Add pineapple juice and cream cheese. Beat until well blended. Cool slightly. If you have a truffle candy mold or round ice cube trays, spary them with non-stick cooking spray first, then pour the mixture in the molds and leave to set in the fridge. Otherwise pour into a deep ceramic dish and chill until thickened or firm enough for scooping into eyeballs. Using a melonballer, scoop full balls of the mixture and set aside for decoration. To decorate, use liquid food coloring and an old detail paintbrush and get creative. You will need black food coloring for the pupils. Also, if you are in a hurry, instead of painting the colored irises, you can carefully dip the ball in a small pool of food coloring to approximate the iris, but still paint on the pupils. Note: if you are using the melonballer method, you might need to add one package of plain gelatin to your mixture. The molds work fine with just the lemon gelatin to make gently squishy eyeballs.

For 1999, I found rubber ice cube trays that worked beautifully with much less waste than the melonballer technique. I sprayed the rubber trays with non-stick cooking spray beforehand like you would any gelatin mold, let the gelatin mixture sit in the refrigerator to set, then I was able to carefully pop the eyeballs out to paint them. Some of the eyeballs did break, and they do have one flat side, but that actually works, since then they don't roll around while you are trying to paint them. Since 2001 I have found that Wilton truffle candy molds are even better, since the swirl design on the top is the right size for the cornea shape on the eyeball. When using the truffle molds, one recipe makes about 9 dozen eyeballs - plenty for a party crowd!

Orange ice cream

2008-03-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

eek!

2008-03-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yummy goodies

2008-03-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

Flavored with warming spices, this cake makes a lovely edible centerpiece for a Halloween gathering. After baking the two halves of the cake, attach them together with cream cheese frosting. Then let your creativity flow and decorate the cake with leaves and tendrils, or transform it into a spooky or funny jack-o'-lantern.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup diced crystallized ginger

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. pumpkin puree (optional)
Food coloring as desired

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Generously grease and flour the wells of the great pumpkin cake pan; tap out excess flour.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown and granulated sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the walnuts and crystallized ginger until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the wells of the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cake half comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake halves cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

Gently tap the pan on a work surface to loosen the cake halves. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cake halves cool completely before decorating.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide the frosting between two small bowls and stir the pumpkin puree into one bowl. Reserve the remaining frosting for decorating.

Using a bread knife, cut 1/4 inch off the flat side of each cake half. Place one cake half, flat side up, on a cake stand or plate and spread the pumpkin frosting on top. Place the other cake half, flat side down, on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Add food coloring as desired to the reserved frosting (green for leaves and tendrils, orange for a jack-o'-lantern). To create leaves and tendrils, using a rubber spatula, transfer the green frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a leaf or medium plain tip. Pipe leaves and tendrils on the top of the cake. To create a jack-o-lantern, using a rubber spatula, transfer the orange frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Pipe an outline of the face on the cake, then fill in the design. Serves 12.

THIS from Bakerella.

After several days of staring at cereal, I decided to go with Trix.

Trix or Treat Spider Cookies

1 package Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix
1 can of chocolate ready-made frosting
1 can of vanilla ready-made frosting
24-48 Trix orange and green sweetened corn puffs
Toothpicks
Re-sealable plastic bags

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients for cookies as directed on the package.
Use a small ice cream scoop to get similar sized cookies or just use a spoon and vary the amount for different size cookies.
Place cookie dough on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake for about 7-8 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes about two dozen cookies.

To decorate:

Spread chocolate frosting on the top of each cookie.
Fill a re-sealable plastic bag with a couple of heaping spoonfuls of frosting and snip a tiny hole out of the bottom of one corner.
Pipe on three circles of white frosting for each cookie. Start in the middle with the smallest circle and work your way out.
Take a toothpick and beginning in the center, drag it lightly through each circle. Repeat all the way around the cookie.
Take remaining frosting and separate it into two bowls. Tint one frosting with orange icing color and the other with green.
Fill two re-sealable bags with the orange and green frosting and snip off the corner of each.
Pipe eight small legs with each color and place a matching orange or green Trix Cereal puff on the top of each pair of legs. Add one or several spiders on each cookie.

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