in a large mixing bowl, combine one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk with 5 cups finely flaked coconut, 1/3 cup lime jello (in its powdered form), 1 cup finely ground almonds, and 1 tsp almond extract. mix well and cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for about one hour.

scoop out by tiny bits and form into odd shapes and balls. make sure all sizes and shapes are different, just as each and every booger is special and unique.

pour the remainder of the lime jello package in a bowl and lightly roll each booger in the powder to finish it. the boogers will get a nice crust and take on a neat lime shade. place on waxed paper and return to the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

these are so easy and quick. simply poke mini marshmallows on either end of a lollipop stick. over a double boiler or in a microwave, melt butterscotch chips until smooth (or you can use welton peanut butter-flavored candy melts). gently dip each end of the “swab” in the melted candy and lay it on waxed paper to set. do not refrigrate.

break apart three large shredded wheat bundles into long strands so they have the appearance of hair; set aside.

in a medium sized heavy saucepan, combine 3 tbs honey with 1 tbs light brown sugar and 6 oz of chocolate chips and 2 tbs butter or margarine. gently stir over medium heat until mixture is glossy and smooth.

remove from heat and gently stir in shredded wheat. when thoroughly coated, scoop onto a waxed paper lined sheet in small, equal portions. set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. before serving, you can shake a little “talcum powder” (10x sugar) on them to freshen them up!

1 (4 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
8 oz soft, mild goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup pesto
2 tbs coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbs poppy seeds
8 pitted olives, sliced
32 peppercorns
32 triangular blue corn chips OR free-form wings made from tortillas

mash together cream cheese, goat cheese and pesto. chill for 40 minutes.

shape mixture into 16 2″ balls (about 1 heaping tsp each). roll in black pepper and poppy seeds to cover. press two olive slices into balls for eyes and place peppercorns in centers for pupils.

insert chip on either side of ball for wings; serve.

16 servings

bun-length hot dogs
garnish: mustard, ketchup
buns (optional)

cut bun-length hot dogs lengthwise into quarters. place on grill rack crosswise, and grilll, uncovered, to desired degree of doneness. they’ll curl into worms on their own as they cook. serve alone or in buns with mustard and ketchup. in addition to red, offer colored ketchups such as green and purple.

1 measure blue curacao
1 measure bailey’s irish cream
1 pint cider OR lager
toffee crisp chocolate bars

mix curacao and irish cream. top up with cider or lager. the end result is a sort of greenish-brown liquid with scummy bits floating in it and a thick layer of scum on top. provide chocolate bars (referred to as “control rods”) to dip in the drink.

8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup orange and black gumdrops OR jujubes, chopped

place popped popcorn in a bowl; set aside. in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt to a boil; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until at hard-ball stage (254 degrees on a candy thermometer), or until 1/2 tsp of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid but still slightly pliable ball. remove from heat. wearing oven mitts to shield against splatters, carefully stir in vanilla. pour over popped popcorn; using a greased spoon, toss until coated. stir in candy. wearing rubber gloves, form into 2″ balls; let cool on a baking sheet.

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pretzel rod, broken in half

decorations: dark rye bread, red bell pepper, black olive slices, parsley sprigs

assorted crackers

beat cheeses, pumpkin, preserves and spices in a medium bowl until smooth. cover. refrigerate 2-3 hours or until cheese is firm enough to shape. shape mixture into a round pumpkin; place on a serving plate. using a knife, score vertical lines down the pumpkin. place pretzel rod in top for stem. cut 2 small triangles of red pepper for the eyes and one small triangle for the nose. slices olive slices in half for the mouth. cover loosely. refrigerate until serving time. serve with crackers.

6 large golden delicious apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter/margarine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
6 gummy worms
1 cup whipping cream (optional)

core apples from blossom ends, leaving stem ends intact. mix raisins and walnuts and stuff into cavities of cored apples. set apples, stems up, in a 7″x12 pan. in a 1-2 qt pan, mix brown sugar, water, butter,cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir over high heat until mixture boils. pour hot syrup around apples. bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven, basting occasionally with syrup, until apples are tender when pierced and skin begins to crack, 30-35 minutes.

remove apples from oven; cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature. set each apple in a small bowl and spoon syrup around fruit. in the top of each apple, cut a hole large enough for one of the gummy worms and tuck one end into each apple, leaving most of the worm dangling. offer cream to pour over the apples.

6 servings