Project: Milk Jug Ghost Lanterns

We had such a fun night the other night making these cute lanterns that I just had to share.  I got the idea from here.

We've been gathering milk jugs for the past couple of weeks and we are going to keep adding to our line-up until halloween.

Supplies:

Milk jugs

Permanent marker

X-ACTO knife (box-cutter, razor blade etc etc)

Christmas lights

 Start, of course, with a washed out, empty milk jug.  With permanent marker draw a ghost face on the side opposite the label.

 Cut a hole in the bottom of the backside and stuff several of the lights inside.

 Create your line-up!  For more exact instructions you can check out the link I mentioned before.  My kids had a blast creating their own scary ghost faces.  I used some of my icicle lights and wove the extras through the bushes.

And, of course, we always have to have a fun treat to go with it!  I just love my desserts I guess :)  Today we had:

"Treasure-Filled Apples"

I am kind of a picky produce person.  I had some apples that weren't quite perfectly fresh, still fine, but .....you know.  So they weren't being eaten.  Baking them is the perfect solution!  

 I have this really fun cookbook my mother in law gave to me on my birthday (she knows me well :) and this particular treat was in the snack section!  I personally think it is much much too sweet to be considered anything but a treat or dessert.  And my kids thought this was great.  I loved hearing their gasps and oohs and ahhs as they opened up their apples

And at first it almost does look slightly halloweeny creepy I think!  Then I cut them up for them and the sweet juices spilled out and there were red hot candies everywhere (which they love).  They all just gobbled them up!  I enjoyed mine, but couldn't finish it.  It was very sweet, very tasty, but very sweet.  The bites with the red hots were especially yum!

So here's the recipe:

6 medium tart apples

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup red-hot candies

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Cut tops off apples and set tops aside. Core apples to within 1/2 inch of bottom.  Place in a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
2.  In a bowl, combine, sugar, candies and cinnamon; spoon 2 tablespoons into each apple.  Replace the tops.  Spoon any remaining sugar mixture over the apples.
3.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender, basting occasionally.

Yield: 6 servings

Super duper easy.  I like that :)