I found a homemade face paint recipe on Recipezaar.com.  What is more safe than homemade?!

Ingredients:

-3 tablespoons cornstarch
-1 tablespoon flour
-3/4 cup Karo light corn syrup
-1/4 cup water
-food coloring, liquid or gel

Directions:

1. Mix cornstarch and flour together in a bowl.
2. Gradually stir in Karo syrup and water until smooth.
3. Divide mixture into individual containers as needed (Mix and store in baby food jars or discarded film canisters - or Glad plastic ware cups/lids — see pictures).
4. Color each one with the food coloring of your choice until you reach your desired color (I like mine darker — they seem to show up on the skin much better).
Leave one batch untinted.
5. NOTE: I felt the mixture was thin so I added another tsp or so of cornstarch. The recipe didn’t say to do this, but the face paint still worked.
6. NOTE: If using the gel food coloring (I find the colors are more vibrant), you will want to mix with your spoon first and then put the lid on the container and shake, shake, shake to mix it all up. Otherwise, your paint will be speckled with “pieces” of the gel food coloring.

-From Recipezaar.com

Here is a face painting stencil set:

                                                               Face Painting Stencil Set: $3.98

Here are some books that teach you how to face paint with kids:

                                              Gymboree Face Painting Book & Paint: $10.35

                                                          Face Painting Book & Paint: $16.47

If you don’t feel like making your own face paint here is some safe face paint options found on Smarter.com:

                                                      Snazaroo Face Painting Sticks: $3.95

-Easy to use.  No need for paint brushes.  Washes off with soap & water.

                                            Crafty Dab Face Paint Jumbo Crayon Set: $2.94

                                                          Palmer Face Paint: $1.29 for 2 oz bottle

                                               6 Big Pots Face/Body Paint-Brush Included: $11.99

 

BabyGadget.net features the cutest Kids’ Play BBQ!  They can cook with you on those nice sunny days.

Sweet Find Day gives a recipe for Shrimp with Bacon & Coconut.  YUM! 

Check out Mom Finds’ Guide to Recycled Finds in celebration of the upcoming Earth Day (April 22th).

This week on Smarter Babies & Kids we covered:

The sun is shining & your kids are antsy!  Here are some great kids’ outdoor furniture sets on sale!

When your child won’t sleep & you don’t know what to do, here is what NOT to do to get your baby to sleep.

Being a parent is pretty expensive.  Here are some great online coupon codes for baby & maternity stores that will help!  They expire by the end of this month so HURRY!

Check out these fun & girly tutus from Bella Symphony!

Many toy & product recalls:

      Plush Insect Toys Recalled

      Magnetic Dart Boards & Children’s Board Book Sets Recalled

      Toy Robots Recalled

      Fake Teeth & Seasonal Pens Recalled

                                                       

Kids are the easiest to fool.  They believe anything you say so why not run with it on April Fool’s Day?!

1) This is an oldie, but a goody. Grab some change and super glue it to the floor.  Watch as your kids spend their precious time trying to pick it up off the floor.  Kids’ love change even though they don’t fully understand the value of money.

2) My dad used to pull this one on us as kids.  Take a gift box with the cotton lining or cover it with grass & dirt, and poke a hole in the bottom center on one of the shorter sides.  Take one finger from either hand and either use fake blood or make your finger look pale & discolored.  Stick your finger in the box and close the lid.  Go to one of your children & tell then you “found something outside.”  While you both are ”observing” the finger move it quickly towards them and laugh as they scream in horror!

3) Place a rubber band on the kitchen sink spray nozzle so it stays on & when your children turn the sink on to rinse out their dinner dishes they will get sprayed!  And the great part of this prank is that it doesn’t require much clean up because it’s just water.

4) Tell your kid(s) the principal called about their rude & disruptive behavior at school & that they can’t play video games for a month.  The funny part about this one is that your child may apologize or confess to something they did, but thought they didn’t get caught!

5)  Make these yummy, but disgusting looking dirt cup cakes from JustJennRecipes.com for dessert tonight.  It will be a gross surprise at first glance, but they will surely enjoy it after they realize they’ve been fooled!

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake
Chocolate frosting
Crushed chocolate cookie crumbs
Chocola


“Start by baking a chocolate cake. I don’t think I need to give you a recipe here, just make a nice regular old one. Also make a batch of chocolate frosting. Frost the cake and ready your decor. I like to use crushed up cookies for the ‘dirt.’ Just crush up a bunch of Oreos, then throw them in the blender. Yes, cream filling and all.
I also like to add chocolate sprinkles to make it look like little pebbles. Gummi worms are the final creepy touch.”

Image Source: FamilyFun.com & JustJennRecipies.com

Forget-Me-Not Cones                                  

What You Need:

1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
10 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, cushed, divided
1 pkg. (1-3/4 oz.) COMET Cups (12 cups)
12 Marshmallow Flowers

Instructions:

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Let stand 5 min. Add whipped topping and 3/4 cup of the crushed cookies; stir gently until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

SPOON about 1/3 cup of the pudding mixture into each ice cream cup just before serving. Sprinkle evenly with remaining crushed cookies to resemble dirt in flower pots. Flatten tops slightly with back of spoon.

TOP each with a Marshmallow Flower.

Cupid Cups

What You Need:

1 square BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (4 serving size each) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1 1/2 cups, cold water, divided
Ice cubes
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Assorted Valentine sprinkles & candies

Instructions:

DRAW a heart design or write a Valentine’s Day message in each of eight (6-oz.) clear plastic cups by piping melted chocolate onto inside of each cup. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

STIR 1 cup of the boiling water into 1 pkg. of the dry gelatin mix in medium bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour evenly into prepared cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.

MEANWHILE, stir remaining 1 cup boiling water into remaining package of dry gelatin mix in medium bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining 1/2 cup cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until well blended. Spoon into prepared cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Decorate with sprinkles. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

Click here for more great Valentine’s Day recipes from KraftFoods.com.

What you need:

1 box of Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix (any non-swirl flavor) plus all the ingredients the cake mix calls for - water, vegetable oil & eggs.

2 containers of Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy or Whipped vanilla frosting

Mini marshmallows

Gumdrops

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.

2. Remove paper baking cups. Place 2 cupcakes upside down on separate plates. Cut small piece off side of a third cupcake to make a flat surface. Cut third cupcake horizontally in half. Place one half with cut side against cupcake on plate as shown in diagram. Place other half against second cupcake. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

3. Frost cupcake booties, attaching toe piece to cupcake with frosting. Decorate booties with marshmallows and bow shapes cut from gumdrops rolled with a rolling pin. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Eyeball Potion

Ingredients:

1. 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, partially thawed
  2. 24 blueberries
  3. 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  4. 1 pkg. (8 serving size) JELL-O Brand Gelatin, any red flavor
  5. Ice cubes
  6. 1 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, place 2 small scoops (about 2 Tbsp. each) of whipped topping into each of 12 dessert dishes for ‘eyeballs.’ Place a blueberry in each scoop for the ‘pupil.’ Freeze 30 minutes or until firm.

2. Meanwhile, stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 2-1/2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining ice. Spoon gelatin into prepared dishes around each eyeball, leaving the top of the eyeballs exposed.

3. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until firm.

Yield: 12 servings

Kraft Foods has some other great Halloween recipes.  Check them out here.

Here are some necessities:

One festively decorated front yard. Find Halloween yard decorations here.

This drink was always a hit at the Halloween parties I attended as a kid:

Witches Brew

Ingredients:
4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup candied ginger root, chopped
3 medium oranges
12 ounces apple juice, frozen concentrate, thawed
6 ounces limeade, frozen concentrate, thawed
2 cups seedless grapes
4 cups water
64 ounces ginger ale, (1/2 gal)
1 pound dry ice, up to 2 pounds

Directions:

1. In a 1 to 2 quart pan, bring 1 cup of cranberry juice and candied ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil,  uncovered, about 2 minutes, set aside.
2. With a vegetable peeler, pare peel (colored part only) from oranges; cut peel into thin 2-inch-long worms; or use an Oriental shredder to make long shreds. Add orange peel to cranberry mixture. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or as long as overnight.
3. Juice oranges; put juice in a 6 to 8 quart pan or heavy bowl. Stir in cranberry-ginger mixture, the 3 cups cranberry juice, apple concentrate, limeade, grapes and water. If made ahead, cover and chill up to 2 hours. Add ginger ale and about a 1 pound piece of dry ice (DO NOT put small pieces in punch or cups); ice should smolder at least 30 minutes. Ladle into cups. Add any remaining ice when bubbling ceases.

A SERIOUS CAUTION: never touch dry ice; use tongs to handle. Makes 5 quarts; allow about 1-1/2 cups for a serving.

Source: Flora’s Drink Hideout

Target.com has a Boiling Cauldron with Stand that is perfect for this drink.

Lastly, I found a Halloween dish recipe that actually looks edible. All of them are edible, but some of the recipes look too gross for me and their names are kind of too much for kids (I’m sure you know what I mean).

This recipe found on CooksRecipes.com looks cute & delicious:

Halloween Mummy Dogs

Ingredients:

2 tubes refrigerator pizza dough rolls
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Freshly grated Parmesan (part-skim) cheese
Non-stick spray
4 tablespoons pizza sauce or pasta sauce
8 hot dogs
Optional pizza toppings: onions, green peppers, olives, etc.
1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning mix (or your own mix of oregano, thyme, parsley, etc.)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Open package of pizza dough, gather ingredients, grate cheese, and dice vegetables.
3. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
4. Place pizza dough on sheet and cut into 8 squares; press dough thin with fingers.
5. Add pizza sauce to each square.
6. Add hot dogs and other pizza toppings and pizza herbs to taste.
7. “Mummify” the hot dogs by wrapping them completely in the dough and pinching the ends.
8. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
9. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dip

Makes 6 servings.

For books with Halloween recipe & party ideas click here.