]]> http://www.chloesghoststories.co.uk/simpsons-halloween-special-terror-of-tiny-toon/feed/ http://www.chloesghoststories.co.uk/chocolate-covered-brussel-sprouts/ http://www.chloesghoststories.co.uk/chocolate-covered-brussel-sprouts/#comments Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:11:22 +0000 admin http://www.chloesghoststories.co.uk/chocolate-covered-brussel-sprouts/ Want play a trick on those, Trick or Treating rascals that call on your house this Halloween? We have the perfect Trick or Treat, treat - Chocolate covered brussel sprouts!

We all know how much children hate to eat their greens, especially brussel sprouts. So this little treat is sure to trick them. Just imagine their little faces when they bite down on these festive goodies! Ad remember, he who laughs last, laughs longest.

All you will need is a bag of brussel sprouts, some milk chocolate cooking chocolate, some greaseproof paper and some Hundreds and Thousands to decorate (Optional)

First take the brussel sprouts and prepare them as if you were going to cook them by taking off all the outer leaves. Give them a wash and pat them dry. If they are wet the chocolate won’t cover properly.

Now take the chocolate and break up into chunks and put them in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Take out and stir. Return back to the microwave for 30 seconds if needed. Be careful not to microwave too much because it burn the chocolate and spoils it.

If you don’t have a microwave, don’t worry. Break the chocolate up into a heat proof bowl and stand in a saucepan of boiling water on the hob. You need to make sure that the pan doesn’t boil dry, and that no water splashes out of the pan and into your chocolate, else it will spoil. Remember to keep stirring your chocolate.

When the chocolate is melted, add the brussel sprouts and give them a good mix to ensure that all the brussel sprouts are evenly covered and no green leaves are showing.

Then carefully lift each brussel sprout out with a spoon and leave it on a sheet of greaseproof paper. When you have all the chocolate covered brussel sprouts out of the mixture, use a tea spoon to drizzle chocolate over each brussel to ensure coverage and use up the left over melted chocolate.

If you would like to decorate the brussel sprouts sprinkle some Hundreds and Thousands over them whilst the chocolate is still warm. They will stay in place when the chocolate sets.

Place the chocolate treats in the fridge to harden for about 30 minutes. Divide into little goodie bags ready for the Halloween trick or treaters, wont they be surprised? Please do expect to have your garden covered in half bitten chocolate covered brussel sprouts, however, that all adds to the amusement!

by: S. Roberts

Chocolate Covered Ants

:S Sounds Grusome I know but I am assured that they are edible and taste quite good.

These chocolate coverd edible creepy crawlies will by a tasty addition to your party food,  if your guests are a little squemish, don’t tell them what they are till they’ve just about finished it, lol.

You could also use the chocolate covered ants as a truth or dare game, “tell the truth, or, eat an ant” brilliant.

and at just £3.95 from Firebox, they fit into most party budgets.

enjoy

The Raw Fear Box Set is brilliant for Halloween or sleep overs, it has one CD full of very spooky music, perfect for setting the mood while playing Halloween Games.

There is another CD full of scary noises with distant church bells, rustling and distant screams, perfect for telling scary stories and for setting an eerie mood for any party.

The last thing in the box is a Booklet filled with Ghost Stories, Urban Legends, Ghost Hunting Tips and Ghost Stories, read this to your friends when while listening to the Sound effects CD and you’ll be set for the scariest party ever, just remember to bring clean underwear.  

Click Here to Buy from Firebox for only £9.95

Instead of the usual sandwiches, at Halloween why not surprise the kids with these spooky snacks!

Pumpkin crackers

A round cracker with a slice of red cheese cut into circle on top. Decorate to look like a pumpkin with either soft cheese piped or a white cheese cut into shapes.

Skull sandwiches

Cut two slices of bread into skull shapes. Cut eye and mouth shapes into the top slice. Spread with butter. Spread the bottom slice thickly with jam and place the top slice on letting the jam ooze through the gaps.

Devil egg eyes

Slice a hard boiled egg in two. Scoop out the yolk and in a separate bowl mix in some mayonnaise. Spoon egg mixture back into boiled egg. To make the eye look bloodshot use tomato ketchup.

Ice scream eyes

Scope of raspberry ripple ice cream with a cherry on top. Add strawberry sauce for more blood.

Bat wings

Arrange chicken wings on a plate to look like bats.

Dried scabs

Simply a bowl of dried fruit. Red berries and raisins look good.

Blood and guts

Make up a red jelly and allow to set. Chop up jelly and add red fruits for a gory look.

Fangs

Slices of peeled apple with a strawberry (blood) sauce.

Witches fingers

Simply cocktail sausages with red or green peppers. Cut a small (1cm) slice out of the top of the sausage to form a shelf for the finger nail to rest. Cut the pepper into finger nail shapes and add a bit of soft cheese on the back to stick it onto the sausage.

Witch heads

Cover a fairy cake with green butter icing (or add green food colouring to cake mixture – a lot less messy and time consuming). Cover an ice cream cone in melted chocolate and allow to set. Add a little spare butter icing to the base of the cone to stick it to a chocolate digestive to form a hat. Cut up some liquorice laces and add to the top of the fairy cake to form hair. Place the hat on top. Use dolly mixtures for eyes and pipe black icing to form the rest of the face.

Blood

Any red fruit juice or squash.

Mud

Chocolate milkshake, mixed with ice cream and crushed chocolate flakes.

Lastly why not serve up crisps in a bowl with plastic skeleton or bats for decoration.

For other recipes and activities for the kids go to www.b4school.co.uk

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“‘Tis some visiter,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door –
                                        Only this, and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; — vainly I had tried to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore –
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore –
                                        Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me — filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“‘Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door –
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door; –
                                        This it is, and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you ” — here I opened wide the door; —-
                                        Darkness there and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!” –
                                        Merely this, and nothing more.

Then into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore –
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;–
                                        ‘Tis the wind and nothing more!”

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door –
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door –
                                        Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore –
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
                                       Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning — little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no sublunary being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door –
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
                                       With such name as “Nevermore.”

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered — not a feather then he fluttered –
Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before –
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.”
                                       Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

Wondering at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster so when Hope he would adjure –
Stern Despair returned, instead of the sweet Hope he dared adjure –
                                       That sad answer, “Never — nevermore.”

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore –
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
                                       Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
                                        She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
“Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee — by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite — respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore;
Let me quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
                                        Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil! — prophet still, if bird or devil! –
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted –
On this home by Horror haunted — tell me truly, I implore –
Is there — is there balm in Gilead? — tell me — tell me, I implore!”
                                        Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil — prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us — by that God we both adore –
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore –
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
                                        Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting –
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! — quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
                                       Quoth the raven “Nevermore.”

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor 
                                       Shall be lifted — nevermore!

For the pastry:
Sweet short crust pastry case
or a packet of ready made sweet short crust pastry with 40g/1½oz crushed pecans mixed in.

For the filling:
450 g/1lb prepared weight pumpkin flesh, cut into 1in/2.5 cm chunks
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (use the white for another dish)
3 oz/75g soft dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
10 fl oz/275 ml double cream

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Use a shop bought sweet crust pastry case, about 9 inch/23 cm diameter and 1½ inches/4 cm deep.
3.  To make the filling, steam the pumpkin then place in a coarse sieve and press lightly to extract any excess water.
4. Then lightly whisk the eggs and extra yolk together in a large bowl.
5. Place the sugar, spices and the cream in a pan, bring to simmering point, giving it a whisk to mix everything together. Then pour it over the eggs and whisk it again briefly.
6. Now add the pumpkin pureé, still whisking to combine everything thoroughly.
7. Then pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes, by which time it will puff up round the edges but still feel slightly wobbly in the centre.
8.  Then remove it from the oven and place the tin on a wire cooling rack. Serve chilled (stored loosely covered in foil in the fridge) with some equally chilled créme fraïche, but warm or at room temperature would be fine.