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By Dorothy Sibole

Halloween is unique. There are so many creative Halloween possibilities when it comes to food. Whether you are having a party for 20 or a little dinner for two, you can make spectacular desserts or tasty, bite-sized treats.

With little effort and imagination, you can turn most any regular dessert into a spooky, ghoulish delight. A key lime pie can become a Ghoul Pie with some more green food coloring added to the mix. Lady Fingers can have the ends "painted" with red, edible glitter and be real Lady Fingers. Cherry pie can transform into Bloody-Eye Pie with the addition of a few more drops of red food coloring. All you need to really change is the name.

Swamp Water
One of the first examples of party food I ever experienced was my Mom's recipe for Swamp Water, a punch drink. It is a recipe I am reviving and giving a spooky touch. I can still remember the first time I drank this concoction at my older sister's fourteenth birthday party. I was like, "Yuck, how did you get swamp water?!"

This recipe will provide Swamp Water for four to six people.

• 1 bottle orange soda
• 1 bottle root beer soda
• Vanilla ice cream and/or orange sherbet
• Dry ice, for a spooky foggy effect
• Spooky candy of your choice

You can serve your drinks from a cauldron made foggy with dry ice. You will need a large cauldron or pot and a smaller metal bowl or pot to fit inside the larger one, and dry ice (which you can buy at some grocery stores). Being careful to never actually touch the dry ice, place a few pieces in the large cauldron/pot and cover the dry ice with water. If you want to shift the ice around, use a wooden spoon. Place the smaller bowl or pot in the larger one and fill it with some of the sodas and a few scoops of the ice cream and sherbet, saving some of the ice cream for the cups. This is really just a big ice cream float, but it is yummy.

Spooky Cookies (Pecan Shortbread Cookies)

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the rest of the ingredients. When mixed, chill for about an hour. Then roll out using a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out with desired shapes (this is a good recipe for all seasons). Makes about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Simple Slimy Icing (Royal Icing)
Great for decorating cookies, cakes, gingerbread and anything else edible.

• 3 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 16-ounce package of confectioners' sugar
• Food coloring

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl and whip at medium speed until frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well. Beat 5 to 7 minutes. Portion the icing into cups and color as desired.

Royal icing dries very hard, and is often used for making decorations that can last indefinitely. It's edible, but crunchy.

Apple Cheddar Bread
This tasty quickbread is great for mornings and as a nice snack before going out for trick or treating.

• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, walnuts (saving some for the top), apples and cheese. Add the eggs, melted butter and milk. Stir until well blended and pour into prepared pan. You can top with walnuts or cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. If the loaf starts to brown too much, cover it with foil. It keeps in the fridge for about a week, or six months in the freezer, tightly wrapped.