HALLOWEEN FUN FOR DINNER

If you need a fun Halloween dinner idea this one is for you.  I remember having dinners like this in my youth but we called them something different but now I believe we would call them Mystery Dinners.  The items on the menu are named mystery names so you don't know exactly what you are getting but that is what makes it so fun.    There are many ways to do this but this is the one I came up with for a recent high school dance for my daughter and her group.   It is easy to adapt to a family.

Menu:

I am including the word document I printed off to make the menus-

WELCOME TO A

SPOOKTACULAR

Dining Experience

APPETIZER-

 Please choose ONE of the following choices and write the number on the order paper provided:

1)           Troll Bogies

2)          Corpse Extremities

3)           Frankenstein’s Teeth with Dragon Scales

 DESSERT-

Please choose ONE of the following choices and write the number on the order paper provided:

 

1)     Disections Glory

2)    Cemetery Plots

3)    Ghosts in the Graveyard

 ENTRÉE-

Please choose the ORDER of your ENTRÉE dishes and put it on the order paper provided:

1)           Devil’s Inferno

2)          Ground Grasshoppers & Werewolf  Nails

3)          Road Kill Thrill

4)          Vampire Stakes

5)          Slimy Swamp Grass

Some frightening fun while you wait…

1)             Why did the skeleton go the party alone?

2)            What road has the most ghosts haunting it?

3)            What position does a ghost play in soccer?

4)            What room is useless for a ghost?

5)            Why are vampires tough to get along with?

RIDDLES:

1-It’s right behind you…creeps on the ground, follows you home

Does not make a sound-better turn around-

What is it?

2-“Look at you,” the old witch said.

“You’re no use to me till I cut off your head!”

Where is the witch and what/who is she talking to?

 

I burned the edges with a lighter and then added spider webbing for effect.
I included order papers on the bottom of each menu so they could put their name and selections on it. 

Here are the food items that go with each Spooky name:
APPETIZERS:
                        TROLL BOGIES  (purple jigglers cut into cubes)

 

 

CORPSE EXTREMITIES (apple sliced lengthwise and thin for palm of hand, banana sliced into thin strips for fingers, red grapes cut lengthwise for fingernails)

FRANKENSTEIN TEETH WITH DRAGON SCALES (Ritz crackers for scales and orange cheese cut into long cubes for teeth)

ENTREES:
DEVILS INFERNO (any type of red drink (we used cranberry juice) with small chunk of dry ice in it)

ROAD KILLTHRILL (parmesan chicken, use Tyson frozen breaded breasts, add hot marinara sauce to top after completely cooked, turn off oven but leave in oven and add shredded mozzarella cheese)
SLIMY SWAMP GRASS (Fettuccine Alfredo)
                            Recipe for delicious Alfredo sauce:
                                   Bring to boil stirring constantly:  1/2 C butter
                                                                                         1 C heavy cream
                                                 Then add 3/4 freshly grated parmesan cheese
                                                 (Not the Kraft jar kind or pregrated, it does
                                                   not melt right)
                                    Stir until smooth and cheese is completely melted.
                                    Add salt and pepper to taste.
GROUND GRASSHOPPERS & WEREWOLF NAILS (Olive Garden type salad with black olives as the nails.  Sam's Club sales Olive Garden dressing and croutons so it really tastes just like it .. )
VAMPIRE STAKES (breadsticks)

DESSERTS:
DISECTIONS GLORY (cake balls, dipped in white chocolate and painted to look like iris)

CEMETERY PLOTS (brownie square in bottom of cup with chocolate pudding on top then add crushed oreos and gummy worms)

GHOSTS IN THE GRAVEYARD (rectangle graham crackers standing up with the help of a little frosting with marshmellow dipped in chocolate for a Smore effect)

We served the dinner one course at a time and the kids loved it.  All ages of children would enjoy this, it was a big hit even for high schoolers.

Here are the answers to the Frightening Fun section:
1) Because he couldn't find any body to go with him
2) Dead End
3) Ghoulie
4) A living room
5) Because they can be a pain in the neck

Riddles:
1) Your Shadow
2) She's in the garden talking to a cabbage

                                       

 

 

1st Day of School celebration-FHE

I love to use the beginning of a new school year to have a special family night on the importance of education. I begin by sharing this story by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (below).  There are also some great items to discuss in For the Strength of Youth pamphlet under "Education."

This a a great video to also share with your kids-

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-06-1090-education-is-the-key-to-opportunity?lang=eng

.   

I always want my children to understand the privilege that it is to go to school each day and receive an education.  It is a gift.  This point of view changes the attitude about school every day and gives more purpose and reason to work hard each school year. 

We then set some family goals for the new school year, which always include increasing our efforts on family prayer and scripture study, being on time, doing our very best in all classes and giving our best efforts, reaching out to others, being a better friend and most importantly a positive attitude. 

Our dessert (simple and nothing fancy) for the first day of school FHE is usually a celebration cake of the new grades that the children are entering. 

 

 For this year it was fresh peach shakes!

 

Jeffrey R. Holland, while president of Brigham Young University, told this story:

“I’d like to tell you a true story about a young boy who didn’t have the opportunity of going to school for very long. His father died, leaving little money for the boy’s family. One day the boy became very ill with smallpox and had to miss a lot of school.

“Slowly his health improved, and he was glad to be able to go to school again. But he was back in school for just one year, completing the seventh grade, when he had to stop going altogether. He and his brother then had to find jobs to help earn enough money to buy food and clothing the family needed.

“The boy worked very hard, grew up strong, and learned a lot through his experiences. He read books whenever he could, and was interested in learning the things he had missed by not going to school. Often he would say how sad he was not to have had a formal education. He was a wonderful man and worked hard to develop himself. And he kept hoping that someday he could get back to school again. But he never had that chance. This little boy who grew up wanting to continue his schooling was my father.

“Because of my father’s experience, he was very anxious for me to have a good education. When I’d say, ‘But I don’t want to go to school,’ he’d say, ‘Then I’ll go in your place. Do you think the teacher would mind? I wonder if I can fit into the seat at your desk?’

“That always made me laugh because I think it would have frightened my teacher to see a grown man coming to school, and I knew he couldn’t fit into the small seat at my desk. So I would go to school. …

“Later when I had graduated from high school, served a mission, and completed my courses in college, I went on to earn a Ph.D. from a school in New England. …

“When I received my diploma I wanted my father to have it. He had never received a graduation diploma from any school and I thought he deserved this one. I told him that although my name was on it, the diploma should really be awarded to him. I told him they probably just made a mistake in the printing. That made him laugh and then it made him cry. I wasn’t sure then why it made him cry—but I know now” (“Do You Think I Can Fit into Your Seat?” Friend, Sept. 1978, pp. 6–7).

 

FAMILY VACATION RECAP/FAVORITES

I heard this funny quote once…

“THERE IS REALLY NO VACATION IN “FAMILY VACATION”, LETS JUST CALL THEM A FAMILY TRIP.”

I am very fanatical about the importance of family vacations.  Family vacations need not be far away, extravagant  or expensive but they must happen.  I feel there must be a vacation once a year that is just your immediate family-no relatives or friends allowed (grandma’s and grandpa’s are OK once in a while).  This allows your family to really have an opportunity to focus on each other with no other relationships  competing for time or attention.  Family vacations are sacred to me.  They are a most  precious time together.   They provide opportunities not available in our daily routines.  Each family member is “forced” to spend time together, experience things together and create lasting memories which bond them together and strengthen their relationships. 

Usually as soon as our yearly family vacation is over I start planning the next one.  It takes months to plan a GREAT vacation and months to save $ for one.  I always start with creating a budget and have learned that you will have heavenly help keeping within your budget if you ask for it.  

One of the best parts of our family vacations is the first Family Night after we have returned.  We call it the TRIP RE-CAP.  We watch all the pictures of our trip on the computer or T.V. then we do an activity entitled “Our Favorites.”     Each family member is given a handout and writes their name on it then they list all their favorites of the trip.  Here are two examples.  (the handout varies each trip depending on the activities we did)

ALASKA CRUISE TRIP FAVORITES-May 31-June 7, 2014

Favorite city ______________________________________

Favorite onboard activity ________________________________________________________

Favorite animal encounter __________________________________________________________

Favorite meal on ship ___________________________________

Favorite meal off ship _________________________________________________

Favorite thing about the cruise ship _____________________________________________________________

Funniest moment _________________________________________________________________

Favorite excursion __________________________________________________

Favorite food item on ship ______________________________________

Most memorable moment _____________________________________________________________________

Worst thing about the trip _______________________________________________________

Best thing you learned ________________________________________________________________

What you will remember most about this trip _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

FAVORITES ABOUT OUR FAMILY CHURCH HISTORY TRIP 2009

Kirtland/ Niagra Area

Favorite site:

Something I learned that strengthened my testimony:

Best thing about this area:

Best meal:

Worst thing about this area:

Palmyra/Fayette/Harmony

Favorite site:

Something I learned that strengthened my testimony:

Best Meal:

Worst thing about this area:

Sandusky/Cedar Point

Favorite roller coaster:

Worst thing about this park:

Best thing about this park:

Nauvoo

Favorite Site:

Something I learned that strengthened my testimony:

Best thing about this area:

Favorite  Meal:

Worst Meal:

Worst thing about this area:

Whole Trip

Favorite Hotel:

Favorite place overall:

Best Meal overall:

Best activity overall:

Funniest thing that happened:

Best thing about being on this trip:

What you will best remember about this trip:

Share your feelings about our pioneer ancestors and Joseph Smith and how most of all your testimony was strengthened of them. 

 

Then we go around and each person reads their answers.  It is a great laugh and brings back all the memories and fun we just had.  These pages are then added to the trip scrapbook containing all the pictures of that particular trip.  It is looked at often and each time it is brought out those memories come flooding back and our bonds are strengthened by precious memories.    It is also an awesome way to journal the experience. 

 

This trip re-cap is also a wonderful insight into the things that your children really enjoy.  It’s so fun to learn that usually they all have a different favorite and that each one of them learn different things on the trip (I try to make sure that each trip is filled with learning activities) .    It gives each child an opportunity to feel valued as they share their opinion and we all listen.  Doing this activity also gets the kids more invested in the trip as they are thinking right from the beginning what activities or moments will be on the “trip re-cap favorites” page.  

I also always do a GOOD ATTITUDE CONTEST .   I keep a notebook with me constantly (everyone else will surely just use their cell phone) and we start from the very beginning of the trip and I give each child, myself and husband, points for displays of good attitudes, positive comments, extra helpfulness, kind and patient words and compromise.    Family vacations must be full of all these things to be a positive experience and there really is no better opportunity to put these great life skills into practice-with the people who we are supposed to love and cherish the most.  At the end of each vacation day I total up the points and whoever is in the lead gets to pick our restaurant for dinner, get an extra icecream scoop, get a candy bar at the gas station or some other small reward.  It works like magic and makes a big difference.  When we are hiking “too far” I remind them of the points and attitudes change quickly, when someone wants a certain bed in the hotel that another one wants I remind them of the points and compromise is quickly reached.  No one can contest the points given but each family member can recommend that points be given to a certain someone. 

 After several of our vacations I have also done PAPER PLATE AWARDS and these are presented at the Family Night Trip Re-cap.  I think of a title that each child has earned while on the trip and write it on a paper plate and accompany it with their favorite candy bar.  They  get so excited about this simple award and sometimes I let my older kids make them and they loved that opportunity. 

 All of these ideas are ways to strengthen family bonds which I feel should be one of our highest priorities.  Whenever I fill out my favorites page and answer the last question, “What was your favorite thing about this trip?”, my answer is ALWAYS, “That I got to spend 7 days with my favorite people in the world and eat every meal with them and have no interruptions or distractions from the world.  It is a little bit of heaven!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROM WILL HAVE TO WAIT

Trying to follow the guidelines in the For the Strength of Youth, "Do not date until you are at least 16 years old," created an opportunity when my daughter got asked to the high school Prom a few weeks ago and she was still 15, and we had to come up with a good way to answer the boy who asked her.

We bought this cake and put 15 candles in it and she made this cute sign.  She took it to his house and delivered it to his door step.  Hopefully he knew that she'd love to be asked again next year. 

     I was proud of her as it can be difficult when all your friends are going to their first Prom and you so want to be included in that exciting time.  As we discussed this experience and some comments from some girls at school regarding the 16 year old dating counsel such as, "that doesn't matter anymore," and my senior son said, "oh mom no one follows that anymore," my 11 year old said, 'Well Elly you'll get all the blessings!"  I was so thankful that he recognizes that obedience brings blessings.  I'm thankful that Elly recognizes that following a prophet is not optional!

FORGIVENESS ROCK-another humiliating and hilarious story

A few years ago I was serving in the Primary and I was in charge of presenting sharing time.  The theme I was to address was about forgiveness so I planned to use to the story about the man who puts a rock in his pocket every time someone does something mean to him or makes him mad.  He carries those rocks around so he can remember all the reasons to be angry with people.  The rocks have a negative effect on him and begin to weigh him down and fill his house just like when we don’t forgive others. 

I decided I would use a backpack and fill it with rocks so that the kids could see how heavy being unforgiving gets.  While at Bear Lake I collected boulders of all sizes and wrote on them with permanent marker things that would be hard to forgive for children and adults.   I put such things as; “friend broke my favorite toy,” “friend said something mean about me to other people”, “had an argument with spouse”, “friend pushed me and made me fall and scrape my knee”, “teenager told me a lie about how the car got damaged”, “church leaders offended me with their counsel” etc. etc. 

I had one child put the backpack on and called up other children one at a time to pick a rock and read it and then put it in the backpack.  The child holding the backpack quickly got weighed down with the heaviness of the rocks.  By the time all the rocks were in there he couldn’t walk at all and the backpack looked like it wouldn’t hold.  Anyway it was a very effective forgiveness sharing time and went well for all ages. 

Well that is only a small part of this story.  Many weeks later we were headed to our favorite town parade with my parents, sisters and their families.  I needed to save our spot on the street with a blanket and it was pretty breezy so I grabbed some of those boulders to set in the corners of the blanket.  The parade was delightful and when it was over I asked my kids to make sure we got all our belongings and the rocks.  They assured me we had and we headed to our car. 

The next day I got a phone call from my brother in law telling me that one of my rocks had been left behind and caused a stake president and his first counselor a sleepless night!  Panic filled my heart as I listened to him recount the happenings of his early morning meeting with the stake presidency. 

As the high council began their meeting,  the stake president set a large rock on the table with writing on it that said, “my church leaders offended me with their counsel.”  He said, “Brethren we have offended someone and we have to get to the bottom of this.”  He recounted finding  the rock in his yard the previous evening, reading it and quickly taking it over to his counselor’s house to show it to him.   He worried that someone had tried to throw it at his house.  The two of them spent most of the night trying to figure out what member of their stake it could have been.  One of them even made a list of possibilities and went through it name by name trying to remember exact conversations and interactions. 

As soon as my brother-in-law saw the rock he knew where it had come from and quickly let him know that is was a very big misunderstanding and I was the owner of the rock.

He took a picture of the stake president holding the rock and sent it to me.  By then apparently the story was funny but it took weeks for it to be funny to me.  I felt so horrible.  I made brownies and wrote a note of apology and delivered them that evening with the intention to leave them on the doorstep and RUN!  Just as I laid them on the porch the stake president opened the door.  Oh the humiliation!

The incident was handled with such kindness and humor and I was so thankful for the forgiveness I received for leaving the “forgiveness rock” in his yard!

 

 

Olympic Party

One of the most exciting things to celebrate as a family is the Olympics and since they don't come around all too often it's a fun reason to have a great party!

These ideas can be used for a birthday party or family party. 

                  TORCH   CAKE-To make the torch cut out a flame from construction paper. Cut a short plastic cup in half lengthwise and attach the flame to a plastic cup.  Put the cup towards the top of the cake.  Use tinfoil to create a handle. 

We had our own family Olympics.  Each person picked their country (no one could be from the USA) and then each person had to locate that country on a map and learn one cool thing about that country and share it with the family.  Each person then made them a sign with the country name and colors that we taped to our shirts. We did events such as  bobsledding by putting a small, single sized air mattress on the top of the stairs and then riding it down the stairs and whoever went the farthest won.  We had ice skating by clearing off our wood floor and each person taking turns doing their routine with stocking feet.  We did ice hockey by using brooms as hockey sticks and then used a stuffed animal for a puck.  We did curling by putting a circle on the wood floor with colored tape and another line of colored tape about 15 feet from the circle.  We would stand on that line and then push a Frisbee in curling style to see who could get it closest to the circle. 

 

We also made Olympic ring jello for our dinner.  I tried to make one for each color of the rings.  The black is a little hard but I did really dark purple. 

We had a medal ceremony with medals I purchased from Oriental Trading or they have some at Zurchers' party store.  It was definitely one of our best family nights ever. 

The Temple-I am going there on THIS day!

Years ago I made this picture to hang up in our house so everyday the kids could look at it and keep the goal of the temple in their mind.  At the time I made it my oldest son was 16 and the mission ages were different so when the prophet changed the ages last Oct. I crossed off and corrected for the new age.  I keep meaning to make a whole new one but have never got around to it and this one does the job.

It has hung on our pantry door for 6 1/2 years now and been a constant reminder to live worthy of a temple recommend.  Those 6 1/2 years have passed so quickly and our third child is getting ready to go to the temple as soon as he graduates.  At the time I made it I thought it such a long way off and wondered "how will I help all these children get to the temple?"  It felt very overwhelming in this wicked world.  I have come to appreciate more than ever the power of the "little" things like weekly Family Home Evenings, scripture study, family prayer, weekly sacrament meeting attendance and family activities that contribute in significant ways to our children making it to the temple.  I also appreciate the help of loved ones, church leaders and teachers who help me with that job as well.

This picture keeps our goal at the forefront of our minds and helps all of us plan and look forward to each child receiving the blessings of the temple.  For me as a mother I'm counting down to a very special day in 2022 when my husband and I can be there with all five of our children and then our JOY will be truly FULL!

*To create one of your own download a copy or obtain a print of the temple of your choice. 
 -Type up the names of your children and dates ( I went with mission age for the boys and age 21 for the girls just as a ball park figure but now will change that for mission age as well) on your computer and print it off on a piece of transparent/tracing paper. 
- Attach the tracing paper to the temple picture by gluing the edges together with a glue stick. 
-Hang for all to enjoy! 

Celebrate Martin Luther King

We learned all about Martin Luther King today at preschool and watched a youtube video of his famous "I Have a Dream" speech (we only watched the last 6 minutes and we counted how many times he said, "I have a dream.")

We talked about how his hard work and sacrifice changed America to be a better place where people are more kind and accepting of others.  That was his dream and it has come true.  Then all the children decided on a dream they have that will help the world be better and they drew pictures on paper quilt squares.  We put it together with tape and added the yarn bows in each corner. 

It was touching to see what the children came up with and that even at their young age they really understood thinking about ways that they can make a difference.

FHE lesson: They That Are Wise-preparing for the Second Coming

I love this lesson for Family Home Evening and it's simple and fast to put together and the kids like to pull the drops of oil off the bottle and add them to the lamp. 
I take all the quotes from President Spencer W. Kimball's talk and book. (included at end)

PREPARATION:
Print off this oil lamp that I have included

 

Cut it out and tape it to a bowl or play kitchen pan

 

Next cover a water bottle with a piece of yellow paper that says;

OIL=

Being Prepared to see

Jesus at Second Coming

 

Next print out 8-10 oil drops

Cut them out and write one of these things on each drop:
-Attendance at sacrament meeting
-Fasting
-Family prayer
-Home and visiting teaching
-I Hope They Call Me On a Mission
-Deeds of Kindness
-Paying tithing
-I Love to See The Temple
-Chaste thoughts and actions
-Control of bodily appetites

Put piece of tape on each one and attach it to the water bottle you have covered in yellow paper. 

 

Print out an oil lamp for each child

 

Now you are ready to go!

Explain that when Jesus was born as a baby on the earth that was the first time He came to earth.  He will come again and that is called The Second Coming.  Prophets have told us that He will come again and we need to be ready for that day.  We learn about how to be ready from a story in the scriptures called the 10 Virgins. 

Show the video clip from lds.org They That Are Wise. It's a little over 8 minutes long.  Afterward help children understand that the oil is our preparation- what we are doing in our lives to be ready to meet the Savior and be like Him when he comes.  They often don't understand the symbolism of this great story.  Also explain to them why Jesus wouldn't let the women in at the door.  This is concerning to them.

Have each child take a turn pulling off a drop of oil from the bottle. Read it and put it in the lamp.  If it is a song sing it. 

When all the drops are in the lamp read the quote in RED by President Kimball (the other quotes are just to help explain the story to children).


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In this parable the virgins represent members of the Church, and the bridegroom represents Christ. The Lord explained to Joseph Smith that the wise virgins are those who “have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived” (D&C 45:57).

 In the Bible, the image of a wedding is used to portray the coming of the Lord (see Isaiah 62:5; Matthew 22:1–14). Jewish weddings included the announcement of the bridegroom’s coming to the bride’s house. The weddings usually began in the evening, with the lamps lit at dusk. So midnight was later than the ten virgins would have expected the bridegroom—and the announcement came suddenly.

Drop by Drop

“Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.”

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Give each child a lamp and if they are able have them write on their lamp the things that they can do to be preparing for the Second Coming.  Have them put this on their wall or on a mirror-somewhere they will see each day.

 

Share with them that Satan is working very hard to prevent us from preparing and being ready for this special day so we have to work extra hard to fill our lamps every single day.  Never forget to bear testimony of the truthfulness of the things you have taught and express your love and appreciation for the knowledge we have of this great event and that it is a time to look forward too and you all want to be ready as a family.  

AND... most importantly don't forget the game and treat! 

 

 

IDEA: GINGERBREAD MAN RUNS WILD!
Read the story of the Gingerbread man and then create one with your children.  Costco sells a great package with 4 large ones and all the makings to decorate.  Also Peppridge Farms sells a box with several little ones in it or you can use a great recipe to bake some.  After decorating them tell your kids you need to stick them back in the oven to make sure the decorations are cemented on (don't really turn the oven on however).  Set the timer for 10 minutes.

During that time distract your children somehow and either do it yourself (but they will be suspicious) or call a neighbor over to do the job of removing the Gingerbread man from the oven and hiding him outside somewhere like in the mailbox, car or bushes etc.  IMPORTANT: leave the pan in the oven.  When the timer goes off have your kids come to get him out.  He will be gone.  The excitement is fantastic.  Send them on a hunt to find him. 

When they find him ask them how they could be sure he doesn't get out again because he needs to go back in for another 5 minutes or so.  Hopefully they will come up with the idea to tie it shut.  After you have tied it shut set the timer and distract them again and get him out and hide him in a different place.  Have them come to the oven again and this time leave the rope lying in the pan. 

Send them on a hunt for him again and after finding him, hopefully they will want to stand guard.

 After standing guard for a short time you can finally get him out and eat him.

This is one of the most fun Christmas activities and your children will love it!  I did it at preschool this week and have attached some video to go along with the pictures.  (Please forgive that two of them are not the right direction -I am learning.)