Ghosties

This week is Fall Break with my kids, which means if I'm not careful Sonny Will Have More Chances than Cher, The Suite Life will cause me to jump ship, and the Wizards will claim permanent residence outside of Waverly Place in my family room.  So.  I decided that today we would make a Halloween craft.  For those of you who read the ending of books before you commit to the whole story, allow me to start with a picture of the finished product.

 
Cute, right?  As a bonus they are 100% edible.  Careful though, too much consumption will thrust your children into a sugar high that will make you think the Tasmanian Devil raided your Mountain Dew stash and moved in.  If you're interested in giving these a go, here's what you do.  (Otherwise feel free to copy this picture onto your favorite card stock and mount over your fireplace to give your kids that homey, crafty feel.)

1.  Make a regular batch of rice krispy treats but use a 9x9 pan instead of a 9x13 for extra thickness.
2.  After they are completely cooled, invert on clean surface and cut once in half, then take each half and divide into about 5 pieces.  Either trim or squish the top corners to make smoother edges. 

3.  Take some circus peanuts, cut them in half, and attach them to the bottom of your treat for the feet.

4.  Now for the sheets!  This part will be messy but it's fun.  Combine 2 1/4 cups marshmallow cream with 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.  Mix a little bit with a spoon, then knead with your hands to fully incorporate the ingredients.  
5.  Use cornstarch to powder your surface - it will help prevent sticking.  Pull off a about a two inch ball of paste and roll out with a rolling pin.  Drape over your rice krispy treat.
6.  Add two chocolate chips for the eyes and you're done!

My kids and I definitely bonded over this.  We sang Cumbayah and lit incense just for good measure (not really).  They were so sick from snacking on all the sugar in the process that they even ate more broccoli at dinner!  We're hoping that makes it all even out.