Water Cooler: Halloween snacks

Halloween might be a little different this year, and if you’re cozying up at home for the holiday, there are plenty of festive snacks for celebrating.

Toxic sludge macaroni and cheese: Cook 1 pound of dry pasta, and chop and steam 1 head of cauliflower to set aside.

Melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat.

Add ⅓ cup all-purpose flour and whisk to combine while the mixture simmers for a minute.

Add 2 ½ cups whole milk or milk substitute of your choosing.

Add ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper if desired.

Whisk to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer.

Add 8 ounces white cheddar cheese (or any light colored cheese of your choosing) and stir until melted.

Add a handful of spinach, and a few drops of green food coloring to enhance the green color.

Add in pasta and cauliflower and mix until coated.

Spaghetti pasta makes the “sludge” look like it is full of worms, but any pasta will do.

The cauliflower gives the look of gross green foam.

You can achieve a similar effect with boxed macaroni and cheese as well.

Poison apples: Wash, dry and destem 12 apples.

Insert a wooden skewer for handling, or for a spookier look, use small sticks with lots of knobs and maybe a few offshoots.

Combine 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup water, ½ cup light corn syrup and ½ teaspoon purple gel icing color to a medium saucepan.

Before turning on the heat, fix a candy thermometer to the pan and have a basting brush and glass of water nearby.

Turn to medium heat and brush the sides of the saucepan with water to prevent sugar crystals from forming as the mixture boils.

Once the syrup reaches 290 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from heat and remove the thermometer.

Quickly dip the apples in the mixture, turning to coat all sides.

Let excess syrup drip off the apple, then place aside to cool on parchment paper.

Stir the mixture before each dip for a smoother finish.

Once cool, the apples are ready to eat. They are best if eaten on the same day.

Monster deviled eggs: Hard boil six eggs.

Once cooled, gently crack the hard boiled eggs with a knife or by rolling them on the counter, but do not peel.

Place them in a plastic sandwich bag with a creepy food dye color of your choice, such as black, green, purple or blue.

Roll the eggs around until fully coated and refrigerate overnight.

Rinse the eggs in vinegar and peel to reveal the cracked pattern.

Half and remove the egg yolks.

Place the yolks in a bowl with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, a dash of mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, green food dye and salt and pepper to taste.

Put the filling into the egg white and garnish with paprika and chia seeds for a decorative, black sprinkle.

Band-Aid biscuits: This snack is simple enough for kids to help out with.

Get a pack of vanilla wafer cookies.

Put a small square of vanilla icing on top of the wafer to mimic the square padding of a bandage.

Dot with a bit of strawberry jam in the center of the vanilla icing.