A Little Cuisine... A Halloween Supper

I know there is a big trend to do gross-out fun foods for Halloween. However, I can't stomach the shrimp cocktail stacked to look like a cerebrum, the severed finger cookies, or cauliflower pickled to look like brains. Ick. I've had too many anatomy/physiology labs the past three semesters - gore doesn't equate fun-to-eat for me.

So here is the Halloween meal I've come up with for my family:

Martha Stewart's Ghost of Monte Cristo sandwiches. LOVE Monte Cristo sammies! Replace the meat with portabello mushroom or sauteed eggplant for a yummy vegetarian version. I love the idea of tomato soup drizzled with a sour cream to look like a web.

Orange-cup jack-o-lanterns for a basic fruit salad. My kids will love this. I think a fruit salad of citrus and stone fruits would be great.

And for the foodie in me (and much better than Halloween candy), I Am Baker created this gorgeous red velvet cake with the most darling marshmallow buttercream ghosts and dark chocolate ganache. Let the kids have their candy, I get this cake! If you bring your kids trick-or-treating to my house, I might invite you in for a slice. Might.