Monster in a Jar: A Crafty, Creepy Recipe

By Kathy Ross

Fast, fun and frightful describe this Halloween treat, guaranteed to bring smiles to ghosts and goblins of all ages. The whole family can help make this monstrous delight, just for the fun of it or to serve to friends at a Halloween get-together. "When I told Jack (4) we were making monsters in jars, he let out a happy whoop. Little boys and monsters are a classic combination!" said Mom (Lynda) Hannan.

What You Need:

• Small box of instant vanilla or banana pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• Food coloring in one or more colors
• 8 gummy LifeSavers
• Cinnamon hearts or other tiny candies used on cakes and cookies

Other items:

• 4 small jars with lids--remove labels and wash thoroughly. (Baby food jars work very well.)
• Masking tape
• Black marker
• Bowl
• Measuring cups
• Tablespoon
• Crafts sticks for stirring

Note: Each child should have at least one jar that will be his or her own monster to work on.

What to Do:

Empty the pudding mix into the bowl. Let each child help measure and put two scant tablespoons of pudding mix into each jar. This should use the entire box of mix.

• Let each child help measure and pour 1/4 cup of milk into each jar.
  
  
• Give each child a crafts stick to stir the mixture around in the jars.
  
  
• Add another 1/4 cup of milk and carefully stir again. It will be quite full if you're using a baby food jar. If you want to leave more room in the jar to make it easier for your child to mix, cut back a bit on the milk.
  
  
• If you'd like colorful monsters, add two drops of food coloring to the mixture and stir again.
  
  
• Let each child choose two gummy Lifesavers for the monster eyes (and maybe one or two to eat).
  
  
• Give them two cinnamon hearts to press in the center of each gummy LifeSaver for pupils.
  
  
• Tip each jar to one side to move the pudding away from the glass on one side of the jar. Wipe the exposed glass with a tissue over your finger to clean it.
  
  
• Slip two candy "eyes" down the inside edge of each jar so the eyes appear to be peeking out of the cleaned glass.
  
  
• Put the lid on the jar. (Do this quickly so the monster doesn't get out!)
  
  
• Tape up and over the lids with a strip of masking tape.
  
  
• Use the marker to write "Open at Own Risk," "Keep Out," or some other warning on the tape.

Food straight from the witch's larder! Yum-yum!

Notes:

The candies will bleed over time in the pudding so if you are doing these for a party, add the eyes as close as possible to serving time.

Be creative with the eyeballs. Lots of other candies will work for this. For a healthier treat, use grapes or banana slices for the outer eye. "We used raisins for the center of the Gummi savers since I don't think the kids would have liked the flavor added by the cinnamon candies," said a Midwest mother of two young children. Another family reported that they "did have a little trouble getting the eyes in so they looked like eyes, but it was just something that takes a few tries. Then it's easy."

This idea will also work with flavored gelatin pudding, but you will have a longer waiting period while the gelatin sets. For another "no waiting" monster in a jar, use ice cream. An upstate New York family used pre-made pudding for the project and even tried layering chocolate and vanilla for one "monster," in addition to coloring red, green, and blue monsters using vanilla pudding cups and food coloring.

The LaClair children (Ryan, 12, Rachel, 9 and Christine 5) made one for Dad to find in the fridge when he got home from work, but "he was too scared to eat it." Must have been the warning on the jar!

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