It’s fall, and what that means is that your whole family is spending more time than ever in the kitchen. Why should Thanksgiving and Christmas get all the cooking attention? Here’s a last minute fun Halloween project you could tackle today with the kids…

The Halloween Haunted House. There are a number of places where you can get easy-to-assemble kits: Trader Joe’s or AC Moore are 2 local places.

If you’re really adventurous, why not make one from scratch?

Here’s a recipe for a haunted gingerbread house that’s easy to follow, with images to help you every step of the way. Get the whole family involved! You can use your favorite Halloween candies to decorate your house, and add in spider webs, ghosts, and anything else appropriately haunting.

Want to wow your kids with some spooky things that you probably already have in your kitchen? Did you know that the following foods will glow naturally in the dark if you switch on a black light? How creepy is that?

• Bananas glow a bright blue as they age and release chemicals, but you can only see that under a black light. The brightest ones are the ones you should eat first!
• The quinine in tonic water has an electric blue glow under a black light (why do you think so many bars use those lights?).
• If you turn the black light on immediately after chopping lettuce, you’ll catch a bright pink glow from the chlorophyll.
• Coconut is particularly bright under a black light—and it’s present in a lot of Halloween treats, too!

We hope you have fun today preparing for a fun and safe Halloween for your family.  And since you’re spending more time in your kitchen this fall, why not let your appliances get into the spirit of the holidays as well? Appliance Art has a terrific assortment of covers for your dishwasher and refrigerator– your children and grandchildren will love these!

Remember that fall isn’t just a special time when you want to spend more time in your kitchen—it’s also a great time to give that kitchen a facelift with some new appliances, and no one has more to offer your kitchen, both in selection and in deals, than Better Housekeeping Shop. We can make the autumn truly crisp—and our prices are not scary at all!