halloween fare: tapeworms and cockroaches

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Just in time for Halloween, my friends and I had our monthly recipe swap.  The premise is that each person will bring a dish and share a recipe according to the month's theme.  This was our third get-together and it was a fun one.  Mrs. M came up with the theme for October and served as our lovely host.  Her idea?  Halloween look-alike foods.  Oh, goody!

A quick google search turned up loads of spooky and gross recipes.  After much thought, I finally settled on two: Barbecued Tapeworms and Stuffed Cockroaches. 

Barbecued Tapeworms

Though the original recipe for the tapeworms called for hot dogs, I used a pack of smoked sausages that I had in the freezer to make the tapeworms.  I also substituted barbecue sauce in lieu of the ketchup.  This gave the dish a flavor similar to that of cocktail wienies.  Simply slice each sausage lengthwise into 6-8 pieces.  Boil and drain.  Return to pot and combine with 1/4 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce.  Simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve warm.  While the recipe I referenced said to serve them as sandwiches on hot dog buns, I chose to just set my worms out in a bowl.  Either way is fine.

Stuffed Cockroaches

For the cockroach dish, I used pitted dates, a block of cream cheese, and 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts.  Simply leave the cream cheese out until it is good and soft (I skipped this part, trust me-- you want to be patient).  Then, combine walnuts and cream cheese.  Go ahead and add some food coloring to turn the mixture brown, or even puke green, if you want to be really gross.  Slice the dates open down one side, smoosh some filling inside, and pinch closed.  Serve on a creepy dish with plastic roach garnishes, if desired.



Did you know...

• Cockroaches have been around since the time of dinosaurs!
• A cockroach can live almost a month without food.
• A cockroach can live about two weeks without water.
• Some female cockroaches only mate once and stay pregnant for life!
• A cockroach can live for up to one week without its head!
• Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes!
• Cockroaches can run up to 3 miles an hour.

source: Pest World for Kids