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Sunday, October 23, 2016

Crazy Bones Cafe!







































No rattlin' bones about it! We're Halloween-crazy over here and mighty proud of it! Every year brings a new creative challenge: What are we going to do to top last year's extravaganza? 

The grandkids and I love to play act when we're together. One moment we're magicians. The next, we're operating a family library. We publish our own family newspaper and have gone digging deep in the woods for dino eggs. Seriously, what was left to do besides assemble a wait staff, cook up some googly-eyed goodies and open our own cafe to celebrate this year's spooky season?

My "Halloween Snack" pin board bursts at the seams, but for this event each selection needed to be kid-friendly for cooking and eating, plus freezable or easy to store. My crew assembled a week in advance for a top secret workshop that yielded an impressive display of "Boo-Nanas," "Swamp Monsters,"* tasty little "Cockroaches," and a perky half dozen popcorn "Monster Munchies."**

BOO! We were in business!






I filled out the repast with some "grandma-made" choices and produced a set of menus. The scary thing about them was the lack of proper info! "Moldy Monster Mash?" Huh? "What on earth is that?" The only wise thing to do was circle everything!.....










Secret Decoder!
Adult Menu:
Baby Mummies = jalapeno poppers wrapped in Crescent dough
Little Devils = deviled eggs
*Swamp Monster = dinner roll blob with raisin eyes and almond slice hair perched in hummus
Swamp Juice = orange punch
Boneyard Platter = ribs, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Moldy Monster Mash = mac and cheese tinted green

Munchkin Menu:
Bowl of Bugs = mixed fruit
Mini Mummy = tiny pizza with string cheese strips and olive slice eyes
Goofy Juice = orange punch

Desserts:
Made by the kids as linked above. My first, and favorite place to go for seasonally unique recipes is Hungry Happenings. That's where our chirpy orange popcorn monsters** and dozens and dozens more easy-to-make, very creative treats for every season of the year come from!

There was some behind-the-scenes work to be done before the Crazy Bones Cafe opened for business. I set a self-serve drink bar at table-center for the adults ("mummies" and daddies!)....

"Drunk and Disorderly!"

Whoa! What's this?

Rubbery cocktail-umbrella-toting skellies wobbled precariously from the plastic Dollar Tree martini glasses I glued 'em to!
















Had I not amply sampled the "Purple People Eater" cocktail, I might have reasoned that if you're too early putting out bowls of candy corn for post dinner Halloween Bingo you should expect to attract rats!














Oh, and ghosts, too!























At last! 6 P.M. Dinner hour! My staff arrived, quickly donned Crazy Bones Cafe signature apparel and received menus and final instructions: "greet, seat, and eat!"



Dollar Tree - always grandma's friend! Wire a generous bow to their cute pumpkin headbands! "Done-Done!" as Kaylee (at left) would exclaim!














"We've been waiting for you!"




































The food was great, the company better, the wait service outstanding! - and guest diners tipped accordingly! With everyone stuffed and immobile, bingo cards came out - we played eagerly with what candy corn was left!

Here's youngest daughter, Karen, in full Halloween glow, smiling over her first win!







































It's heartwarming to see grandchildren playing games alongside their parents. I try to include an activity like this at each family event. Sometimes it's as simple as printing out grandma blogger Lisa's holiday jokes, like the Halloween version on this post at Grandma's Briefs. Cut the answers from the questions and give a scrambled set to each guest for matching. And who knows? Maybe one of them will "deserve" to get a prank set that has zero matches! :)

Our bingo game was purchased, but there's a really cute one here at One Creative Mommy that you can print out and enjoy for free right now!

Need more Halloween ideas for kids? Spiders don't fall far from the web! My daughter, Mary Jo, has great suggestions for you at Mrs. Party Planner. Scurry on over to see them!

Crazy Bones Cafe will return next year, there's no doubt about it. In the meantime, this grandma is beginning to noodle about a Christmas version! Hmmm....."Santa's Snack Stop?" Elf capped wait staff? "Reindeer feed" salad? Mac and cheese "snowballs?" Meatball "mice before Christmas?"....??



Happy Halloween every-bone-y!

22 comments:

  1. I wish that I lived close by and could come over and squeeze / kiss / hug all of these adorable grands of yours :)

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  2. You have such fun - I love the menu and descriptions - and having the kiddos make some of the goodies is such a great idea. Again - fun all around - you do such wonderful things with your kids and grandkids.

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  3. I'm pretty sure the little one is Buffy from the sixties TV show "Family Affair."

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  4. You always come up with the best Halloween menus!! Love the skeleton martini glasses and cute pics of kiddos!!

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  5. Great Halloween menu, food and games. I'm sure you all had a great time playing together!

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  6. I love making holiday treats with my grandkids, but you have taken it up to a whole new level! Love it!

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  7. So very clever. Unfortunately, we are not with our grandkids on Halloween as we are already in Arizona for the winter. But we get lots of photos.

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  8. Another amazing party with Grandma! I don't know how you do it!

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  9. I am cracking up here reading this post!!!! I LOVE it!! I am having a Halloween lunch this Sat with my family and have been going crazy trying to come up with some new ideas. I am going to steal (whoops...borrow) some of yours from the menu. You are just so awesome.

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  10. I posted this on my personal FB page and Grandma Honey's House FB page. Too good not to share!!

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  11. The MENU just cracked me up and I am still trying to imagine eating green mac and cheese. LOL!!! Everyone looks so cute and your daughter is your mini-me :)

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  12. Oh what a fun grandma you are! The grandkids are very cute...Christine

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  13. This looks like a blast! Your grand kids are lucky to have a cool granny like you ;)

    Blessings,
    Edye | Http://gracefulcoffee.com

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  14. Yes next years cafe could easily include mummified cats, dogs, alligators and children lol What a wonderful get together you must have and such fun for the children
    You do have a bunch of good looking and beautiful youngsters to hopefully continue the crafty events!
    LOL
    In years to come, way way in the future, in a care home somewhere - I have a vision of your 'littlies' all bringing the craft gear to you, to play with to return the favour of their fun childhood. Hope they bring you a tent too!!

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  15. This place looks awesome!! The perfect place to visit for the Halloween season :)

    I hope you have a great Halloween :)

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  16. Once again your beauty shines forth in all that you created for those beautiful grand children. Who wouldn't want to come for a visit in a home such as yours? The efforts and love that you grace your babies with shows forth in their beautiful smiles.

    So nice to come for a visit and see your loveliness.
    Blessings~~

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  17. I can't tell you how excited I am that I found you last week! Was it last week? LOL Anyway, as Baby M grows up, we will totally enjoy borrowing some of your delightful ideas! I think you've got BEST GRANDMA EVER locked up!

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  18. Every one of your post leaves me looking for the right adjectives to describe your creativity. What a hoot to make such a wonderful Halloween celebration dinner and it is so much fun for the kids. I think Miss Bree has one less tooth than the skeleton. :-) She's growing up right before our eyes. Miss your twins - hope they are all having a wonderful celebration down south. Of course, how could they not with the second generation of party planners taking good care of them. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

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  19. OhMyGoodness, this all looks SO fun! Can I come next year? So glad you joined us at #FridayFrivolity this week!

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  20. What a wonderful activity! I love the aprons and the head apparel. Your grandkids are so cute!

    Thanks for sharing at Party in Your PJs.

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  21. Hi honey! I am sorry to be so late but sure looks like there was fun at your house -- again! You have such a wonderful family and you do so many amazing things with those kids. Just what all children need - a Grandma who teaches them lots while making it fun!

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  22. I love your creations and your fun way with words! Your grandgirks are adorable and I’m sure proud as can be pulling this off with you! Such a cool, crafty grandma you are, Joyce! I like the Ghost Bingo as it’s fun for all ages and adults too! I can’t wait to se the Christmas ideas...your passion for creativity and for entertainment really shines through!
    !

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