FOODS

INTERESTING FACT: 70% of bats feed on insects and small animals, while the rest feed on fruits (those are called frugivores).

BATTY SANDWICHES:
Use a bat cookie cutter (around Halloween time you can find these in the dollar store or grocery store) to cut out the bread (and cheese to fit the bread). Assemble the cheese and bread to make a sandwich or top the bat bread with your child’s favourite spreads (like jam, peanut butter, cream cheese…) instead of cutting the cheddar into a bat shape.

Cheesy Bats:

NOTE: I adapted this recipe from here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bat-bites-10000001875211/

Instead of using black pepper on the outside, I used poppy seeds only. Instead of a red pepper corn in the middle of the olive eye, I used small pieces of red pepper. I also used less goat’s cheese and pesto for the picky pallets in my family. Lastly, I made the bat wings out of left over tortillas from the Cinnamon Bat Crisp recipe—I just left them in the oven longer to give them that dark brown colour!

LUNCH:

TOMATO SOUP WITH SAVOURY BAT CRISPS:
Follow the recipe for Cinnamon Bat Crisps above, but instead of adding cinnamon and sugar sprinkle with chili power or paprika and parmesan cheese for a more savoury bite. Add your crisps to some red tomato soup.

Cinnamon Bat Crisps:

Ingredients: Whole wheat tortillas, bat cookie cutter (around Halloween time you can find these in the dollar store), cinnamon and sugar (white or brown will work).

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375F.
Step 2: Use the cookie cutter to cut out bat shapes from the tortilla.
Step 3: Lay the bat shapes on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Step 4: Bake until crispy. I forgot to time how long ours took to crisp up. Sorry! Just keep an eye on them and flip them when they are the golden colour you want.
Step 5: Serve alone, or with yogurt to dip into or along with the fruit skewers or fruit salad (above).

SNACKS:

Bat Cupcakes:

Make some cupcakes using your favourite recipe (try a Pumpkin Spice recipe for something a littler different but perfect for Halloween) and then decorate. I used chocolate icing to cover the cupcakes and carefully split circular chocolate wafer cookies (with a wet knife) to use as wings. I added a brown M&M nose and two yellow M&Ms for eyes and dabbed a bit of black Scribbler icing on top as pupils. I broke little pieces of chocolate wafer cookies for the ears.

Bats

BREAKFAST:

DESSERT:

BATTY FOR FRUIT:

Note: bats like to eat fruit so why not serve some up for a healthy snack.

Ingredients: Grapes, strawberries, melon, banana, mango, apple, mandarin orange, or any other fruit your child may like, toothpicks for mini kabobs or bamboo stick skewers for large ones (and for children who are older).

Step 1: Cut the melon, banana, mango, apple etc. into bite sized pieces
Step 2: Thread the washed fruit (like strawberries and grapes) onto the toothpicks or skewers and thread the cut fruit pieces as well. If you don’t want your little ones to have toothpicks or skewers then just serve this as a fruit salad.

BATTY FRENCH TOAST:

Ingredients:

4 eggs
¼ cup canned pumpkin puree (or fresh)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg (or omit)
8 slices of whole wheat bread
2 tsp butter

Step 1: Beat the eggs, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using) together in a wide flat bowl or cake pan.
Step 2: Cut the bread into bat shapes using a cookie cutter. Keep the scraps to cook up as French Toast pieces or toast on a baking sheet and then mix in your blender or food processor to create your own #ZeroWaste bread crumbs (store in a jar or container in your cupboard). Or if your cookie cutter is small like ours, use the bread with the bat outline as another type of Batty French toast (pictured left).
Step 3: melt 1 tsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step 4: Dip the bread pieces into the pumpkin and egg mixture until coated on both sides. Let excess egg mixture drip off and then place into your warm skillet.
Step 5: Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Continue until all your bats are cooked!
Step 6: Enjoy! These are delicious with maple syrup!

Bat Cookies:

Use a Halloween bat cookie cutter and make your favourite sugar cookie recipe to create some batty treats.