By Deirdre Parker Smith

deirdre.smith@salisburypost.com

Spookily, we did not get many suggestions for Halloween treats, and then the Relish magazine stole our thunder.

Nevertheless, we will share some of the creepy, cute and bizarre ideas we did get, in case you’re still scrambling.

Here’s an idea with many variations.

Apple slices and marshmallows or candy corn for teeth.

Beth Dixon, who has great cooking skills and four nearly-grown children, remembers taking an apple, red or green, your choice, slicing it into eighths, cutting out the core and spreading peanut butter between the slices, so the cut edges stick together and the skin side is slightly open. Stick candy corn inside for teeth.

Or, use miniature marshmallows in the center and candy corn for fangs.

Or, use marshmallow cream, use food coloring to make it red and spread that on the apples, then adding teeth.

It seems like every year we see bananas cut in half, at the centr, then studded with chocolate chips and mini chips or other dark candies to make eyes and a  mouth, creating a ghost

And we keep seeing peeled tangerines with a small piece of celery in the middle to make it look like a pumpkin.

We’re totally stealing this idea from Relish: Cut the tops off red, yellow or orange bell pepper, remove seeds and ribs, carefully. Then with a sharp paring knife, cut eyes, nose and mouth, like a jack o-lantern. Stuff with fresh veggies that go with a ghoulish dip, like guacamole.

Here’s another great steal. Ree Drummond, “The Pioneer Woman,” makes what she calls crazy bark, drizzling melted chocolate over graham crackers. Pick any flavor cracker and your favorite chocolate — white, milk or dark. Pour the chocolate over the crackers and while it’s still slightly warm, add edible eyes and bits of candy like gummy worms, or orange and black orange and black jelly beans, pumpkin flavored Hershey’s kisses (yes, they do exist).

One of our favorite ideas is pretzel stick and cheese brooms. Using string cheese, cut off a 2-inch piece. Insert a pretzel stick in one end. Carefully pull or cut the other end apart to resemble a broom and tie near the top with a chive.

Or you can use slices of cheese, cut into two-inch wide strips and slice along the edge to make the bristles. Wrap around pretzel stick and tie with chive.

One coworker offered this gross looking, delicious tasting cake that would be fun to make with the kids.

The first thing you have to do is buy a new litter box. Look for the smallest one available. Wash and dry.

It’s from allrecipes.com

Kitty Litter Cake

1 (18.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix

1 (18.25 oz) white cake mix

2 (3.5 oz.) packages instant vanilla pudding

1 (12 ounce package) vanilla sandwich cookies

3 drops green food coloring

1 (12 oz.) package Tootsie Rolls

Prepare the cake mixes accoring to package directions in any size pan.

Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble sandwich cookies in a small batches in a food processor. Set aside 1/4 cup and add the green food coloring to it and stir.

When cakes have cooled, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with half of the remaining cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You may not need all the pudding — you want it moist, not soggy.

Put the mixture into the clean litter box.

Put half of the undwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends of the Tootsie Rolls and curve slightly so they look like you-know-what. Bury Tootsie Rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle top of cake with the remaining cookie crumbs.

Heat 3 or 4 of the Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkly lightly with a few more green crumbs.

Sure to gross everyone out. It’s gotten great reviews online.