RoomPlanners magazine - Oct '10

roomplanners www.roomplanners.com

OCTOBER 2010

frightfully good Halloween treats plus terror-ific dinner ideas… if you dare!

scary rooms is there one in your home? (and how to fix it!)

faceless decomposed

scaly

orange!

… its many moods

2

taking cues from the season Nature may be getting ready for a good long sleep about now. But ironically,

inside our homes, Fall inspires new life. After a season of beach days and BBQs,

it’s comforting to nestle inside, surrounded by autumn colors, favorite textures,

comfort foods and prospects of holidays to come.

For this issue, we used the Fall season to inspire a fresh look at our homes. First,

we took the liberty of using Halloween as an excuse to highlight three decorating

mistakes that haunt rooms more than any other.

Whether decomposed, faceless or scaly, our scary

room design criteria will help you understand why

some rooms don’t feel right…. and what you can

do to fix them. We analyze eight rooms to see

what makes them a little scary (or a lot). We hope

you agree that the fix can be pretty easy! We also

hope our case studies will help you take the toil

and trouble out of reshaping your rooms to some-

thing you like better.

Changing leaves, zesty pumpkins and other

ripened fruits and vegetables inspire our article on

the color orange. This favorite Fall hue really does

makes a better-than-expected choice for interiors!

Finally, we dare you to try some of our scary Halloween treats. From desserts to

full-course menus, we hope you’ll get a laugh… if not a taste... at everyday,

simple ingredients transformed into frightfully tasty treats.

Whether or not you count the days until the holidays, your next ski vacation or

the first opportunity to stack the fireplace full of wood logs… we hope you’ll let

Fall inspire some new possibilities for your home.

about roomplanners

RoomPlanners.com is

committed to making professional quality

interior design easier and

more affordable.

We invite you to visit our

web site to browse hun-

dreds of rooms for ideas, rate your own rooms or to

take our survey to identify

your environmental

personality profile. We

offer a variety of free home decorating articles, a

no-fail paint color selection

system and an array of

RoomCues™... concise,

practical guides to help you pull together a look you

love.

Find us online at:

www.roomplanners.com.

www.twitter.com/

roomplanners

on the cover

Fall colors inspire this

warm, charming kitchen. Like a ripe garden, earthy

yellows, greens and oranges add warmth and a

one-of-a-kind quality to even the simplest kitchen.

This feast-inspiring color

scheme speaks comfort food—and it’s sure to

warm our home as much as entice our appetite.

Loreen Epp President, RoomPlanners Inc.

All written information herein is copyright ©2010 Room Planners Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copy-right may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from Room Planners Inc..

www.roomplanners.com

3

If you’ve been shopping for new bedroom furniture

recently, you’ll notice nearly every new collection

comes with an assortment of bed options.

Sleigh beds and poster beds are no longer relocated

to 18th century styles. A modern collection is as

likely to have a sleigh bed as a platform bed. New

hybrid styles are mixing chaise longue headboards

with platform-style footboards. Storage is being inte-

grated into almost any style.

We thought it’d be interesting to see which bed styles

are getting the most monthly online searches these

days. Then we compared bed styles most searched in

the U.S. versus those searched around the world.

Did you know, for example, that Americans are

more likely than the rest of the world to search for

platform beds, canopy beds and Murphy beds… but

less likely to search for sofa beds and leather beds?

Below, see how your preferences align with what

others are looking for!

THIS MONTH


which bed type is searched most?

more free home decor tips!

A new online magazine is

available from furniture

giant, Ashley Furniture.

The company is offering

the magazine free every

month, along with tips on

how to use furniture and

furnishings to create the

looks you love and key

home furnishing trends to

look out for.

To subscribe, simply sign

up on their web site at

www.AshleyFurnitureHomeStores.com.

dining rooms go elegant & casual If you’re not sitting down to a formal dinner as much as you used to, you’re not alone. In fact, casual dining is a growing trend in dining room furniture these days.

Casual dining doesn’t mean you don’t cook up a storm or don’t have friends over for beef bourguignon. It just means you don’t get worked up over it. You’re also perfectly ok dispensing with fancy china. In fact, you may or may not own any.

If a more casual lifestyle sounds right for you, but you’re not ready to give up a little sophistication and elegance at mealtime, it is possible to bridge the two! Along with the right new dining room furniture, a few simple tips can help you perfectly blend refined and relaxed styles.

For more ideas on how to do this, check out Hooker Furniture’s blog (Oct. 7th and 13th). Their handsome new Legends dining room (right) illustrates the trend.

http://blog.hookerfurniture.com/2010/10/how-to-create-a-casually-elegant-dining-room-part-1/

Type of Bed

Global

Searches

U.S.

Searches

% of

Total

% of

Total

Bunk bed 550,000 368,000 28.6 27.4

Platform bed 301,000 246,000 15.7 18.3

Sofa bed 246,000 110,000 12.8 8.2

Canopy bed 135,000 110,000 7.0 8.2

Sleigh bed 110,000 90,500 5.7 6.7

Storage bed 110,000 90,500 5.7 6.7

Metal bed 110,000 5.7 74,000 5.5

Poster bed 90,500 60,500 4.7 4.5

Murphy bed 90,500 74,100 4.7 5.5

Leather bed 74,000 3.8 33,400 2.5

Futon bed 49,500 2.6 33,100 2.5

Panel bed 40,500 40,500 2.1 3.0

Upholstered bed 14,800 .07 12,100 .09

TOTAL 1,921,800 100.0 1,342,700 100.0

4

You don’t need to see ghosts or hear voices to live with a scary room.

Scary rooms don’t just appear at night or at the onset of a serious thunder storm. They can haunt us day and night, in good weather or bad. They go well beyond creaky floorboards, drawn shower

curtains and kitchen knives in unexpected places.

In fact, it’s usually easier to define scary rooms more in terms of what they’re not. That’s because something doesn’t feel right about them. Something’s missing, out of place, out of sync… causing an uneasiness that’s as unsettling and

eerie as Halloween night itself.

And so, in honor of the scariest time of year we could think of, we present the three room types that are scariest of all. Some rooms suffer from all three of these maladies, others just one or two. But any one of these maladies may

is there a

room scary

in your home?

cast a haunting spell on even the most stylish furniture or magnificent architecture.

So here they are… the scariest room types of all - and how to avoid them.

The Decomposed Room Scary rooms often have a dismembered or disjointed quality. Items that are similar in look or function, are spread evenly around a room rather than grouped together. Pictures are hung anywhere rather than closely aligned with furniture. Sofas and chairs are lined up along walls rather than grouped together to create an inviting conversation area.

Decomposition is common in large rooms where there’s pressure to ’fill space’. But it’s just as likely to occur in small rooms where furnishings are scattered too randomly around a room. But the fix is easy. Simply bring furniture closer together and anchor it with rugs, accents and pictures. You can then leave the rest of the room empty and it’ll look just fine!

The Faceless Room You don’t need to be a headless horseman to suffer an identity crisis. A room without a style, or point of view can be as faceless as a phantom at the Opera or a horse rider from Sleepy Hollow who lost his head.

5


We’ve contrasted two

living rooms to illustrate

common problems found

in scary rooms!

Both rooms have a nice

sense of style. But Room

#1 is decomposed and

scaly, while Room #2 is

well-composed and scaled

to perfection!

Here’s what’s scary and

sensational in these two

similarly-styled rooms.

in Room #1, the

seats are placed in

galley style (seats

A faceless room occurs when furnishing styles, colors or patterns are combined without enough regard to compatibility.

Without a definable style or attitude to furnishing selections, a room can feel a bit like a skeleton—all bones with no flesh to fill in the physical features that create differentiation or personality.

The fix? Find a style you like and stick with it! Choose items that share a similar style type, color palette or texture.

The Scaly Room Rough, dry textures can be irritating enough. But a scaly room has more to do with proportion problems, or too much contrast in size between items. A coffee table that’s too small for the sofa, a picture that’s too large for the cabinet under it, a window that’s too small for the room... all add up to a sizable issue.

Fixing a scaly room means balancing the objects on either side of it - the same way you’d balance weight on a boat or plane. That doesn’t mean everything has to be the same size… large items can be balanced with a collection of smaller items.

The perceived size of an item can also be adjusted with simple tricks. Long or wide curtains make a too-small window look bigger. A rug makes a too-small table look more substantial. A too-big piece of furniture looks smaller when the wall behind it is painted a similar color.

from scary to sensational similar rooms… a world of difference

placed on either side

of a straight line).

The distance between

them make this a less

intimate seating

arrangement - plus

there’s no good

position to watch the

TV! Placing chairs

and seats at right

angles to each other,

like they are in Room

#2, feels much more

intimate and

composed.

in Room #1, a small

wall-mounted TV

steals the focus of

the room... in com-

parison to the lush

window wall in

Room #2. The small

TV or picture looks

lost on the large wall

and would look bet-

ter grouped with

other small items,

anchored to a piece

of furniture or

concealed behind a

wall of curtains.

Walls look best

when they draw

attention to furniture

or a fabulous view.

in Room #1, the

coffee table is too

small. Compare it

against the more

substantial table in

Room #2. An L-

shaped seating

arrangement also

allows for a square

table that feels in

scale with the sofa.

In Room #1, the

color of the walls

isn‟t repeated any-

where else - adding

to the decomposed

look. In Room #2,

the sofa’s color is

repeated in curtains

and artwork.

in Room #1, each

piece of furniture

looks separated by

space rather than

linked together. In

Room #2, the area

rug, tables and lamp

pull the seating to-

gether, creating a

tighter, inviting

composition.

#1

#2

6

A hunter-colored sectional mixes with dark woods in this living room. But despite the

rich furniture finishes and colors, the room feels bland and lifeless. Why? Because rich

furniture requires an equally rich backdrop. Too many white and off-white colors and

too little detail are too strong a contrast to the furniture, making the room look

faceless—like it’s struggling with it’s style identity.

In addition, the set of matching pictures are separated—one on either side of the

window, add a decomposed quality (...pairs of pictures are meant to be hung together).

Finally, plants placed in places where they couldn’t possibly survive (under a table and

inside a bookcase) adds to the disjointed, unnatural look.


THE FIX!

Add more color to the

walls—choose a color

that‟s in the pillows.

Hang curtains on the

window; choose a

rich color and texture

inspired by the toss

pillows or upholstery.

Hang the matching

pictures together;

stack them on one

side of the window.

Add an area rug that

complements the

upholstery colors and

walls - it‟ll anchor the

sectional and soften

it‟s too-stark contrast

with the carpet.

Stack books, baskets

and brass or leather

accents on shelves

instead of so many

plants.

rooms (...and how to fix them!)

scary

7


Things started out well here. The saddle-colored leather sofas are bulky and earthy

enough to work with the heavy stone fireplace. The coffee table is a little too classic for

the hearty upholstery, but its bulky scale and dark color make it almost work. But

things deteriorate quickly with the contemporary bar stool. It causes us to question the

room’s style identity, creating a faceless, inconsistent point of view. The bare white trim

on the windows looks a little modern for the rustic fireplace... exaggerated with the

lack of curtains or blinds.

The L-shaped seating group keeps the room from looking decomposed. But the end table

next to the window is an awkward appendage—and the lamp on top of it too small and

delicate. The over-sized mirror that presides over the room is weighty enough to

balance the stone fireplace and it works with the table. But it’s too dressy, a little too

large and hung a little too high to look like it belongs to the seating group.

THE FIX!

Add an area rug to

anchor the seating

area. Use a strong

color or texture to

balance the fireplace.

Move the end table to

the other side of the

sofa (between the

sofas); use a rustic,

bulkier lamp.

Pull the sofa grouping

away from the wall so

it‟s closer to the

fireplace.

Lower the mirror so it

hangs just above the

dado. Or use it as a

floor mirror: turn it

vertically and lean it

against the wall,

partly behind the sofa.

Choose bar stools in a

more casual style.

8

If you’ve ever bemoaned the fact that your house is too small, take heart. A large

house can be as challenging as a small one. Having to raise your voice to be heard by

guests sitting in the same room is only slightly less scary than the money you’ll have

to fork out to furnish that big room!

The badly decomposed living room above is typical of big living rooms. The furniture is

spread out to fill the space, with nothing the right distance from anything. Intimate

conversation… or a feeling of warmth... won’t happen here.


At first glance, this living room is rather stylish. The color palette is urban and chic. The

furniture is well-chosen; the pillows well-placed. But something’s not working. The lamp

is scaly (out of proportion with the rest of the furniture) and the artwork is decomposed…

it’s forcing us to look at each of the pictures as separate and apart from each other and the

seating composition.

THE FIX!

Pull the furniture into

the center of the room.

Use the extra space to

create a walkway

around the furniture

rather than in front of it.

Place the furniture in an

L-shaped or U-shaped

seating cluster; use the

area rug to visually pull

it together.

Use end tables to fill in

the corners between

sofas and chairs.

Get comfortable with

empty wall space! Use

large artwork or no art-

work. The seating area

alone can be the center

of attention, with the

area around it left bare.

THE FIX!

Move the pictures on

the wall closer

together and hang

them lower—they‟ll

look like they belong

to the sofa rather than

floating awkwardly

above it.

Add a larger lamp

between the sofa and

loveseat.

Pull the round

ottoman closer to the

sofa and add an area

rug underneath to

visually hold the pieces

together.

9 www.roomplanners.com

It’s hardly the scariest room we’ve seen, but something isn’t working here. The

furniture is stylish and the ceiling light fixture is a perfect choice. The hardwood floors

are well maintained and the color scheme is pleasant. So what’s wrong?

The room isn’t completely faceless—the point of view is clearly contemporary. though

the candelabra on the cabinet is too fancy and competes with the chandelier for our

attention. But the biggest problem here a decomposed feeling.

All three walls don’t seem to hang together. The window wall is more of a distraction

than a backdrop. A matching set of pictures are split between opposite walls (not

good!), the cabinet between the windows looks cramped and plants are placed too

randomly on both sides of the room.

THE FIX!

Lower the light fixture

to 36” above the

table—it‟ll reinforce

the table composition

rather than drawing

our eye to the ceiling.

Add an area rug under

the table. With the

lowered light fixture,

it‟ll help „anchor‟ the

table.

Move the cabinet to the

right or left wall and

stack both pictures and

the silver candle stands

above it.

Hang floor-to ceiling

curtains across the

entire window wall for

a clean, elegant

backdrop.

Center the bench under

the windows.

10

We’ve got a seriously decomposed room here. The furniture, fabrics and artwork are

consistent in style and well chosen, but their placement makes them a liability. The lack

of a headboard make the problem worse—there’s nothing to anchor or draw attention

to the bed. The stark contrast of modern white walls and floors against rich furnishings

makes the dismembered quality of this room even more obvious.


THE FIX!

Lower the tall

picture above the

cabinet so it

„belongs‟ to the

flower and lamp

composition.

Cluster the smallest

wall pictures

together as their

own group, or

group them with

larger pictures.

Remove or lower

objects that are

within 12” of the

ceiling. They draw

our eye up rather

than into the room.

THE FIX!

Add a headboard to

anchor the bed and

create a feature wall.

Angle an area rug

under the bed.

Hang the large picture

to the right side of the

bed, connected with

the night stand & lamp.

Lean the smaller

picture above a night

stand or cabinet.

Cluster 2 of the pillows

on the left side of the

window seat.

Move the large plant

next to the night stand;

remove the plant on top

of it.

A cluttered, well-filled cottage style can be endearing and charming. But the pictures are

a problem in this living room, as they often are in decomposed rooms. Even in a cottage-

inspired rooms, pictures looks best when they ’belong’ to something. The picture hung

above the cabinet is too high, the picture hung to the side of the fireplace is hardly in a

position to be viewed and other pictures are too randomly placed.

11

Ok, it’s not a train wreck. The simplicity of this rustic dining room is refreshing. Mini-

blinds inside painted window frames have a quaint charm and who can argue with

Windsor chairs for a casual dining room? .

But this room is struggling a little with its identity. It’s not entirely faceless, but its face,

or point of view, isn’t convincing. The layered, lacey tablecloth and white painted trim

is too delicate for the black painted chairs. The brass-framed mirrors work with the

lacey tablecloth but are too elegant for the rustic Windsor chairs.

The random placement of the mirrors on the wall look decomposed. They’re not

connected to anything, too small to matter and more distracting than charming.


THE FIX!

Paint the chairs a milky

white finish. Or sand

down the black paint a

little to create a

weathered finish.

Replace the wall

mirrors with a collage

of pictures. Add frames

in a variety of shapes,

sizes and styles—hang

them close together for

a cluttered, English

Cottage look.

Replace the wall

mirrors with a set of

botanical prints or

watercolors in white-

washed frames.

Add a painted country

buffet cabinet on the

wall.

Layer light cotton or

soft sheer drapes over

the mini-blinds.

12

It‟s not the first color we

think of for interiors.

Maybe that stems from

orange’s long association

with fast-food restaurants,

modern fashions, 1970’s

flower power and shag rugs

that, yes, had to be raked.

But orange has many faces.

Made up of both red and

yellow, it claims traits of

both these warm, attention-

getting colors.

The color of sunrise and

sunset, of zesty tropical

fruit, spices, fall vegetables,

dry leaves and the earth

itself, orange has a variety

of moods. In its deepest

versions, orange becomes

brown.

By it’s very nature, and in

it’s purest form, orange

feels extroverted, happy

and friendly. But deeper

and duller versions of

orange add maturity and

warmth. It’s these complex

tones that are among the

most welcoming colors we

can add to our homes.

Fall-inspired versions of

orange are most popular

for interiors. Toned-down

from bright, attention-

getting oranges, these

earthy hues feels spicy,

delicious and warm.

Given its association with

food, orange is a favorite

for dining rooms. In it’s

richest, zestiest hues, it’s

believed to enhance taste

and improve digestion.

Orange works well with

other warm colors; red and

yellow in particular. Its

complementary color, blue,

brings out its intensity and

truest character. It pairs up

with black at Halloween

for a knock-out duo that’s

memorable and striking.

As a rule, the brighter the

orange used, the more

modern, youthful and

energetic a room feels.

Deep oranges feels exotic

or established. Light or

pastel oranges feel soft and

feminine. Dull or faded

oranges feel sophisticated,

organic or nostalgic.

People who prefer orange

over other colors tend to be

optimistic, energetic and

adventurous. They’re

prone to choose rooms that

are physically comfortable,

fun or sensuous over rooms

that are steeped in history,

nostalgic or ultra efficient.

many moods the

orange of

The color of sunrise and sunset, of zesty tropical fruit, spices, fall leaves and the earth itself… orange has a version for everyone.

13


ORANGE RULES!

Use bright orange in small

areas. It‟s best suited to

strong shapes and sharp

angles, but always in

moderation.

Use bright orange with

other warm colors to

avoid too much contrast.

Reds and yellows help

tone down its brightness.

Use deep or dull orange on

larger areas—and with

any variety of cool or

warm colors. Equally deep

blues, greens and yellows

will brighten each other.

Use orange to draw

attention to important

areas. Use it on the wall

behind the bed to anchor

the sleeping area. Or place

large furniture in front of

it to moderate its strength.

Use brighter orange where

you don‟t have to look at

it for long periods… a

front entrance, hallway,

or wall behind large

furniture.

Pair the orange you

choose with colors that

have a similar brightness

or dullness.

warm or cool?

Warm oranges have

yellow undertones; they feel

earthy and relaxed.

Cool oranges are still

warm in spirit. But with

red undertones; they feel

substantial and mature.

Decide on the effect you want in your room.

Here’s a simple way to

choose the orange that’s

right for you. Decide on

how you want your room

to feel, then look for an

orange that creates that

kind of feeling.

Here are three ways to

think about this color, with

the corresponding effects!

light or dark?

Light oranges have white

undertones; they feel cool,

sweet, young and feminine.

Dark oranges have black

undertones; they feel old-

fashioned and established.

bright or dull?

Bright oranges look clean

and clear; they feel youth-

ful, modern and dynamic.

Dull oranges look gray or

faded; they feel complex,

nostalgic and weathered.

how to pick the perfect orange!

warm cool light dark dull bright

14

tangerine Behr 270D-5

From the modern palette, tangerine is

friendly, energetic and fun. It’s fresh,

youthful and looks best with modern

furniture, white and synthetic hues.

coral Behr 210C-3

From the couture palette, coral feels feminine, delicate, summery, fresh and

soft. It works best with fancy, carved or shapely furniture, delicate silk,

floral bouquet patterns, embroidered textures and other pastel-like colors

inspired by fruit and flowers.

brick Behr 200F-6

From the traditional palette, brick feels old-fashioned,

reliable, mature and intellectual. It works best with

stately, well-detailed furniture, burnished leathers, plaid,

tapestry and other deep, mature colors.

iced tea Behr 240D-5

From the country palette, tomato and iced tea are warm,

friendly, aromatic and earthy. They work best next to

rustic pine or oak furniture, cotton, rag rugs, folk art and

other colors inspired by the rural lifestyle.

tomato Behr 200D-6

orange

favorite! pick your for interiors.

Attic Heirlooms, Broyhill Furniture

www.broyhillfurniture.com

Varsity, Lea Furniture

www.leafurniture.com

Waverly Place, Hooker Furniture

www.hookerfurniture.com

15

From the chic palette, champagne is sophisticated and sul-

try, dramatic, stylish and sophisticated. Light, dull and

cool, it feels sophisticated next to contemporary, art deco

furniture. Mix with white, black and other cool, chic

neutral colors.


terracotta Behr 260F-4

From the romantic palette, terracotta is complex and

moody, genteel, generous, smooth and quiet. It looks best

next to weathered antiques, shabby chic furniture, roman-

tic floral patterns, botanical prints and other nostalgic

colors that look weathered by time.

paprika Behr 230D-6

From the global palette, paprika is zesty, aromatic, spicy, fascinating and

abundant. Warm and deep, it works best next to heavily carved or rustic

furniture, ethnic prints, folk arts, hand-crafted artifacts and other colors in-

spired by spices and vegetable dyes.

amber Behr 260D-5

From the classic palette, amber is

distinct, regal, robust and timeless. It

works best with Louis Philippe

furniture, velvet, damask, stripes and

diamond patterns. Mix with jewel

tones such as emerald, saffron, black

or other colors from the classic

palette.

champagne Behr 760A-3

Tribeca, American Drew Furniture

wwww.americandrew.com

Hills of Tuscany, Thomasville

www.thomasville.com

16

Want to create a terror-ific atmosphere at your

Halloween dinner table this fall? Unleash your

imagination and stir up little home-brewed

ambiance by simply renaming your favorite

foods.

Need some inspiration? Check out our menu

for a terror-ific Halloween dinner your ghosts

and goblins will love!

good ideas


Dinner is served

… if you dare!

MAINS

Worms and eyeballs -

spaghetti & meatballs

Witch’s fingers &

slime sauce - chicken

strips & ranch dress-

ing dyed green

Barbequed bat wings

- chicken wings

Witches’ brew &

Dracula diggers -

chili & tortilla chips

SIDES

Grass & weeds with

sliced toadstools &

witch’s teeth -

salad greens with

mushrooms &

sunflower seeds

Maggots - rice

Rotting teeth - corn

Lizards’ tongues -

sautéed red pepper

strips or carrot sticks

DESSERTS

Shrunken heads -

baked apples

Ghosts - white

chocolate-covered

bananas

Pond scum - Jello

with gummi worms

Bones - bone-shaped

meringue cookies

BEVERAGE

Swamp water -

lemonade

concentrate, lemon-

lime pop & lime

sherbet

for Halloween!

frightfully

17

(Makes 6 servings)

3 medium baking apples (e.g. Empire, Cortland,

Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Honeycrisp)

Lemon juice

5 tbsp (75 mL) packed brown sugar

3 tbsp (45 mL) butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon

Vanilla ice cream

Chopped nuts (optional)

Wash apples. Cut in half lengthwise; remove cores. Brush

cut sides of apples with lemon juice. Carve eyes, nose and

mouth on peel side of apple halves.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and

cinnamon. Brush mixture over face sides of apples.

In a greased or sprayed baking dish, place apples, cut side

down. Pour any remaining brown sugar/butter mixture

over apples.

Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven for 10 minutes.

Spoon sauce in bottom of baking dish over apples.

Continue baking until apples are tender, about 8 to 10

minutes longer.

To serve, place one or two scoops of ice cream in 6

dessert bowls. Drizzle sauce over top. Place a warm apple

head in each bowl. Sprinkle chopped nuts over ice cream,

if desired.

Wendi Hiebert is a home economist and food writer, living in Kitchener, Ontario.

For more of her recipes, visit www.CookingQuarters. wordpress.com

quarters cooking

shrunken apple heads (Makes 6 ghosts)

3 bananas

6 popsicle sticks

6 oz (200 g) white chocolate or white chocolate candy

melts, coarsely chopped, or white chocolate chips

12 chocolate chips

Peel bananas; remove any stringy fibers. Cut bananas in

half widthwise. Push a popsicle stick into each half

through the cut end. Cover each banana with plastic wrap

and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

Place white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat

on High (100% power) for 1 minute; stir. Continue

heating, 30 seconds at a time, until white chocolate is

mostly melted but a few pieces remain. Stir to melt

remaining white chocolate.

Spread or spoon white chocolate over frozen banana

halves. Press chocolate chips in place for eyes.

Set banana ghosts on a waxed paper-covered plate and

place in the freezer until serving time.


banana ghosts

These dessert ideas will help set the tone for your fright-night menu. If you wish, let everyone carve their own

“shrunken head” dessert or dress their own “ghost”.

Documents

RoomPlanners magazine - Oct '10