X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

09/23/2008: Halloween Countdown ‘08: Cocoa Krispies Haunted House Kit!

Yesterday was the first day of autumn, and on cue, the weather gods ended their colossal mid-July heat joke, providing a chill suitable for sweaters and non-glistening foreheads. Love it. I can’t promise that I won’t turn on the air conditioner, but that has more to do with its soothing, clanging hum than a heat reprieve.

Let’s celebrate by making a haunted house out of cereal.

Kellogg’s says that their Cocoa Krispies “Haunted House Kit” is “fun to make and great to eat,” but my matured, old man palette will only agree with them on one of those points. Still, as one of the few “major brand” Halloween food kits available this year, it was well worth the money. Can’t remember what it cost, but since everything else I review seems to cost five bucks, let’s go with that.

When I started doing the Halloween Countdown in 2003, spooky-themed cereal spinoffs were still in vogue. It was always one of my favorite things about the season, as evidenced by the Greek-fonted “My Kingdom For A Cereal Marshmallow Shaped Like A Bat” tattoo running across my upper back. The phenomenon hasn’t totally dried up, but each year, fewer and fewer cereal brands put on their costumes, and there’s only so much Count Chocula a person can take before they gun down a crowded shopping mall in misguided angst.

This kit helps, even if it isn’t technically a Halloween cereal. It has Snap, Crackle and Pop dressed like mummies and pirates on the box, so I guess it sort of is. Yeah.

The kit includes everything you’ll need to build a haunted house out of Cocoa Krispies. This is admirable, since so many like-styled kits don’t. If I had a nickel for every holiday food kit I’ve bought only to find myself running back to the store for cinnamon or some other such bullshit, I could fill a sock and beat you into a coma.

Contents include a bag of cereal, house-shaped cake pan, icing pens, assorted decorative candies, and a mysterious bag of gooey marshmallow sludge. There’s also a handy printed tutorial, which separates the steps into stuff kids can do and stuff kids will need adult supervision to do. I was able to handle everything myself, which is just one of the many reasons those in the know call me King Matt.

I won’t burden you with the play-by-play, but if you’re really curious to know how a Cocoa Krispies Haunted House is made, you can probably figure it out from the pictures above. You’re essentially creating a giant Rice Krispies Treat and molding it with a house-shaped cake pan. The whole process only takes a few minutes, and is totally painless.

The final step (unless you count “devouring” as a step) involves decorating your cereal house with the included bunch of candies and icings. I’m a haunted house nut, but I didn’t want to go through so much trouble just to ice on a door and a few windows. Clearly, my Cocoa Krispies Haunted House needed to become something more akin to a severed goblin head.

You’d look upset if your nose was an upside-down ghost marshmallow, too.

My goblin/haunted house is pretty, but I can’t claim that he/it tastes very good. The super-processed gooey marshmallow gunk cannot compare to the materials used in traditional, homemade Rice Krispies Treats. It just has a slightly unnatural taste, not to the point of being inedible, but at least to the point where I don’t have to worry about feeling guilty for eating an entire goblin/haunted house. I took a bite for posterity’s sake, but that’s about it.

Still, I only mention the off-flavor because I find it incredibly difficult to review anything without bitching. It’s a minor minus. Overall, this is a fine little kit that made me feel like I was living the Halloween season and not just looking at it.

I’m not suprised that the flavor wasn’t great, but still pretty neat to just make.

I feel like this is one of those things that you could just save year after year til it dissolves in the storage box.

WOW!!!!! thats making my morning at work tough since i forgot to bring my lunch today.

Ah man, how tempting is it to just pour that cereal in a bowl and eat it with some milk? You know, to be ironic.

If they had this kit for Rice Krispies instead of Cocoa Krispies I would buy it in a heartbeat. Sure it looks fun to make, but I want to enjoy eating it too.

That is awesome, Matt. I love that the ghost actually does look like a nose and that the bats really do look like some majorly gnarly eyebrows.

X-E Matt, I want to thank you for buying all this stuff so I don’t have to. There is no room in my life for chocolatey cereal, and there is a hole in my heart in the shape of a marshmallow ghost.

You’ve filled that hole, and I owe you. I will bake a meatloaf shaped like you this weekend.

I really want to super-size this. Anyone know where I can get a regular sized Halloween themed cake pan? The shape needs to lend itself to being formed out of a giant glob of Rice Krispie treats. Maybe some sort of monster or something?
Just thinking about it makes me giddy.

Awesome–looks good enough to eat! (Lame–I know) These early posts are throwing me off!

BUCKLY: You can use any kind of cereal; you don’t need to use the included Cocoa Krispies. Had I realized that earlier, I would’ve presented a Fruity Pebbles Haunted House Goblin Head.

Wow, nice. Although it is interesting that they are now making their own “marshmallow sludge,” rather than expecting kids to put mini marshmallows in the microwave.

Matt i am with you on the fruity pebbles. I tend to make my treats out of them thne rice krispies. Also i want to see the Rev make a meatloaf in the likes of MAtt that would make this week that much better.

Issac, This weekend I will craft a Mattloaf. If it looks anything like it is supposed to, I will provide the photographic proof. This will be my first effigy made of real meat, and I will try to keep the voodoo element out of it.

I almost can’t believe how well this turned out. From all the years watching you use these, Do-It-Yourself Kits, I think this one has the potential of looking extremely close to how it appears on the box. Great Joerb Mattster!

“If I had a nickel for every holiday food kit I’ve bought only to find myself running back to the store for cinnamon or some other such bullshit, I could fill a sock and beat you into a coma.”

I laughed so hard at that, my stomach hurts. Its one of the best bits of writing I have seen in ages. Just awesome. Thanks for the laughs.

Anyone else tempted to make a full 3d house out of these with square treets as the walls and roof?

matt.. i’m officially proposing an idea that i think would be an awesome addition to this year’s countdown.. - since all of us blog regulars are clearly insane.. you should do some type of costume contest.. - but a themed one.. - like, “dress as an obscure ’80’s toy, character, etc.” - i can already imagine dohopoki dressed as a Bogglin..

“You can use any kind of cereal; you don’t need to use the included Cocoa Krispies.”

I was thinking it was going to be like one of those cookie houses you assemble and decorate. The idea of a 3D Rice Krispy Treat house appeals to me for some odd reason.

Thanks to the pre-made marshmallow sludge, I can now collect bags of it and re-enact the final scene in Ghostbusters for Halloween.

I see a face inside the goblin’s mouth … Look at the green stuff in between the jellybean teeth: you can see an eye, a scrunched-up nose, and even a mouth where he (it?) is bearing its teeth!

It almost looks like the Incredible Hulk suffering the effects of extreme pressure … I haven’t read the other posts here, but does anyone else see it?

I hate out of a box rice krispy treats. Even the name brand ones suck. nothing beats homemade…

Hello there, X-E’ers! I’m new ’round here and this is really my first post. I’m in Texas and we’ve really been hit hard by hurricane Ike. Just depressing. Anyway, stumbled across X-E on my laptop since we’ve had no power and I must truly say what a great site! I’ve caught up on every old article and it’s really cheered me up in this time of need. Seems like a great family you’ve all got here. Matt, you are a genius! I’m lovin’ the countdown!
P.S. Just to prove I ain’t no punk, thought I’d inform you guys that I know that SNT means Saturday Night Thread. (Seems like knowing this is some kind of initiation to the uninformed!) I hope to become a part of the X-E family! Thanks guys and girls.

This thing could give the traditional gingerbread house some competition, this year.

Hey Matt, any chance we’ll see that house in the background of some other Halloween photos?

Every year the Food Network shows that Halloween show where Marc Summers builds a Haunted House, although he uses graham crackers instead of cereal. I’m too lazy for something like that. Heck, I’m too lazy for the Rice Kripies one.

well started decorating last night. got only a portion of the way finished. still lots more to go. i like to kind of spread it out…by october 1st i will be there.

matt: great find, even if it didnt taste all that well. was it just the marshmellow sludge? did the icing fair? i was just thinking this kit could be a great starter kit for a much grander production. wouldnt you say?

Welcome to the fold Hallorady. i am usally on and off again as far as posting but i always read whats been posted. I use to go by OZhero way back when….

Thanks alot for the warm welcome guys! I just got a call from the wife who’s at Target right now and she says she got me some sweet Great Pumpkin fridge magnets from the dollar bin! Can’t wait to get home and check those babies out!

I feel so behind on the cownt down already. I am going to go and catch up today.
And I want this. I saw a similar thing at Target yesterday with gingerbread, this looks much easier.

Al Boondy…looks like a green, one-eyed “The Thing” to me…its clobberin time!

Side note, my autocomplete is still suggesting “slusho” when I type…if we ever decide to do a syncronized Saturday DVD watch, may I suggest Cloverfield?

Welcome to the crew, Hallorandy! DarkSideofBrightness, I would Google around for a Wilton cake pan. They have Alf, among others

Love it! I wanna make one RIGHT NOW! I think I would go for some classic Rice Krispies and use real marshmallows. I’m not one for the store bought squares I’d imagine it tastes something like that. And yes I do see the face in the mouth. It looks like a tiny monster smiling at me. Or maybe a small gorilla?

Oh and I am heart broken that I missed out on the contest on Saturday. I read the blog an hour to late! I partook in the one from a few years ago where we had to draw a Halloween character doing an every day activity. It was so much fun! I loved everyone’s entries this year!

An oddball leftover quirk from High School is that I love Rice Krispies Treats… but only when they are stale. The parents would all bring cookies, etc for the marching band during 3rd quarter of football games and it all had to be thrown out of the band house by Wed. Hence: stale Rice Krispy Treats kept me alive until 7th pd. lunch. Many years later, most people just look at me like I’m nuts these days b/c of it.

Hallorandy: Great Pumpkin fridge magnets you say?? I scoured the Target dollar bins and never saw such a thing. But such they sound so amazing that I am convinced I must now go back and look harder, for I cannot live without them.

Matt: You should spray that baby with fixative and put it on your wall somehow. Just looking at it makes my teeth hurt.

Yes, I tend to prefer my rice krispy treats stale to firmer. I remember the “marshmallow munchie,” manufactured by Campfire to be superior to the brand name Kellog’s rice krispie treat.

Nowadays, I prefer getting my rice krispy treats from Starbucks, just the right firmness and chewyness.

I did this a couple of years ago, but in giant pumpkin shapes. I just made a huge slab of Rice Krispie treats and then took a pumpkin cookie cutter to them… then I slathered them with icing and gave them to my family members who promptly took one bite and put them down because they were “too sweet!” Bah!

my girlfriend and i started our halloween crap shopping last weekend and picked up a couple of these. haven’t got around to making one yet… yours looks great though, matt!!

Maybe it’s the drinking lunch I had today, or maybe it’s just the Halloween spirit in the air, but I really think that goblin head is inspired and beautiful and I want one, NOW!

Last year I made Frankenberry and Count Chocula “cereal” treats with strawberry and chocolate marshmallows, respectively (I ate my Booberry straight). They turned out well, but I like the idea of cookie cuttering them and dipping them in icing. Or at least making some gel icing designs on their Frankenberry faces… yeah, getting way too into this… definitely gonna attribute it to the drinking lunch…

Anyone remember Rice Krispie Treats cereal? It wasn’t bad, but I can understand why it isn’t around anymore. I’m surprised they didn’t attempt a Cocoa Krispie Treats Cereal.

Somehow this comes up a lot here at X-E but Rice Krispie Treats cereal still exist.

JLAJRC Try Vanilla Crispies, they taste exactly the same as RCT Cereal. I was pleasantly suprised.

If I can find one of those kits up here in the Great White North it will be a hit with my 3 year old daughter!

Wow! I just may pick this up! My gf rolls her eyes when I buy goofy cereals, but THIS may roll them clean out of her head!

Matt, any pictures of that tattoo (if it exists, and I hope it does

) would be much appreciated.

Does anybody have any stellar Rice Crispy Treat recipes for a poor (and hardware deprived) college student?

I decided that one was enough, but yes, there’s enough to make two. They also suggest forming three-dimensional highlights using some of the leftovers, but I saw no need to put the extra 45 seconds of effort in.

Cheetara: I haven’t laid my eyes on them yet, but my wife swears it’s so! She also says she picked up some Peanuts coffee mugs and stationary from the dollar bins as well. A Charlie Brown coffee mug? For a dollar? There is a God!

welcome Hallorandy I am definitley gonna buy this…plus REAL marshmallows, so it may taste better that way. I like your idea Matt with the goblin! Too cute and awesome! Oh…I’m soon experimenting with how to make them fancy cakes and cupcakes with FONDANT icing. That matte textured icing you see so much now on food network on those shows like Ace of cakes and food network challenge. Its like marhmallow meringue-ish goo that dries matte and you somehow press it onto the cake, instead of spreading like a buter cream….you all get what I mean right? and peope tend to cut out shapes with it ad stick it to the cakes…think of its look as sorta like the icing on a tasty cake chocolate cookie cake bar…like soft with a slight crunch ….

IHAQ: Your assumption is correct! Once again thank you all for the warm welcome. You guys are awesome.

I wish I could create an elaborate tableau out of subtly hued fondant strips. But all I’d get is a greasy wrinkly mass of fingerprinted frosting.

I like your spooky name, Mandy Reeves. I’m gonna rip off your idea and come up with a halloween version of my own name.

Welcome aboard Hallorandy! And Matt I think I’m gonna try your Fruity Pebbles treats! They sound pretty dang tasty!

Rev, you could make a fingerprint themed cake…work that fingerprinted icing right in.

Hey could someone help me out? I’m ready to recieve some backlash for my stupidity, but how do you achieve the bold feature in these comments?

Wow, I go in the hospital for two weeks and this place gets all ‘Weenified! I dig it, but I hate that I wasn’t here for it. I’ve missed you guys. I did go back and read all the stuff I missed. Some thoughts:
kb, your boyfriend will be in my prayers. I say that sincerely, as I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, especially after what I’ve been through the past two years or so.

Matt, you’re doing a great job…love the Halloween design, love the jukebox…keep it up!

And y’all did some great work in the Jason contest…I especially loved the two Peanuts entries!

Hallorandy, since you proved that you knew what SNT meant, I hardly think you will receive backlash.

That looks awesome! I’ve never really like Rice Krispie Treats…too dry for my taste. Rice Krispie Treats CEREAL, though? That was the best.

Use the “greater than” and “less than” signs (above the comma and the period) with a “b” for bold, like this:

“less than” b “greater than” Hallorandy “less than” /b “greater than”

I wonder if there was a way to combine this with the cookie house that Wal-Mart sells?

AWESOME haunted house you have there Matt! I’m gonna make somethin like that myself this year. I think i’ll do it with my baby sister too. She LOVES makin stuff like this. =)

Rev, so how about Rev. Back It Up and reverse over the hitchhiker before loading the corpse in the trunk for slow roasting in the oven with winter vegetables for a tasty dinner (and maybe sandwiches if there are leftovers)?

I don’t think all that fits, Guise, but I like the picture you’ve drawn there.

Hallorandy: You will now receive backlash for using “your” instead of “you’re.”

However, since I, too, learned how to bold thanks to you, I hereby revoke said backlash.

meepy: Dammit! Thanks for cuttin’ me some slack, I don’t believe I could bear such backlash!

Target has the best halloween section its reeediculous. Those globes with the skull inside I love those! With my near minimum wage earnings all I could afford on this trip were 1) black KEEP OUT doormat with the skull n crossbones. 2) one bag of hershey kisses candy corn flavor. Im gonna leave that doormat out front permently.

Very impressive rice crispy art, Matt. It reminds me of the Halloween III movie poster.

Well since Hallorandy broke the ice I figure I may as well introduce myself as well. My name is Patrick and I live in Baltimore. I’ve been reading this site religiously for at least five years now, and stalking this board for the past year. I was born in October and have been completely obsessed with Halloween all my life.

so…I downloaded Lego Batman today for my Nintendo DS…it’s kinda fun actually. That and Kirby Superstars Ultra. The Kirby one is an updated remake of the Kirby Superstar game for the SNES.

And I actually BOUGHT a game for DS yesterday, since I feel guilty once in a while for using a flash cart to down load games for free. I got Viva Pinata Pocket Paradise. If you have ever played the X-box 360 version, I am told it is pretty much the same exact game.

Also, I’ll bet one could save that mold and just buy different cereals, candies, icing, and “treat” ingredients and make a whole cereal haunted village!

I’ve never introduced myself and rarely comment. I’ve probably commented more today than all other times combined. I’ve been coming to X-E for god knows how many years…way before the blog existed.

Are you and ROG from I-Mockery in some sort of mental linkup lately? The last two days you both have had very similar posts.

1st time comment from me too. I just wanted to say that the Rice Krispies head looks a little like Carvel’s Cookie Puss. I can’t be the only one who sees this.

cool head! also been to the dollar tree lately? mine has some marvel metapens hulk, spidey, iron man and venom! you squeeze’em and they ballon up wiith goo or something.

Meepy. I’ve visited York about a bazillion times and I’ve never gotten used to that paper mill smell. Do you get desensitized to it by living there???

Went to Montreal and saw the New Kids on the Block…a lifelong-never-gonna-happen-fantasy that came true to perfection! They played every song I wanted, got very close to me, Joey wore his famous jacket, ANNNND my fave New Kid, Jon, SAW MY SIGN, POINTED AND WAVED at me. Noe he KNOWS that I am out there, and he has a fan in me. *sighs in complete bliss*

Then, I get home, and XE has exploded in content! Thanks Matt for all the Halloween-y goodness.

Welcome to all the new posters.
I’m plannin on gettin my Halloween costume very soon. I Don’t want to miss out on the good stuff.

Boogeyman: Originally from Miami…been living here in York for 2 years and have yet to get used to the stink of the paper mill. I always wondered what the smell was until I overheard someone talking about it once to their kid. Oh well. It doesn’t always smell…just usually. Right now it smells like fireplace goodness.

Ugh, I wish I could participate in the making of things that look like things but are actually made out of food, but I can not. I’m on Weight Watchers and the meetings are actually held at my company on lunch break, and whoever loses the most weight gets their $135 membership fee back. I’ve been trash talking the director of finance all week.

Good to see ya around Ultraman. Welcome Hallorandy, you’ve got the makings of a regular around here I think. Anyone have any status updates on the old schoolers? Kingklash sticks his head in around here, Erik Majorwicz (sp?) shows up every few months, bitchpants is on SNT…who am I forgetting that we haven’t seen in awhile?

Speaking of those Fruity Pebbles Squares, I tried one of those the other day due to a bake sale.

I need free time to invest in Kirby Superstar Ultra. I loved the original to hell, and this version looks even better!

To be honest, I was never keen on building gingerbread houses. Seemed like a waste of good food.

Oddly enough, I haven’t seen this yet. I haven’t really done too much exploring in seasonal aisles - haven’t had the money to after vacation. I’m not really fond of Rice Krispie Treats, but I’ve never done a gingerbread haunted house. Maybe this is the year to change that…

I’m going through my parents attic this weekend for “vintage” Halloween decorations/costumes. If I find anything good I’ll let you all know!

Awesome goblin house, Matt! It looks like a great set, with a lot of stuff included. I also think that the goblin came out great, as it looks on the box. I’ll have to check out my local stores for these, very intersting.

Hey good to see you around too Terror Claws. =)
It’s startin to get a little cooler around my neck of the woods. Although it’s STILL not as cool as i’d like it to be.

I must be one of the few in the world that doesn’t like Rice Krispie Treats. I mean, they’re OK, I’m just not crazy about them. I don’t know why, maybe too sticky? I’m a pretty picky eater…

Its the f’ing X-E Halloween Countdown, we’ve come to expect a Viking Funeral when something like this happens.

–>> ..if i was paid enough i would spend the night in a haunted cocoa krispies house.

Hallorandy: There’s a coffee mug too? Ok, now I definitely have to go back to Target this weekend.

Jooky: I have a plain, tan doormat that simply says “Leave.” I bought it around Halloween a couple of years ago, and it hasn’t left my porch since.

I’d actually like to make these, they look good.
I like Rice Krispie Treats, but there’s nothing quite like the superior Cocoa Pebbles Treats, especially when you make them with heaping tablespoons of butter-flavored Crisco and Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows. Back in 6th grade I loved to eat these things with a side of Lay’s Wow! Chips. A fattening and completely awesome snack. It’s just too bad that Lay’s Wow! Chips have been totally re-marketed, re-formulated and are no longer called “Wow!”.

I used to dress up every year, carve a pumpkin, and go to halloween parties. I miss all of that. I don’t do anything Fall-related anymore because I’m just not feeling it. There’s no motivation or spirit. I’m too focused on midterms. Does anyone have any tips on how to get back into the halloween spirit? Don’t say to dress up, carve pumpkins, and go to parties. It goes deeper than that.

Well, I did one thing last week. Bought a bag of candy corn and ate it. Still not feelin’ the spirit of the season.

i hate those sort of gummies…. they look like they’d taste amazing, but they’re horrible.

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