Halloween FUN! Let’s make ZOMBIE EYEBALLS

Let’s make ZOMBIE EYEBALLS for HALLOWEEN!

Recipe inspired by IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA

Hi! My name is Ana Siqueira and when I was a kid, I didn’t even know that Halloween existed. What!? 

Yes, I am from Brazil. In Brazil, we didn’t know about this tradition. Now, since the internet and with so many ways to connect around the world, this tradition is well known in Brazil. Yes, when I was a child, I didn’t have access to the internet. And no, I am not that old. Or am I?

You might wonder then, when did I ever get candy? We have two special days for children in Brazil. 

• Children’s Day on October 12th where we get gifts and candy
• Saints Cosmo and Damiano day on September 27th where many people hand candy to children to show their gratitude for these saints, who are considered the patrons of doctors and pharmacists and the protectors of children.

Well, was there a day when you can wear costumes? For that we have Carnaval. During February or March, we all dance and wear costumes for four days. How fun, right? You can follow dancing groups, go to a dance club for kids, or go watch a big Carnaval parade. 

So, you might ask, why did you write a book about Halloween? Well, my book is not only about Halloween. It is about the fear of the unknown and about – “Don’t judge a bruja by her sombrero!” 

Halloween is fun. It is a combination of Saint Cosmo and Damiano plus Carnaval. How fabuloso is it to have a day where you can be whatever you want and eat candy? Also, I’ve always loved spooky stories. But, no worries, IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA is more fun than it is spooky. 

• Carnaval •
My cousins dancing in the street!

ABOUT THE BOOK

This bouncy, bilingual picture book is an enchanting, rollicking read-aloud
for small ones with big imaginations.

On the night before Halloween, a new babysitter might be more than she appears. If she wears a black sombrero and cackles like a crow, she might just be a witch. ¡A bruja! Be careful! She might drop you at the Twisted Torre and dunk into a boiling cauldron. But you might have fun kissing frogs and gobbling up some zombie eyeballs. Yummy! ¡Deliciosos! 

With boundless imagination and plenty of tricks up her sleeve, the young protagonist and you may just have the best night ever!

You might wonder how zombie eyeballs taste. Don’t wonder anymore, below you’ll find the recipe for these deliciosos Brazilian treats with a zombie twist.

Recipe – Brigadeiro

Ingredients:
1 can of Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
Butter
For the decoration:
Sugar
Sprinkles (colorful or chocolate sprinkles)
Mini baking cups 

To make these delicious Brazilian fudge balls follow the simple steps below:

• • Melt a teaspoon of butter in a pot.
  • Pour the condensed milk into the pot.
  • Mix in the cocoa powder
  • Stir nonstop for about ten minutes until you can see the bottom of the pot for 2-3 seconds when dragging a spatula through.
  • Pour the mixture onto a plate and let it cool down for one hour or more.

To decorate them:

• • Spread a tiny amount of butter on your hands.
  • Scoop up a teaspoon of the mixture.
  • Form it into a ball
  • Then you can roll it in sugar or sprinkles.
  • Place in the baking cups. 

To transform Brigadeiros into Zombie Eyeballs

1. Use food coloring instead of cocoa powder – We used green.
2. Decorate it with candy eyeballs, sprinkles, and food markers.
3. To make it less gooey, you can roll it also into sugar and then place the decorations.
4. Optional: You can decorate cupcakes, cookies, brownies, or cakes with your eyeballs. Here I cut slices so each one of us could do our own decoration.

Neither I nor my grandson Luka are artistic or fancy bakers, but we had so much fun. And the zombie eyeballs were deliciosos. Read this book, eat zombie eyeballs, and have a spooky fun Halloween season.

About the Author

Ana Siqueira is an award-winning author from Brazil who cackles but doesn’t wear hats. When not flying with brujas, she teaches Spanish to adorable little ones, where she casts a learning spell that nobody can resist. Besides Bella’s Recipe for Success and If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja, Ana has also published a Spanish early reader for the education market. She loves being an abuela and a vovó to her Cuban-Brazilian American grandkids. She lives in Florida with her husband, who just might be a wizard.

About the Illustrator

Irena Freitas is an award-winning artist and illustrator. She has an MFA in illustration from SCAD and loves illustrating people, funny situations that happen in daily life, and whimsical stories. When she is not reading and illustrating books, she likes to travel and visit new places. Irena lives in Manaus, Brazil.

CONNECT with Ana Siqueira
Website | Instagram | Twitter