Halloween Bloody Bandage Cookies and a Giveaway!

halloween bloody bandage cookies

It is officially my last week here in Massachusetts. And it’s strange. Exciting and wild and cluttery, but yes, strange. Bittersweet. It’s sort of timely that Halloween falls squarely in the middle of the chaos, because why not? Let’s make things creepy while we’re packing. Or at least, let’s use the candy as fuel for the move.

In between ten-minute spurts of wrapping my dishes in my sweaters and stealing bottles of conditioner from Mom’s closet, I wanted to take just a minute to celebrate the holiday.

Now, I didn’t have loads of time to spare, so I looked for something that met these three criteria: quick, easy, and festive. Emphasis on the quick and easy. Oh! Forgot to mention that it had to be cheap. Frugality was key since I’m moving to Manhattan in 3 days and, honestly, that city owns me now.

halloween bloody bandage cookies

The sweet recipe that I chose came from one of my favorite places to spend twenty minutes: the Dollar Tree.  Now, a few weeks ago I found myself in the thick of an intense crafting and DIY-ing spree (refinishing a second-hand kitchen table, spray-painting cheap wall frames, reupholstering the seat cushions of two antique chairs with more modern fabric…). It was a mission to decorate my apartment on a shoestring budget. Naturally, I wandered in and out of Dollar Tree a time or two. What I discovered only very recently, though, was the online side of Dollar Tree, and their Value Seekers Club, a community that you can join (for free) to receive emails with bargains, new product sneak peeks, craft/recipe/décor project ideas, and contests. It was up my alley. The content is always changing and one of my favorite features is that you can save and print project sheets—making it easy for me to bring a shopping list to the store.

These festive bloody bandage cookies are taken straight from the Value Seekers Club. All of the Halloween craft and recipe projects that I browsed had step-by-step tutorials, which made it easy to know right away whether they’d take five minutes (and five dollars!) or thirty minutes. Since most of the eats around Halloween are hyper-sweet, these are refreshingly mild. They’re just honey grahams with a smear of vanilla frosting and a dab of strawberry jam. Three ingredients. Three dollars. Done. Kids would LOVE them, and [should act more like] adults like me? Might love them even more. Maybe you’d consider picking up a box of bandages (as Dollar Tree suggests), a small bag of cobwebs, or plastic spiders for additional props. Otherwise, this couldn’t be simpler.

I put these treats out before a Halloween party I went to last weekend and they were such a hit.

Rosie the Riveter

[I was Rosie the Riveter and I posed all wrong.]

If you want to get the super-quick recipe for these cookies, or to see what other projects and deals Dollar Tree has to offer, head here:  Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club! It takes no time to sign up with your email and the recipe is on the main page along with a whole mess of other crafts and recipes. November’s content goes up on Friday, so be sure to check out October’s finds before it is too late! I bet the upcoming holiday season is going to bring lots of cute ideas to my inbox.

**GIVEAWAY**

Dollar Tree has been generous enough to offer me a $100 gift card to giveaway to one reader! To enter to win:

  1. Sign up for the Value Seekers’ Club here: http://bit.ly/ValueSeekers
  2. Leave a comment below stating which project from the club you want to try first! Please use the same email address when signing up for the Value Seekers Club as you do when leaving your comment so that Dollar Tree can verify your membership if you win.

I’ll randomly pick a winner by the end of the day on Friday, November 1st! Good luck!

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93 thoughts on “Halloween Bloody Bandage Cookies and a Giveaway!

  1. Cinnamon Vogue

    It really is a scary move to NYC Andie. Please keep your wits about you in the city. I am sure you will be fine. Still it is better to say it and give you good blessings than not to say it. Guess I have been watching too much Law & Order. :-) But I am sure with your culinary skills you will always be in safe company. But watch out for those kitchen knives. :-) Happy Halloween.

    Reply
    1. Maryellen

      Hi,

      As Andie’s mother I am in total agreement with you about safety. Despite the fact that I grew up in Boston (Jamaica Plain to be exact) I lived such a sheltered life as my dad was a correctional officer at Deer Island Prison and kept his nine children close to him at all times. I want Andrea to carry a very pointy umbrella rain or shine and will consider getting her two german shepherds, one for each side of her. Andrea is very street smart though and when visiting her in Italy (during her semester abroad) I was amazed that she was strong and did not let anyone bother her, she is very friendly but is extremely perceptive and knows when someone is feeding her a line.
      Holding My Breath ,
      Maryellen

      Reply
      1. Cinnamon Vogue

        Maryellen I am so glad you feel the same way. Love the part about the pointy umbrella.:-) Like you said I am sure Andrea is more than capable and knows when she is being given a line. Sometimes the difference between normalcy and disaster is just seconds. So one has to be aware of what happens around you. I find that if I am forceful about being careful especially to my mom and sister, they tend to think about it and be more self aware. It is also why I survived some of the most dangerous places on earth.

        Reply
    2. Michelle

      I grew up in Brooklyn (didn’t leave till I was 50). NYC isn’t really all that different than any other large city except there are more people. If you are aware of your surroundings, everything will be fine. Actually, the people in NY are friendlier than where I am now (won’t say exactly where but it’s in the south).

      Reply
      1. Abbie

        Take comfort in the fact that NOTHING on Law & Order is real. New York is probably safer today than the majority of most American cities. I honestly felt safer in the Bronx than I did in Chinatown in Boston (I’m from MA too.) It’s jam packed with people 24/7, well lit, “clean”, the subway runs 24 hours a day and there is always a restaurant/bodega/shop to duck into if you should run into trouble, which you won’t, unless you are looking for it.

        Andie- your move will be GREAT!!!! I went to NYU and stayed for two more years until I met my husband and we moved for more space. But I would go back in a heartbeat, and hope my children feel the same way someday.

        Here’s to an incredible, life changing experience for you. Enjoy!!!

        Reply
        1. Linda C.

          Agreed! I grew up in the Bronx and currently live in Manhattan, and it’s very safe–Definitely not the way it’s usually portrayed in those TV shows. Like every other big city, there are areas to be wary of, but on the whole, NYC is known as the safest big city.

          Hope to see you around Random House, Andie!

          Reply
  2. Tonya

    The Fall Leaves Wreath. I’ve been looking for a festive door wreath that wasn’t labor intensive or pricey. Most ideas I find on Pinterest take $50 in materials. This one looks easy and affordable!

    Reply
  3. Sophie

    This post has made me so nostalgic!! I’ve spent the last two Halloweens in the Netherlands, where people don’t really dress up and where pumpkin anything is surprisingly hard to come by, let alone other fun Halloween treats. You’ve just inspired me to rectify that situation – at least in my apartment. Now to find something that could pass for a graham cracker …

    Reply
  4. Karen

    Thank you for the post. As a home school mom, I am always looking for affordable crafts . We will be making the stained glass leaves this week. Really cute!

    Reply
  5. Tammie

    There’s a lot of great ideas, but being the foodie that I am, I will probably make the chocolate cheesecake dip or the PB&J cookies. Thanks for the contest. I could get all my Christmas shopping done for a hundred dollars at Dollar Tree! :) Good luck on your big move!

    Reply
  6. Kari

    This is great, I never even knew about this site. I think the Tabletop Turkey project would be a fun one for the younger kids. I also love the Best Brownies Ever recipe – looks yummy.
    alas3lads (at) aol (dot) com

    Reply
  7. Ellen

    I would love to try the chocolate chip cheesecake dip! I have a football party this weekend and need to take a dish to pass! This sounds delicious and easy!

    Good luck on your new adventure!

    Reply
  8. Heather C.

    I want to try the PB&J cookies, they look delish! The craft ideas are great too, but I always gravitate towards the food. Good luck in NY!

    Reply
  9. Gayla

    I like the little bats…Next year I will use them on a wreath. No time to do it this year. Add a few little ghosts and will be the cutest!!!
    Have a great move and be safe.

    Reply
  10. Jamielynn

    Tail Waggin Treats! My little lady, Molly, deserves the best!!! Funny you should write about Dollar Tree in your blog, my dad is obsessed and I get him a GC every Christmas! Best wishes to you on your move!!! You’re going to do great!

    Reply
  11. kate

    I was going to say the popcorn turkeys, but the pilgrim hat treat cup is spectacular.

    P.S. Best wishes on your move to Manhattan!

    Reply
  12. Amber

    Good Luck with the big move, Andie! Moving really bites no matter what, but I can only imagine how difficult it will be to move to NYC!
    I didn’t even know that dollar tree had an online craft site, thanks for letting us know! The project I want to work on first are those cute tabletop turkeys. I think me and my boys might be trying this very soon!

    Reply
  13. Hootie

    IDK if I looked at the right thing but i did sign up and saw an adorable picture of spaghettiOs with octopus hotdogs. How cute?! Painted pumpkins are the bomb too. I just got a large haul from Dollar tree yesterday. I love their cling on removable stickers and have redone a table with them recently which I sold before it even made it to my booth at the antique store. I will send you a pic by email :) thanks and happy moving

    Reply
  14. Tara Slater

    Cant wait to try the Fall Leaves Wreath – what a great idea!! Good luck on your move, we are all rooting for you & know you’ll kick butt in the Big City :)

    Reply
  15. Danette B.

    The Tail Waggin’ Treats are what I’d make since you know what’s going in them, not like some of the other dog treats out there.

    Reply
  16. barb

    Hi- welcome to Manhattan- not sure what area you are moving into but like so many cities NYC is a cluster of smaller communities. It really is not as bad as people make it out to be! I am in East Village and have my share of edgier people plus artsy people and NYU students. Great place to live!!!

    Reply
  17. barb

    Paper Bag Popcorn Turkey
    too cute my nephews will love it– I am also going to see if I can craft one into a football for game days.

    Reply
  18. Mandy

    The “Best Brownies EVER” recipe needs to get made asap! Holy yum:) Thanks for sharing this site…Dollar Tree is my favorite store!!!

    Reply
  19. Kiki

    Thank you for letting us know about the Dollar Tree website. The chocolate chip cheesecake dip sounds wonderful. Will make a batch and take it to work so we won’t eat it all! Love reading about you and your mom on her quest for healthy living. Much luck to you in your move and to her continued weight loss.

    Reply
  20. Diane @ Vintage Zest

    So excited for you! I almost, almost went to grad school in New York, but chose another school instead. You’ll have so much fun there!

    P.S. I totally love your Halloween costume, pose and all. :)

    P.P.S. – Also, I’m definitely in for the contest (and the club) because they have the best and cheapest beer steins to personalize. It was one of the first posts I ever had on my blog!

    Reply
  21. Sheila

    Definitely want to try the popcorn turkey! Aside from making turkeys cut out from a child’s hand, it can be tough finding a fun Thanksgiving day craft. Plus, my son loves popcorn!

    Good luck in Manhattan! Anytime I visit, I throw a tantrum when it’s time to leave. Love it there, and I know you will too!

    Reply
  22. Lindsey

    I just joined value seekers and I cannot wait to make the bathroom tower project!!!!!!! My counter is rather small and this will give me the option to buid UP! Thanks ! Love your blog it is my getting healthy inspiration!

    Reply
  23. Wanda O.

    The Bathroom Tower looks like a great idea, especially with 7 children in our family, 5 of them girls. As girls grow into teens, they need more space for their toiletry stuff. This is a cheap, pretty way to do it! Hope we win!

    Love your blog! Thanks for your inspiration and recipes.

    Also, enjoy NYC. I grew up in the Bronx, my husband is from WI and we met in the City. It can be scary, but it is also so much fun, and such an experience. I don’t live in NYC anymore, but I think every place has it’s benefits. Have a good move!

    Reply
  24. Whitney

    The pilgrim napkin rings are amazing. I honestly probably won’t even wait until Thanksgiving – we’re going to use them Sunday at our weekly community dinner. And I’ll be honest – I actually didn’t expect this little newsletter to be so terrific – I usually find store “newsletters” a little hokey and self inflating, but the Value Seekers Club is awesome!

    Reply
  25. PeachyinGA

    Bathroom Tower!!! To hold toiletries, etc. for holiday out of town guests. Also a great space saver, and something that would probably help in your new NYC digs. Hope all goes well with your move!

    Reply
  26. Sandy

    OOoooooh, defintely the brownie recipe. It must, without a doubt, be something chocolate. Andie I wish you the best in your new adventure in New York. I’ve never wandered any further than Florida and can’t imagine living anywhere else. At least you’re already used to the freezing cold winters and snow, so that’s a big plus.

    Reply
  27. Becky

    My girls love to do nails so i would say have to
    Try newspaper nails. Also with thanksgiving coming
    Like pilgrims hats.
    Thanks

    Reply
  28. Sue D

    I would like to try the paper bag popcorn turkey.
    I signed up for the value seekers club as slrdowney at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  29. Paula

    First off, these treats look amazeballs :) Secondly, good luck in NYC – I lived there for 2 years and absolutely loved it. Keep us posted :)

    Reply
  30. Brittany

    I definitely need to make the bathroom tower! My boyfriend and I just moved in together and woof-we need some storage space.

    Reply
  31. Janet V

    Who won?

    I hate when there is no post for the week.

    Oh I suppose you are “busy” moving and “starting a new chapter of your life.” and whatnot. sigh. :-) jk – love ya!

    Reply
  32. Silvia

    Dear Maryellen,

    I know this must be a strange week for you–full of pride, encouragement and hope for Andie as well as one tinged with sadness and grief as you feel her absence. The dualities of motherhood, pain and joy intertwined like a DNA helix.

    Just wanted to say that, for whatever it’s worth, I’m thinking of you. It’s a tough week AND it’s the first time really on your own with the food preparation and commitment to the healthier you. I’m with you. We all have your back. And you might stumble a bit here and there until you get it right and find your new footing. Don’t berate yourself, acknowledge that this is a transition for you. Whenever you need us just reach out…

    Much love from California,
    Silvia

    Reply

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