Today I wanted to share a creepy (but fun) cocktail garnish for Halloween! These skin-crawling eyeballs are made with California Ripe Olives, canned lychees and red food coloring.
Medium-sized olives seemed to fit best inside the lychee.
The red food coloring ‘blood shot eyes’ takes these guys to the next level.
Have you ever tried a lychee? I had a college roommate who introduced me to the magical fruit (tastes sort of like a cross between a ripe pear and a kiwi) and when I see them in the supermarket I snatch them up. If you can’t find them in your market (near canned fruit or international food – they’re popular in Japan), try here. The canned version is nice because of the sweet syrup (to add to cocktails :)) and because they come pitted – the perfect spot to pop that olive into.
Olives, the second ingredient in these eyeballs, are a staple in our home. I used to eat olives straight from the can as a kid (and a whole can at that), and Liv must have that gene too because the minute she spots some in the pantry or shopping bag she’s popping them onto her fingers to devour. I teamed up with California Ripe Olives to share this fun Halloween food-art project with you today.
Muahahaha. Ooo they make my skin crawl! I’m all for the jack-o-lanterns and cute kids in butterfly or baby lion costumes – not so much the blood and gore type. But I can’t help and love how perfect of a pairing these lychee + olives are for this holiday.
For the cocktail portion of this drink, I think a little bit of cranberry juice + grenadine (for that even richer red color) + club soda is perfect (says the pregnant belly). Any drink or martini will do – but add the garnish just as you’re about to serve because these guys soak up that coloring rather quickly and will soon be pink (I attempted to float them in punch without much luck – if you go that route forgo the red food coloring for just floating eyeballs).
Happy soon-to-be Halloween :), and happy weekend! We are off to finish Liv’s costume for her school carnival tonight.
PS more Halloween ideas and another delicious cocktail to try.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Oh my those are creepy! But so creative too. My co-workers love Halloween and would probably flip out over these. (I also may have to make one or two for Friday night…could you imagine greeting trick or treaters with one of those in hand?)
I love that idea! I saved one can of lychees and olives for this Friday, too :).
These are amazing! I know for sure what’s going in my holiday punch! Happy weekend!!