Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Mexican artist Flavia C. Drago is the perfect October book. It has ghosts, monsters, a Day of the Dead party, and is a colorful celebration of Mexican art and culture to read during Hispanic Heritage month. But even better than all of that is the book’s portrayal of social anxiety as Gustavo tries to connect with the other monsters around him, yet feels like he is always invisible. This depiction of shyness as a type of invisibility is such a great visualization for kids to relate to, whether they have felt this type of anxiety themselves or not. Gustavo finally breaks through his shyness by sharing his passion for music and being himself. The illustrations in Gustavo the Shy Ghost capture Gustavo’s moods with colorful exuberance and whimsy. I love how Gustavo takes on a little bit of the color of whatever is behind him, a beautiful picture of how shy people often feel the desire to “blend in” among a crowd. This book is a wonderful October read-aloud but the subject matter makes it relevant all year round.
I wanted my recipe to go along with Gustavo the Shy Ghost to have as much character and whimsy as Gustavo himself. There are so many ghost shaped snack recipes that pop up around Halloween, but I wanted something more substantial than just a cookie or a treat. Then I remembered a recipe for Welsh Rarebit that I made years ago. Although this dish has an unusual name, it is basically cheese toast, with a few other flavors thrown in. For traditional Rarebit, shredded cheddar is mixed with ale, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to create a sort of cheese spread that is put on toast and broiled until brown and bubbly. For a more kid-friendly version, I left out the Worcestershire sauce and replaced ale with apple cider. I know the combination of cider and cheese might sound strange, but the sweetness of the cider was not really noticeable when mixed with sharp cheddar, it just added a subtle hint of apple flavor. I also used white cheddar in place of the traditional yellow to give these toasts a more ghostly glow. To finish off the ghosts, I used sliced and chopped olives to create spooky or silly faces. I found the perfect size of ghost cookie cutter on amazon, but there are lots of cute ones around. These are so easy to make, ready in under 10 minutes, and full of cheesy, tasty goodness. To make a filling, healthy meal, serve with apple slices and hot soup. For some warming, delicious soup recipes check out the links below:
White Cheddar Ghost Toasts
Preheat broiler to high. Lay the bread ghosts out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast both sides of the bread under the broiler until just beginning to brown; watch closely as bread can burn easily under a broiler.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the shredded cheese, apple cider, mustard, and melted butter until a thick, spreadable mixture forms. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of this cheese spread on each ghost toast in a fairly thick layer. If desired, decorate each ghost with pieces of olives to make eyes, mouths, or any other facial features you'd like.
Return the ghost toasts to the oven and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and just beginning to get brown spots. Serve hot with soup.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat broiler to high. Lay the bread ghosts out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast both sides of the bread under the broiler until just beginning to brown; watch closely as bread can burn easily under a broiler.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the shredded cheese, apple cider, mustard, and melted butter until a thick, spreadable mixture forms. Spread about 2 Tablespoons of this cheese spread on each ghost toast in a fairly thick layer. If desired, decorate each ghost with pieces of olives to make eyes, mouths, or any other facial features you'd like.
Return the ghost toasts to the oven and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and just beginning to get brown spots. Serve hot with soup.
