BOO-tiful Halloween carvings

This Halloween, why not put a fun twist

on pumpkin carving by making some Jack O'Melons? Watermelons carve up boo-

tifully, and you can eat the fruit right away, making it easy to scare up some delicious Halloween fun.

This Bat Jack O'Melon, Tiki Mask, and Jack O'Melon man can add a frightfully fun touch to a Halloween party -- and the whole family can help carve them. To get more carving ideas and instruc­tions, visit www.watermelon.org.

Bat Jack O'Melon

2 round watermelons, preferably yellow, for

the body

Kitchen and paring knives

Cutting board

Green dry-erase marker (preferably washable)

Large bowl and spoon

Candy corns

4 to 6-inch wooden skewers

Toothpicks

Candle or light

Wash watermelons under cool running water and pat dry.

On a cutting board, place the roundest watermelon on its side and cut off 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the stem end, being careful not to cut too deep into the white part of the rind. This will pro­vide a sturdy base.

Using dry-erase marker, draw two eyes, an oval for a nose and a smiling mouth that would resemble a bat. Draw two ears and an outline of a forehead, continuing the line around to make the top for the bat that will be removed.

Use a knife to carefully cut away inside of the eyes, nose and mouth and also around the top of watermelon. Remove

top and hollow out watermelon with spoon, reserving fruit to use in a fruit salad or punch.

On the second watermelon, use dry-erase marker to draw

2 bat wings (the top of the wings will have 2 points and the bottom of the wings will have 2 points.)

Use knife to carefully cut wings out, reserving inside of watermelon to make fruit salad or punch.

Attach wings to side of watermelon bat with wooden skewers, and use toothpicks to attach candy-corn as fangs.

Insert a candle to light up your bat.

Watermelons are a healthy addition to any Halloween party. They're the lycopene leader among fresh produce, are an excel­lent source of vitamins A and C, and contain 6 percent of the daily value for vitamin B6 -- all of which boost your immune system.