Not long after trying to enhance pasta with a frothy head of soap bubbles, I had a much safer idea: Cherry Kool-Aid.

Unsweetened Kool Aid powder has a highly concentrated "cherry" flavor and red color. One 25 cent packet is more than enough to color (and flavor) two quarts of water, and it should be simple to hide the powder inside a box of uncooked rainbow rotini.

I carefully cut open the bottom flap.

I removed about 1/3rd of the pasta and dumped in the packet of Kool-Aid powder.

This powder explodes into red color when it makes contact with any water, but it stays a dull purple powder as long as it is kept absolutely dry.

I repacked the box with pasta...

...and sealed it up with glue.

Be wary of any lingering specks of purple Kool-Aid powder. The water in the glue will turn it red.

The box is now ready for placement in Martha Stewart's cupboard or pantry. Use Kraft Macaroni and Cheese if that blue box is going to blend better into her food stores.

A few grains of purple might be visible through the window, but no one is going to notice until it is too late!

Hot or cold, when the pasta goes in, the water will instantly turn blood-red.

It looks great, and a little investigation should reveal what happened.

The best thing is, the pasta will soak up the color and flavor of unsweetened "cherry". It probably won't be delicious, but a few bites won't kill them either.

In fact, just a few bowls will supply their recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C!

Kool-Aid should safely and covertly taint almost any dry food which gets dumped directly into water: Rice A Roni, Hamburger Helper, Cheerios, etc.

Good luck!

No, this prank isn't sponsored by Kraft, but I am using it to promote John Hargrave's new book, the Mischief Maker's Manual.

Read more about Kool-Aid powder in Cockeyed.com Science Club backwash experiments