I’ll be spending most of today at work (I imagine you will as well) but I’m hoping to get home in time for the trick-or-treaters. Last year I got super sick on Halloween and it was terrible, I couldn’t even move from the couch. I’m oping to be in fighting form this year so I can dose the little children with high fructose corn syrup.
Ghosts!
I wanted to wish everyone the happiest and spookiest and most fun Halloween ever! Are y’all doing anything exciting tonight? If so please let me know! In the meantime, I’ll be settling back with some leftovers from my party, a big bowl of candy, and will be watching some Halloween-appropriate fare. Oh and admiring my pumpkin-carving handiwork.
Also from Martha (duh) are these great savory pumpkin puffs. They look easy to customize, so I might make some sweet ones as well.
Jon’s planning on making little meatballs (recipe not yet determined) and if I don’t serve mini pigs in blankets my party guests will revolt.
We have black and orange tortilla chips (we found them at Target!) and will have salsa and guacamole of course. Jon makes some killer deviled eggs, I’m going to see if he can customize them Martha style.
I’m still trying to figure out my dessert. Maybe the bootiful cake? Some cupcakes? I made this graveyard pudding cake last Halloween, it is one of my mother’s standards:
So um, my mom’s version definitely looks better (I decorate cakes with all the talent of a blind five-year old), but mine tasted just fine. If anyone has any dessert ideas please let me know! We’re less than one week until the happy day!
Hi friends! Boy I had a lot of stage blood on last night. The Raleigh Zombie Walk was super fun and I took some pictures. I’ll post them later this week once I get them sorted and edited. I know, the anticipation is killing you!
I’ll be carving my pumpkins today, so I figured it would be appropriate to give y’all some resources on the best ways to carve your pumpkins.
Since Martha Stewart is awesome she has a guide to a whole party centered around pumpkin carving. I am already having a regular ol’ Halloween party, so I decided not to have a pumpkin carving party, but I have been to some uber-fun pumpkin carving parties in the past. Like this one:
This is what my pumpkins looks like last year. Or, rather, mine was the creepy bat and Jon’s was the cute owl:
You can see my tin can jack-o-lanterns in the foreground. I’m still trying to figure out what to carve for this year! Any ideas?
Both Martha Stewart and Serious Eats have lots of pictures if you need some inspiration.
Of course one of the best parts about carving your own pumpkin is having the leftover seeds to roast! Serious Eats has a guide to roasting pumpkin seeds as well. Delicious!
I like to keep my party guests well fed; I have the Jewish mother gene, what can I say. My Halloween party spread tends to be more casual and buffet-style than sit down, but I like to provide one hearty main course amid the finger foods to keep my guests satisfied.
Last year I made this fantastic turkey pumpkin chili from SeriousEats. This is a meal I make regularly because it is so easy and so tasty. The pumpkin in the recipe ties it nicely into the Halloween theme. Also if you are looking for something a little healthier this is a great way to do it, comfort food without the guilt! I have some friends who are gluten and dairy free also, and this ensures that everyone can eat the main dish (sorry, vegetarians, there is only so much I can do!)
If you want to stick with the pumpkin theme for your main you cannot do much better than this gorgeous pumpkin soup, served inside a Cinderella pumpkin. It is one of the featured recipes in Bon Appetit this month. We’ve decided not to do soup for our main this year, but this would be a fantastic centerpiece to an autumnal dinner party.
We’re getting some rain tomorrow, but after that I’ll start putting up my outdoor decorations. Of course I like to take inspiration from Martha Stewart, although because I live in a townhome as opposed to a free-standing residence I have to tweak the ideas some.
I love putting tombstones in front of my house. My unit has a little planter that transforms nicely into a spooky graveyard come late October. I just use use some Styrofoam ones from Target, although if you are feeling really crafty you can use Martha’s template. I like to use my tin-can jack-o-lanterns to provide a bit of mood lighting.
I also like to add my pumpkins to the scene once they are carved.
The Dilettantista 