Halloween Guide

Ten Things To Do, Make and Bake By October 31st.

1.  Make a pumpkin pie… from a real pumpkin.  It tastes better and you have more control over the quality and quantity of ingredients.   A step-by-step photo tutorial by, “Oh She Glows” on How To Roast A Sugar Pumpkin & Make Fresh Pumpkin Purée can be found here.  From there, you just need a decent pumpkin pie recipe that uses pumpkin purée.   Try this one from eagle brand.

For a more varied option on what to do with pumpkin purée, there’s pumpkin pie bars from one of my favorite bloggers, Joy the Baker.  They look fantastic, don’t they?

2.  Go to Oktoberfest!  Eat food and drink some Oktoberfest beer.  I’m partial to Spaten but Magic Hat and Sam Adams are also excellent.  For the top ten Oktoberfest beer list, click here.  We went to an Oktoberfest last weekend and we had a blast.  It was surprisingly family friendly with everything from rides for the kids to potato pancakes for the vegetarian (annoyingly raises her hand) while everyone else enjoys their sausages and smoked meats with a little polka in the background followed by a pie eating contest.  If you can’t find an Oktoberfest or you want more pumpkin-centric family fun, try pumpkin picking!

Oktoberfest Dancers

3. Bake some Halloween cookies!   So you’re one of those artsy-crafty people and not so much into the cooking?  Or maybe you’re one of those ever so talented crafty foodies? Check out these spider cookies by the bearfoot baker, featured on the daily buzz  if you’re into sugar crafts.  Pretty awesome, right?  I was impressed.   I am lacking in the crafty department, so I leave that to the many sugar-talented foodies that roam the blogosphere.

5.   Make and enjoy some Halloween themed cocktails!  Are you having a Halloween party?  These spook-tacular beverages will entertain just about anyone.  For more cocktail ideas find the complete list here.

6.  Make your own caramel!  You should really do yourself the honor of realizing just how easy it is.  Probably easier than disrobing fifty little caramel candies from their annoying little plastic wrappings.   It’s just logical and economical to make your own.  Dip some apples in it and roll them in nuts (or don’t) for the perfectly delicious yet very easy Halloween classic, caramel apples.  Click the photo of the apple (below) for the food network’s guide to making caramel.

7.  Decorate!  Need decorating ideas?  Need more stuff to decorate with?  Check out Williams Sonoma.   I swear I could just drool and window shop there all day.  They have great products, though a bit pricey, they will at least inspire you to try to find something similar for less money.

8.  Dress up!  Are you someone that waits until the last minute to throw a Halloween costume together for that party you weren’t sure you were going to?   It’s five minutes until someone drags you out the door and you need a costume ASAP!  Have no fear.  There’s a guide for that too thanks to Real Simple.   Apparently, you can get away with just holding an iron while wearing a chef’s hat and you have yourself one very pun-tastic costume.   The complete list of easy to make Halloween costumes for adults can be found here.

9.  Dress your kids up!  Oh wait…Do you have kids? Well, if not then just omit this point. People with children and/or very fancy dogs that enjoy being dressed up can continue reading.   People with kids, as always, plan plan plan ahead! I like to figure out Halloween costumes for them in the first week of October.   Want to make your kid a costume?  How adorable is this spaghetti and meatball dinner costume?   I really enjoyed the clever static electricity costume as well.   Click the photo below for all thirty five easy to make ideas from Parenting.

10.  Quick fix shopping!  Not interested in creating your own costume?  Me either!   Try this site.  I’ve bought a few costumes from here and they delivered on time and were pretty good quality for the price.   If your child is five or under, be sure to talk about how “cool and awesome” whatever costume you bought (or made) is, that way they’re excited and don’t lose interest in the costume by the big day.  If you’re looking for Halloween party decorations or other costumes, I recommend party city since it’s reliable and fairly inexpensive.  I haven’t ordered online from them yet, but their current offer of free shipping does make it tempting, so I might just have to give it a try.

Have your own Halloween treat, recipes, ideas, or websites that you absolutely couldn’t survive without?   Feel free to link or describe them in the comments below.  Happy Halloween Everyone!