 |
| Photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash |
Before you know it, Halloween will be here. Are you ready?
As a child it was one of my favorite holidays. You dressed up and became whoever you wanted to be As you went door to door showing off your costume, you got lots of candy. I still love Halloween.
Hallow is a synonym for saint. Halloween is the eve of All Saints Day or Hallows Eve: A day dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs and all the faithful departed.
 |
| Photo by Janko Ferlic on Unsplash |
It is believed that many Halloween traditions originated from Celtic harvest festivals.Samhain which was a Gaelic festival which had pagan roots. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. Later it would become Christianized as Halloween by the early church.
So here we are today still celebrating this holiday with the spooky, fun and creative costumes, parties and fun treats.
If you haven’t decided yet what to be for Halloween. Here are some ideas!
Be a character from one of your favorite television shows like Lucy in I Love Lucy or Wednesday in the Addams Family. How about Laverne and Shirley.
Movie characters are a blast, too. What about Shrek and Fiona, Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker.
You could be a Minion or if you love commercials what about Flo from Progressive.
 |
| Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash |
A pirate, a skeleton, a witch, the Queen of England, a dead ballerina. The list goes on and on. Be whoever you want to be. The point is to have fun no matter your age.
If you are planning a party here are some ideas.
How about floating eyeball Jell-O shots, spider cupcakes, and a punch ball carved from a pumpkin.
Below are some recipes to try.
Floating Jell-O Eyeball Shots
Ingredients
2 cups chilled white grape juice divided use
2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup chilled ginger ale or clear soda
16-24 gummy eyeballs
You can use liquor for adults.
1. Place 1/2 cup of grape juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and whisk it in. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the gelatin softens and absorbs some of the juice. Microwave the bowl for 20 seconds to liquefy the gelatin. If it's not fully liquid and clear after 20 seconds, microwave in 5-second increments just until melted. You don't want the gelatin mixture to get hot.
2. Combine the remaining grape juice and the ginger ale in a large measuring cup or pitcher with a spout. Whisk them together, then continue gently whisking as you pour the gelatin in. Pour the juice into 16 shot glasses, leaving a margin at the top since you'll be adding eyeballs later.
3. Refrigerate the shot glasses for about 30 minutes—check their texture every 10 minutes. You want the gelatin to start getting thick, like cake batter texture. It shouldn't be set and firm, but it should be thick enough to suspend an eyeball in the middle of the glass. Depending on the temperature of your ingredients and your refrigerator, this process can take anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Just check the glasses regularly and don't be afraid to check the texture with a spoon or with your finger.
4. When the gelatin is thick enough, press an eyeball into the middle of the shot glass. You can use a thin knife or spatula to push it down into the gelatin, or just use your finger. Try to position it against the front glass, so it shows through clearly. Add a second eyeball, if you'd like. Continue until all of the shot glasses have floating eyeballs.
5. Chill the glasses until the gelatin is completely firm, about 2 hours. These Jell-O shots can be made several days in advance. In my experience, the gummy eyeballs did gradually absorb moisture, and were at their best within about 3 days of assembly.
Pumpkin Punch Bowl
1. Start with a low, fat pumpkin. With a serrated knife, cut off the top one-fourth of the pumpkin. Scoop out innards and seeds with your hands and a large spoon. Use paper towels to dry inside of pumpkin.
2. To create the gourd "feet," cut a wooden kebob skewer to a length of 1.5 inches. Stand gourd up in position as shown. With a hammer, carefully hammer the skewer piece through the top of the gourd and into the outer shell of the pumpkin. Don't puncture all the way through to the interior of the pumpkin — you don't want liquid leaking out. Repeat with three remaining gourd "feet."
3. Fill pumpkin with apple cider.
Spider Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
(If you are like me I would just use a box cake mix)
Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
For the Spiders
1/2 cup of chocolate sprinkles
Black string licorice, cut into
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in egg, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in vanilla just until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and milk alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
4. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray. Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
5. To make the glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk as needed.
6. Use a small offset spatula to frost cupcakes and dip in chocolate sprinkles.
7. Place 2 candy eyeballs on each cupcake.
8. Use a metal or wooden skewer to poke 4 holes on opposite sides of each cupcake; insert licorice into each hole.
https://damndelicious.net/2013/10/22/halloween-spider-cupcakes/print/
 |
| Photo by Drew Hays on Unsplash |
If you are having a party or going to a party, try one of these ideas! You are Halloween styling!
Happy Halloween !!!
