I Got A Rock

Re-watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" this year I kept thinking how little of it I actually remember from my childhood. Like the entire Red Baron sequence? I somehow erased it from my mind entirely. The reoccurring joke about Charlie Brown getting a rock instead of candy? The humor was lost on me as a kid, but grown-up me found it hilarious. 

The menu was simple, but tasty and pretty easy to put together: Great Pumpkin Deviled Eggs, Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas, Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip & a Pumpkin Spritzer (called an audible on that last one since my bananas went bad before I could us them!)

Great Pumpkin Deviled Eggs (modified from this Delish.com recipe)

Ingredients 

6 Eggs

1/4 cup mayo

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

Fresh chives 

 

Directions

1. First, make hard boiled eggs. Put 1 inch of water in a pan big enough to fit all the eggs in a single layer. Make sure pot has a tight-fitting lid.
2. Bring water to a boil, then gently place eggs on the bottom of the pan using a slotted spoon. Keep water at a rolling boil throughout cooking process -- 10-11 minutes.
3. Remove eggs from water and put into an egg container. Leave at room temp to cool -- I promise, this will make it SO easy to peel them later. Once at room temp, these can be stored in the fridge.
4. Mix together mayo, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl.
5. Slice eggs in half and put cooked yolks into a separate bowl and mash.
6. Combine both mixtures until smooth. Then place in a piping bag and pipe into the egg white halves.
7. Cut small pieces of chives and use as garnish for the "pumpkin stem" and enjoy! 

 

Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas

Ingredients

Flour Tortillas

Shredded Mexican Cheese

Chicken (or other protein of your choice -- optional)

Chipotle Ranch Dressing (optional)

Salsa, Sour Cream & Guacamole for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut out face of Jack-o-Lantern on one of the flour tortillas and set aside.
3. On another tortilla, place your fillings: cheese, chicken and chipotle ranch (if using).
4. Top with the Jack-o-Lantern faced tortilla. Brush top lightly with oil.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and exterior is crispy and golden brown.
6. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole and enjoy! 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip (inspired by this recipe from the Salty Marshmallow)

Ingredients

1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Ginger snaps (for serving) 

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, brown and granulated sugars until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Fold in pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree until smooth.
3. Serve with ginger snaps, graham crackers or whatever else you'd like to dip in and enjoy! 

Pumpkin Spritzer (modified from this recipe)

Ingredients

1 can ginger ale

3 tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Mix together pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice in bottom of a glass.
2. Top with ginger ale and stir. Enjoy!

Here's the final spread:

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs: 7/10

Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas: 8/10

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip: 8/10

Pumpkin Spritzer: 7/10

Next up, a more "adult" film: "Shaun of the Dead." I know I said I didn't like gore, but this one is funny enough that it doesn't matter.

Heads Will Roll

So I'll be honest, Saturday's movie and menu did not go at all how I planned. Partially disrupted by an emergency Saturday trip to the pediatrician (little one is ok, I promise). But by the time I got home from that, figured out meds and took care of the kiddo, I was pretty fried. But I was still determined to at least attempt my recipes.

On the menu: "Devil on Horseback" (bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed dates); 'Bird in a Cage' roast chicken and pumpkin hand pies. I had to forgo the cookies and mulled wine for time purposes.

Devils on Horseback - from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

12 dates

4 slices bacon

Goat cheese

Toothpicks 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put aluminum foil or parchment paper on baking sheet, then top with wire rack.
2. Soak 12 toothpicks in water for 5-10 minutes.
3. Cut a slit in dates, but don't cut all the way through. Stuff with cheese. Martha's recipe called for Stilton, I used goat cheese and it was delicious! You could use any kind of cheese you like, but I'd recommend something with some tangy-ness or funk to it to off-set the sweetness of the date.
   
4. Cut bacon strips into thirds. Wrap each date and secure with toothpicks. I found 1/3 of a slice was enough for each date, but depending on the size of your dates and bacon, you may have to use 1/2 a strip or a full strip.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crispy and enjoy. These came out really good!

 

Bird in a Cage Roast Chicken

Ingredients

4 Chicken Thighs (I used boneless, skinless, but if I did it again, I'd use skin-on)

4 carrots, peeled

1/2 lb baby potatoes, cut in half (I used a mix of red, white and purple)

1/2 an onion, diced

Salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder (to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Prep veggies and coat with oil (olive, canola or vegetable are fine). Season liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Brush chicken with oil and season with salt, pepper and rosemary.
4. Place chicken and veggies on sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Using a paring knife, cut carrots into thin strips. Drape over chicken to create the "cage."

 

Pumpkin Hand Pies: I used Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights because I just did not have the energy to bake cookies. They were surprisingly tasty.

Here's the final spread (probably my least impressive so far): 

Devils on Horseback: 9/10

Bird in a Cage: 4/10

Pumpkin Hand Pies: 5/10

Not my most successful night. Maybe I'll try again next year. Next up on the list, a Halloween classic: "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!"

Puttin' on the Ritz!

Tonight I watched a fun-filled Halloween comedy classic: "Young Frankenstein." I try to watch this one every year and it always makes me laugh. Gene Wilder is a genius, Madeline Kahn is perfection and Mel Brooks' comedy is spot-on.

On the menu: 'Puttin' on the Ritz' Char-boo-terie Board, Franken-guac + Chips, Monster Sandwich Spinach Wraps, Frankenstein's Monster Dessert Cups, and a Monster Mocktail.

Puttin' on the Ritz Char-boo-terie Board

Ingredients

Ritz Crackers

Cheese (I used cheddar and Colby Jack cracker cuts) 

Pepperoni (you could also use salami or prosciutto)

Marcona Almonds (or any other kind of nuts you might like)

Dried Fruit (I like figs or apricots) 

Directions: Assemble cheese, crackers, nuts and fruit on a platter and enjoy! 

  

Franken-Guac + Chips

Ingredients

Guacamole (you can make your own if you like)

Blue Corn Chips

Sour Cream

Directions

1. Pour guacamole onto platter and shape it into a square.  
2. Arrange chips along the top to create a "hairline" and "hair."
3. Break a couple chips and arrange to make a "mouth." 
4. Dollop 2 blobs of sour cream for "eyes." I ended up using leftover mozzarella pearls instead.
5. Use chips to make the black part of the eye. 

 

Monster Sandwich Spinach Wraps

Ingredients

Spinach Wraps

Lunch Meat of your choice

Cheese

Condiments

Large Toothpicks or cocktail skewers 

Directions: Assemble your sandwich to your liking. Roll and stab with cocktail skewers. 

  

Monster Dessert Cups

Directions: Using a Sharpie, draw Frankenstein's monster's hair and face on a plastic cup. Make lime Jell-O according to package instructions and fill cups. Let set, then enjoy!

Monster Mocktail

Ingredients

3 oz Green Berry Rush Hawaiian Punch

1 oz Lemonade

1 oz Grenadine

Maraschino Cherries (for garnish)

Directions: Pour Hawaiian Punch and Lemonade into cocktail shaker with ice, shake and strain into glass. Then add grenadine (it will sink to the bottom to create a layered look). Garnish with Maraschino cherries and enjoy!

Here's the spread:

Char-Boo-Terie: 7/10

Fraken-Guac: 7/10

Spinach Wraps: 6/10

Monster Mocktail: 7/10

Next up: Sleepy Hollow. This is probably the only "horror" film on the list and it's about where my limits are with that genre (I'm not big on jump scares and gore). 

They're Creepy and They're Kooky...

It was a busy double-feature night Thursday, as I revisited a new favorite from last year -- The Addams Family (1991) -- and added its sequel to the mix -- Addams Family Values (1993). I can't believe I slept on these films for so long. The cast is perfection. Anjelica Huston as Morticia in particular, but also Christina Ricci as Wednesday, Raul Julia as Gomez and Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester. Just iconic (drink!)

The menu was a little more involved, and actually started in the morning when I popped the chicken into the crockpot before leaving for work. It was worth it though because it came out so tasty in the end!

Gomez's Caprese Skewers

Ingredients

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes

8 oz Pearl-Sized Mozzarella Balls

1 cup (roughly) Fresh Basil

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar 

Cocktail skewers 

 

Directions

1. Pour balsamic vinegar into saucepan and heat over medium heat until it simmers. Reduce heat to medium-low or low and reduce by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
2. Slice cherry tomatoes in half (or quarter if they are large)
3. Assemble skewers alternating tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves. I used partly dried basil since that's what was substituted in my grocery pick up. I just sprinkled it on top.
4. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve. 

 

Chicken Pot Pie with "Thing" Hand Pie

Ingredients

1/2 package Frozen Puff Pastry

1 egg (beaten)

1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/2 onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced) 

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (low sodium)

1 package frozen vegetables (I used carrots and peas)

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken 

salt, pepper, rosemary + sage to taste (roughly 1/2 - 1 tsp each)

Directions 

1. Cook chicken breasts. I put mine in my slow cooker with salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder and 4 cups chicken broth, and cooked for 6 hours on low. Then I shredded it. Alternatively, you could buy a rotisserie chicken and use meat from that.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Unroll and roll out puff pastry. **Make sure you thaw out your puff pastry the night before, or use the microwave (follow package instructions). Cut hand prints out. I printed a template off the internet and traced it with a knife.
3. Brush handprints with egg wash and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
4. While those bake, melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Sautee onion 3-4 minutes.
5. Stir in flour, coating the onions, then slowly whisk in chicken stock. Bring to a simmer an cook until mixture thickens.
6. Add frozen vegetables and cook through, about 4-5 minutes.
7. Stir in shredded chicken until warmed through. Season with additional salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.
8. Portion into serving dishes and top with 'hand pies.' 

 

Graveyard Dessert Cups

Ingredients

Chocolate Pudding

Oreos

Gummy Worms

Pumpkin Candy Corn (optional)

Milano Cookies

Directions

1. Place pudding into cups (I bought pre-made because it was just easier, but you can always make your own if you like!)
2. Place 6-8 Oreos in a Ziplock bag and crush. This is a great activity for kids to help with or to just get out your own aggression.
3. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top of each pudding cup.
4. Stick a Milano cookie about 1/3 into each cup.
5. Decorate with gummy worms and pumpkin candy corn.

Morticia's Morbid Martini

Ingredients

4 oz vodka

1 oz dry vermouth

Food coloring

Edible glitter (optional)

Maraschino cherry (for garnish)

Directions: Shake vodka and vermouth over ice. Stir in blue, green and red food coloring to make cocktail appear black. Pour into glass and stir in edible glitter (if using). Garnish with a cherry. 

 

Uncle Fester's Electric Shock 

Ingredients 

3 oz Mountain Dew

3 oz Green Berry Hawaiian Punch 

Pink Pop Rocks

Lime Wedge

Directions: Mix Mountain Dew and Hawaiian Punch in cocktail shaker and pour into glass. Garnish with lime wedge and Pop Rocks. You can also add vodka or melon liquor to make a cocktail. 

 

Here's our final spread:

Caprese Skewers: 9 / 10

Chicken Pot Pie: 8 / 10

Graveyard Cups: 9 / 10

Morticia's Martini: 7 / 10

Uncle Fester's Electric Shock: 7 / 10

Tomorrow I'll be teaming up with my friend Jake, who has been doing his own month-long Halloween movie marathon and we'll be watching a comedy classic: Young Frankenstein!

I am the Pumpkin King!

Tonight's movie could have fit in either the Halloween or Christmas category, but since it's got a skeleton main character and a song called "This is Halloween," it felt like it fit spooky season more. Shockingly, I've never seen this one before. And it was ... weird. I'll admit, I wasn't 100% paying attention, between catching up with my friend and trying to keep track of a screaming toddler, so maybe I missed something? My favorite parts were easily all the ridiculous toys Jack dropped off as Santa and the Ghost Dog (is he getting his own spin-off? 'Cause he should). The pacing felt weird and some of the songs really dragged. We'll stick it in the category of "not really made for my taste" I guess.

The food was yummy though! Halloween Town Hummus + Chips, Jack Skellington Sliders, Sally's Candied Popcorn and Oogie Boogie Mocktails. These were all pretty easy recipes to throw together quickly, so I didn't include prep time. Ingredients are also flexible and customizable for many of these. 

Halloween Town Hummus

Ingredients

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Blue Corn Chips

Directions

1. Break up corn chips and arrange into shape of 'spiral hill' atop hummus.
2. Arrange remaining chips around the hummus and enjoy!

Jack Skellington Sliders

Ingredients

Mini Kaiser Rolls (or similar)

Lunch Meat

Deli Cheese

Condiments

Food Marker

Directions

1. Use the food marker to draw Jack Skellington's face on the top of each bun.
2. Use your favorite lunch meats, cheeses & toppings and enjoy! 

 

Sally's Candied Popcorn

Ingredients

Popcorn (can be air popped or microwave popcorn)

Chocolate Candies - blue, green + yellow (suggested: M+M's or Sixlets) 

 

Directions

1. Pop your popcorn. If air popping, add melted butter & salt to taste.
2. Mix in candies and enjoy! 

Alternatively, you can buy colored popcorn. I found this bag at Party City for $10.  

 

Oogie Boogie Mocktails

Ingredients

Lime Sherbet or Sorbet

Lemon-Lime Soda

Gummy Worms (for garnish) 

Clear Plastic Cups + Sharpie (optional)

 

Directions

1. Optional: Using a Sharpie, draw an "Oogie Boogie" face on the side of a clear plastic cup.
2. Scoop sherbet or sorbet into the bottom of glass.
3. Top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with gummy worms (optional).

 You could easily turn this into a cocktail by adding vodka or melon liquor.

Here's our spread:

Halloween Town Hummus: 8 / 10

Jack Skellington Sliders: 8 / 10

Sally's Candied Popcorn: 4 / 10

Oogie Boogie Mocktail: 7 / 10

 

Tonight will be a double-feature of The Addams Family (1991), which I watched for the first time last year and loved, and Addams Family Values (1993), which I haven't seen yet. Here's to the creepy and the kooky!

It's Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus!

The first night of my 13 Nights of Halloween Movie Snack-a-thon conjured up a 90's classic: "Hocus Pocus." I have seen this movie WAY more times than I'd care to admit, and it still makes me smile every time. Something about that magical combination of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker tromping around modern-day Salem as 3 clueless witches just works. It was equally as fun to see my husband's reaction to the movie (apparently he's only seen small snippets here and there and never the whole movie). 

The menu included: Dead Man's Toes for an appetizer, Witch Hat Calzones with a Blood Dipping Sauce, Peanut Butter Cup Witch's Brooms, a Sanderson Sisters Salty Margarita and Allison's Apple Cider. All and all, pretty tasty -- and not too difficult to make. Recipes are below!

Be sure to gather all your ingredients first!

Dead Man's Toes 

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes 

 

Ingredients

1 package Hillshire Farms Lit'l Smokies

1 cup BBQ sauce

 

Directions

1. Drain liquid from Lit'l Smokies and place cocktail weenies and pat dry on a paper towel.
2. Cut a "toenail" shape into the top of each cocktail weenie and place in a microwave safe dish.
3. Add BBQ sauce & stir.
4. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring after the first minute, until everything is heated through. Let stand for 1 minute, then serve using toothpicks.

 

Witch Hat Calzones with 'Blood' Dipping Sauce

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes  

 

Ingredients

1 package crescent roll dough 

1/4 cup pepperoni (plus 5-6 slices for decorating)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

2 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp water

Italian Seasoning to taste

Marinara Sauce (warmed)

Directions

1. 
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat (prevents sticking and promotes even browning).
2. Cut pepperoni into small triangles using kitchen sheers. Set about 5-6 cut slices aside for decorating.
3. Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and pepperoni in a medium bowl.
4. Unroll crescent rolls and place four on the baking sheet.
5. Mix egg and water in a small bowl, and brush edges of each crescent roll.
6. Spoon approx. 1 1/2 tbsp of cheese & pepperoni mixture onto each crescent roll.
7. Top each crescent roll with another crescent roll triangle and press edges firmly together to seal in the cheese mixture. Fold up the bottom once to make it look like the brim of a witch's hat. 
8. Brush each calzone with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
9. Add remaining pepperoni to the brim of each witch hat.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crescent rolls are golden brown.
11. Serve with warmed marinara sauce.

 

Peanut Butter Cup Witch's Brooms

Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes 

 

Ingredients

Pretzel Sticks

Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Directions 

1. Unwrap mini peanut butter cups.
2. Gently insert pretzel stick into base of each peanut butter cup. Enjoy!

Sanderson Sisters Salty Margarita

Ingredients

2 oz  tequila

1 oz triple sec

1 oz lime vodka

Lime

Colored Salt

Directions

1. Slice lime and rub it around the rim of a margarita glass.
2. Dip edge of glass into colored salt. I wanted to use black, but couldn't find it, so ended up using orange instead.
3. Mix tequila, triple sec and vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice. 
4. Pour and enjoy! I also added edible glitter, which you couldn't see as well as I wanted, but was still fun. 

Allison's Apple Cider

I feel like this one's kinda self explanatory.

We garnished with a thin slice of apple and sprinkle of cinnamon for fun.

Here's our final spread!

Dead Man's Toes: 9 / 10

Witch Hat Calzones 7 / 10

PB + Pretzel Broomsticks: 7 / 10

Salty Margaritas: 8 / 10

Wednesday night's movie is one I haven't seen before: Nightmare Before Christmas. I know this one is kinda Halloween / kinda Christmas, but it felt spooky enough to fit this marathon.

13 Nights of Halloween Movie Snack-a-thon

Once again this year, we are forgoing our Halloween Party for safety reasons (although we hope to be back bigger & better than ever next year!), but once again, I am channeling my ridiculous energy and love of Halloween into a 13-night movie and food extravaganza.

I tried to include a mix of family-friendly films, and some more adult ones. I'm not a huge fan of horror movies, so they're mostly comedies or lighter-hearted spooky movies. There are some repeats from last year, as well as some new ones. Let me know in the comments which ones I should tackle next year!

I'll be posting full recipes here each night. My planned schedule is below, along with menu cards for each movie. If you'd like to join for a watch party, let me know which night(s) you'd like to join. Or you can do watch these on your own ... if you dare. 👻

Tuesday, October 19th: Hocus Pocus (1993) 

Wednesday, October 20th: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Thursday, October 21st: Double Feature: The Addams Family (1991) + Addams Family Values (1993)

Friday, October 22nd: Young Frankenstein (1974)

Saturday, October 23rd: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Sunday, October 24th: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Monday, October 25th: Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Tuesday, October 26th: Beetlejuice (1988)

Wednesday, October 27th: Clue (1985)

Thursday, October 28th: Double Feature: Monsters, Inc. (2001) + Monsters University (2014)

Friday, October 29th: Knives Out (2019)

Saturday, October 30th: Coraline (2009)

Sunday, October 31st: Double Feature: Ghostbusters (1984) + Ghostbusters (2016)