Whole Story

If Labor Day marks the end of summer, Halloween kicks off the holiday party season. In our house, with a spunky five-year old, we love dressing up in costumes all year long. So when Halloween comes around, the only problem is deciding what to wear – every day my son comes up with a new idea for his trick-or-treat outfit!

We also like to throw parties, and when it comes to October our family has a birthday, and the fall harvest (I’m big on seasonal cooking), and Halloween to celebrate. Luckily, throwing parties comes easy with a little planning and keeping things simple.

If you’re hosting a Halloween bash, try a few of my suggestions for making the party truly boo-tiful.

• Decorate using the produce of the season. Sugar pumpkins’ smaller size makes them more manageable for a tabletop, and once the party is over they can be transformed into purèe for your favorite pie.
• Upgrade the peeled grape “eyeballs” for the grown-up crowd with our Blue Cheese and Walnut Dusted Grapes.
• Go hands-on with dessert by letting the kids help decorate Lemony Sugar Cookie Monsters with seeds and dried fruit.
• Serve up meals that are already perfect for a crowd, like chili. Turkey Pumpkin Chili has flavors that match the season, and will warm you up before heading out for tricks and treats.
• Dip large pieces of dried fruit into white chocolate to create delicious spooky ghosts.
• Get creative with recyclable materials – used cardboard boxes can easily transform into haunted house display! Kids can go wild by painting spooky scenes on the outside.
• Turn quesadillas, like our Apple and Cheddar Whole Wheat Quesadillas, into cheesy pumpkins by cutting jack o’lantern shapes into the top tortilla before cooking.
• Simmer a large batch of apple cider in a slow cooker for self-serve drinks all night long. Plus, the aroma will make your house even more inviting.
• Serve up our tasty Popcorn Party Mix in parchment paper cones (use ¾ cup unpopped popcorn to stand in for the microwaved variety).
• Kids can help mix these No-Bake Halloween Cookies. Use cookie cutters to make pumpkins, scary cats, or ghosts!

Want to make your party completely pumpkin themed? Go for these recipes!

How do you like to celebrate Halloween (or the harvest) with your family?