Halloween

Halloween or ‘All Hallows Eve as it was originally called has become a Holiday for children and even adults to go out and have some spooky fun. A Pagan Holiday which dates back more than 2,000 years, it has been observed in many different ways over the centuries. In Latin American Countries, it is the eve before ‘El Dia del Morte’ or Day of the Dead. In the United States it has been an evening where children go out ‘Trick or Treating’, asking for treats to prevent tricks being played on home owners. Whereas most trick or treater’s don’t play tricks, some do, unfortunately.

Rather than taking the children out to trick or treat, there are many ways to have fun on Halloween at home. Halloween parties are fun to plan for and fun to have. The ways in which you can decorate are endless, and today there are so many different places where you can buy almost anything that you desire for Halloween. There are the chain Party Stores and then there are the Halloween Stores which pop up in the end of August to stay open only until Halloween.

The costume possibilities are endless, ranging from Fairy Princesses, Space Men to Hobgoblins, Vampires and Ghosts. But the most fun of Halloween is the food that can be prepared. Parties need food and the imagination can run wild for this favorite of Holidays. Corn Dogs, Goblin Goulash or Chili are favorite main dishes for this Holiday. Salads can include Goblin Salad garnished with Pumpkin Seeds, ‘Pumpkin’ Pasta Salad. Usually at Halloween certain specialty stores will have pasta in different shapes to represent the occasion. Barring that, a favorite pasta can be tinted orange to represent pumpkins.

Desserts of course are the favorites for this Holiday ranging from the Caramel Apple to Popcorn Balls. Cupcakes decorated with Candy Corn and Cakes in the shape of Jack O’ Lanterns. This is the time of year when licorice and pumpkin ice cream come into being along with black licorice sticks and witch and cat lollipops.         

When having a Halloween Party it is a good idea to plan it down to the last detail. That way, everyone including the hosts will have a good time. Decide ahead of time on what your theme will be and build the party around that. The theme can be witches and goblins or for the teen set, vampires and ghouls. Your local party store will have lots of ideas and they usually have a full range of items by mid-September, if not sooner.

After deciding on the theme, decide what the number of guests will be. Do not invite more than you or your surroundings can handle. Once the theme and guest list has been prepared, then go out and purchase your paper goods and decorations. If you are crafty and handy, you can make many of your decorations, thereby saving yourself a good deal of money. Don’t forget that most of the party and craft stores offer coupons (sometimes for as much as 50% off on some items). These coupons are usually in the Sunday paper, but if not, just go on-line and search for coupons for your favorite store.

Now that you have your theme, guest list and decorations and paper goods taken care, you can decide on the menu or the fare that is going to be served. For small parties, you can have ‘do it yourself’ food items such as pizza, a burger or taco bar. For larger parties, it is a good idea to have things that can be set out on a buffet table perhaps in chafing dishes to keep warm or just sandwiches that don’t have to be warm.

For fun items, popcorn balls, caramel apples and cupcakes can be prepared ahead of time for that sweet tooth dessert. Whatever you decide to do, be sure and keep it age appropriate. If the guests are young, be sure to have games that are easy and safe. If they are teenagers, you don’t want to have activities that will get them too riled up. You want your party to be fun without undue disturbance and everyone should be able to enjoy themselves, including the host and hostess!

I have been a children’s cooking teacher and educator for over 35 years. I teach monthly classes in Westlake Village, California for children, teens and their parents. I love to share my ideas to help kids be safe, learn and have fun in the kitchen. I hold a MS in Nutrition Education and Food Sciences from California State University.

Please check out my website at http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com