Our Halloween Haunt Gr8 Dinner Party was a hit! Here we show you the invitations, menu (with recipes!), decorations and costumes. It was a boo-tiful evening!
Every once in a while a holiday or season inspires one of our Gr8 Dinners. Several years ago, waaayyy before the blog was even a thought, Vince and I chose Saturday, October 31, for our Great 8 dinner party. And what do you think the theme was? Halloween Haunt of course!
When you have a themed dinner party around a holiday or season, a lot of the decorating is already done. So that's a plus. Also, the stores are generally full of whatever you need, not much searching required, another plus!
Halloween Haunt Invitations
The invitations are one of my favorite parts of the dinner party. I don't craft as much as I used to so this allows my creative crafty juices to flow. Since Halloween is all about CANDY (at least it is if you ask a kid!), the invitations were printed on candy "wrappers" and wrapped around candy bars. The candy was then left on the three front porches in small plastic pumpkins.
There were three parts to each invitation and each part was in its own separate candy bar. First, was the invitation itself, then the menu, then an inspirational recipe for the assigned dish.
The invitation wording:
Double Double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble...
Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble, like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
-- Shakespeare
At the hour of six we'll gather - to eat, to drink, to gossip and blather.
Enter through the graveyard scary for an evening as contrary.
Wear a costume if you dare, a ghost, a goblin, or maybe Cher!
Don't you miss this eve of hallow, lest you end up in the devil's gallows!
-- Not Shakespeare!
Halloween Haunt Menu
Since this party was taking place on Halloween, we decided to make it appetizers only. That way, we could enjoy the food, enjoy the company, AND enjoy the many trick o' treaters who came to door all evening.
Dragon Blood (Spiced Warm Red Wine)
Coffin Bread herr Van Boom (Foccacia Bread)
Dragon Claws (Hot Wings)
Broomsticks (Asparagus Bundles)
Witch's Cauldron (Chili)
Steitylvania Vampire Bones in Sticky Blood (Barbecued Ribs)
Dragon Fangs (Peppered Almonds)
Hell's Flowers (Radishes with butter and salt)
Jack o' Lantern Teeth (Baby Carrots and Dip)
Monster Eyeballs (Steamed Parsley New Potatoes)
Scary Fari Tombstones with Arctic Ghosts (Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Ice Cream)
When we opened the door to our first "Trick 'o Treaters" our guests had not disappointed; everyone got into the spirit and came in costume. Some of us chose cute. Kyle and Joel were Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat.
Some of us chose a contemporary media personality. Jurga and Tim were Octomom and her doctor. Remember that news story?
And some of us really thought outside the box. That's our Debbie, always surprising us and going above and beyond! She came as Princess Tar-jay.
Everything about her costume was handmade. Her skirt was made from Target bags, and look at those cute earrings! So cre-8-ive! (We aren't sure what Phil was, maybe the delivery man?)
Some of us didn't want to "dress up," such as my husband. But he did agree to wear a t-shirt. I bet you can guess what we were!
Life is all about gathering with friends and family. Don't stress out, make it simple or make it more complicated, your choice, but do get together. There is nothing better!
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!