Sunday, October 17, 2010

Halloween Dinner Party

I am getting a little overwhelmed right now with my work, personal, church, and friend committments and relationships. That is also making me crazy trying to schedule in some family time! Add trying to blog into that muddled mess and you might understand why I missed blogging last week.

I did choose my winners in my giveaway. Since I was a day late AND since I had SO many kind comments, I decided to give away TWO sets of the Susan Branch Calendars! I scientifically wrote down every name on my follower list and put them in a tupperware bowl and had my husband chose a name, while he muttered "what" and "why". Then we repeated the process for everyone who posted a comment. Our winners are Rainey from The Project Table and Teri from At Home with Teri. Congratulations Ladies!

I am posted pictures from my Halloween party in 2008. We had to skip 2009 since I was missing a kitchen; walls and all.

We still have trick or treat in my neighborhood on the Thursday evening before Halloween. You can't conflict with high school football or weekend sports/church activities in my town!
 I don't get home from work until about 20 minutes before the race for candy is on - so I need quick and easy dishes that can be ready for serving before the doorbell rings.  You might notice the large bowls of chips that I served with two spider web dips. One glass pie pan has a bottom layer with sour cream mixed with taco dip, topped with a circle of salsa. Put about 1 tablespoon of sour cream in a sandwich zip lock bag, clip one bottom corner and trace separate circles on the salsa circle, small in the middle and gradually getting larger and larger. Start in the middle and draw lines outward to the edge with a knife. This will form your spider web! The second pie plate is cream cheese topped with guacamole and a sour cream spider web.

I invite my twentysomething kids to dinner and play with my food!
Here are my spider deviled eggs. I used to make deviled egg eyeballs by slicing green or black olives into a circle and drawing red catsup bloodstains on the yolk. I saw the spider eggs in a magazine. It takes a little more time, but is soooo cute! Just slice the whole black olive in half. Use one half for the body and slice the other half into the legs.   
Here are some "traditional" mummy dogs. Just wrap hotdogs in refrigerated crescent rolls, bake according to directions, and add mustard eyes. I try to convince myself that the sloppier, the scarier. Sometimes the rolls work great and sometimes they shrink up. . . .
Chicken Fingers! Our local butcher shop sells marinated whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. One half is the size of your hand! I take one half, trim it into a hand with four fingers and a thumb (save trimmed pieces for chicken casserole) and bake. They will shrivel up just wonderfully!
Our pizza owl began with an English muffin half. Butter with pizza sauce, add a slice of mozzarella cheese, top with two pepporoni eyes and black olive eyeballs. Make until melted. Actually, after studying the picture, I think they were supposed to be mummies and I cut the cheese in strips. I think making owls would be wayyyy easier than splicing those strips. And I think they look more like owls than mummies.
Our dessert repeats our spider web theme. I used a boxed brownie mix, baked in a foil pizza pan. Watch cooking time, it will cook a little faster than a 9x13. Use white frosting in the zip lock decorating bag to make the separate circle and draw the knife from the center to the edges to make the web.
Now that we are all adults here, we can enjoy something a little stronger than cider. I served a recipe called "Witches Blood" or "Dracula's Blood" (I really should write these things down.) It was a sweet acoholic punch with fruit juices mixed with something stronger. Strawberry margarita would work just as well! I wet the edges of the glasses before work and dipped them in a saucer of red sugar. By the time we used the glasses, the sugar was as hard a cement. I would recommend doing this just prior to serving!  Don't worry, Dad served as our designated driver.

Did you see the bat placemat? I got the pattern from a magazine called Country Handicrafts in the late 1980's. With five children under 11, I managed to cut out all eight, quilt and finish them, and add the spooky eyes by Halloween. Every year when I get them out, I marvel at myself! A completed project. Yoohoo!  I have many more pending projects, including some adorable paper counted cross stitch book marks from Mary Engelbreit's magazine the last year it was published. I am Queen of the UFOS (UnFinished Objects).

Well, a ghost from the past dinner. I am planning another dinner this year, so hopefully I will have time to take pictures and share them with you!

I am joining the fun at Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at: http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/10/beautiful-fall-tablescape
And Foodie Friday at: http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2010/10/when-you-dont-have-time-to-make-dessert.html
Enjoy the goodies!

43 comments:

  1. I was a little early yesterday & I'm glad I came back...

    Wonderful Halloween Decor & Ideas!
    Love your blog & your creations.
    Please fly by for my giveaways too...
    Hauntingly Yours, Lyndy

    My Haunted Halloween Party Link:
    http://bit.ly/dho880
    TODAYSGOLD
    http://todaysgold.blogspot.com/

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  2. This is such a fantastic party. I can't wait to this year's. You have so many creative ideas. Gotta love the chicken fingers. I love anything that can be a play on words. The mummies look "good enough to eat". I don't see how you do, it's so hard being supermom.
    I remember those halloween weeknights. I finally just gave up.
    Thank you so for your visits. Hugs, Ginger

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  3. Hi Miss Merry,

    So many clever ideas, and they're beautifully done! I know what you mean about looking back at things and thinking, "Where did I find the time ... get the energy ... have the nerve to take on such an ambitious undertaking???" Ah youth, right? Maybe just plunging right in is the best approach.

    Hope you have a wonderful week!

    Regards,
    Bill

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  4. What a cute table and a great idea- I know the children love it!

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  5. I'm another one who looks back and thinks about past endeavors. YOUR TABLE is fantastic! I love, love, love creativity. It makes me smile. The spiders were the first thing to catch my eye, but I just kept grinning as you carried your food fully through the theme.

    And in my hometown, they "set" a date for trick or treat. It is never on a weekend, either. Odd to my way of thinking, but they claim it cuts down on mischief.

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  6. Not sure if this is the party post but it sure looks like one! Adore the spider eggs and everything else.Enjoyed my visit here.

    Having a draw for some of my Halloween art so if you like to pop over and drop your name in the hat that would be lovely.

    THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD
    ( http://thewoodbeyondtheworld.blogspot.com/)

    Happy Halloween

    •*´¨***~^..^~*Annabelle¸.•*´¨*¸*´¨*

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  7. So many clever ideas used in one meal. You 20 something children must have a fun time with you as their mom! Thanks for sharing your creative meal. ~ Sarah

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  8. So much cuteness! Love those eggs -- what great ideas you've shared!

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  9. Love all the ideas. Those rimmed glasses are great. Love the spider eggs and the spiderweb guacamole!

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  10. This is all so creative! You did a wonderful job on your table and all of those goodies. How creative!

    Happy Tablescape Thursday...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  11. Wow! What wonderfully creative ideas!!! I especially love the "spiders" on the eggs! You do a wonderful job in the kitchen for sure!!!

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  12. I like those owls and the mummy dogs! Now this looks like something I could do in the kitchen! And a strawberry magarita sounds great right now. Looking forward to your next halloween table. Linda

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  13. hello! What fun! You've put together a very yummy-creative spread! Love it!
    Kathy

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  14. Hello fellow Buckeye. I just ran across your blog and I am loving your postings. The Halloween party food is just so cleaver. I especially like the Mummy Dogs. LOL! So cute.

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  15. What a spooktacular party table!

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  16. Hi Ms. Mary,
    U rock girl!!! I love your ideas.

    Hmmm... thanks for this idea. I would like to invite my daughter's classmates for a teeny dinner.

    Love it.

    Hapy TS, Lady & enjoy the week-end ahead.
    /chie

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  17. Everything looks yummy...and beautiful! I'm hopping over for the Cozy little house! WELCOME! ♥

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  18. I'm from
    Brenda's welcome wagon as well. Welcome. I am from Ohio as well. Where do you live? Come visit me at http://cozyblanket.blogspot.com/

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  19. Merry, all your spooky foods are SO cute and clever! Those deviled eggs are adorable -- as are the mummies! I know your family enjoys all your efforts!

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  20. What a fun party table. I like how you made the food. Creepy and fun for the kids.

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  21. Visiting from Cozy Little House. You have great ideas, and the food looks really good. I'm off to browse some more through your blog!

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  22. So much fun! You've gone over the top with your amazing food items! Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas. Cherry Kay

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  23. Hi, Merry.. dropping back by to wish you a very Happy Foodie Friday! Now, I'm craving the spidered deviled eggs!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  24. Oh I'm lovin' those deviled eggs!!! I'll probably make them this Sunday-thanks:@)

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  25. Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments. You were too kind. I love that we can meet such nice people from all over. I am glad you are my blogger friend. Hugs, Ginger

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  26. I too love the deviled eggs and the all the spidery-webby things -- love the brownie one -- think I will steal it! Joni

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  27. Soo many cute ideas, I will be making the deviled eggs with olives!!

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  28. Everything looks great! How fun! Thanks for visiting me! Love, ~Nana~

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  29. Miss Merry,
    Your party was so much fun so many precious ideas. I am so happy that I stopped by to say hello, I had fun!
    Miz Helen

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  30. What a cute Halloween table. Great job.

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  31. Oh this looks SO good! Sun fun! Thank you for sharing.

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  32. Me again. I live in Granville. Do you know any Fosters, they used to have a Chevy Dealership in Sandusky?

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  33. Your table is full of such fun looking Halloween food! My children would love the mummy dogs and chicken fingers.

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  34. Brenda sent me over to welcome you and I am so glad she did! I would have missed that fabulous Halloween table and especially those "mummy dogs"! I am your newest follower. Come by and visit me sometime.

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  35. What a wonderful party you are having. My first visit to your blog, it is a very nice one.

    Willow

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  36. Want to adopt me? Sounds like a lot of fun in store! (Love your Mummy Dogs. Clever!)

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  37. Hi there! I too am visiting from Brenda's Cozy Little House. I have to say, I absolutely love the paragraph at the top of your page. I too dream of a fairy garden, and I love flowers and picket fences! Those things to my are idyllic.

    Now for your table...WOW. Such great ideas and I especially love the spider deviled eggs :-)

    And I too am from Ohio!

    Manymomentsofme.blogspot.com

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  38. Yummy! All of your spook-tastic treats have made me hungry! I hope this year's party goes just as well!

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  39. Your food sure looks good and the theme is cute, too. I just had a late breakfast, but I want to make a mummy dog right now! Just wanted to say hi to a fellow Buckeye Blogger. I live in a south Dayton suburb. Stopping by from Brenda's.
    ~ Sue

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  40. Just wanted to pop in and say hi! Glad to see that your Halloween was fun. I guess you must be getting ready for Thanksgiving now! Enjoy.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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Thank you so much for stopping by to visit! I love your comments and suggestions and read them all. Due to spam, I will now have to approve all comments.

Miss Merry