Halloween Food and Decor

" 'Tis now the very witching time of night/ when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out/ Contagion to this world." - Shakespeare

I love Halloween - always have, always will. It's not just the prospect of getting candy (although that's a powerful motivator) that makes it fun and exciting - it's the fancy and flights of imagination that make it special. In a world where skepticism of innocent fun seems to reign, the evening of October 31 gives vent to the imaginations of young and old. And if you need evidence of why imagination is something that should be cultivated, especially in children, I recommend "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis.

But anyway, on with the post. This year, as usual, I made my Halloween Graveyard Pudding, which has become a favorite in my house at this time of year:

Other items on the menu include:

• Crab Imperial Pretzels
• Crock Pot Reuben Casserole
• Crock Pot Hot Apple Cider

As for the decor, Jack-O-Lantern carving is an art - given the right tools, enough patience, and an indifference for handling slimy pumpkin goop, your Jack-O-Lantern can be a success. Here is a picture of my favorite of the ones I carved. This reminds me of some monster from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip:

We also made cheesecloth ghosts using styrofoam heads, lots (and I mean yards) of cheesecloth, and watered-down tacky glue:

They go well with lots of cobwebs, candle-lit lanterns, floating apple candles, pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns and hay bales:

Who says Halloween is for kids...
Hope your Halloween was appropriately spooky!