Jennifer Russo

It has probably been the SCARIEST year most of us can remember and we all know it’s going to be a little different when it comes to celebrating Halloween. Don’t FREAK out!  Oh alright…I’ll KILL the DREADful puns and share some ideas on how you can have a SPOOKtacular time from home this time around. From scary movies to delectable treats, creative decorating ideas to tasty potions, there is plenty of opportunities to make this holiday one of the most SPIRITed yet.

Thrilling Movies

Why not do a movie marathon on Halloween or extend it to one movie per night the entire month of October? Go all out with popcorn and Sour Patch Kids, wear your favorite cozy jammies and prepare to scream and jump. You’ll find these being aired live the whole month as well as on streaming services. From the classics we all know and love to some newer attempts at making us hide under the covers, here are some of the top-rated choices:

Hocus Pocus, Halloween (1 &2), The Shining, Get Out, Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, Child’s Play, Pet Semetery, The Blair Witch Project, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Omen, The Craft, The Witches of Eastwick, Dracula, Death Becomes Her, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Others, Us, The Exorcist, El Orfanato, Psycho, The Conjuring, The Cabin in the Woods, The Ring, Insidious, Audition, IT, and for some G-rated nostalgia, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Virtual Events

There are a few virtual events listed on Facebook that might inspire some goosebumps or help you tap into the mystical. There’s Hocus Pocus and Horror Movie online trivia happening this month (10/7 and 10/21 at 8:30 PM respectively). Perhaps an online class with Christopher Penczak, High Priest and Temple of Witchcraft founder is up your alley (Oct. 30 from 7-9 p.m.), or create your own event and challenge your friends to a pumpkin carving contest and have a Zoom meeting to show them off.

Halloween Deco

The stores are open and so is Amazon…and there are many ghoulishly great things to buy to spruce up your house. Orange and purple lights, ghosts, gravestones, spiderwebs, skeletons, bats, animated witches, inflatable pumpkins, a holiday tree decorated with spooky ornaments…why not go ALL OUT this year since you are home! There is no such thing as too tacky this year. Get weird.

Sweet Treats

Cinnamon Sugar Halloween “Cookies” – This could not be easier. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350. Get some flour tortillas (whatever flavor you like, but I think wheat works best). Buy a few Halloween shaped cookie cutters and cut the shapes out of the tortillas. Dip the cut outs in melted butter and press one side into cinnamon sugar. Lay these out on the sheet topping side up and bake for 10 mins. Done.

No-Bake PB Cup Cheesecake 

Give a spring form cake pan a quick once over with cooking spray then press in Oreo crumbs mixed with enough melted butter to give them some texture on the bottom and halfway up the sides. Chill for a bit. In a bowl, beat together 3 tablespoons of sugar with 1 ½ packages of Philly cream cheese, adding a cup of heavy cream and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until thick and fluffy (2-3 mins). Get the crust out and cover the bottom with PB cups (whole or broken). Spread the cream cheese filling over these and top with crushed Reese’s Pieces and candy corn if you’d like. Chill for a few hours. 

PS– you know all the candy will be 50 percent off as soon as Nov. 1 comes, so you can always make this post-holiday…or just eat all the cheap candy. We won’t judge.

Witch’s Brews

Well, I mean you’re home and don’t require a designated driver, so indulge a little! Here are a few drink ideas to get you started. 

Wicked Elphie – Shake up some OJ, Midori melon liqueur and Sprite and pour into a colored sugar-rimmed martini class. 

Headless Horseman – Shake vanilla vodka, gin, a tablespoon of pumpkin puree, a dash of maple syrup, and orange juice. Serve in a wine glass and garnish with a graham cracker over top.

Black Magic – Shake up Jägermeister, spiced rum, lime juice, agave syrup and cranberry juice. 

Devil Made Me Do It – Shake up tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and ginger beer. Pour into shot glasses and drip in a couple drops of tabasco…if you dare. Garnish with a thin lime slice.

Love Potion– Muddle some blackberries in a shaker and add tequila, peach juice, lemon juice and agave syrup with a dash of grenadine. Shake and serve up with a whole blackberry garnish.

Dress Up

Who says you need a party to dress up? Some of the most trending costumes for guys this year are Dr. Fauci, The Mandalorian, Alexander Hamilton and Tiger King. Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Carol Baskin and Janet from The Good Place are all up there in popularity for women’s costumes. Instead of getting something from a store though, we challenge you to get creative – but we don’t recommend ninja costumes since you’ll just blend in with normal people.

However you choose to celebrate Halloween, please do so safely.