Let’s Get This Party Startled!

It’s a Halloween party and I helped! Making your own food, drinks and decorations for an at-home Monster Mash isn’t as hard as you might think.

Below are some DIY tips to make you the life of your own undead party.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pumpkin pie filling
  • 16 oz. soft cream cheese
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 8 oz. powder sugar
  • 7 oz. marshmallow fluff
  • cinnamon sugar pita chips

Whip the cream cheese, spice, fluff and powder sugar until smooth, then fold in pumpkin and whip. Serve with pita chips for dipping.

Dip recipe courtesy Chef Trina Gregory of Se7en Bites (Se7enBites.com).

Love Potion 69

Ingredients:

  • vodka
  • blackberries
  • pineapple juice
  • pearl luster dust

Pour vodka in large mason jars, add blackberries, let stand for one week.Strain vodka with a cheesecloth or strainer. Add small amount of pineapple juice. Add a small scoop of pearl luster dust, stir and add more until desired effect. Serve in martini glass. Important: Do not stir after chilled, just pour into glass. For a more potion effect, drop a small piece of dry ice into the glass—make sure you use tongs and gloves. Chill until ready to serve. Your favorite flavored brand can be substituted for infused vodka, but only if your costume is a lazy bitch.

Zombie Brain Shot

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz, peach schnapps
  • 1 tsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1-3 drops of grenadine

Pour in peach schnapps (flavored vodka of choice can be substituted) into shot glass, layer on the Bailey’s, then drop the drops of grenadine. You’ll soon understand why zombies have such a craving!

Drink recipes courtesy Jeremy Fetters of Enigma Bar & Lounge (EnigmaStPete.com).

Keaka-O-Lantern

You’ll need:

  • 1 pineapple
  • pineapple corer
  • paring knife
  • 1 tealight

Cut the top off the pineapple and set it aside, it will become the hair. Use the apple corer to remove the insides which can be served or used in a recipe. Use a paring knife to carve the pineapple – it’s actually easier to cut than a pumpkin and the exterior gives you a grid to follow. Light the tea light inside and replace the top. Enjoy the fun face and the aroma. (P.S. Keaka is Jack in Hawaiian. Ain’t we clever?)

Crystal Head Vodka

Class up your party with the special edition skull bottle of Crystal Head Vodka by Aurora of Newfoundland, Canada. It’s on the pricey side ($69.99, Total Wine), but we heard from a friend of a friend that its contents will get you drunk.

Bush Eyes

When it comes to decorations, particularly DIY, Pinterest is your friend. Here’s a creative, inexpensive, and easy one we found.

You’ll need:

  • 1 toilet paper roll
  • 1 glow stick
  • scissors or x-acto knife
  • thin gauge craft wire
  • tape

Cut eye shapes into the toilet paper roll—get creative! Tape an activated glow stick inside the cardboard roll, the goal is for it to be hidden. Place the roll in your hedge and trees using the wire to secure them, if needed.

 

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