"Hallowe'en will come, will come.
Witchcraft will be set agoing.
Goblins will be at full speed, running in every pass.
Avoid the road, children, children."
~Old Scottish Proverb~
Before the birth of Christ, the Celtic peoples of France and the British Isles celebrated the Festival of Samhain (SAH-win), the Lord of the Dead, on the last day of October. The Festival of Samhain also marked the Celtic New Year. The day of October 31st was spent honoring the Sun God, Baal, and rejoicing in the Harvest.
The Celtic people ate nuts and apples to signify the bounty. But once evening closed in, the celebrating took a decidedly serious turn. Now the Celtic priests, the Druids, built great bonfires under the eaves of the oak trees that they worshiped. There, criminals and prisoners-of-war were used as human sacrifices and burned alive. The Druids believed that on this night the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead were most permeable. Thus the day was spent acknowledging the natural while the night was spent acknowledging the supernatural.
It was during the 7th Century that the Christian Church placed its mark on the pagan festival. Since the ancient beliefs could not be abolished, the Church overlaid a new set of beliefs by establishing November 1st as All Saints Day or All Hallows Day, and the night of October 31st became known as All Hallows Evening which was later shortened to Halloween.
Even with this new focus, the old traditions persevered, and many of the symbols we associate most closely with Halloween today have their roots in these customs. The colors of Halloween, orange and black, symbolize the Harvest festival and the Festival of the Dead respectively.
In Scotland and Ireland the tradition survived of hollowing out beets and turnips and placing candles within for lanterns. This sprang from the ritual of ancient times when the Celtic people each took an ember from the sacrificial bonfire to light their way home. When the Scots and Irish came to America they brought this tradition with them, but quickly seized upon the large, orange American pumpkin.
The Celts prepared lavish banquets to accompany the festivals of Baal and Samhain, but also set aside tables laden with food specifically for the Dead who might hunger in their journeys from one world to the next. The custom of setting aside food for wandering spirits persisted until it became the Trick or Treat of today. The Celts believed that if a ghost recognized you, they could steal your soul. Therefore the Celts wore masks to disguise themselves and to blend in with the wandering spirits.
In this country, the Victorians seized upon Halloween as an excuse for decorating and entertaining as they did all else. Elaborate costume balls were given, parlor games were played, and extravagant dinners served. Until the 1920s, Halloween was the province of adults, but about this time, younger people, not about to be left out of the fun, took to the playing of pranks and practical jokes.
My father-in-law tells stories from his youth in the 1930s about outhouse tipping, and reassembling a neighbor's car inside the house of another neighbor. The post-war years and the onset of the baby boom brought about the heyday of Halloween in America. American industry quickly got on the bandwagon and stores were filled with Halloween decorations and accessories.
However, by the late 70s, Halloween had fallen out of fashion, and in fact, was in jeopardy of disappearing completely. Unfortunately at this time, wackos and creeps crawled out of the woodwork and made the eating of trick or treat candy extremely dangerous. The religious right used this as an excuse to lobby for the political outlawing of the holiday.
The new decade of the 80s ushered in New Wave, a new president, and a new conservatism. I went to a Halloween party at a friend's house dressed in a union suit (a one-piece set of thermal underwear with the button flap in back). Along with this I wore a cowboy hat, a red bandanna tied around my neck, cowboy boots, and a holster with a realistic toy six-shooter. I wore a mustache in those days that added to the effect.
I was a cowboy who just got out of bed.
I thought it was hysterical, but even on Halloween I got a lot of strange looks. A big guy I had never seen before began eyeing me the second I walked in. After saying hello to my buddy and the people I knew, I found a place to sit.
A joint was soon passed around, and I lit another one to keep the circle going. A cheesy slash-em-up was on the TV with the sound off, and The Police played on the turntable. Yet the room seemed subdued, even stifled, and every time I glanced up, this same guy was staring at me. Perhaps glaring would be a better term.
He had on a flannel shirt, a pair of broken in jeans, and work boots that looked like they were used exactly for what they were intended. A ball cap with a Chevy patch rested on one knee. He held a can of Budweiser in his fist. I somehow didn't think it was a costume.
I didn't understand it, and I also knew I didn't want to deal with it. I stayed as long as I thought propriety demanded, then awkwardly made my excuses. As I was heading out the door, this same guy says in a hostile tone, "Next time put some clothes on."
I looked this guy in the eye, and started to say something. I was going to inform him that I was, in fact, wearing briefs, shorts, and a tee shirt underneath the long johns; and then I was going to say,”Fuck you,” but I knew it wasn't worth it. I left without a word. If I had been drinking instead of smoking, there would have been a showdown.
Despite these attacks on the legality and spirit of the holiday, we continued the Halloween traditions we enjoyed as children. Our house was always decorated, inside and out, and we hosted annual Halloween parties where costumes were mandatory and our friends outdid themselves in imagination and effort. One time, one of our girl friends, who was just a bit on the chunky side, wore a Miss Piggy outfit, and every guy at the party was hitting on her.
We took to giving out cans of flavored pop to encourage the trick-or-treaters who still braved the evening. I was working as the Operations Manager at a local newspaper, and in my personal and professional capacity, I promoted the holiday wherever and whenever I could. My family and friends credit me with single-handedly saving Halloween.
By the time the 90s rolled around, Halloween was once again en vogue, and today more money is spent on Halloween decorating and entertaining than any other holiday except Christmas. To coin a phrase, Halloween is to die for.
"Hail, old October, bright and chill,
First freed man from the summer sun.
Spice high the bowl, and drink your fill,
Thank Heaven at last, the summer's done."
~Thomas Constable~
For Halloween we pull out all the stops. The whole house gets a makeover. We put up themed curtains, hang seasonal artwork, rearrange furniture, and clear every inch of shelf space to accommodate our fall and Halloween decorations. Obviously a transformation of this magnitude takes a great amount of time and effort. Bins must be retrieved from storage and unpacked, furniture must be polished, floors must be mopped or vacuumed.
Our preparations begin in early-to-mid September. By October 1st, our home is resplendent with shining, pumpkin themed, serving bowls, soup tureens, platters, plates, napkin rings, and cookie jars; plus leaves, a figural corn pitcher, scarecrows, lighted skulls and skeletons, owls, a haunted house, and a grim reaper, all in ceramic.
In addition to these one of a kind pieces, we have a hand-carved wooden bread bowl filled with autumnal silk leaves and flowers, a vase with 13 black silk roses, and orange beeswax candles in wrought iron holders.
Try filling a jar with candy corn, and put out a cut-glass dish of those old-fashioned chews wrapped in orange and black waxed paper. Mary Janes also make an attractive option if you can find them. You can use the autumn wrapped Hershey's Kisses or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but they magically disappear, and you have to keep replenishing the bowl. Other options include salted peanuts or mixed nuts in the shell, a nut cracker atop. We have a set of pottery leaf coasters with raised sides that make excellent shell receptacles, that we keep alongside, thus inviting guests to indulge.
For those of you who do not have a Halloween collection, but wish to acquire one, my approach is to prioritize. Our folk-art collection is comprised mainly of ceramics and pottery bought directly from American artisans and crafters. I suggest you buy one or two pieces from a local craft mall each year, and slowly build a permanent collection.
Likewise, you can buy holiday fabric on sale. Our home is decorated with a variety of handmade fabric projects, such as napkins, place mats, tablecloths, pot holders, throw pillow covers, stuffed jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treat bags, a knitted and crocheted afghan collection, and a magnificent maple leaf quilt that I designed, and Shellie machine pieced and quilted, called “Our Time of Year.” With a minimum of sewing skill, you'd be amazed how far a few items can go to creating a theme.
For a 60s retro touch, Amazon sells reproductions of vintage Halloween cardboard cutouts our moms used to tape to the walls and windows.
Not only do we decorate inside, but outside as well. Buy a couple of hay bales and place them on your front porch. Put a variety of pumpkins, gourds and squashes on and around the bales. Hang a lantern above the display. The new battery operated LED votive candles offer an array of lighting options without the hazards of open flame. Living in a hundred year old, wood-sided house, we take fire safety seriously. Top off the display with a life size "Porchman."
We have a Halloween figure we place on our porch every year, that the neighborhood kids call Porchman. Here's how to make your own Porchman.
Buy a 4” x 4” wood post and have the hardware store cut it to a length of 6 feet. Get out a sturdy Christmas tree stand, and secure the post into the stand. Buy a plastic trick-or-treat pumpkin whose opening fits snugly over the top of the post (the plastic pumpkin will sit upside down).
Screw an eye-hook just below the plastic pumpkin in the front and back of the post. Hang a wire coat hanger through each eye-hook and crimp the handle closed with a pliers. Secure a 3 foot length of dowel rod to the bottom wire of one of the coat hangers (which will be the front of your Porchman) with twist ties.
Drape the robe from an adult size witch's costume over the coat hangers, and tie robe strings in back. Use thumb tacks to secure the tip of the sleeves to the ends of the dowel rod. Tie a short length of fabric cord around figure's "waist" and affix with a safety pin in back to keep cord from sliding down. Put a full-head mask of your choice over plastic pumpkin. Position a spotlight to accent figure.
Voilà, Porchman!
On Halloween itself, my wife always takes a vacation day, as I did when I was working. This was not easy. When I worked at the gourmet grocery, the store at large held inventory four times a year. This tedious and painstaking process started after the evening rush, began in earnest when the store closed, and lasted well past midnight. One of the quarterly inventories fell on October 31st.
My department, on the other hand, only did inventory biannually, and Halloween was NOT one of them. Every year, the minute open-enrollment for vacation time came around, I stood in front of the store manager's desk with my request for the last day of October off.
Our store manager, Giuseppe Bellanotte, stood five feet four inches tall, weighed north of three hundred pounds, and was Roman down to his pinky ring. I saw him get a paper cut once. He bled marinara sauce. Among all our hand-crafted and expensive cheeses, many from Italy, we had to stock deli provolone, so Joe could make his sandwiches.
He was a notorious stickler about the rules. The employee handbook was his Bible (although Joe was a loyal Papist). The first time this arose, he started quoting the handbook, but I put my hand up and said, "Where does it say in the handbook, that an employee cannot request a day off just because it is an inventory day?"
"W...w...well," he sputtered, "I don't have one handy."
"I do," I said, and pulled one from behind my back and handed it to him.
He paged through, of course not being able to find what he was looking for, because I had already checked, and knew it wasn't there. There were prohibitions about requesting time off during peak holiday periods, but not a word about inventory days. There was a loophole, and coming from a family of attorneys, I found it.
We'd go through this same routine every year, and every year he'd reluctantly sign his name.
We like the extra time to prepare for the afternoon and evening's festivities, and we like to be home to greet the trick or treaters. Once school lets out, over two-hundred impossibly cute whirling dervishes appear on our doorstep in a continuous stream. We arrange our stereo speakers so they can be heard outside. I play my own Halloween party mix, or put on one of the Universal monster movies and pipe it through the speakers.
We still carry on our tradition of giving out cans of flavored pop, and we are officially known as the "Pop House." The next morning, it is hilarious to see the trail of empty cans up and down the block.
When we first moved into our house, we removed a stunted, gnarled, five foot tall bush that grew along the property line. Once it was down, I noticed that underneath the sparse foliage, the trunk and few twisted branches formed a spooky shape. I denuded the shrub and stood it in the garage to dry.
We have a three-season, enclosed, front porch that spans the width of our house. Four wooden steps lead up to a small landing before the door. We set up Porchman on one side of the stairway, and the bare bush on the other. Our son Nik strings spider webbing across the front of the house. Store bought lighting effects illuminate the walkways.
We park our car at the end of the driveway with the trunk facing the street. We have an appendage called Mr. Foot that hangs out of the trunk. The older kids love to touch it, while the younger ones stay firmly planted behind mom and dad's legs.
As children funnel up the stairs, they must enter the porch where a table is laid out with a cornucopia of flavored soda. A life size, green-glowing skeleton greets the visitors. All in all, this creates a rather dramatic effect, which is not lost on young or old.
I keep a pot of coffee brewing, and bake a tray of pumpkin spice cookies, so the aroma of fresh baked pumpkin permeates the air. Quite often, we invite the children and their parents in to look at the decorations which they glimpse wide-eyed through the open doorway. With all these sights, sounds, and smells, our home is a popular stop on the neighborhood route.
Likewise, you can buy holiday fabric on sale. Our home is decorated with a variety of handmade fabric projects, such as napkins, place mats, tablecloths, pot holders, throw pillow covers, stuffed jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treat bags, a knitted and crocheted afghan collection, and a magnificent maple leaf quilt that I designed, and Shellie machine pieced and quilted, called “Our Time of Year.” With a minimum of sewing skill, you'd be amazed how far a few items can go to creating a theme.
For a 60s retro touch, Amazon sells reproductions of vintage Halloween cardboard cutouts our moms used to tape to the walls and windows.
Not only do we decorate inside, but outside as well. Buy a couple of hay bales and place them on your front porch. Put a variety of pumpkins, gourds and squashes on and around the bales. Hang a lantern above the display. The new battery operated LED votive candles offer an array of lighting options without the hazards of open flame. Living in a hundred year old, wood-sided house, we take fire safety seriously. Top off the display with a life size "Porchman."
We have a Halloween figure we place on our porch every year, that the neighborhood kids call Porchman. Here's how to make your own Porchman.
Buy a 4” x 4” wood post and have the hardware store cut it to a length of 6 feet. Get out a sturdy Christmas tree stand, and secure the post into the stand. Buy a plastic trick-or-treat pumpkin whose opening fits snugly over the top of the post (the plastic pumpkin will sit upside down).
Screw an eye-hook just below the plastic pumpkin in the front and back of the post. Hang a wire coat hanger through each eye-hook and crimp the handle closed with a pliers. Secure a 3 foot length of dowel rod to the bottom wire of one of the coat hangers (which will be the front of your Porchman) with twist ties.
Drape the robe from an adult size witch's costume over the coat hangers, and tie robe strings in back. Use thumb tacks to secure the tip of the sleeves to the ends of the dowel rod. Tie a short length of fabric cord around figure's "waist" and affix with a safety pin in back to keep cord from sliding down. Put a full-head mask of your choice over plastic pumpkin. Position a spotlight to accent figure.
Voilà, Porchman!
On Halloween itself, my wife always takes a vacation day, as I did when I was working. This was not easy. When I worked at the gourmet grocery, the store at large held inventory four times a year. This tedious and painstaking process started after the evening rush, began in earnest when the store closed, and lasted well past midnight. One of the quarterly inventories fell on October 31st.
My department, on the other hand, only did inventory biannually, and Halloween was NOT one of them. Every year, the minute open-enrollment for vacation time came around, I stood in front of the store manager's desk with my request for the last day of October off.
Our store manager, Giuseppe Bellanotte, stood five feet four inches tall, weighed north of three hundred pounds, and was Roman down to his pinky ring. I saw him get a paper cut once. He bled marinara sauce. Among all our hand-crafted and expensive cheeses, many from Italy, we had to stock deli provolone, so Joe could make his sandwiches.
He was a notorious stickler about the rules. The employee handbook was his Bible (although Joe was a loyal Papist). The first time this arose, he started quoting the handbook, but I put my hand up and said, "Where does it say in the handbook, that an employee cannot request a day off just because it is an inventory day?"
"W...w...well," he sputtered, "I don't have one handy."
"I do," I said, and pulled one from behind my back and handed it to him.
He paged through, of course not being able to find what he was looking for, because I had already checked, and knew it wasn't there. There were prohibitions about requesting time off during peak holiday periods, but not a word about inventory days. There was a loophole, and coming from a family of attorneys, I found it.
We'd go through this same routine every year, and every year he'd reluctantly sign his name.
We like the extra time to prepare for the afternoon and evening's festivities, and we like to be home to greet the trick or treaters. Once school lets out, over two-hundred impossibly cute whirling dervishes appear on our doorstep in a continuous stream. We arrange our stereo speakers so they can be heard outside. I play my own Halloween party mix, or put on one of the Universal monster movies and pipe it through the speakers.
We still carry on our tradition of giving out cans of flavored pop, and we are officially known as the "Pop House." The next morning, it is hilarious to see the trail of empty cans up and down the block.
When we first moved into our house, we removed a stunted, gnarled, five foot tall bush that grew along the property line. Once it was down, I noticed that underneath the sparse foliage, the trunk and few twisted branches formed a spooky shape. I denuded the shrub and stood it in the garage to dry.
We have a three-season, enclosed, front porch that spans the width of our house. Four wooden steps lead up to a small landing before the door. We set up Porchman on one side of the stairway, and the bare bush on the other. Our son Nik strings spider webbing across the front of the house. Store bought lighting effects illuminate the walkways.
We park our car at the end of the driveway with the trunk facing the street. We have an appendage called Mr. Foot that hangs out of the trunk. The older kids love to touch it, while the younger ones stay firmly planted behind mom and dad's legs.
As children funnel up the stairs, they must enter the porch where a table is laid out with a cornucopia of flavored soda. A life size, green-glowing skeleton greets the visitors. All in all, this creates a rather dramatic effect, which is not lost on young or old.
I keep a pot of coffee brewing, and bake a tray of pumpkin spice cookies, so the aroma of fresh baked pumpkin permeates the air. Quite often, we invite the children and their parents in to look at the decorations which they glimpse wide-eyed through the open doorway. With all these sights, sounds, and smells, our home is a popular stop on the neighborhood route.
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
~Macbeth, Act IV, Scene I, Second Witch~
I created my first Halloween party mix tape back in the early 80s, and it has withstood the test of time. Not only do we play it on Halloween, we listen to it on many of our autumn country drives. You, obviously, will want to create a party mix of your own, based on your own interpretation of appropriate Halloween music. Here, submitted for your approval, are the titles of my classic Halloween party mix:
[Note: most, but alas not all, of these selections can be found online]
[Note: most, but alas not all, of these selections can be found online]
Track 1: Opening sequence from Walt Disney's The Haunted Mansion album
Track 2: RCA promotion from Son of Schmillson by Harry Nilsson
Track 3: “Dark Shadows/Collinwood” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert
Track 4: “Josette's Theme” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert
Track 5: Theme from the film Experiment in Terror by Henry Mancini
Track 6: “The Whale Chase” from Walt Disney's Pinocchio
Track 7: Pirate curses from Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean album
Track 8: “Tarpaulin' Jacket” from Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean album, sung by Thurl Ravenscroft
Track 9: “Ride of the Valkyries” from The Ring of the Nibelungs by Richard Wagner (33 1/3 RPM recording played at 45 RPM)
Track 10: Theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Track 11: “Monster Mash” by Bobby "Boris" Pickett
Track 12: Theme from The Munsters
Track 13: Theme from The Addams Family
Track 14: Casper the Friendly Ghost theme song
Track 15: “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Track 16: “I Put a Spell on You” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Track 17: “Flight to the Ford” from The Lord of the Rings by Bo Hansson
Track 18: “The Wizard” from Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep
Track 19: “Lady in Black” from Salisbury by Uriah Heep
Track 20: “Midnight Jamboree” from Walt Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, sung by Bing Crosby
Track 21: “Grim Grinning Ghosts” from Walt Disney's The Haunted Mansion album
Track 22: “Stormy Night” by The Mystic Moods Orchestra
Track 23: Excerpt from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Track 24: “Epilogue and Closing Theme” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert, narrated by Jonathan Frid, quote by William Shakespeare
Total Running Time: 55 minutes
Track 3: “Dark Shadows/Collinwood” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert
Track 4: “Josette's Theme” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert
Track 5: Theme from the film Experiment in Terror by Henry Mancini
Track 6: “The Whale Chase” from Walt Disney's Pinocchio
Track 7: Pirate curses from Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean album
Track 8: “Tarpaulin' Jacket” from Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean album, sung by Thurl Ravenscroft
Track 9: “Ride of the Valkyries” from The Ring of the Nibelungs by Richard Wagner (33 1/3 RPM recording played at 45 RPM)
Track 10: Theme from Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Track 11: “Monster Mash” by Bobby "Boris" Pickett
Track 12: Theme from The Munsters
Track 13: Theme from The Addams Family
Track 14: Casper the Friendly Ghost theme song
Track 15: “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Track 16: “I Put a Spell on You” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Track 17: “Flight to the Ford” from The Lord of the Rings by Bo Hansson
Track 18: “The Wizard” from Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep
Track 19: “Lady in Black” from Salisbury by Uriah Heep
Track 20: “Midnight Jamboree” from Walt Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, sung by Bing Crosby
Track 21: “Grim Grinning Ghosts” from Walt Disney's The Haunted Mansion album
Track 22: “Stormy Night” by The Mystic Moods Orchestra
Track 23: Excerpt from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Track 24: “Epilogue and Closing Theme” from Dark Shadows by Robert Cobert, narrated by Jonathan Frid, quote by William Shakespeare
Total Running Time: 55 minutes
There are more things to do in October than you can shake a broomstick at. Shop at farmers markets for fresh, locally grown produce, beeswax candles, honey, preserves, flower arrangements, and baked goods. We have the luxury of being within driving distance of a working apple orchard. In addition to a variety of organically grown apples, the orchard store features gallon jugs of fizzy apple cider (you can watch the apple press in action, powered by an antique tractor), melt-in-your-mouth cider doughnuts, apple blossom honey from their own apiaries, and jars of apple pie filling ready to bake.
We also prefer selecting and purchasing our pumpkins, gourds, squash and Indian corn from actual farms rather than the supermarket. Again, we are blessed with an abundance of family farms that supplement their income by offering these seasonal products.
We have been attending fall festivals for over thirty years. These events have afforded us the opportunity to explore our area's back roads, and become acquainted with many rural communities. Our main interest was the craft shows, where most of our holiday collection came from, but we also enjoyed antique tractor and classic car shows, sporting exhibitions, carnival attractions, parades, and petting zoos.
We have partaken of chili cook-offs, corn boils, pie eating contests, and demonstrations of traditional crafts. Most of these festivals are themed, and you will find Main Street businesses decorated with window painting, scarecrows, and exuberant autumnal displays.
We also prefer selecting and purchasing our pumpkins, gourds, squash and Indian corn from actual farms rather than the supermarket. Again, we are blessed with an abundance of family farms that supplement their income by offering these seasonal products.
We have been attending fall festivals for over thirty years. These events have afforded us the opportunity to explore our area's back roads, and become acquainted with many rural communities. Our main interest was the craft shows, where most of our holiday collection came from, but we also enjoyed antique tractor and classic car shows, sporting exhibitions, carnival attractions, parades, and petting zoos.
We have partaken of chili cook-offs, corn boils, pie eating contests, and demonstrations of traditional crafts. Most of these festivals are themed, and you will find Main Street businesses decorated with window painting, scarecrows, and exuberant autumnal displays.
Although these organized events are great fun, to truly appreciate the changing season, be sure to get out to some of the State Parks, forest preserves and nature areas. A hike through the woods costs nothing, but offers wonderful opportunities for family bonding.
While many of the picnic shelters are reserved during the summer season, fall often finds these facilities unencumbered. We take advantage of these quiet times by enjoying an afternoon fire in the stone fireplaces, spreading out a picnic lunch, and exploring the surrounding woods or lakes.
Many years ago, we actually did reserve the shelter at our local forest preserve for a Halloween party for Ben's thirteenth birthday. We decorated the mantlepiece of the massive stone fireplace with pumpkins and gourds, and a Blair Witch symbol made out of sticks. We bought orange and black plastic tablecloths, plates, cups and utensils. We even brought Porchman with.
The day before, the boys and I went to the forest preserve and gathered and cut a huge stack of firewood. A roaring blaze now warmed the shelter.
We arranged with our favorite pizza place to deliver pizzas directly to the forest preserve. We paid for the pizzas in advance, and they arrived piping hot and delicious. The boys hiked in the woods, played football, enjoyed pizza, and spent a thoroughly delightful autumn day out of doors.
While many of the picnic shelters are reserved during the summer season, fall often finds these facilities unencumbered. We take advantage of these quiet times by enjoying an afternoon fire in the stone fireplaces, spreading out a picnic lunch, and exploring the surrounding woods or lakes.
Many years ago, we actually did reserve the shelter at our local forest preserve for a Halloween party for Ben's thirteenth birthday. We decorated the mantlepiece of the massive stone fireplace with pumpkins and gourds, and a Blair Witch symbol made out of sticks. We bought orange and black plastic tablecloths, plates, cups and utensils. We even brought Porchman with.
The day before, the boys and I went to the forest preserve and gathered and cut a huge stack of firewood. A roaring blaze now warmed the shelter.
We arranged with our favorite pizza place to deliver pizzas directly to the forest preserve. We paid for the pizzas in advance, and they arrived piping hot and delicious. The boys hiked in the woods, played football, enjoyed pizza, and spent a thoroughly delightful autumn day out of doors.
Either as part of these activities, or on its own, there is no better way to enjoy the fall colors than by an autumn drive in the country. The DeLorme Company offers travel atlases and gazetteers for all 50 states. These grid maps allow easy access to our nation's back roads and let you get up close and personal with the ways less traveled.
You may find yourself on a gravel lane coming upon a farmhouse decorated with homegrown pumpkins and handmade decorations; a covered bridge; a field of wild flowers; a rural cemetery; a pasture of cows, horses, sheep, llamas or even emus; and the greatest thrill of all, the occasional wildlife sighting. And lest we forget our feathered friends, we always look forward to spotting geese, ducks, red wing blackbirds, crows, hawks, and rarely, pheasants in flight, or the glimpse of a wild turkey.
One of the ways we add to the festive Halloween spirit is with "Mr. Foot." As referred to earlier, Mr. Foot is a life-like human limb made out of molded rubber with a stuffed pant leg. We hang Mr. Foot out of the trunk of our car, much to the delight of those who see us driving down the highway. We sometimes forget that Mr. Foot is there until we see other motorists honking, laughing, and pointing. And no, as of yet, we have never been stopped by the police.
You may find yourself on a gravel lane coming upon a farmhouse decorated with homegrown pumpkins and handmade decorations; a covered bridge; a field of wild flowers; a rural cemetery; a pasture of cows, horses, sheep, llamas or even emus; and the greatest thrill of all, the occasional wildlife sighting. And lest we forget our feathered friends, we always look forward to spotting geese, ducks, red wing blackbirds, crows, hawks, and rarely, pheasants in flight, or the glimpse of a wild turkey.
One of the ways we add to the festive Halloween spirit is with "Mr. Foot." As referred to earlier, Mr. Foot is a life-like human limb made out of molded rubber with a stuffed pant leg. We hang Mr. Foot out of the trunk of our car, much to the delight of those who see us driving down the highway. We sometimes forget that Mr. Foot is there until we see other motorists honking, laughing, and pointing. And no, as of yet, we have never been stopped by the police.
We also make a point of setting aside one night close to Halloween to visit a Haunted House. Sponsored by local organizations, such as schools, community groups, and even churches, these haunted houses and forest walks offer different levels of frights. Select accordingly to the ages of your children.
A few years ago, we found a particularly effective forest walk and haunted house set up in a forest preserve. The haunted house ended in a maze that, for the life of us, we could not get out of. A costumed actor, replete with chainsaw, chased patrons throughout the maze. We kept taking wrong turns and going around in circles so many times that I was doubled over in laughter.
Finally we approached the chainsaw wielding actor, who was obviously a high school student, and told him if he didn't show us the way out we'd keep following him around. He didn't know how to respond and began to run away from us. We again took a wrong turn and lost him. We eventually had to follow a parent with a crying young daughter out of the maze. We were thoroughly embarrassed and sore from laughing so hard, but a good time was had by all - except the young daughter.
A few years ago, we found a particularly effective forest walk and haunted house set up in a forest preserve. The haunted house ended in a maze that, for the life of us, we could not get out of. A costumed actor, replete with chainsaw, chased patrons throughout the maze. We kept taking wrong turns and going around in circles so many times that I was doubled over in laughter.
Finally we approached the chainsaw wielding actor, who was obviously a high school student, and told him if he didn't show us the way out we'd keep following him around. He didn't know how to respond and began to run away from us. We again took a wrong turn and lost him. We eventually had to follow a parent with a crying young daughter out of the maze. We were thoroughly embarrassed and sore from laughing so hard, but a good time was had by all - except the young daughter.
"Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts, wretched souls and cursed hosts,
vampires bite and villains creep, demons scream and shadows sleep.
Blood runs cold in every man, fog rolls in and coffins slam,
mortals quake and full moon rise, creatures haunt and terrorize."
~Creature Features, WGN-TV Chicago~
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN3PL0_ZJa0
For us, those classic Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolfman movies still entertain, if not scare as they once did. The style and atmosphere hold up, and we eagerly look forward to seeing them again every Halloween.
The choices for Halloween viewing pleasure are limitless. It would take several lifetimes (which can be arranged) to enjoy even a small portion of the available horror and sci-fi features. Everyone has their favorites, but we offer here, our picks for not-to-be-missed treasures. You may disagree with some, and feel that we have left out essential others, but we present these, nonetheless.
One of my personal favorites is the original Night of the Living Dead, directed by George Romero. On a shoestring budget, with no-name actors, Romero fashioned one of the great zombie flicks of all time. The bizarre humor and underlying social themes make this a true 60s classic.
This film contains, to my mind, the best line from any horror movie. The local sheriff and his men are rounding up the reanimated corpses, and a television reporter is interviewing the rustic constable. The reporter asks, "Chief, if I were surrounded by six or eight of these things would I stand a chance with them?" The Chief says, "Well, there's no problem. If you had a gun, shoot 'em in the head, that's a sure way to kill 'em. If you don't, get yourself a club or a torch, beat 'em or burn 'em, they go up pretty easy." "Are they slow moving, Chief?" asks the reporter. "Yeah,” says the Chief. “They're dead, they're all messed up."
This film contains, to my mind, the best line from any horror movie. The local sheriff and his men are rounding up the reanimated corpses, and a television reporter is interviewing the rustic constable. The reporter asks, "Chief, if I were surrounded by six or eight of these things would I stand a chance with them?" The Chief says, "Well, there's no problem. If you had a gun, shoot 'em in the head, that's a sure way to kill 'em. If you don't, get yourself a club or a torch, beat 'em or burn 'em, they go up pretty easy." "Are they slow moving, Chief?" asks the reporter. "Yeah,” says the Chief. “They're dead, they're all messed up."
We also like National Lampoon's An American Werewolf in London. Not only does it capture the irreverent spirit of the 1980s, but as an added bonus, the movie stars the very attractive Jenny Agutter looking her British best.
Highlighting the full moon as an integral component of the lycanthropic transformations, the soundtrack includes such classics as Van Morrison's "Moondance," Credence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising," and not one, but three, covers of the 50s classic "Blue Moon" performed by Bobby Vinton, Sam Cooke, and The Marcels. Unfortunately, this soundtrack was never released, but a few years ago we made our own "Unofficial Soundtrack."
An American Werewolf in London: The Unofficial Soundtrack
Track 1: “Werewolves of London”** by Warren Zevon
Track 2: “Blue Moon” by Bobby Vinton
Track 3: “Moondance” by Van Morrison
Track 4: “Bad Moon Rising” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Track 5: “Blue Moon” by Sam Cooke
Track 6: “Blue Moon” by The Marcels
Track 7: “Blue Moon Rising”** by Gomez
Track 8: “Moonshadow”* by Cat Stevens
Track 9: “Moonshiner”* by Bob Dylan
Track 10: “Werewolves of London/Paris” (Live Recording)** by Warren Zevon
*Considered for movie by director John Landis, but couldn't get permission
**Not considered for movie by director John Landis, but should have been!
Our most controversial suggestion may be The Blair Witch Project. I have to admit, I was completely taken in by the “documentary,” and we saw the theatrical release just before it became generally known that both the movie and documentary were made up. So we thoroughly enjoyed the full effect of this creepy production, a true representation of the 'reality TV' 1990s. We make an evening of it by first watching the "documentary" The Curse of the Blair Witch, then the theatrical version of The Blair Witch Project.
Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby gave friendly neighbors a bad name, and sent health shake fanatics screaming into their smoothies. Likewise, The Exorcist set split pea soup back a generation, and made Tubular Bells the curse of everyone who heard it and couldn't get it out of their heads.
Listen at your own risk: youtube.com/watch?v=D1PH_Y8Xn4g
Listen at your own risk: youtube.com/watch?v=D1PH_Y8Xn4g
I do not consider myself to be a superstitious person. I once had a black cat as a pet, who continuously crossed my path. When I knock over the salt shaker, I do not throw any over my shoulder. And if I feel there is a valid reason for opening an umbrella indoors, I do so. I am not triskadeckaphobic, that is, I am not afraid of the number 13, in fact my youngest son was born on a Friday the 13th. But ever since first seeing The Omen, starring Gregory Peck, I cannot abide three 6s in a row. If they are part of an address I will not enter, if they are part of a phone number I will not call, and if they are part of a license plate, I change lanes.
No Halloween would be complete without It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This is especially true this year because it is the 50th anniversary of the show's first airing.
The year was 1966. I was eight years old, the perfect age to grow up with Halloween and the Peanuts Gang being synonymous. The Great Pumpkin was a cultural event to be shared annually with other children all across America. The anticipation was heightened by the fact that if for some reason (say for example you were abducted by martians or eaten by an alligator), you, like Linus trying to find a pumpkin patch that's real sincere, had to wait till next year.
That being said, I want to quickly share a few of my favorite moments from the show.
[Spoiler Alert: If you have never seen It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, skip this review.]
The first scene opens to the classic Vince Guaraldi tune, "Linus and Lucy," as Lucy picks out the largest pumpkin in the patch, and leaves it to her little brother to get it home. Lucy calmly spreads newspaper on the floor, plunges a kitchen knife into the helpless vegetable, and pulls out its guts. Linus exclaims, "Oh! You didn't tell me you were going to kill it."
Coming from a family of lawyers, and even a few judges, my wife and I love the line from the iconic scene where Lucy holds the football so Charlie Brown can kick it. Charlie Brown says, "I guess if you have a signed document in your possession, you can't go wrong." Of course, we know how that ends.
Two lines I often quote are spoken by Linus as he writes a letter to the Great Pumpkin. After a deeply philosophical and contentious debate with Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown says, "We're obviously separated by denominational differences." Alone with his thoughts again, Linus comments, "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."
The show contains subtle humor, as when Linus walks into the living room on his way to mail his letter to the Great Pumpkin, and Lucy is reading a copy of TV Guide - with her on the cover.
I also love the great WWI homage as Snoopy makes his way across the occupied French countryside, only to slip into the Halloween party through an upstairs window, just in time for Lucy to bob for apples. "Blech, my lips touched dog lips. Blech. Ech. Poison dog lips. Blech. Ech." As someone who routinely lets their cat eat off his plate, the humor is not lost.
I also like the fact that Peanuts creator Charles Schulz allows Lucy to show her more mature side. One of the most touching segments in all of the Peanuts specials occurs when Lucy wakes up at the stroke of 4:00, peeks in her little brother's bedroom, gets dressed, gathers up Linus who's shivering from cold in the pumpkin patch, guides him home with her arm around his shoulder, gets him in bed, removes his shoes and socks, and tucks him in.
One character who is decidedly not happy at the end of the evening is Sally, who's been cheated out of trick-or-treats. "Halloween is over and I missed it.... I could have had candy, apples, and gum, and cookies, and money, and all sorts of things."
But Linus is undeterred, and as the rest of the kids head home, Linus says if the Great Pumpkin comes he'll still put in a good word for them, but then he realizes his mistake - he should have said when, not if. "One little slip like that can cause the great pumpkin to pass you by."
As we know, Charlie Brown winds up with a bag full of rocks, Sally misses the entire evening, and all that came to Linus' pumpkin patch was a beagle. The next morning, Charlie Brown and Linus lean dejectedly on a brick wall, and when Charlie Brown says, "Well, another Halloween has come and gone," I know how he feels.
An underrated and often missed Halloween treat is Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This short cartoon feature, narrated and sung by Bing Crosby, includes classic Disney animation, some riotous action sequences, and humor aplenty.
For an all out blast of classic Disney animation, track down a copy of A Disney Halloween. I first saw this 90-minute compilation of vintage cartoons on the Disney Channel in the early 80s, and our boys grew up watching this delightful anthology of dancing skeletons, wise-cracking ghosts, vivacious villains, and a frighteningly seductive Satan.
Pay special attention to the clip from the Academy Award winning Silly Symphony, "The Old Mill," which was used to test new animation techniques for the world's first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
"The Old Mill": youtube.com/watch?v=MYEmL0d0lZE
Decades before Ghostbusters, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were already busting specters, spooks, spirits, and haints. As Goofy bravely states, "I ain't a-scared a no ghosts!"
Not to be neglected are Hollywood's comedic takes on horror movies. Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks' loving tribute to the Universal classics. Starring Gene Wilder, an irrepressible Marty Feldman in the role of a lifetime, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Peter Boyle as the creature, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher (neighhhhhhh). While not, strictly speaking, a Halloween movie, High Anxiety is Mel Brooks' ode to Alfred Hitchcock, whose psychological thrillers are certainly part of our horror lexicon.
For pure slapstick comedy be sure to watch at least one of the 'Abbot and Costello Meet the Monsters' movies. And for jump out of your seat thrills and surreal humor check out Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II starring Bruce Campbell.
Two movies that are all but forgotten for Halloween, but should be first on any true connoisseur's list are Walt Disney's masterpiece Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and 1939's The Wizard of Oz, perhaps the two quintessential wicked witch tales.
That being said, I want to quickly share a few of my favorite moments from the show.
[Spoiler Alert: If you have never seen It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, skip this review.]
The first scene opens to the classic Vince Guaraldi tune, "Linus and Lucy," as Lucy picks out the largest pumpkin in the patch, and leaves it to her little brother to get it home. Lucy calmly spreads newspaper on the floor, plunges a kitchen knife into the helpless vegetable, and pulls out its guts. Linus exclaims, "Oh! You didn't tell me you were going to kill it."
Coming from a family of lawyers, and even a few judges, my wife and I love the line from the iconic scene where Lucy holds the football so Charlie Brown can kick it. Charlie Brown says, "I guess if you have a signed document in your possession, you can't go wrong." Of course, we know how that ends.
Two lines I often quote are spoken by Linus as he writes a letter to the Great Pumpkin. After a deeply philosophical and contentious debate with Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown says, "We're obviously separated by denominational differences." Alone with his thoughts again, Linus comments, "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."
The show contains subtle humor, as when Linus walks into the living room on his way to mail his letter to the Great Pumpkin, and Lucy is reading a copy of TV Guide - with her on the cover.
I also love the great WWI homage as Snoopy makes his way across the occupied French countryside, only to slip into the Halloween party through an upstairs window, just in time for Lucy to bob for apples. "Blech, my lips touched dog lips. Blech. Ech. Poison dog lips. Blech. Ech." As someone who routinely lets their cat eat off his plate, the humor is not lost.
I also like the fact that Peanuts creator Charles Schulz allows Lucy to show her more mature side. One of the most touching segments in all of the Peanuts specials occurs when Lucy wakes up at the stroke of 4:00, peeks in her little brother's bedroom, gets dressed, gathers up Linus who's shivering from cold in the pumpkin patch, guides him home with her arm around his shoulder, gets him in bed, removes his shoes and socks, and tucks him in.
One character who is decidedly not happy at the end of the evening is Sally, who's been cheated out of trick-or-treats. "Halloween is over and I missed it.... I could have had candy, apples, and gum, and cookies, and money, and all sorts of things."
But Linus is undeterred, and as the rest of the kids head home, Linus says if the Great Pumpkin comes he'll still put in a good word for them, but then he realizes his mistake - he should have said when, not if. "One little slip like that can cause the great pumpkin to pass you by."
As we know, Charlie Brown winds up with a bag full of rocks, Sally misses the entire evening, and all that came to Linus' pumpkin patch was a beagle. The next morning, Charlie Brown and Linus lean dejectedly on a brick wall, and when Charlie Brown says, "Well, another Halloween has come and gone," I know how he feels.
An underrated and often missed Halloween treat is Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This short cartoon feature, narrated and sung by Bing Crosby, includes classic Disney animation, some riotous action sequences, and humor aplenty.
For an all out blast of classic Disney animation, track down a copy of A Disney Halloween. I first saw this 90-minute compilation of vintage cartoons on the Disney Channel in the early 80s, and our boys grew up watching this delightful anthology of dancing skeletons, wise-cracking ghosts, vivacious villains, and a frighteningly seductive Satan.
Pay special attention to the clip from the Academy Award winning Silly Symphony, "The Old Mill," which was used to test new animation techniques for the world's first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
"The Old Mill": youtube.com/watch?v=MYEmL0d0lZE
Decades before Ghostbusters, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were already busting specters, spooks, spirits, and haints. As Goofy bravely states, "I ain't a-scared a no ghosts!"
Not to be neglected are Hollywood's comedic takes on horror movies. Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks' loving tribute to the Universal classics. Starring Gene Wilder, an irrepressible Marty Feldman in the role of a lifetime, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Peter Boyle as the creature, and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher (neighhhhhhh). While not, strictly speaking, a Halloween movie, High Anxiety is Mel Brooks' ode to Alfred Hitchcock, whose psychological thrillers are certainly part of our horror lexicon.
For pure slapstick comedy be sure to watch at least one of the 'Abbot and Costello Meet the Monsters' movies. And for jump out of your seat thrills and surreal humor check out Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II starring Bruce Campbell.
Two movies that are all but forgotten for Halloween, but should be first on any true connoisseur's list are Walt Disney's masterpiece Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and 1939's The Wizard of Oz, perhaps the two quintessential wicked witch tales.
"Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts,
Covens of witches with all of their hosts,
You may think they scare me, you're probably right,
Black cats and goblins on Halloween night."
~Trick or Treat!~
Saving what we consider to be the best for last, we name John Carpenter's 1978 release, Halloween as the quintessential movie of the season. This granddaddy of slasher flicks gave rise to all the Freddies, Jasons and Michaels to come. We reserve our annual viewing of this Halloween treat for the Even' of All Hallows itself. After the trick-or-treaters have gone home, the candles have burned low, and the kids sit on the living room floor dividing their booty into piles of chocolate and not-chocolate, this movie serves as our denouement to a season of magic and whimsy.
This recipe has been handed down in my family for hundreds of years. Some of the ingredients are difficult to find now. If you can't get fresh, frozen may be substituted.
"Fillet of a fenny snake, in the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adders 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.
Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pumpkins are Halloween's most recognizable symbol. They are a truly American food product given us by the native inhabitants who welcomed us on these shores. The North American Indians sliced pumpkins into long pieces and roasted them over an open fire. Pumpkin, a member of the squash family, was a staple of the Colonists. New Englanders boiled or roasted pumpkins, cut them in chunks and ate them salted and buttered. Pumpkin was mashed and made into soup.
The first pumpkin pie was, in fact, a custard baked in a pumpkin shell in hot ashes. Pumpkin was kneaded into bread dough, puddings and cakes, and finally the pumpkin pie we know today was created. The Colonists also brewed a pumpkin beer, and today, nouveau cuisine includes pumpkin filled ravioli, pumpkin-blackbean soup, pumpkin bisque, and pumpkin ice cream. Our offerings are more down-to-earth. These not-to-be-missed recipes should be enjoyed every autumn season.
Here's a helpful hint for cleaning pumpkins. Take an old tablespoon and with a pliers bend the handle back and forth just above the bowl until it breaks off. Use caution during this process. With pliers, bend the handle stub flush underneath the spoon. File rough edges. This is my favorite pumpkin-cleaning tool. It really enable you to clean smaller pumpkins and get underneath the rims.
[Note: over the years, we have found that the best pumpkin recipes come from a can.]
Pumpkins are Halloween's most recognizable symbol. They are a truly American food product given us by the native inhabitants who welcomed us on these shores. The North American Indians sliced pumpkins into long pieces and roasted them over an open fire. Pumpkin, a member of the squash family, was a staple of the Colonists. New Englanders boiled or roasted pumpkins, cut them in chunks and ate them salted and buttered. Pumpkin was mashed and made into soup.
The first pumpkin pie was, in fact, a custard baked in a pumpkin shell in hot ashes. Pumpkin was kneaded into bread dough, puddings and cakes, and finally the pumpkin pie we know today was created. The Colonists also brewed a pumpkin beer, and today, nouveau cuisine includes pumpkin filled ravioli, pumpkin-blackbean soup, pumpkin bisque, and pumpkin ice cream. Our offerings are more down-to-earth. These not-to-be-missed recipes should be enjoyed every autumn season.
Here's a helpful hint for cleaning pumpkins. Take an old tablespoon and with a pliers bend the handle back and forth just above the bowl until it breaks off. Use caution during this process. With pliers, bend the handle stub flush underneath the spoon. File rough edges. This is my favorite pumpkin-cleaning tool. It really enable you to clean smaller pumpkins and get underneath the rims.
[Note: over the years, we have found that the best pumpkin recipes come from a can.]
Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4 as a soup course
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup grated carrots
15 ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
4 cups vegetable stock (chicken stock may be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup Half and Half
salt and pepper to taste
pepitas* for garnish
Directions
Saute green onions in butter. Add remaining ingredients, except Half and Half and pepitas. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Half and Half. Taste for seasoning and serve. Garnish each bowl with pepitas.
Use a large, clean pumpkin as a soup tureen, and cleaned pie pumpkins as soup bowls. Serve with crusty loaf and softened butter. Serve with skinless smoked sausage, and a salad of mixed greens with Green Goddess dressing, to make a full meal.
*Pepitas are pumpkin seed kernels that have been removed from the shell. The meats are then roasted and salted. They make a great garnish for soups and salads, as well as a delicious and healthy snack on their own. They are widely used in Latin cuisine. We've been very satisfied with the Hoosier Hill Farm brand. Their only ingredients are shelled pumpkin seeds, pure canola oil, and salt. We get a two pound bag from Amazon every September. They easily stay fresh for a year, as long as you keep them tightly sealed in their resealable bag and stored in a cool, dry place.
Pumpkin Seeds
That being said, pumpkin seeds in the shell are the quintessential Halloween snack. Immediately after carving a pumpkin for Jack-O-Lanterns or recipes, wash the seeds thoroughly and blot dry with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a large, heated frying pan with peanut oil. Toast seeds in pan until golden brown. Remove to paper towel-lined platter, and sprinkle with salt. Modern variations include coating the toasted seeds with ground ginger, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 and a 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
5 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 and 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup packed canned pumpkin
butter for serving
maple syrup for serving
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
5 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 and 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup packed canned pumpkin
butter for serving
maple syrup for serving
Directions
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. In small bowl, combine oil, eggs and milk, then add to dry ingredients with whisk. Add pumpkin and whisk until thoroughly blended. Stir in walnuts, if using. Heat griddle over medium high heat and coat lightly with peanut oil. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle. Flip pancakes when bubbles appear and sides are slightly dry. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Sure to be a family favorite!
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. In small bowl, combine oil, eggs and milk, then add to dry ingredients with whisk. Add pumpkin and whisk until thoroughly blended. Stir in walnuts, if using. Heat griddle over medium high heat and coat lightly with peanut oil. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle. Flip pancakes when bubbles appear and sides are slightly dry. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Sure to be a family favorite!
Pumpkin Milk Shakes
Try this concoction in early or mid-October, while the last vestiges of summer linger. For each milkshake, combine 1 cup of vanilla ice cream, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons canned pumpkin, 1 shot of dark rum (optional), and a dash of cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Serve with vanilla wafers.
Colonial Pumpkin Custard
Colonial Pumpkin Custard
This is the origin of pumpkin pie, folks, just the way the Pilgrims did it (updated for the modern kitchen).
Ingredients
7-10 lb pumpkin
15 ounce canned pumpkin
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 large eggs
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
Ingredients
7-10 lb pumpkin
15 ounce canned pumpkin
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 large eggs
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Cut the lid off of the pumpkin and clean as you would for a Jack-O-Lantern, set aside. With a hand held electric beater, blend all ingredients, except butter, in bowl. Pour mixture into pumpkin. Dot with butter. Cover pumpkin with lid and place in a baking pan. Bake at 375°F for 2 hours, or until mixture has set like a custard. Be sure to carefully scrape some of the meat from the whole pumpkin into each serving. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
[Note: pumpkin will be very dark brown and on the verge of collapse when removing from oven.]
Cut the lid off of the pumpkin and clean as you would for a Jack-O-Lantern, set aside. With a hand held electric beater, blend all ingredients, except butter, in bowl. Pour mixture into pumpkin. Dot with butter. Cover pumpkin with lid and place in a baking pan. Bake at 375°F for 2 hours, or until mixture has set like a custard. Be sure to carefully scrape some of the meat from the whole pumpkin into each serving. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
[Note: pumpkin will be very dark brown and on the verge of collapse when removing from oven.]
Steve's Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you like pumpkin pie and if you like cheesecake, this is the one! I've tried many pumpkin cheesecake recipes over the years and have never been completely satisfied, but this is an "Oh Wow!" after every bite recipe. Plus it couldn't be easier - no water baths, no springform pans - just one bowl, beat, and bake.
Ingredients
3 (8 ounce) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened
15 ounce canned pumpkin
3 large eggs + 1 yolk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Keebler extra-serving graham cracker crusts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and blend well. Add whole eggs plus yolk, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except crusts) and blend until well combined. Pour evenly into graham cracker crusts. Bake for 65 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and blend well. Add whole eggs plus yolk, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except crusts) and blend until well combined. Pour evenly into graham cracker crusts. Bake for 65 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or even better, overnight.
RP's Pumpkin Pie
Every home cook has their own recipe for pumpkin pie. The classic recipe on cans of Libby's pumpkin puree is quite good. But I'm always in favor of making things easier. This recipe uses a graham cracker crust instead of the usual pastry dough. I also serve the pie with canned whipped cream.
I learned the trick of adding a small amount of pepper. You cannot taste it, but like the salt, it intensifies the flavor of the pumpkin when baked.
Ingredients
15 ounce canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Keebler extra-serving graham cracker crust
Canned whipped cream, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and lightly beaten eggs. Add sugars and mix well. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Add cornstarch, salt, pepper, and spices, and incorporate evenly. Add the cream, and make sure filling is smooth and completely blended, scraping sides and bottom one last time.
Pour filling into crust, using spatula to scrape mixing bowl. Place pie in center of the oven and bake for 1 hour. Let pie cool on wire rack to room temperature. Cover with lid from pie crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Serve with whipped cream. Serves 6-8
We entreat you to share these recipes during this fleeting season of haunts and harvests with family and friends.
Leaf quilt titled "Our Time of Year"
Design by Stephen Dunn
Machine pieced and quilted by Celeste Dunn
"It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare."
~Sheriff Leigh Brackett~
If the onslaught of trick or treaters, and other Halloween evening activities, precludes the cooking of full course meals, we suggest a craft beer and cheese party. Ye Olde Beverage & Schnapps Shoppe (aka your local liquor store) will offer at this time of year a wide variety of craft beers. Bock beers, wheat beers, honey beers, red beers, hop beers, and pumpkin beers. Accompany these with robust cheeses, salamis, stone ground mustard, baby gherkins, and cocktail rye. Snack throughout the evening.
Of course, I'd like to recommend our traditional Halloween dinner - Transylvanian 'Ghoul'ash. We use the authentic Dracula's Own brand of powdered blood. Just follow any good goulash recipe. The less adventurous can substitute a rich sweet Hungarian or deep smoked Spanish paprika for the dried blood.
Of course, I'd like to recommend our traditional Halloween dinner - Transylvanian 'Ghoul'ash. We use the authentic Dracula's Own brand of powdered blood. Just follow any good goulash recipe. The less adventurous can substitute a rich sweet Hungarian or deep smoked Spanish paprika for the dried blood.
It has been my pleasure to act as your guide through this heartfelt tour of Halloween at my home, and I leave you with this invocation of an old Cornish litany:
"From Ghoulies and Ghosties,
and long-leggedy Beasties,
and all things that go bump in the night,
good Lord deliver us."
