Halloween Party for Adults

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Calling all Halloween hosts! You don't have to be a kid to relish this haunted holiday. Indeed, the festivities of Halloween, complete with costumes and tasty treats, appeal to grownups too. Here are some tips and treats for a monstrous bash.

Plan Ahead

Make a guest list.
Mail out invitations a month before the party to make sure your guests get plenty of notice. Use e-mail for quicker delivery and response time.
Decide what you'll serve for eats and beverages before hand. You might want to limit it to finger food to make it easier for guests to handle, especially if it's a costume party.
Plan Halloween-themed decorations. Use paper plates, napkins and cups to make clean up easier.

Creepy Cuisine

Festive Fall Brats

Spicy Corn & Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin German Chocolate Cake

Ghostly Delights appetizers
Texas Bean Dip
Black Cat Steaks
Goblin Good Supper
Mexicali Beef Stew in Pumpkin Shell
No-Fail Pumpkin Squares
Pumpkin Flan
New York Style Pumpkin Cheesecake
Hot Spiced Cider
H-E-B Bakery Sweet Treats

eyeball martinis

Ghoulish Touches

Harvest aroma—Be sure to put together some hot apple cider and let it simmer during the party. This fall classic has an aroma and flavor that's perfect for Halloween night—at parties or after trick-or-treating.

Costume contest—Who doesn't love to do the costume thing? Encourage guests to dress for the occasion by awarding a prize for best costume. Make the prize something small, like a CD or $20.00 gift certificate for a local restaurant. Check out your local H-E-B for costumes and accessories.

Warm glow—Light plenty of candles about the room to help set the mood. Just make sure the candles are not in locations where they are likely to get toppled over.

Screaming tunes—Burn a CD, or record a tape, of mood-setting music. Think Van Morrison's Moondance, Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising, Werewolves of London, etc.

Scary flicks—Pop a video of a classic horror flick into the VCR and turn off the sound. It's an easy way to add to the ambience. Try 1931's Frankenstein or Dracula. Or, even better, 1974's Young Frankenstein. Think classic, not gross.

Floating hand—This is a fabulously eerie addition to any punch bowl. You'll need:

A brand new (never been used) plastic household glove that is not powered inside
Heavy duty rubber bands
Limeade, cranberry juice, Mountain Dew or Sprite

Here's what you do: Start this project 1 to 2 days before the party to ensure that the "hand" is completely frozen. Fill the new plastic glove with limeade or Mountain Dew for a creepy green hand or cranberry juice for a blood-red hand. Use the rubber bands to close the glove opening, leaving a little room for expansion once it freezes. Put the filled, secured glove in a plastic bowl, propping up the rubber band end to keep liquid from leaking out. Allow the glove to freeze solid overnight. Once solid, you can peel away the glove. Then float the "hand" in the punch bowl.

Green-glow swamp water—Add Mountain Dew to drinks and punches for a fabulous green glow. Or add food coloring to your punch to power up the look.

Eyeballs on the rocks—Here's a way to make eyeball ice cubes. Great for putting in drinks or punch bowls. You'll need:

Radishes
Green olives stuffed with pimiento
A small vegetable peeler or paring knife
Distilled water
An ice tray

Here's what you do: Make the eyeballs at least a day before the party to ensure that they're frozen solid. Start by peeling the radishes, leaving thin streaks of red skin for blood vessels. Then, using the tip of the peeler, carefully scoop out a small hole the size of an olive in each radish. You then stuff an olive into each radish, pimento side showing. Finally, put the stuffed radishes in the ice tray (one radish per cube). Then fill the tray with distilled water for clearer cubes (as opposed to using tap water). Freeze overnight. Pop out the cubes when it's time for the party. Add the eyeballs to cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages or punch to spook things up.

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