Halloween 2014

I hope you all had a Happy (and spooky) Halloween yesterday!!

We had a blast. A low key, date night kind of celebration.

Now that we live back in a small town, and most of our friends are out trick ‘r treating with their kiddos, Halloween parties are a bit harder to find (or maybe we’re just getting old! 😉 ) But, that’s okay, because I have just as much fun getting a little dressed up, making a ton of food, sipping champagne (why not?), and watching our favorite scary movies together.

So, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some of our snack recipes with you guys!

We had some kettle corn, cranberry brie crostini, nachos, gummy candies, and champagne.

We watched some of our favorites: Halloween (the first original as well as Rob Zombie’s Halloween), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dracula, some Alfred Hitchcock, and House of 1000 corpses.

All in all it was an amazing night.

We also roasted the seeds from our pumpkin and made them two ways. Here’s how we did it:

First, you have to roast the pumpkin seeds. Thoroughly clean them off and drain to dry.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the seeds out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Sriracha Honey Pumpkin Seeds

Combine 1 Tablespoon sriracha (more or less depending on how spicy you like it),  1 Tablespoon honey, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon olive oil, and a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Toss 1 cup of the roasted pumpkin seeds in the mixture, and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

Combine 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a small bowl. Toss 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds in the mixture, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Now for the Cranberry Brie Crostini: Slice rounds of a baguette and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper. Bake in a preheated oven of 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Spread a little brie on each one, and top with a spoonful of whole cranberry sauce. Return to the oven for 5-8 minutes.

P.S. Here was our fun Halloween costumes from last year. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.

I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll be back to the daily grind on Monday with some really great seasonal recipes!

xo Jessica