Jillian Augustine, Senior Editor
@jillaugcourant
October is finally here—the month where TV channels consistently play old movies about witches and ghosts, pumpkins and spooky decorations dominate almost every doorway in down, and candy is in full in the kitchen pantry.
As we advance through the month of October to the much-anticipated day of Halloween, it’s easy to let the spirit of the season pass you by as you focus on school, college applications, sports, and anything else. But don’t fear (or do), I put together a list of “Halloween Essentials” to make sure that you engage in all the spooky, scary, spirited, and delicious fun!
1. Everyone knows that the most important part of any holiday is food. Fall is the season of many of my personal favorite ingredients: truffles, pumpkins, apples, squash, and much more. I found a recipe that incorporates one of the most classic of these, pumpkin, into a delicious Nutella Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. It’s fairly simple to make, smells like autumn while it’s baking, and likely will be devoured within minutes. Although the bake time is long, if you find something to do for about an hour while you wait, this delicious and seasonal bread is definitely worth it.
2. Nothing gets you quite literally in a scary mood better than horror movies. This genre has been huge lately, so luckily, there is no shortage of haunts to watch this Halloween season. My personal favorite as of now is Get Out, which came into theaters earlier this year. However, many more thrillers have been released since then. Horror movies feature from 2017 so far include It Comes At Night, Alien: Covenant, Annabelle: Creation, Cult of Chucky, It, Jigsaw, Happy Death Day, and The Snowman. You really can’t go wrong with one of these new movies, as all of them have received amazing ratings! So cuddle up in your blankets and get yourself ready for some screams as you settle down for the creepy film (or films) of your choice.
3. However, you may want something to snack on while you watch. Frankenstein Rice Krispie
Treats are the perfect Halloween treat for the occasion. In addition to accompanying a movie, these delicious desserts can be left on the kitchen counter for a casual treat, served at a Halloween party, or brought to any event for a fun, spooky addition. After all, who doesn’t love a good homemade Rice Krispie treat? Especially when it includes such a classic creature as Frankenstein’s monster? These treats are super easy to make; all you need is butter, marshmallows, Rice Krispies, chocolate, and icing. The Rice Krispie treats sound be done in about 20 minutes, and once you let them cool you have free reign to decorate your own Frankenstein however you’d like. Not only is this a fun activity, but once you’re done you have a tasty treat! For the measurements and directions on how to make these monstrously good desserts, check out my how-to video!
4. Another essential part of Halloween is the decorations, of course. They can be as simple as a few carved or painted pumpkins, or some black candles as a centerpiece. However, there are also some very easy DIY options to up the ante this season. A super simple one that I tried out is a Ghost Lollipop Bouquet. Not only does this provide a great, ghostly centerpiece if you’re hosting company, but it also incorporates treats in a festive way. Here’s how to do it: First, gather the materials. All you need is lollipops, white fabric, twine, and a black marker, and any kind of jar you want to hold the finished product in. Next, you simply drape the white fabric over the lollipops, tying it with twine at the neck of the pop and then fanning the fabric out so that it gets that ghostly appearance. Finally, simply draw on some eyes, mouths, or whatever spooky features you want to give your ghosts. Put the whole collection of lollipop ghosts in a container and display it for an edible decoration!
5. A playlist to act as background music for all of your fun Halloween festivities is the final thing to complete your frightful season! Of course, you’re going to need “Thriller” by Michael Jackson on there more than once, but there are a few other Halloween classics to include as well. Among them are “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett, “Spooky, Scary Skeletons” by Andrew Gold, “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow, and “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. Feel free to add any other songs you see fitting to the theme, and jam out to some terrifying tunes!
Now that you’ve completed the list of Halloween to-do’s, there’s only one thing left: put on your costume and have yourself a hair-raising October!
