One of the cool things about Halloween is that it gives you the opportunity to flex your creative muscle and try to create a fun, festive Halloween theme within your home, whether you’re just looking to have some fun with your family or you’re entertaining guests for Halloween. Putting a Halloween theme into your home is easier than you might think, and because part of the holiday is focused on food, you can start at your table. Here are a few ideas that can help you get in the Halloween theme at your table:
A Witch’s Cauldron
For an addition to your table that fits a Halloween theme, try making a witch’s cauldron for a centerpiece. Planning this one out is a snap, since all you really need is a plastic cauldron and some dry ice. Place the dry ice at the bottom of the cauldron, and the vapor it gives off as it evaporates will make great simulated smoke. Or, if you’re putting it someplace where there’s an outlet, try adding a small light to the bottom of the cauldron for smoke that’s a spooky green or red color.
Gruesome Desserts
Dessert is the perfect opportunity to add a Halloween theme to your dinner table, and most stores with a Halloween section should be able to help you out. Look for gelatin molds with a gruesome Halloween theme to them, such as brain molds or heart molds. For the latter, all you really need is a little red gelatin mix to go in the mold and you’ll have a way to serve dessert with a fun, gory Halloween theme!
Alternately, fill the mold to halfway and let the gelatin set, add a fruit puree or strawberry jelly on top, in the very center of the mold, then fill the mold the rest of the way, covering the puree layer, and let it set. When the mold is cut into later, your gruesome food will seem to bleed, another great way to show off a Halloween theme.
Getting Orange In Your Food
Another way to help support your Halloween theme is by getting some orange foods on your dinner table. One easy way to do this is with a food that you should be able to find easily in the fall: yams. An easy recipe for mashed yams instead of mashed potatoes is to cook and peel four pounds of yams, then add 2/3 of a cup of apple cider, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and four tablespoons of unsalted butter before mashing. The orange color will be perfect for eating with a Halloween theme, and the cider should be easy to find at the store around Halloween. As you can see, very simple ideas can go a long way to helping to decorate your table with a Halloween theme.
