I love Halloween!

It is by far my favorite holiday. Screw Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas! Give me Halloween four times a year!

This year for Halloween, we’re meeting up with our friends Natalie and Dave at their apartment down-town where we will watch horribly cheesy horror movies and indulge in some holiday snacking. As far as I know there will only be one other couple there, two people I’ve never met, though one is a personal chef – this makes me feel as though my food contribution for the evening must be kicked up a notch….

Natalie and Dave are fun people. Dave is a special education teacher for a middle school somewhere in the west valley who recently gave up skateboarding, He may have mumbled something about being too old for it the last time we spoke about his most recent injury… a broken wrist that required surgery. The time we’d hung out before that he was in a boot because he’d broken his ankle. Natalie is finishing up school to be a teacher and is also a model. She’s gorgeous and hilarious and an avid reader of my novels – something that is always a redeeming quality ;)

So on Sunday morning I will be making Blood Punch (recipe below) and “Spider’s nests.”

“Spider’s nests” are fairly simple actually. They’re just macaroons with spiders iced on them. And I’m sure I’ll come up with something substantial to take with us as well… at least I hope I will.

Blood Punch Recipe:

1 big bag (or several little bags) Gummy worms, bugs, eyes, etc.

Grain Alcohol (ex: Everclear)

Sour Apple Alcohol (ex: Pucker)

1 Gallon Fruit Punch (I use Hawaiian Punch)

Separate out a quarter of your Gummy treats and set aside. Place remaining 3/4 of Gummies in bottom of punch bowl pour in approximately 5 ounces of grain alcohol (or you can get as adventurous as you’d like.) Cover with saran wrap and let sit for 2-5 hours.

[Soaking the gummies in your grain alcohol causes their sugars to break down. Later, this will give your punch a ‘coagulating’ effect.]

After you’ve let your sugars sit, pour your fruit punch over them in bowl. Add 5-7 ounces of Pucker. Stir. Add in remaining gummy (or you can drop them in the bottom of your cups.)

[At this point I always do a taste test and adjust liquor levels if necessary.]