Halloween is one of my favorite holidays – it’s a holiday that doesn’t require much, other than a bit of creativity and fun. Now that we’re at that in-between stage of life; after the point where Halloween is all about drinking, but we don’t have kids yet to take trick-or-treating, finding a balance of what I want to do to celebrate can be a bit of a challenge.
When I was growing up my neighborhood would compete for the unofficial title of “scariest house on the street”. It became such a spectacle that supposedly there was a year that the retirement community brought their residents by on a bus to view the houses on our block. My family made Halloween decorating a sport, each year adding more decorations and larger props to the yard. We didn’t decorate much for Christmas, but Halloween, you could pretty much guarantee a full graveyard, haunted forest, or minivan sized spider in the front yard.
This year, we’ll be celebrating the spookiest night of the year a night early, hosting an All Hallows’ Eve dinner with some delicious treats from Hickory Farms. We’ve decked out the dining & living room and are planning to have some of our favorite ghouls and goblins over to enjoy the feast.
The Signature Party Planner helps make sure that there are a wide variety of appetizers on the table as guests arrive, allowing us to be free to mix up drinks and put the finishing touches on dinner.
The realization that cheese is more exciting than candy at this time in my life definitely gave me that “oh I guess I AM A GROWNUP” feeling as I set out the cheese tray. With three kinds of cheddar, mission jack and swiss, this selection of cheese is perfect for any kind of palate. My favorite is the Harvest Vegetable White Cheddar, the flavors of the veggies really complemented the creaminess of the cheddar.
On the opposite side of the table we set out several different types of summer sausage – signature beef, turkey and farmhouse – alongside toasted crackers. For those who just want to snack, there are two kinds of mixed nuts. It is just so easy to entertain a crowd with a gift box like this!
After dinner, we’ll be enjoying some candy that puts trick-or-treat bags to shame. The Signature Chocolates add the perfect finishing touch to an evening of entertaining alongside a few after dinner drinks. I love picking my favorite based on the way they look and gambling with the flavors inside, but the package included a map of all the delicious sugary treats for those not as adventuresome.
With 10 months of homeownership under our belts I’m most excited about having a place our very own to decorate for the holidays. Our front yard is currently home to a life-size witch and caldron – that will be smoking and bubbling come the night of the dinner party. Our entry way has been filled with spiders and I’ve collected and crafted frightful decor for the rest of the house. As the best holiday in my decorating wheelhouse, having all the tools and a reason to entertain our family and friends is something I’m really looking forward to over the next few days.
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product samples as inspiration for this post.
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