Ever want to know what I really eat every Halloween? Well here you go! We’re going old school on The Rose Table today for the final episode of Quarantine Halloween. I couldn’t even count how many times I’ve eaten this exact menu on Halloween night with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece before taking her trick-or-treating.

The Ambiance

The ambiance plays a huge role in setting the scene for any truly magical Halloween dinner. I used my indoor flood lights to wash the back wall with purple light. (Side note: I really could not love these flood lights more. I keep them behind my TV when I’m not hosting a party so I can have blue theater lighting while I watch movies.) I also hung purple string lights from my dining room window and an amazing purple spiderweb from my china cabinet. I hung tattered black fabric (seen at so many other parties) and spiderwebs around the dining room for more spook. I hung ghosts from the doorway, swapped out much of my dining room art for Halloween decor, and wrote BOO on my chalkboard.

I styled one side table with a pumpkin, a Haunted Home sign, and a black lantern, and the other side table with a pumpkin, cauldron, and huge gravestone.

The Table

This is a very different table from most of my party tables. It’s much more simple. I just used a black tablecloth, more of that tattered black cloth as a makeshift table runner, and three pumpkins down the center. I didn’t use any flowers because I wanted the special effect to shine! The only other thing on the table was the coolest looking cauldron candle by Kumas Candles that my friend Irene gave to me as a hostess gift for packing up the Vampire Dinner for her. She’s a class act, that Irene! This candle burned beautifully for hours and has just about the cutest container I’ve ever seen.

The Place Settings

I didn’t want much to detract from the pumpkins once they were lit up, so I kept the place settings very simple. I used my new pumpkin salad plates, black silverware, and martini glasses. That’s it!

Singing Pumpkins

I really could not be more in love with this special effect. This has got to be the coolest thing I’ve ever featured on The Rose Table! I used AtmosFX, the same machine I used to project fireworks on my ceiling at Disney Dinners: Snow White and dancing skeletons at Disney Dinners: Haunted Mansion, to project singing jack-o-lanterns on the pumpkin in the middle of the table. It’s so easy to do too! Learn how to do it here.

The Fashion

For my witchy wardrobe, I wore a long black and faintly grey/purple maxi dress with a black cardigan, purple wig, and witch hat. I forgot to wear my witch hat for most my episode but never mind that oversight!

The Drink

Does it get spookier than this All Hallow’s Eve Martini? There isn’t any food coloring in this jet-black martini. The fabulously witchy color comes from a mix of blue curaçao, red cranberry juice, and a splash of Chambord. Add dry ice for a truly spooky cocktail. Get the full recipe here and read my article about How to Safely Use Dry Ice in Drinks here.

The Food

The Menu
Spiderweb Salsa
Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas
Ghosts in the Graveyard

Spiderweb Salsa

I’m not the best artist in the world but how cute is this spiderweb salsa? It’s such an easy way to make store-bought salsa festive fast. Get the inspiration here.

Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas

I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this on Halloween night, many times before taking my niece trick-or-treating. It’s great because you can fill them with whatever you want – the true fun is in carving the faces! Set toppings out and let your family fill the quesadillas however they want. I love mine with leftover grilled chicken, black olives, avocado, green chilies, and cilantro. They only bake for ten minutes, leaving tons of time for Halloween fun. Get the recipe here.

Ghosts in the Graveyard

It wouldn’t be Halloween without Ghosts in the Graveyard! I’ve been eating this since I was a little girl but I’ve since improved upon the original by folding in real whipped cream that gives Godiva dark chocolate pudding an incredibly silky texture. It’s the best Ghosts in the Graveyard recipe you’ll ever find! Get the recipe here.