So there I was, waiting for a batch of blood for my annual Halloween party. Not the human kind mind you, but nevertheless a batch of blood. The only problem? It was about to arrive when I was going to have a meeting with my book publishers at Penguin to discuss publicity for my upcoming book.
“What am I going to do?” I asked Mr NQN. “It needs to be fresh, and I can’t pick it up any other time”
“Bring it with you to the meeting?” he suggested.
“I suppose, I can’t be the only author that has brought a bag of blood to a meeting, can I?” I reasoned.
Well as it turns out, blood isn’t the easiest thing to get and it ended up being late which saved me from a fate of explaining why I was carry half a litre of cryovaced pigs’s blood (well at least it wasn’t in a bucket and I wasn’t in a 70′s style prom dress I didn’t have said bucket tipped over me a la Carrie…).
Every year I look forward to my favourite time of the year, Halloween where I get to say goodbye to the pretty and embrace the ghoulishly morbid. This year for Halloween I ended up making 14 items – I know 13 is a lucky or unlucky number depending on who you talk to but an additional thing just slipped in in my excitement. I prepped the party for the week prior to it-I was holding it early as I wasn’t able to hold it on the last weekend of October and I also figured if anyone wanted to cook the recipes they would have time in order to make them. As I have for the past few years, I went to my favourite party supply store The Party People for items including a backdrop that would transform our neutral toned apartment into a dungeon and for good measure I hired a fog machine so that guests could be treated to the sight of a foggy, misty Halloween evening! I do love the delightfully creepy!
A few days before the party I sent around a little reminder to my guests:
“My dearest, darling ghoul
I’ve been busy mixing up spiders and gruel
For a Halloween night
That will give you a fright
See you on Saturday at 7pm, don’t forget there’s only one rule…Please wear a costume!
”
Well I never laid claim to any poetic talents. So without any further dithering allow me, dressed as your Disneyland Haunted Mansion Maid wearing a costume made by my mother, to present you with my hellishly horrible Halloween party of 2011!
Press the doorbell to enter…
Blood punch
My esteemed guests, let us start with something to drink. Some blood punch Madam or Sir? Presented most delightfully in a clear blood fountain, the mistress of the manor likes to drink blood so she thought you might like to try some. Perhaps you’ll get a taste for it like she has…
Please help yourself to anything on the dining table…it’s all gruesomely edible…
Have you ever visited a pet cemetery? Here is a haunted one made of an avocado, spinach and chickpea hummus dip where ghosts abound visiting tombstone crackers and pretzel fences keep them in.
If you haven’t visited a dentist lately I wouldn’t recommend these apple rotting teeth with caramel peanuts…
Watermelon brain
This was the brain of someone that displeased the mansion’s mistress. She’s a little despotic so she decided off with his head and that she would share it with all of you…
Oh dear, and here is the rest of the man that displeased the mansion mistress. Apart from being a despot she also has a nicer side and believes in nose to tail eating…So she thought that we should eat all of him from his bbq pork ribs to his spicy sausage intestines! With a bloody tomato sauce of course
Smokey pumpkin cheese ball
Made with freshly roasted pumpkin, smoked cheese and cream cheese this lil smokey pumpkin cheese ball was served with garlic bagel chips. Obviously not for the vampires amongst us…
The mansion mistress told me to go out and buy some blood so I did and I made some Finnish blood pancakes with blood clots. They’re her favourite and seeing as she cuts off people’s heads, I tend to follow orders.
And if guests are in need of cooling off, here are some ghost ice pops made with pear and apple blackcurrant juice-they feel as cold and dead as some of the ghouls that wander these halls!
Don’t mind the fog coming up, that’s perfectly natural at this time of year, especially in a dungeon…
This one I’m afraid is a mummy pizza. Not the mothering kind but a much more frightening kind.
Some sunken ghosties, these didn’t work so well although they tasted just like pumpkin pie. I’m sure I’ll get in trouble with the mansion mistress for these frightened little ghosties!
Here is the Rat Queen who lives in the basement with her families of rats. She is watching over them as they devour a human arm…Sweet isn’t it?
May I offer you a shrunken head?
And a confidante Sheb told me about these Twisties ghost chips which I could only find at one service station where I randomly stopped to fill up the mistresses ancient Bentley! So of course I bought all four bags that they had. They taste like Toobs!
Now onto the recipes!
Haunted Graveyard
At last year’s Halloween party I dressed the dining table as a large graveyard with tombstones for every guest. This year the graveyard was a pet cemetery made out of hummus, avocado and spinach dip, with cracker tombstones, a pretzel fence, quail egg ghosts and broccoli and celery trees. Once the dip is made (and I ended up making a lot) putting it together and quite easy and fun and I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out!
Firstly measure how much capacity your rectangular tray will hold mine was about 6-7 cups. Adjust the recipe below according depending on how big your dish is. Inspired by the Disney Family Fun site
For dip
- 1 bunch English spinach
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- 4x 400g tins chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
- 1 ripe avocado
- 6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter or tahini
- 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
For decorating
- Rectangular shaped crackers (for tombstones)
- Pretzels (for fence)
- Quail eggs
- Edible black pen to draw faces and write on tombstones
- 1 small head broccoli
- A couple of celery tops with leaves
- A rectangular tray
1. First, blanch the spinach in some water until it is wilted. Run cold water over the spinach and then squeeze all of the water out of the spinach-this takes a few minutes as there is a lot of water in the spinach and just when you think there isn’t any more, there is! It’s important to get all of the water out though as you don’t want a runny dip-otherwise the broccoli and celery will have trouble standing up in a runny or soft dip.
2. In a food processor, process the garlic first to break it up and then add the well drained chickpeas, spinach, avocado, peanut butter or tahini, lemon juice and oil and process until smooth. It is a large mixture so it will take a few minutes to get to a smooth stage. Then place in a large airtight container covering the dip directly on the surface with cling wrap. Refrigerate until needed (this can be done the day before).
3. When ready to serve, draw faces on the quail eggs (drying the surface of the egg first on a paper towel) and crackers. Then stand a small head of broccoli in the dip and then the celery next to it (the celery needs the broccoli to lean against). Then place the gravestones and quail eggs. Place pretzels around the edge and voila! You have your graveyard.
Note: the crackers get a touch wet if they sit around in the dip all night so insert the crackers close to serving time and offer your guests a bowl of fresh crackers and pretzels too.
Melon Brain
As soon as I saw the idea of this I loved it. Little did I know how exhausting peeling a whole watermelon is! Luckily Mr NQN stepped in as I was making slow progress getting the green off the melon and with some peeling and a few deft hacks we had a brain! I wanted to have some sort of fresh fruit component as every year the weather is warm and people’s costumes can be heavy so we try and keep guests refreshed-in the most morbid way possible of course
Inspired by the Disney Family Fun site
- 1 small seedless watermelon
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 paring knife
Slicing off the bottom to make a base
1. Slice a slice off the bottom of the watermelon to give it a flat base to sit on. Peel the green layer off and then get down to the white layer. Using a sharp paring knife cut swirls into the watermelon getting to the pink layer below.
Smokey Pumpkin Cheese Ball
Another dip but in the form of a pumpkin cheese ball this is really easy to make and is best made the day ahead so that the dip can “set”. The recipe is inspired by Amy Sedaris’s lil smokey cheesball and involves blending up cheeses together with some cold, previously roasted pumpkin and then placing it in a cling wrap lined bowl. Then just take a toothpick and run some lines down it like a pumpkin and then stick a bit of broccoli stem on top and some bagel chips around the side and you’re done!
- 1 cup shredded smoked cheese
- 500g/1 pound cream cheese
- 60g/2 ozs butter
- 2 teaspoons steak or bbq sauce
- 1 cup pumpkin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A little liquid smoke (optional)
- 1 small broccoli stem
- Crackers to serve
1. In a food processor blend all of the ingredients except for the broccoli and crackers until smooth. Spoon into a cling wrap lined bowl, press down gently to get rid of any air holes and cover with more cling wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, unmold onto a serving plate and place upturned broccoli stem on top. Serve with crackers (I used bagel crisps as they were hard enough so that people could dip them into the cheese ball).
Blood Punch
When Queen Viv first told me that Nigella had a clear drinks fountain and that I could use it to spurt out bloody looking drinks I was instantly sold. However in this case determination had to match desire as I looked everywhere for a clear drinks fountain and there were plenty of these in the US but none here and ebay sellers wouldn’t ship it here. I finally found one place in Australia who had just one left and she sent to me. I put it together and voila, we had our blood spurting fountain! I’m hoping some True Blood vampires might stop by…
- 2 parts cranberry juice
- 2 part dark grape juice
- 1 part vodka
1. Mix all together and serve out of clear crystal fountain!
Rib cage ribs and intestines
When I went to the butchers I had to call him aside. “Um excuse me, I need some American pork ribs but they have to look like matching human ribs…it’s for an early Halloween party” I said clocking his slightly alarmed look. I knew that there would be plenty of sweet food but I needed to put savouries out and I thought that this was an effectively gruesome way to feed people savouries. It is also very easy. You just marinate two racks of ribs in your favourite bbq sauce overnight (I also used some bbq spice rub to add some spiciness) and then bake them for an hour popping in your “intestines” or sausages in half way through. Just add a faux skeleton on top and you have a dish that would frighten the mask off Mr NQN’s vegan mother Tuulikki!
- 2 racks of American ribs, about the same length and width ideally
- 1 bottle bbq sauce
- 3 tablespoon dry spice rub (I used a Le Spice one)
- 500g/1 pound spicy sausages (or really whatever sausage you like)
- 1 faux skull to serve
1. Marinate the ribs with the bbq sauce and dry spice rub in a zip lock bag for several hours or overnight ideally.
2. An hour before you bake them take out from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment. Place the ribs on the tray with the excess sauce and bake for 1 hour. After 30 minutes place the sausages on another tray and bake these too-mine seemed already arranged in an intestinal pattern but if yours aren’t then arrange them now as they will hold their configuration roughly. When done, carefully lift them onto a serving tray and place intestines underneath the ribs and the skull atop. Give scissors or a knife and napkins for guests.
Ghost Cups
These were a cute idea and I wanted to a pumpkin pie type of filling topped with whipped cream. If I had done it again I would have made these closer to the time because it was a hot day and the cream, which I have to admit came out of an aerosol can because I just couldn’t be bothered whipping up some cream and filling a piping bag with the real stuff which would have been more stable, so the ghosts sank a little.
- 1 cup roasted or tinned pumpkin (well drained)
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 300ml whipped cream
- silver cachous for eyes
1. In a food processor blend the pumpkin, cream, brown sugar, nutmeg and salt until smooth. Refrigerate until needed (can be done 2-3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container). Spoon or pipe into small white cups. Pipe cream on top using a plain unfluted nozzle and then place silver cachous for eyes.
Rotting Apple Teeth
The best thing about these teeth is the more discoloured the apples get the more authentic they look! These were another idea from the Family Fun site and just a few apples go a long way. Just in case, I did soak the apple quarters in lemon juice water and then stuck in some peanuts mixed with dulce de leche or caramel into them. I did find the tooth adding process a bit hard and some fell out so this was a bit fiddlier than I thought.
- 3 red apples (Sundowners or round shaped apples are best as opposed to apples like red delicious)
- 30g/1 oz roasted peanuts
- 2 teaspoons caramel top and fill or dulce de leche
- A large bowl of lemon water
1. Core and quarter apples and place in the lemon water. Slice out a roughly 90 degree section from the skin side as shown-you may have to slice a few times to get enough out to fit in the peanut “teeth”. Coat the peanuts in the caramel and then flipping the apple so that you are pushing down the teeth into the apple vertically, insert four or five teeth per apple.
Blood Pancakes
I got the idea to make these real blood pancakes while chatting to Mr NQN’s aunt Paivi who told us of having blood pancakes growing up back home in Finland. I beseeched her for the recipe and she gave me not one but two, one from her friend Heli whose daughter happens to live in Sydney whom Heli was visiting at the time. Heli and her daughter Kristiina loaned me a Finnish pancake pan which makes all of the pancakes the perfect size and is also non stick. The blood? Well yes it is real pig’s blood and you can order it from your butcher-just give them a few days to get it in.
These pancakes are just like eating black pudding and there was a flavour of bone marrow to them. They are very rich and a few went a long way but they were actually quite nice-salty and served with a cranberry sauce to give them a sweetness. They actually turn a dark brown or black when done giving them more of an interesting look and could fool people into eating them, if you wished to
Recipe by Heli Berry
- 300ml/10.6ozs calf or pig blood
- 300ml/10.6ozs beer or milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 onion (fry in little butter till golden and cooled)
- 100g/3.5ozs butter melted
- 100g/3.5ozs barley flour (you can use wheat flour instead for both of these flour)
- 100g/3.5ozs rye flour
- 1 tbsp salt and white pepper
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- butter for frying
- cranberry sauce for serving
1. In a large jug mix the blood, egg, beer or milk, onion and butter and then add to dry ingredients in a large bowl and fry in buttered pan with butter (the mixture is quite runny). With blood you need to mix fairly vigorously so that it doesn’t set. Serve with cranberry sauce
Rat Bites
These ended up being one of the most popular items. The recipe for brownie rat bites is here and I managed to find a massive nasty looking mother rat that looked like she was protecting her brood of baby rats feeding. Isn’t that sort of a sweet picture? No? OK let’s move on then.
Mummy Pizzas
These mummy pizzas were very easy to make and can be made ahead of time (both prerequisites when you are making 14 items). I used pre sliced cheese and layered the cheese-admittedly all of the lines blurred together as the cheese melted so just make sure to leave a gap for the eyes which you can make out of a few things-I used mushrooms as the olives were a bit too small. I ended up making a vegetarian margarita version and a version using spicy sopressa salami layered between the tomato and cheese.
- 2 pizza bases
- 150g pizza sauce
- 250g/1/2 pound packet of cheese slices with 12 slices
- 12 slices of Sopressa salami (for vegetarian pizza, omit this item)
- 4 button mushrooms
1. Spread the bases with the pizza sauce and place the salami slices on the pizza sauce. Slice the block of cheese slices vertically into quarters so that you get long slices of cheese as shown. Place the cheese on the pizza leaving a space for the eyes.
2. To make the eyes, remove the stem and slice the mushrooms creating an eyeball. Place in the area for the eyes. You can freeze them with parchment paper between them if you want to cook them at a later time or bake them in a 200C/400F oven for 10 minutes.
Ghost Pops
I was playing with my new Zoku ice block maker (a more comprehensive review to come) and I decided to do some pops. This is because during the night we always play games and it’s always so hot every Halloween especially for those of us in costume so it’s nice to offer a icy refreshment to guests. Keen eyed readers may notice that the sign says Vampire Pops. Well they were supposed to be icy pops where there was a filling of runny blood aka berry gel but that didn’t work at all so I made it a simpler pop and cut out a ghost figure in a thin slice of pear, stuck it to the side of the pop maker and then poured apple and blackcurrant juice in it. If you don’t have a Zoku pop maker you can still do these and you stick the ghost on the outside of the pop-when it is frozen most things will stick to an ice pop.
- 1 pear
- Apple and blackcurrant juice (or any dark red juice of choice)
- Icy pop molds
1. If using a Zoku pop maker slice the pear very thinly and with a paring knife cut out ghosts (or use a ghost cutter if you have a suitable sized one). Stick the ghosts to the side walls of the Zoku, pop the stick in and then fill with the juice and freeze.
2. If not using a Zoku pop maker and using regular icy pop molds freeze the juice until the hard. Then slice the ghosts out of the pear and then stick them on at the end just before serving.
Friday the 13th faces
These were a last minute addition to feed the vegetarians. I’m not sure if they turned out exactly how I wanted them to, perhaps not, but I suppose you could interpret them any way you wanted. Mr NQN thought that they looked like Hannibal Lecter’s mask, I thought they looked mummified or like shrunken heads.
- 18 white button mushrooms
- 100ml garlic oil
- Salt and pepper to season
You will also need a paring knife, a couple of straws and a chopstick
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Remove the mushroom stems. With a paring knife shape the round mushrooms to more of a mask or skull shape (just trimming the bottom sides to make a jaw is all that is needed). With the straw, poke holes to make eyes. Then using the chopstick make little marks on the face. Brush with garlic oil.
2. Bake for 20 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Haunted Mansion and Black Crow Cupcakes
Last week I posted the Haunted House cupcakes and I have a story on the black crow cupcakes to come. The crow cupcakes were also inspired by Zilly Rosen’s fantastic Zombie Cupcakes book and are a combination of two cupcakes. The crows are meant to be picking at a bloody wound and they have a little flesh in their mouth. See? Who says that I don’t bring you the prettiest stuff?
Item #14: a surprise item coming up!
And next I show you my lovely guests because a party isn’t a party without guests!
A very sad and unhappy Haunted Mansion maid offers some shrunken mummified heads
A Gypsy pair then turn up with champagne-not your usual gypsies!
A pirate girl brandished a pirate’s dagger to get the champagne!
Then a real Housewife of Atlanta turned up with big hair and a baby pumpkin
And then the Black Swan came out pirouetting!
While a pain lover showed us his scars and bandages..
Who is this?
It’s Baba Yaga! Did you know about baba yaga? Apparently she was a witchy type that flies around on a pestle, steals children and lives in a house that has chicken’s legs. Hence the baba yaga house!
And here’s my very own Harry Potter-Mr NQN learned how to do two spells in time for the party! Although don’t tell him but he is a slightly dementor looking here…
A purple netted witch
Guests helped themselves to ribs and intestines cutting them up with scissors
And negotiated the fog around the table
Black Swan makes out with the two headed beheaded!
And as the crow knows, there’s no party without games. Hidden in the house were references to five horror movies in the decorations. And Laporello was the first to guess all five which were: The Crow…
The Shining…
The exorcist…
As well as Sweeney Todd (the butcher shop sign) and Dracula (the hanging bats)!
Throughout the night we played the winking murder game which started with slips of paper in a skull bowl-one for every person present. There was one murderer and the rest of the guests were victims who had to die a certain, unique way. Once the murderer winked at them they had three minutes to die an elaborate and dramatic death such as being stung by killer bees, being burned to death, being scared to death and choking to death among others. The most Oscar winning performance won a prize and throughout the night, there were creative deaths including this one where we heard a loud scream from the bathroom only to see…
Laporello who had been shocked to death! And do you know who the murderer was?
The wizard spring onion above whispered to the ghost egg “It was Lorraine!”. Yes, completely randomly, I had drawn the murderer card! I winked at people all night causing them to fall over and die a most dramatic, horrible death. And of course there were times when I didn’t wink at anyone and they died-Miss America apparently had accidentally winked at some people so we had an inadvertent Red Herring which was brilliant for me to get away with things.
The performances of the dying were outstanding and there were times that we were worried about some people. Tuulikki’s choking was very realistic we waited with bated breath to see her arm move and Alison enlisted the help of Mr NQN to create smoke with the fog machine while she was burning to death…
Now melted witchy, that’s not nice, be nice to guests!
We ended off the evening with Halloween themed charades although it has to be said that one team’s interpretation of scary was a little loose (i.e. tax and maths!). As always Miss America forgot which he was answering for and Queen Viv acting out Pauline Hanson was hilarious. And when I drew the show True Blood it took Alison all of two seconds once I acted out that it was a tv show with two words to guess correctly!
As the maid of the Haunted Mansion I’d like to thank you for being such delightful guests and coming with me on a tour of the Haunted Mansion *curtsy*
Love and ghouls,
Lorraine, The Haunted Mansion maid
xxx
So tell me Dear Reader, when you throw parties do you like to play games? And will you celebrate Halloween at all this year? And what is your favourite holiday of the year?
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108 Comments | Add your own
Deliciously spooky! Everything looks amazing.
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow, so much effort into the party, very impressive. I haven’t tried blood pancake yet. I know blood pudding etc is served in Finnish schools, they love their blood for sure
How creative! You thought of everything!
I like the apple teeth and the ribs. Very clever!
Ahhh it’s all so fun, frightening, and fabulous! Can’t wait to see how you made the crow cupcakes. You are the best maid ever ;p
What an amazing party and spread! You are one amazing (scary) girl!
I love this time of year, it is so much fun. We will be dressing up, having a party and taking the kids trick or treating.
…but I am a novice compared to you on the ghoulish food!
Great Story.
Wow! You definitely went all out again this year. I LOVE your costume! and that haunted graveyard looks awesome – almost too good to eat!
Big effort…as always…Lorraine! Not a big Halloween person but definitely have people over for dinner lots and always go over the top with food…too much, varied and always creative! Lots of fun!
oh my Lorraine! You have really outdone yourself! The decorations, the food, the GAMES!! It all looks so fantastic!!!!
LOL – you are very creative and put so much effort into this party. I don’t want to think about how many hours went into making all of this. Hope you had a ghoulishly good time.
Wow! Once again I must say that you are the absolutely most creative cook I “know.” Fantastic stuff. I particularly admired the skeleton with the ribs and entrails, though it is hard to pick a favorite. Every recipe is clever and looks and sounds yummy.
Halloween is fun (my son’s favorite holiday), but I still love Christmas best.
This freaks me out!!!
WOW Lorraine, You went all out~with the party and this post!I think I would have needed to close my eyes to eat most of the food:) I lOVE your gingerbread haunted mansion, and the witch’s legs sticking out from under it:)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
AMAZING set up Lorraine! You are definitely a fantastic host! Hope you all enjoyed yourselves
OMG this is the best Halloween party… ever!! Everything looks amazing and perfect for Halloween. I can’t imagine being able to pull off anything close to this. I am hoping to bake a few things for Halloween this year.
Absolutely amazing darling! I am so sad I missed it. You are just brilliant.
I’ve never done anything for Halloween, but crikey this post makes me want to! Everything looks awesome Lorraine!
Oh Lorraine you have outdone yourself. It’s all too fabulous for words. You just get more fantastically gruesome every year.
What a perfectly creepy party! My stomach clenched in a fear-induced way when I saw the ribs and sausages
I *love* that Mr NQN dressed up as Harry Potter! I hope his spells were more like ‘wingardium leviosa’ though, and not ‘sectumsempra’…
Lorraine I delighted in this post so much!! You’re always outstanding at parties. You blow me away!!!!!!! I am so happy that your friends had such great costumes too! Amazing job, amazing, truly!
No party for me this year, but I swear next year I am all over it – inspired by you!!
Heidi xo
You are simply mind-blowingly amazing. WOW is all I can say.
You have THE best parties ever!
I’m a christmas girl through and through – but I don’t think my friends would do much beyond board games!
Love your style and enthusiasm for Halloween Lorraine, you really put in a great effort and I’m sure your friends appreciate all that you do for them. Loving the ribs and intestines the best!
Christmas will always be my favourite holiday, it’s the time of year that all family members make a real effort to get together. We play Card games, Tombola (Italian Bingo) and yes we play for money @ 10c per card, with a ‘Major Jackpot’ as the final game.lol It’s a lot of fun and leads up to the much anticipated opening of presents at midnight!
Another reason I love this time of year,my birthday falls on Boxing day!
Love it all Lorraine. I have been looking forward to reading about your party. Its so scary and cute at the same time. I love the Zoku pop maker. Its so much fun to use. Your cupcakes look awesome and so does the graveyard.
Amazing as always Lorraine I wish I had your talent!!!
I really want an invite next year ;D Little G will be big enough to dress up too! She’d make a very cute but ghoulish addition to your halloween party LOL!!!!
Oh, Lorraine! You truly are the most marvellous, fabulous, fun-loving and inspiring lady of awesomeness that has ever walked this Halloween-y earth! Thank you for this incredible post – it’s truly lifted my spirits today.
(And I really love the graveyard dip!)
You have definitely topped the creativity chart for Halloween. I thoroughly enjoyed this and know where to look for Halloween party ideas!
I love the pet cemetery.
We are proud owners of one of those fountains Nigella has that we found on the internet, though I saw in K-Mart the other day they were fully stocked with them for $19.95
Hi Neil-Oh really? I bought mine for $90!
I wish I had known that!
Nobody does it better than Miss Lorraine. I’m breathless just from how much work went into the post, let alone the preparation. I adore the pet cemetery, and the birds and any everything ghoulish thing.But, Lorraine, I expected YOU to be the black swan.
Oh you brightened up my Monday morning already! Love your enthusiasm and really getting into Halloween, also my fav holiday
sadly I’ve got my exam on Halloween this year so no time to organise a party T_T will probably hold one a wk later~
Thank you for having me to your fabulously spooky party. That watermelon is impressive. I looove party games!
No halloween party this year. It’s my man’s Birthday (I bet you’re a little jealous that he was born on Halloween?!) so we’ll be dining out. I’m a Christmas girl through and through.
Gorgeously ghoulish Lorraine!
A friend and I just hosted a Girls night In for Womens Cancer with the theme Mumbai to Marrakesh featuring some of your recipes! I’ll send you some pics 
Congrats on an outstanding Halloween extravaganza
This is absolutely amazing!! You are so creative and went to so much effort.
You work so hard Lorraine – a new post 7 days of the week and I imagine each post takes a lot of time to complete.
I really appreciate the entertainment you give us; it is such a delight to read your blog.
Hi Jaqi-That’s wonderful! I’d love to see pics!
Nigella, you’ve done it again! Amazing food, decorations and party guests. You’re such an inspiration! We’re not doing halloween this year – time for a break. But will be back into it next year.
OMG!!!! Love the pet cemetery and the fact that it’s savoury! Could eat that whole thing my myself! And watermelon brain is quite creative too…
PS can’t wait for your book to come out!
—BOOOO,
This party looks SMASHING, Scary, Groovy, Hip, & so very True-Blood-Dextory.
Love it.
Lorraine, you have so much creativity & brilliance.
Loooove the — “”"the rest of the man that displeased the mansion mistress”"”"
Oh, My!
I wish I could have been there.
I’m soooooooooo scared! x
Holy moly! If there was a prize for best Halloween party, you’d win hands down. Heck, I think you would even beat Martha — and that’s saying something. Love all the little touches, especially the apples with the “rotten teeth.”
Am laughing my head off
! Altho’ a Halloween gal I am definitely not, I love the whole composite of your party: food, decor, the imagination used to bring such fun to your friends, and, indirectly, to all of us!!! And you look delightfully ‘naughty’ rather than ‘scaredy’ 
! And even I managed to get a huge, huge benefit from today’s writings – NOW I have a recipe for blood cakes [yeyey!!] which were my very favourite, I mean my very favourite food as a child!! My Dad’s parents had a large property in the country, and whenever a pig was killed, guess what Grandma ordered made for little Eha: and boy, did she have a super recipe too!!
ABSOLUTELY LOVE your creativity!
The bbq pork ribs to his spicy sausage intestines,
With bloody tomato sauce was a BIG hit with me!
Am not a games person per se,
But I do ALOT of themed parties at home and “HIGHLY RECOMMEND” The Party People as their products REALLY do add to the ambience on the day! WHOO HOO!!
Fab!!! You are so great Lorraine
You can def tell what your fave holiday is 
Everything is perfect – it all looks so great!
Oh my goodness you have truly outdone yourself this year! The watermelon brain is ingenious!
love ur creativity there..
mmmh… everythng looks so cool and delicious!!
happy halloween !
You all look like you’re having so much fun! I like the crow cupcakes the most, then the hideous intestines & ribs, I just don’t think I could come at those pancakes
I would like to know how one is shocked to death on a ceramic toilet- I could believe a stainless steel prison type one has caused death before, but I loved the dramatic flair involved and the selfless commitment to theme! Awesome party!
That’s crazy Lorraine! Where did you come up with the ideas?
Halloween is such an American thing… I’d like to see what you come up with for Australia Day 2012!
Wow, I am sooo jealous! I remember very fondly celebrating halloween when I lived in Hong Kong as a kid, but upon arrival to Australia…found that not many people were really into it. Which is a little sad.
Your dishes though all brought a smile to my face, so well themed and playful! I can only imagine how much fun you guys all had!
I could not love you more right now.
Your Halloween parties are my absolute favourite. Hoping to score an invite one year.
As always, you’ve exceeded yourself in providing an entertaining experience for the rest of us! You do look like a character out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show though, maybe a theme for next year, hehe?
Squueeeee!! How fun! Next year I demand an invite, haha
Great fun reading NQN x
@ InTolerantChef – the ‘kakid’ or blood pancakes sound gruesome, but taste unreal: if you like a bacony taste, kind’of meaty [wellcooked], slightly spiced, crispy – oh, I guess I can’t think of anything with which to compare them – but I used to have REAL black pudding [not the pale, salty kind we can buy here] and these are 100% better
! And you don’t need a special cooking pan: make them like blini 
!
Wow. So fantastic. I love all your recipes and what spooktakular effort you put into this party. I had my Halloween kick off cocktail party this past Thursday. We had fun and it was a great success but yours was over the top! So much fun to read about it.
It looks like you’ve out done yourself this year! The games sound so fun and the food absolutely ghastly. I’m thinking some rats may be in my future. xoxo Mum
wow I just love your halloween parties – you look like you have so much fun – and that food is truly scary – which I mean in the nicest possible way – I love the cupcakes but I think I really want to try making those dips
This is incredible! Thanks NQN, it was such a delight to read
I especially loved the sunken ghosties and the ghost icecreams, they are adoreable!
You outdid yourself this year Lorraine! I hate Halloween but I love your Halloween parties!
Oh wow NQN this is absolutely EPIC!! I LOVE the haunted graveyard idea (the mini tombstones are so cute!) and the ghost cups! Great ideas, you’re an absolute machine!
It’s definitely a compliment that some of your dishes made me feel a little nauseous. Blerk!
I especially loved the cupcakes (not so blerky!).
Ok, being invited to one of your halloween parties is officially on my “bucket list”.
What a great job you did!
What a fun party with so many ghoulish treats – I don’t know which I like the best! Love the winking murder game.
amazing amazing lorraine! you definitely outdid yourself this time!
FANTASTIC, just as I knew it would be!! I think this year takes the cake — LOVE the meat ribs/intestines.
Bravo, Lorraine! Happy Halloween
Oh what a clever little chook you are Lorraine…. lots of details love the cementery … don’t think i have ever said that in a sentence before
This is amazing! You have put so much work into it!
Love the annual Halloween feast!! So much effort – and looks great!
i think the ribs and sausages have to be the most ‘awful’..you really are halloween queen!
Wow, that all looks incredible! I love the graveyard, the amazing cake, the apple teeth – and the crows! wow, so creative; looks like a brilliant party
WOW – once again you have truly outdone yourself!!! It all looks so fantastic!!!
I can’t wait to set up my own!!!
Christmas has always been my favourite holiday, but after seeing these pictures I’m thinking Halloween could be a close contender. I LOVE all the different things you’ve made and want to try them all – it looks like you had so much fun
I am so inspired! Wow you have really outdone yourself. I am sure your guests had a ghastly time at your halloween gathering. You are so creative and I am very happy to have found your website. Take care
What a deliciously gruesome Halloween feast! So scrumptiously ghastly!
Loved the fountain and so many other things! (Also that you admitted to using whipped cream from a can!)
Your Halloween parties are EPIC and I hope and pray that one year I will find myself in your part of the world and can attend! Yay! But why not Oct 31? And love your costume…and all the rest of them, as well!
Now, I hope my name is on the list to receive a review copy of your book? You know how long I have been waiting to read it!!! xo
Your parties just get better and better every year! I can’t believe the Baba Yaga costume, it’s so original, and so much effort must have gone into that. Stephen’s actually going to be in the States for Halloween – I’m so jealous!
I’ll pass on the blood pancakes, but I’ll have an apple.
Hi Rosa-thank you Rosa!
Hi Three-Cookies-Thanks very much! Yes I suppose they do, I had no idea to be honest! Mr NQN’s vegan mum doesn’t really talk about that
Hi Miss Kimbers-Thank you so much!
Hi Xiaolu-they weren’t as hard as I thought they would be which was a relief!
Aww shucks thanks!
Hi Julie-haha thank you! I take that as a compliment!
Oh how fun! I would love to be a kid at Halloween! 
Thank you!
Hi kristy-Thank you! My mother did such a great job with my costume!
Thank you!
Hi Katie-that definitely sounds like lots of fun!
Hi Lisa-Thanks Lisa! I can’t help myself, I’m a bit obsessed
Hi Cakelaw-Thanks! It takes ages but I love it so much. I don’t think I could do this for any other celebration
I did thanks!
Hi Victoria-Thanks Victoria!
I thought he would be a nice grisly touch 
Christmas is my second favourite! 
Hi Michelle-haha really?
Hi Sue-Haha well I was hoping for a combination of grisly and fun
Hehe that was from last year! 
Happy Halloween!
Hi Tina-Thanks Tina!
everyone seemed to have a really good time which was nice 
Hi thebakingaddict-Thank you! Oh thanks, but a lot of this is easy food. I can’t do too complicated
Fantastic! I can’t wait to see what you do!
Hi Christie-yes such a shame that you missed it darling! Thank you!
Hi cityhippyfarmgirl-I know, it’s not a big deal here is it? I wish it was!
Thank you!
Hi Linda-Thank you so much! You are too kind!
Hi Chanel-haha why thank you Chanel!
Yes that was one of the spells that he learned! 
Hi Heidi-Thanks Heidi! I love throwing a party and this is my favourite party of the year
Thanks so much, you are too sweet. Oh cool! I bet you have a great one! xxx
Hi ck-Thanks ck! You are really too kind
Hi Holly-I was so worried as everyone was about 40 minutes late!
Hi Shan-Oh really? Not even charades?
Hi Matilda-Thanks Matilda! I live for it really, it’s a bit peculiar
Oh yes and you bake those wonderful biscuits too! that sounds absolutely magical for young and old! and hehe a bonus round for your birthday! 
Hi Katherine-Thanks Kath! I know, the zoku is so much fun! I’m loving making all of the flavours!
Thanks!
Hi leah-trust me, anyone can do these dishes! I promise
haha yes because you know the rule is that a costume is a must! 
Hi Hannah-Awww Hannah my lovely! You are so sweet! I’m so glad and I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma *hugs*
Hi ChopinandMysaucepan-Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it
Hi Neil-Oh really? I bought mine for $90!
I wish I had known that!
Hi angela-Thank you Angela!
Hehe I’m so glad! Ooh actually that is a great idea you know!
Hi Vivian-Oh that is so cool!
Thank you and nice to meet another Halloween lover! Oh no, that’s too bad! But yes a week later means that you get to have a party still 
Hi Claire-You’re very welcome Claire!
Me too! You’d be a great guest! haha really? I wish I was born then! 
Ooh yes Christmas is my second favourite, so much good food!
Hi Margaret-Thank you so much!
Yes it’s a lot of work but I do love it so but thank you so much for noticing and for the kind words 
And thank you for reading! 
Hi Al-Thanks very much!
Oh I see, fair enough, I’m sure you’ll be more enthused next year after a break 
And also it’s on Monday which isn’t a great night is it? 
Hi Martyna-Thank you! Yes we need more savoury
There are plenty of sweets! Thank you!
Hi Kim-Thank you so much lovely Kim!
Haha well he didn’t have a very pleasant passing-the mistress thinks that makes them tastier! 
Muahahahaaaa x
Hi Carolyn-Thanks Carolyn! Haha I don’t know if I could beat Martha though, she has some awesome ideas!
Thank you!
Hi EHA-Why thank you!
Yes I like the idea of naughty and ghoulish 
Yes, those blood pancakes are great! I hope you like them! 
Hi Joanne-Thanks Joanne!
Yes they’ve got such a great range of stuff, I’ve never seen that much Halloween stuff in one place! 
Hi Nic-Thank you Nic!
haha yes guilty as charged 
Thanks so much 
Hi sara-thank you! hehe thank god for mr NQN I was struggling with that brain!
Hi Dolly-Thanks Dolly!
Happy halloween! 
Hi InTolerantChef-We had a lot of fun
Haha fair enough! 
Haha he really improvised and I have to say we were quite impressed 
Thanks!
Hi Tangsy-Thanks! Sometimes I just think of really gruesome ideas-I think the opposite of trying to do pretty things
Haha nothing that elaborate! 
Hi Ashley-Oh really? they have it in Hong Kong! :O I had no idea! I know, slowly but surely it is getting popular but this years is on a Monday which isn’t great. Thank you so much, we had a ball!
Hi Kelley-aww babe, thanks!
Do you have a costume? 
Hi YaYa-Thanks YaYa!
Oh thank you, that’s a great idea! 
Hi Katie-Thank you! Haha do you have a costume?
x
Hi EHA-Yes I was quite surprised at how delicious they were!
Hi Lora-Thanks Lora!
And that’s very kind of you to say! 
Your items looked fabulous! Thank you!
Hi mum-Thank you! Hopefully one year you will be here for it!
xxx
Hi Johanna-Thanks Johanna! We always end up having a great time, I’m not sure why!
Haha I know what you mean and I’m flattered! They’re really easy!
Hi Joy-Thank you Joy! I’m so glad and thanks for reading!
Haha those poor ghosties! 
Hi Jen-Thanks! Haha why thank you then!
Hi Kat-Thank you Kat!
I loved that idea as soon as I saw it! 
You are too kind!
Hi cas-Ha that is definitely a compliment when it comes to Halloween!
Hi Leah-Thanks Leah! Haha that’s great, I’m flattered!
Hi Betty-Oh that game was so much fun! And it was hilarious that I was the murderer (although I was looking forward to acting out an elaborate death!
)
Hi Janine-Thank you Janine!
Hi Julie-Thanks Julie! I wish I was in your neck of the woods this year for halloween!
Thanks! I was hoping that they might look gruesome enough 
Hi Monica-Aww shucks thanks Monica! Haha it’s not your every day sort of sentence is it?
Hi Laura-Thank you Laura! I love it, I can’t help it
Hi Tina-Thanks very much Tina!
Hi Jane-Haha that’s just the reaction that I wanted!
Thank you!
Hi Eleanor-Thanks Eleanor! You are too sweet! We all had such a good time and I was so happy!
Hi Samantha-Thank you so much! Oooh cool! What will you make? I love talking halloween!
Hi thelittleloaf-I love it too!
I just love the ghoulishness-I love pink and flowers but sometimes it’s nice to do something a bit gruesome 
Hi Bamskitchen-That’s wonderful!
Haha I hope that a ghastly time was had by all 
Thanks very much! 
hi Midge-Thanks Midge!
That’s what I aim for 
Hi Gummi Baby-Thanks! And yes I should have just used proper cream but I couldn’t cope with cleaning another bowl
Hi Jamie-Thanks Jamie!
Hehe yes the opposite end of the world! I can’t hold it then and this way if anyone wants to make anything they can with plenty of time 
Hi Jasmyne-Why thank you! Yes I know, I was so impressed! And he is? How fabulous for him!
Hi Debra-Oh really? They’re Finnish though!
I wish I could come to your parties! What a brilliant job! I especially love the ribs & intestines, so very ghoulish
I must admit I never throw parties (well actually I threw my 2yr old one if that counts?)
Only you would bring blood to a book meeting.
That is just so FREAKING INSANELY Awesome!!! That just super rocks!!!!! I’m so in awe
Hilariously brilliant stuff- as always….
I only have one word for this Lorraine: Awesome!!!
You are a very very bad girl…!!! ja,ja,ja…what a party, reminds me when I was at the university and prepared Halloween parties.
Wow, your party looks amazing!! And I love that you made blood pancakes– they’re yummy and so Halloween-appropriate!
As usual every thing looks fun an imaginative and fabulous. The pics are just great- except for the dude on the toilet!
I have the song ‘let’s on the time warp again’ going in my head. Your outfit is very like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Very entertaining post.
Hi Lorraine,
Great story. It all looked amazing, very artistic and set a real scene for horror and fun!
Wish I was there
Incredible, Lorraine. You put us all to shame. You are extremely talented. I absolutely LOVED all your ideas. What a fun party this looked like it was!
What a fun time you all had. And I struggle with finding games so these games sound very creative, especially the winking game!
Aaahhh!! I love it, Lorraine! This is the post we’ve all been waiting for…and I don’t know how you do it, but each year you manage to outdo yourself! Everything looks frightfully delicious…the rotten apple teeth are such a ghoulishly cute idea!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! Hehehe loooove your Halloween posts! Your graveyard is especially cute (ok cute is not what you wanted to hear re a Halloween item, right?) and I love the ribs and intestines guy. You are SO creative!
Lorraine, I have no idea where to start commenting. In fact it’s impossible because I have so much to talk about every single food and creations, decorations, guests, and just everything is amazing. I have never seen a Halloween party like that. I need to share it on facebook!!
Hi Phunk-Why thank you!
Haha I wasn’t sure if that would gross people out or not 
Hey that counts!
Hi Blond Duck -Oh really?
I’m sure someone else has!
Hi msihua-Aww thanks lovely!
Hi Tori-Thank you Tori!
Hi Hanna-Thanks Hanna!
Hi Mi Vida en un Dulce-Haha really am I?
Oh if only there were Halloween parties at university for me! 
Hi Marika-Thanks! I knew I had to as soon as I was told about them!
Hi mykitchenstories.com-Thank you! Haha yes I wasn’t sure whether to put that on!
Hi T.C.-Haha it’s not a bad song to have going around in your head is it!
Thank you!
Hi snugglepot-Thanks, such a shame you couldn’t be there!
Hi Eva-I’m a little obsessed I have to admit
Thank you so much!
Hi Belle-Yes that’s a good one because it doesn’t matter if not everyone plays!
Hi Faith -Thanks Faith! If only I were in the US for Halloween! *sigh* ONe day! Haha I loved those
Hi Catty-THanks luv! Haha cute is ok, I thought the ghost eggs were cute
Thank you!
Hi Nami-Hehe that’s cool! I’m so glad that you liked it and thank you!
That is beyond amazing! Sheer genius! Wow…. if you opened your halloween house to the public and charged for entry, I would totally go!
Three thumbs up (if I could)!
Oh Lorraine, I really love how much effort you go to for your Halloween parties. One day I hope the kids and I can nab an invitation. We have done Halloween the last few years, but I don’t have the kids this year so I don’t know if I will do anything this year. Boring, huh? I will have lollies if any of the neighbourhood kids come over though!
Great party once again Lorraine! Yep, those blood pancakes sure are common in Finland. In my area they use reindeer blood which is much lower in fat. Otherwise cow’s blood is used and you can buy it frozen at any supermarket. Best served with lingonberry!
Hi Lorraine, “long time lurker, first time commenter”- love your site btw. As someone who prides myself on decorating and ‘going all out’ for any party i host, i am blown away by the effort and results of your halloween party!
Amazing…
Also- i have been searching online/ all of Sydney for the cupcake holders/ papers that you have your sunken ghost cakes in- can you please tell me where you got them? Much appreciated!
Sometimes you worry me, dear. But the racks of ribs with the sausages as entrails, this was to die for! :0)
Just wanted to say that you rock!
awwww you are amazing! I have my office halloween party on friday, I wish I had the time to make goodies
you definitely always go all out for halloween, and i continue to be impressed! your guests are so lucky.
You always make the coolest Halloween creations! Awesome treats this year!
this is so unbelievably awesome Lorraine! you are a total superwoman for putting this altogether!
Every year I look forward to your Halloween party posts, and am so excited to read this years! I LOVE that spouty fountain contraption, and how apt that the drink was bloody red. Hehe.
Brilliant selection of ghoulish food as always, and can I say, the geek in me totally loves that watermelon brain.
You must have such a huge collection of Halloween related decorations…
Brilliant as always. Love the scissors to cut the ribs and intestine sausage and the pet cemetary is adorable.
Oooh Looraine! what a great party that ypou had & what fun, fun, fun with the food! WAW!!
You are so clever & cool!!!
Halloween isn’t much celebrated here in Belgium! You really topped this year’s party instead of last year’s!! The food looks terrific!! Yum, I guess???!!!:)
Ooh Lorraine, I know I’m late reading this but always love your Halloween party posts! I think you’ve outdone yourself this year! And even dressed as a haunted mansion maid (my favourite Disneyland ride!!), you look so adorable!
Briony xx
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