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10 Tricks and Treats for your Halloween Party in a Pinch!


By: Maren Swanson • October 25th, 2014

10 Tricks and Treats for your Halloween Party in a Pinch! #Halloween #party #ideas #easy

With Halloween right around the corner, you may be starting to worry about what to do. Party, stay home and hand out candy or adult trick or treating…? Yes, I've contemplated wearing a mask and hitting up the local streets for some free candy, haven't you?! If you do choose to have friends over or have a big Halloween bash, then we've got some tricks and treats to help you throw a spooktacular party. Check out our list of Halloween cocktails and dishes to make your guests gasp with fright…and delight! Whether you have tons of time to plan all of the details or none at all, we hope these short cuts and recipes will make your party-planning a whole lot easier. If you're worried about your friends getting to you and home safely, then offer them our LYFT code for a free ride (first time users only). Cheers and have a safe and happy Halloween!

1. To-dEYE-for Dirty Martini

To-dEYE-for Dirty Martini #Halloween #cocktails #recipe #easy #dirtymartini

Love martinis and their garnishes? Well, if you are bored with the usual olive and brine combo, then kick things up a notch with our To-dEYE-for Dirty Martini. Now you can surprise your guests with a tasty treat and scare them with your creativity, too!

Recipe.

2. Jack-o-Lantern Olive Cheese Dip

10 Tricks and Treats for your Halloween Party in a Pinch! #Halloween #Recipes #Party #easy

This quick Halloween recipe is great if you are in a rush. If you have 5 minutes and these 5 ingredients, then you can make this layered olive cheese dip from Rosy's Kitchen. All you will need is sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, olives and a garlic clove - party dip magic!

Recipe

3. Spiced "Sangre" Sangria

Spiced Rum Sangria recipe from @lovehappyhour #Halloween #sangria #cocktails #party

"Sangre" translates to blood in Spanish, so we figured this red wine Sangria recipe could be the perfect blood-colored concoction for your party guests. Make this Spiced Rum Sangria 3 days in advance and once your party starts, you will be so relieved that your guests can have fun serving themselves…so you can actually have some fun!

Recipe


4. Blood-Soaked Cheese

Blood Soaked Cheese for Halloween

We found this fantastic tasting Toscana cheese at our local Trader Joe's. The dark red exterior is soaked in Syrah, but your guests can believe you used blood…kind of creepy, we know, but perfect for a Walking Dead fiesta. Just add some crispy chips and you're all set.



5. Mummy Dogs

10 Tricks and Treats for your Halloween Party in a Pinch! #Halloween #pigsinablanket #appetizers

You just can't go wrong with pigs in a blanket at any party, so why not take the classic hot dog party app to the next level this Halloween with just a simple switch of your roll-up technique? Create these mummy dogs in minutes and they should last about as long on your table of treats.

Recipe

6. Frankenguac

Easy guacamole recipe for Halloween #recipe #Halloween #guacamole

So you have 1 hour before friends come over and no idea what you can make with $10 and no culinary expertise? Frankenstein is here to save the night! Just grab some store bought guacamole, sour cream, olives and some blue corn tortilla chips and you're all set for All Hallow's eve!

Recipe


7. "Orange is the New Black" Martini

10 Tricks and Treats for your Halloween Party in a Pinch!

Seriously, this could be the easiest way to spookify your drink with doing as little work as possible. Check your local grocery store for Shivers Halloween ice cubes. We found a bag on sale at Gelson's for $2.50! Just add these colorful ice cubes to some vodka or gin and shake up a orange concoction that won't mess with your drink's flavors.



8. Bloody Buffalo Bones

Bloody Buffalo Bones #Halloween #recipe #crockpot #chicken #drumsticks

This crock pot delight is easy and affordable…not to mention pretty creepy looking. We created this dish for our season party premiere of The Walking Dead and it was a scary success. For under $10, these spicy drumsticks are easy, affordable and fall-off-the-bone fantastic!

Recipe


9. A Halloween Playlist

Halloween Playlist

Chances are, you didn't have hours to plan the perfect Halloween play list, but that's OK because the creative team at Popsugar created a saucy Halloween playlist for all of your party guests. What's even better is the fact that they created a channel on Spotify for it. If you don't have the Spotify app, you can also play Pandora's Halloween Party Radio station for some ghoulishly good tunes.



10. Dry Ice

Dry Ice for Witches Brew on Halloween #Halloween #party #punch #witchesbrew

Every year, I buy dry ice to make my Halloween punch really stand out. I usually pick up a 5 pound bag from Smart & Final and that will last me throughout the entire evening. Here's a quick how-to video from Chow on how to make your "Witches Brew" boil over with a smokey effect.