Halloween!

My favorite holiday is Halloween. As soon as October 1st arrives I start decorating. My neighbors think I'm nuts but I can't help it I just love this time of year! For the last four years I've thrown a spectacular, themed sit down dinner for twelve of my very close friends. This year the theme is witches. I'm a big fan of Martha Stewart and I've been collecting her Halloween decor for a few years. Michael's Crafts on 4th Street in Santa Monica carries a large selection of Martha Stewart merchandise including silhouettes of bats, rats, spiders and crows. Scary wine labels, window decals and pumpkin transfers are just many of the fun exciting crafts that help to create the ambience for a fantastic party. For all of you Halloween lovers I also recommend visiting Grandinroad.com. Not only do they offer the most amazing vintage items, the quality and customer service is exceptional. I promise you won't be disappointed! I will be posting pictures soon and tomorrow I will talk about the menu and wine.

 Grandin Road is also having an up to 60% off sale on already marked down items such as gothic tombstones that look, feel and even sound real. I bought one a few months ago and I was very pleased with the authenticity and the quality. I also purchased a vintage costume from the Victorian era and when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the accurate fit and of course the quality. There is something for everyone at Grandin Road. Oh and that lovely funeral wreath that you see.....I made it! I can't take the credit for originality because Martha Stewart had it on her Halloween website a few years ago.

Martha Stewart Halloween Decor

Creating the spooky effect...

There is nothing that says, " Halloween" like glowing jack-o-lanterns as your guests come up the walk way to your haunted house.

Some Enchanted Evening

The Halloween history dates back to 5th century B.C. in Celtic Ireland. In those days the year ended with the end of summer which officially used to end on the 31st of October. This day was called Samhain. The custom of Halloween came over to America in 1840. My Halloween dinners are always traditionally Irish or English. Last year I prepared a pork loin in a fig and port wine sauce. This year I'm planning to serve a rack of lamb with mint sauce and homemade gravy along with harvest vegetables, yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, mushy peas and colcannon which is a traditional Irish dish of mash potatoes with chopped kale, green onions with a bit of milk and lots of butter. A full bodied red wine preferably a cabernet compliments a soul-satisfying meal on a dark and stormy night. My favorite store to pick up English goodies is The Continental Shop and for wine BevMo on Wilshire in Santa Monica has a great selection and great prices. If you become a member of BevMo they will send you emails letting you know of their special monthly sales. They often have "buy one get the second bottle for 5¢" deals which can be a real saver.