Halloween Party Ideas: Spooky Snack Menu

Do you still need a menu for your Halloween party? We've sorted through tons of ideas to come up with some really clever suggestions for kids and adult parties.

Let's start with the goodies:

Goat cheese Bat Bites from MyRecipes.comThese Bat Bites from MyRecipes.com are great for adult parties. Made of goat cheese (similar to my goat cheese truffles) these are so whimsical and pretty yummy, too.

Monster Eyes Sausage Balls from MyRecipes.comA new spin on an old classic, sausage ballswith "monster eyeballs" made of olives are pretty creepy but taste delish.

Mummy Dogsare hot dogs wrapped up like a mummy--- a twist on the old pigs in a blanket. (presentation is everything!) Check out the spider web condiments-- really cute. These are also from the great folks at MyRecipes.com and you can watch a how-to video, too!

Cheddar Cheese Witch's Fingers from MyRecipes.comThese completely creepy Witch's Fingers are made from cornmeal, cheddar cheese, and use almonds for the fingernails. They'd be great paired with chili or soup. Guy Fieri's Dragon's Breath Chili

Try this awesome chili recipe from Guy Fieri--- appropriately named Dragon's Breath Chilifrom his "Fuel the Fieri" episode of Guy's Big Bite.

See the full slideshow from MyRecipes.com for more ideas for your Halloween menu!

Perfect Summer Recipe: Pickled Citrus Shrimp

Pickled Citrus Shrimp is the easiest summer party recipe. You can make it a day ahead and it is ready to go when you are. Plus, this recipe can feed a lot of folks. If you are on a budget, get the smaller shrimp or opt to clean and devein them yourself. You can even use frozen raw shrimp for this dish if you don't live in an area where you have easy access to raw shrimp. Either way, everyone loves this dish and every guest will ask you for the recipe! It easily doubles or triples for a big crowd.

Citrus Pickled ShrimpPickled Citrus Shrimp

2 pounds fresh medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 count with tails on)

2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 t. Kosher salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

Olive oil

For the marinade:

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 large cloves garlic, grated

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 white wine vinegar

2 small Spanish (yellow) onions, cut into thin rings

2 lemons, cut into very thin circles, be sure to remove the seeds

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

1/4  teaspoon white pepper

1 t. mustard seeds

1 t. coriander seeds

1 1/2 t. celery seeds

1 t. fennel seeds

6 large bay leaves or 12 small ones

3 Arbol chilies (dried red chili or you can substitute 1/2 t. red pepper flakes or a large pinch of Cayenne)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a dry pan, lightly toast the seeds. Let cool. In a large glass heatproof bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, peppers, and all of the seeds. Add the onion and the lemon slices. Toss gently to coat. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Place the shrimp in one layer on a sheet pan. Do not overlap. You will need to do several batches. Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil. Toss well. Sprinkle with the Old Bay mixture. Roast for 7or 8 minutes for the medium 16-20 count shrimp. You may need a longer or shorter cooking time depending on the size of your shrimp but do not overcook- they will be tough. When they curl up and turn pink, they are done. Remove immediately and transfer the hot shrimp and the juice on the pan into the bowl with the marinade. Toss to coat. Add red chilies and bay leaves. Allow the mixture to cool and then refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours before serving. 

To serve: remove the chilies. Check the seasoning. You can add a dash or two of Tabasco if you like. Serve in a large chilled glass bowl...it is delicious served room temperature in colder weather but on a hot day, I prefer to serve chilled.

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Easy Party Starters: Fresh from the Garden Tomato Recipes

Don't know where you live, but the tomatoes are ripe on the vine in the South right now and they are so juicy and delicious! Hit your local farmers' market to get the freshest, summery goodness! Here are a few ideas for easy appetizers that you can make with your homegrown (or store bought) tomatoes.

Tipsy Cherry Tomatoes

Marinate your tomatoes in Absolut Peppar vodka for a couple of hours in a large bowl. Just cover the tomatoes with the vodka. Before serving, drain the tomatoes and toss with a little olive oil and very coarse sea salt and just a pinch of black pepper. You can add a little finely chopped herbs like basil or parsley if you like. These little bites are fresh and delish!

Mini BLT Bites

Use cherry tomatoes or a small, one bite tomato. Cut the top off and to hollow them, taking out the seeds. Set them upright (you may need to slice a little off the bottom to get them to stand) on a baking sheet-- and lightly sprinkle the inside with a little salt. Quantities depend on the size of your crowd. This is for about 4 cups of cherry tomatoes. 

Mix the stuffing mixture in a large bowl:

4 slices of Applewood smoked bacon: put this on a sheet pan and cook it in the oven @ 350 for about 10-12 minutes depending on thickness or until done. Break it into small pieces.

1 cup chopped arugula: sub lettuce or fresh spinach leaves if you don't like the peppery flavor of arugula.

1/4 cup mayo

Squirt of fresh lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine and gently stuff each tomato. These can be served warm or cold. For a hot day, I like them chilled. If you want to serve them warm, just drizzle a little olive oil over the top and put them under the broiler for a few minutes. It doesn't take long. 

Caprese Kabobs

This one's a cinch and looks beautiful on the table.

Fresh mozzarella

Tomatoes

Basil

Very good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Slice your tomatoes and cheese into chunks that you can skewer. Use any tomatoes-- the small ones can go right on the skewer. Alternate tomato, cheese, basil on the skewer. Once you've finished, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

I serve these with a little pool of balsamic vinegar on the platter and finish them with finely chopped basil or arugula leaves.

Staycationing This Summer? How About Italy?

Have your vacation plans been put on hold this summer? You can create a backyard getaway to your favorite places with a little creativity and very little cash. Use some souvenirs and items you've collected from vacations past to bring the party to life. Even if you just throw this party for your family---- it's a great mini-getaway right in the backyard! Any place you want to go can be recreated right in the backyard. How about a seaside cookout? A trip to Italy, New York, Napa, Chicago or Spain? It's super easy--- here are a few ideas to get you started on your own backyard getaway!

Florence, Rome, Venice or The Amalfi Coast. Take the flavors of a summer in Italy- fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil and make a late afternoon Italian-style picnic or a Capri cookout with seafood and pasta. 

Everyone loves Italy. If they have been, they want to go back and if they haven’t been, it’s certainly on the list of places they’d like to go.

By adding one beautiful platter or bowl, you can make over your table completely. This Vietri pattern with an Italian coastal village scene completely transforms this table from everyday to Italy. And use food as decorations—breadsticks, lemons, etc make beautiful centerpiece for this party.

Play Bocce ball! It’s played all over Italy and in Little Italy, too! You can buy this game almost anywhere these days and online.

Limoncello—the Italian lemon liqueur tastes like the Amalfi Coast. Float a little of it on top of Prosecco or drizzle it over gelato, sorbet or fresh berries for dessert. Instant Italy!

ITALY MENU- This is one of the easiest menus to make. Cook your own favorites; simple or elaborate!

Prosecco- The Italian sparkling wine... inexpensive and delicious!

Bruschetta- any kind. Fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, S&P is easy and classic.

Antipasto Platter- Italian cheeses, olives, prosciutto, salami, breadsticks, almonds and spreads like tapanade. I make a great one with artichoke, lemon, capers and olives. No recipe, just put the artichoke hearts in the food processor and whirl until smooth. Add the other ingredients to taste.

Pizza- Frozen or fresh, I like to do these on the grill. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some Parmesan over the top before grilling. Yum.

Pasta- Any kind. Make your favorite. If you need ideas- let me know.

Gelato or Sorbetto- Make or buy it at Whole Foods. Vanilla gelato is great with limoncello drizzle. Lemon sorbetto is wonderful with Prosecco like an ice cream float. Crumble some Ameretti cookies over the top.

We did a few backyard getaway parties on Better TV in New York! Watch the video!

Easy Entertaining: Endive Leaves with Herbed Goat Cheese

Need an idea for an easy appetizer for Thanksgiving or your holiday parties? Try this one--- it is so simple to make and everyone always asks for the recipe. You can use this base recipe of goat cheese and cream cheese for so many things. You can use your favorite herbs or flavors along wtih chicken, shrimp or salmon for example. You can omit the herbs and make it sweet by adding chocolate. There are just so many variations and possibilities with this recipe, you will want to put it in your go-to file any time guests pop over.

ENDIVE LEAVES WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

Endive is a leaf vegetable in the lettuce family. If you can’t find it, you can substitute another lettuce or almost any other vegetable. The goat cheese spread can be spread on toasted bread or served with crackers. It is an easy, go-to appetizer recipe for almost any occasion and looks really festive on the endive leaves.

Two or three heads endive

6 ounces (3/4 cup) goat cheese, softened

2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together (except the endive) with a fork, stirring until fluffy. Spread on the base of the endive leaves, crackers, celery or almost anything else. Yum.