Tag Archives: Nightmare Nostalgia

News

Halloween Novelization Is Getting Re-Released With A Fully Illustrated Reprint!

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On October 1st, 1979, the official HALLOWEEN novelization based on John Carpenter’s immortal classic, hit bookstores, much to the delight of a brand-new fandom. In the 44 years since then, finding an actual copy, especially in recent years, has been next to impossible with copies popping up every so often from resellers ranging from the cheapest I’ve seen, around $250, all the way to $2,000. While I understand reselling is a job for some, taking advantage as something as precious as this, is just downright cruel. However, Printed in Blood is here to remedy this blasphemy and in conjunction with a license under Compass International Pictures and with full cooperation of the original author, Richard Curtis (who penned the original novel under the name Curtis Richards), is re-releasing the coveted book with illustrations at a price the average Halloween-Head can afford!

Per Printed In Blood:

“Printed In Blood is VERY proud to present the ORIGINAL movie tie-in novelization, reprinted in full here for the first time in over 40 years! In addition, it has been fully illustrated throughout with nearly a hundred BRAND-NEW Illustrations created just for this release by the vector genius, Orlando “Mexifunk” Arocena. This 224-page volume is bursting with both classic and gorgeous new artistic visions of the John Carpenter horror classic.”

“This Limited Edition cover features the classic paperback cover art re-created by Orlando.“

The reprint will be available in two different versions, one with a limited-edition cover that reimagines the cover to the original novelization, and a standard cover that has not yet been revealed for a steal at $50. Another option is the VERY limited edition that WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH OCTOBER 1st, and features the classic paperback cover art re-created by Orlando and is signed by both the author, Richard Curtis and the artist, Orlando Arocena. It also includes 2-8.5x11in. mini-prints of Orlando’s previous Halloween works from the “Halloween: Artbook” and an Original Hand-drawn 5 x7 sketch by the book’s artist, Orlando Arocena. This version is limited to 250 prints and runs at $300.

I don’t know about you, but I hopped on this pre-order faster than Lonnie getting his “ass away” from the Myers house. You can pre-order your copy right now through PRINTED IN BLOOD HERE with an expected ship date of January 2024!

Finally, I’ll be able to complete my collection!

News

PEACOCK Expands Halloween Streaming With a MONSTER 500 Title Lineup: Here’s the Complete List!

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A few weeks ago, PEACOCK streaming announced a healthy dose of Halloween streaming pre-gaming starting September 1st. As of today, the NBC UNIVERSAL owned streaming giant has added an impressive load of scary flicks, special Halloween-themed episodes, and original content all ready for us to binge right now with several releases coming in October.

In addition to these fan-favorites, exclusive content such as FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S premieres on 10/17 with JOHN CARPENTER’S SUBURBAN SCREAMS, a genre-busting unscripted horror anthology series from the mind of legendary director, writer, and producer, John Carpenter, comes to PEACOCK on 10/13.

PEACOCK returning horror TV comes in hot with season 4 of CHUCKY, coming in at 10/5 and WOLF LIKE ME hitting the deck on 10/19.

As for the rest, grab your good reading glasses because it’s a MONSTER lineup!

*= exclusive titles

RECENTLY ADDED (September):
Amityville 3-D, 1983*
Amityville II: The Possession, 1982*
Amityville Uprising, 2022*
Amityville: The Awakening, 2022*
Bride of Chucky, 1998*
Bride of Frankenstein, 1935
Candyman, 1992
Casper: A Spirited Beginning, 1997
Casper’s Scare School, 2006
Child’s Play 2, 1990*
Child’s Play 3, 1991*
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, 2009
Cult of Chucky, 2017*
Curse of Chucky, 2013*
Curse of the Werewolf, 1961
Cut, Color, Murder, 2022
Dawn of the Dead, 2004*
Dead Silence, 2007
Dr. Cyclops, 1940
Dracula, 1979
Dracula’s Daughter, 1936
Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, 1943
Frankenstein, 1931
Frankenstein, 1931
Get Out, 2017
Ghostbusters II, 1989*
Ghostbusters, 1984*
Halloween II, 1981*
Halloween III: Season of the Witch, 1982*
Halloween, 2018
Happy Death Day 2U, 2019*
Hollow Man 2, 2006*
Hollow Man, 2000*
Hypnotic, 2023*
Insidious: Chapter 3, 2015*
It Came from Outer Space, 1953
Land of the Dead, 2005
Mercy, 2016
Monster High: 13 Wishes, 2013
Monster High: Boo York, Boo York, 2015
Monster High: Freaky Fusion, 2014
Monster High: Haunted, 2015
Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, 2008*
Murder, She Baked: A Deadly Recipe, 2016
Murder, She Baked: A Peach Cobbler Mystery, 2016
Night Monster, 1942
Patient Zero, 2018*
Phantom of the Opera, 1943
Phantom of the Opera, 1962
Prince of Darkness, 1987
Psycho 1960
Psycho 1998
Psycho II, 1983
Psycho III, 1986
Pumpkin Pie Wars, 2016
Saboteur, 1942
Saw 2, 2005
Saw 3, 2006
Saw 3D, 2010
Saw 4, 2007
Saw 5, 2008
Saw 6, 2009
Saw, 2004
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, 2019
Seed of Chucky, 2004*
Shocker, 1989
Slither, 2006
Son of Frankenstein, 1939
Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood, 1996
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, 1995
Tales From the Hood 2, 2018
Tales From the Hood, 1995
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, 1995*
The Amityville Harvest, 2020*
The Amityville Moon, 2021*
The Birds, 1963
The Bone Collector, 1998
The Creature Walks Among Us, 1956
The Dead Don’t Die, 2019*
The Evil of Frankenstein, 1964
The Frighteners, 1996
The Funhouse, 1981
The Grudge 2, 2006
The Grudge 3, 2009
The Invisible Man Returns, 1940
The Invisible Man’s Revenge, 1944
The Invisible Woman, 1940
The Last Exorcism, 2010
The Mummy Returns, 2001*
The Mummy, 1999*
The Mummy, 2017*
The Mummy’s Curse, 1944
The Mummy’s Ghost, 1944
The Mummy’s Hand, 1940
The Mummy’s Tomb, 1942
The People Under the Stairs, 1991
The Possession, 2023
The Purge: Anarchy, 2014
The Raven,1935
The Serpent and the Rainbow, 1987
The Skeleton Key, 2005
The Strange Case of Doctor RX, 1942
The Thing, 1982
The Thing, 2011
The Visit, 2015*
The Wolfman, 2010
They Live, 1988
Thirst, 2009
Us, 2019
Videodrome, 1983
Village of the Damned, 1995
Werewolf of London, 1935

NEW! 
October 1: 
Escape Plan, 2013* 
The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 2005 
Exorcist: The Beginning, 2004 
The Faculty, 1998 
Happy Death Day 2U, 2019* 
I Know What You Did Last Summer, 1997* 
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, 1998* 
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, 2006* 
Krampus, 2015* 
The Last Exorcism, 2010 
The Mist, 2007* 
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, 2019 
Separation, 2021 
Shaun of the Dead, 2004 
Silent Hill, 2006* 
Split, 2017* 
Texas Chainsaw 3D, 2013* 
Winchester, 2018* 
Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey* 
Zombieland, 2009*  

October 5: 
CHUCKY, Season 3, New Episodes 

October 12: 
The Black Phone, 2021* 

October 16: 
Rob Zombie’s Halloween, 2007* 
Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, 2009* 

October 27: 
Five Nights at Freddy’s, 2023*  

SCREAMING NOW 
11/11/11, 2011
100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck, 2012
13 Nights of Elvira, Season 1, 2014
13/13/13, 2013
1BR, 2019
20 Feet Below: The Darkness Descending, 2013
2-Headed Shark Attack, 2012
30 Miles from Nowhere, 2018
4/20 Massacre, 2018
5ive Girls, 2006
Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, 2012
Against the Night, 2017
Alien Convergence, 2017
Alien Origin, 2012
Alone, 2020
American Psycho, 2000* 
American Psycho 2, 2002* 
An American Werewolf in Paris, 1997
The Amityville Haunting, 2011
Angelica, 2015
Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes, 2011
Another Evil, 2016
The Appearance, 2018
Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales, 2020
Attack of the Killer Donuts, 2016
Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies, 2016
Autopsy, 2008
Ayla, 2017
Bad Moon, 1996
Battledogs, 2013
Beast Mode, 2020
Beast Within (aka hunter’s moon), 2021
Bedeviled, 2016
The Bell Witch Haunting, 2013
Ben, 1972
Bermuda Tentacles, 2014
Better Watch Out, 2016
The Beyond, 2017
Big Legend, 2018
Bigfoot, 2015
Birdemic: Shock and Terror, 2010
Bite Marks, 2011
Black Christmas, 1974
Bliss, 2019
The Blood Lands, 2014
Blood Punch, 2013
Bloodthirsty, 2020
Body Bags, 1993
Boo, 2005
Braid, 2018
Bram Stoker’s Shadowbuilder (special edition), 1998
Breakdown Lane, 2017
The Breed, 2006
Butchers, 2020
Camp Cold Brook, 2018
Cannibals and Carpet Fitters, 2017
The Carmilla Movie, 2017
The Carrier, 2015
Catskill Park, 2018
The Changeling, Season 1, 2023
Cheap Thrills, 2013
Chucky (TV series), Seasons 1 and 2, 2021
Cockneys vs Zombies, 2012
Communion, 1989
Conjurer, 2008
Corbin Nash, 2018
Crush, 1992
A Cry from Within, 2015
Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween, 2022
Curtains, 1983
Dan Curtis’ Dracula, 1974
Daniel Isn’t Real, 2019
Dark Night of the Scarecrow: Deluxe Collector’s Edition, 1981
The Dark Red, 2018
Dark Sense, 2019
The Dark Side of the Moon, 1990
Dark Net, Season 1, 2016
Darlin’, 2019
Day of the Dead, 1985
Day of the Dead, 2008
Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, 2005 
Daylight’s End, 2016
Dead & Buried, 1981
Dead Awake, 2017
Dead Birds, 2004
A Dead Calling, 2006
Dead Heist, 2007
Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead, 2014
Deadheads, 2011
Death Ranch, 2020
Deathcember, 2019
Deathgasm, 2015
Decoys, 2004
Demon Eye, 2019
A Demon Within, 2017
The Divine Fury, 2019
Dogface: A Traphouse Horror, 2021
Dollhouse, 2020
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, 2005
Don’t Hang Up, 2016
Don’t Kill It, 2016
Doppelganger, 1993
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, 1971
Dracula’s Widow, 1988
Dreamscape, 1984
Eaten Alive, 1976
Eloise, 2016 
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Count Dracula’s Great Love, 1973
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks, 1974
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Gamera, Super Monster, 1980
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Legacy of Blood, 1978
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Maneater of Hydra, 1967
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Monstroid, 1980
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The Devil’s Wedding Night, 1973
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The Doomsday Machine, 1972
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The House that Screamed, 1969
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: The Werewolf of Washington, 1973
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: They Came from Beyond Space, 1967
Emelie, 2015
The Endless, 2017
Escape the Field, 2022 * 
Estranged, 2015
Evil Bong 420, 2015
Evil Bong 777, 2018
Evil Bong: High 5, 2016
Evil Born, 2012
The Evil, 1978
The Exorcist III, 1990
Eyes of the Dead, 2015
A Fantastic Fear of Everything, 2012
The Farm, 2018
Fear, Inc., 2016
Feedback, 2019 
The Fields, 2011
Final Draft, 2007
Final Girl, 2015
The Final Wish, 2018
Firestarter, 2022* 
First Born, 2007
The Follower, 2022
Frankenstein, 2015
Fresh Hell, 2021
From the Dark, 2020
The Funhouse Massacre, 2015
Galaxy of Terror, 1981
Ghost Light, 2018
Ghost Squad, 2015
GhostHouse, 2017
Ginger Snaps, 2000
Girl in the Woods, Season 1, 2021* 
The Golem, 2018
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, 2018
Grimm Love, 2006
Halloweed, 2016
Halloween Party, 2019
Hammer House of Horror, Season 1, 2022
Hangman, 2017
Hansel & Gretel Get Baked, 2013
Hansel and Gretel, 2013
Hansel vs Gretel, 2015
Harry Price: Ghost Hunter, 2005
Hatchet III, 2013
Haunted Hospital: Heilstatten, 2018
Haunting of Whaley House, 2012
Hayride 2, 2015
Hell Night, 1981
Henry 2: Portrait of a Serial Killer, 1996
Henry: Portrait of a Serial killer: 30th Anniversary, 2016
He’s Out There, 2018
Hold Your Breath, 2012
Hostile, 2017
The House at the End of Time, 2013
House of Fears, 2007
The House of the Devil, 2009
Hunger, 2009
Hunted, 2020
Hypothermia, 2012
I Am Lisa, 2020 
I Drink Your Blood, 1970
In The Trap, 2019
Infection, 2019
Infini, 2015
The Innkeepers, 2011
Intruders, 2015
The Invisible Man, 2020* 
Invitation to Hell, 1984
Island Zero, 2018
The Isle, 2018
It Stains the Sands Red, 2016
Itsy Bitsy, 2019
Jack Frost, 1997
Jack in the Box, 2019
Jack in the Box: Awakening, 2022
Jackals, 2017
Killer Kate!, 2018
Killer Weekend, 2020
Killers Within, 2018
Kolchak: The Night Stalker – S1, 1974
L.A.  Slasher, 2015
Lake Alice, 2018
Last Shift, 2016
Late Phases: Night of the Lone Wolf, 2014
The Lazarus Effect, 2015
Let Us Prey, 2014
The Lodgers, 2017
The Love Witch, 2016
Lyle, 2014
Magic, 1978
Malevolence, 2004
Malevolence 2: Bereavement Director’s Cut, 2010
Malevolence 3: Killer, 2018
The Maze, 2010
Medusa, 2021
Mermaid Down, 2019
Mid-Century*, 2022
Mikey: Collector’s Edition, 1992
Misfortune, 2016
Most Likely to Die, 2015
Mr. Mercedes, Season 1-2, 2017-2018* 
Mr. Mercedes, Season 3, 2019 *
Murder Manual, 2020
My Friend Dahmer, 2017
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To, 2020
Nails, 2017
New Getter Robo, 2004
The Night Eats the World, 2018
Night of the Demons, 1988 
Night of the Living Dead, 1968
Nightbreed, 1990
Nine Miles Down, 2009
Nosferatu the Vampyre, 1979
One of Us, 2018
Open 24 Hours
Open Grave, 2013
Open Graves, 2009
Out of the Dark, 2014
The Perfect Witness, 2007
Pet, 2016
Phantasm, 1979
Phantasm 3, 1994
Phantasm 4, 1998
Phantasm: Ravager, 2016
Phantom Racer, 2009
Pieces, 1982
Piranha, 1978
The Pit, 1981
Plague Town, 2008
Pod, 2015
Possessing Piper Rose, 2011
The Price We Pay*, 2022
Primal Rage: Bigfoot Reborn, 2018
Prom Night, 1980 
Prom Night 2: Hello Mary Lou, 1987
Prom Ride, 2015
Puppet Master, 1989
Puppet Master 2, 1990
Puppet Master 3: Toulon’s revenge, 1991
Puppet Master 4, 1993
Puppet Master 5, 1994
Puppet Master: The Legacy, 2003
Purgatory, 1999
The Purge, Season 1, 2018
The Purge, Season 2, 2018
Q: The Winged Serpent, 1982
Queen: The Awakening, 2022
The Quiet Ones, 2014* 
Rabid, 2019
The Rake, 2018
Rampant, 2018
Rare exports: A christmas Tale, 2010
Red Christmas, 2016
The Reflecting Skin, 1990
Ride Scare, 2020 
Rigor Mortis, 2013
Road Games, 1981 or 2015
The Sacrament, 2013
Saturday the 14th, 1981
Saturn 3, 1980
Shark Lake, 2015
Shock Waves (special edition), 1977
Sick, 2022* 
Sick for Toys, 2018
Sleepaway Camp, 1983
The Special, 2020
Spirit, 2001
Split Second, 1992
Stake Land, 2010
Stake Land II, 2016
Starry Eyes, 2014
Stepfather II, 1989
The Stepfather, 1987
Stonehearst Asylum, 2014
Story Game, 2020
Swarmed, 2005
Tales from the Crib: American Nightmares, 2018
Terraformars, Season 1-2 , 2014
Terrifier, 2016
Terror Birds, 2016
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: 40th Anniversary Edition, 1974
The Ghosts of Borley Rectory, 2021
The Nights Before Christmas, 2019
The Pit and the Pendulum, 1991
The Visitor 1979
They/Them, 2022*
To the Devil… A daughter, 1976
Tourist Trap, 1979
Train to Busan, 2016
Trash Fire, 2016
Triangle, 2009
Unidentified, 2006
V/H/S, 2012
Vamp U, 2011
Vampire in Vega, 2009
Vampire Princess Miyu, Season 1-2, 1997
Vanishing on 7th Street, 2010
The Vault, 2021
Victor Crowley, 2017
The Void, 2016
The Wailing, 2016
Warnings, 2021
We Are Still Here, 2015
Wes Craven Presents Don’t Look Down, 1998
When a Stranger Calls, 1979
Willard, 2003
Willow Creek, 2013
Wired Shut, 2021
Wolf like Me, Season 1, 2022*
Yoga Hosers, 2016
You Should Have Left, 2022*
You Won’t Be Alone, 2022*
Zombie Night, 2013
Zoombies, 2016

HALLOWEEN THEMED TV EPISODES
30 Rock: “Stone Mountain” (2009) – Season 4, Episode 3
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “HalloVeen” (2017) – Season 5, Episode 4
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Halloween II” (2014) – Season 2, Episode 4
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Halloween III” (2015) – Season 3, Episode 5
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Halloween IV” (2016) – Season 4, Episode 5
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: “Halloween” (2013) – Season 1, Episode 6
Charmed: “All Halliwell’s Eve” (2000) – Season 3, Episode 4
Charmed: “Kill Billie, Volume 1” (2005) – Season 8, Episode 6
Everybody Hates Chris: “Everybody Hates Halloween” (2005) – Season 1, Episode 6 
Everybody Loves Raymond: “Halloween Candy” (1998) – Season 3, Episode 6
George Lopez: “Halloween Cheer” (2002) – Season 2, Episode 4
George Lopez: “Leave It to Lopez” (2004) – Season 4, Episode 5
George Lopez: “No One Gets Out Alive” (2003) – Season 3, Episode 7
George Lopez: “Trick or Treat Me Right” (2005) – Season 5, Episode 5
The King of Queens: “Ticker Treat” (2001) – Season 4, Episode 6
Law & Order: “Ghosts” (2005) – Season 16, Episode 3
Law & Order: Criminal Intent: “Masquerade” (2006) – Season 6, Episode 6
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: “Glasgowman’s Wrath” (2014) – Season 16, Episode 6 Monk: “Mr. Monk Goes Home Again” (2005) – Season 4, Episode 2
Murder, She Wrote: “Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble” (1989) – Season 5, Episode 13
Murder, She Wrote: “Legacy of Borbey House” (1993) – Season 10, Episode 3
Murder, She Wrote: “Nan’s Ghost: Part 1” (1995) – Season 12, Episode 6
Murder, She Wrote: “Night of the Headless Horseman” (1987) – Season 3, Episode 11 
Murder, She Wrote: “Reflections of the Mind” (1985) – Season 2, Episode 6
Murder, She Wrote: “The Witch’s Curse” (1992) – Season 8, Episode 12
Parks and Recreation: “Greg Pikitis” (2009) – Season 2, Episode 7
Parks and Recreation: “Halloween Surprise” (2012) – Season 5, Episode 5
Parks and Recreation: “Meet ‘n’ Greet” (2011) – Season 4, Episode 5
Parks and Recreation: “Recall Vote” (2013) – Season 6, Episode 7
Psych: “This Episode Sucks” (2011) – Season 6, Episode 3
Punky Brewster: “Love Thy Neighbor” (1985) – Season 2, Episode 10
Punky Brewster: “The Perils of Punky: Parts 1” (1985) – Season 2, Episode 6
Punky Brewster: “The Perils of Punky: Parts 2” (1985) – Season 2, Episode 7
Superstore: “Costume Competition” (2018) – Season 4, Episode 4
Superstore: “Halloween Theft” (2016) – Season 2, Episode 7
Superstore: “Sal’s Dead” (2017) – Season 3, Episode 5
Superstore: “Trick-or-Treat” (2019) – Season 5, Episode 6
Two and a Half Men: “Hi, Mr. Horned One” (2005) – Season 3, Episode 6
Two and a Half Men: “The Ol’ Mexican Spinach” (2014) – Season 12, Episode 1

Cool shit to buy

No Spells Needed! The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook for Kids Makes Halloween Cooking Easy!

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Come little children (and adults lacking any sense of cooking knowledge), we’ll take thee away to a land of kitchen enchantment where cooking can be easy, spooky fun, and virtually impossible to screw up!

Yes. I am an adult who needs these kinds of recipes in my life, and I know I’m not the only one out there! Enter author and curator of The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook for Kids: 50 Fun and Easy Recipes for Tricks, Treats, and Spooky Eats Inspired by the Halloween Classic, Bridget Thoreson to guide kids and adults alike through a series of recipes that honors a beloved Halloween classic and creating simple and delicious Halloween meals and treats – don’t worry, there are no kids on toast anywhere in the book.

I recently went through this cookbook, and as a mom and both a kid/teen who grew up in the 90s, I can assure you that these nostalgic recipes are almost fool-proof, so we won’t be screaming like Winifred that, “My eyes have misted over with the tragic tears of a lifetime of failure.” Along with the apparent recipe homages to the film, like “Dead Man’s Toes” and “Black Flame Candle Pretzels”, all the food chapters call back to a time when we were children of after-school Halloween parties or the spread your parents put out on Halloween itself as the recipes transport you back to the glorious holiday as it looked, smelled, and tasted like as kids of the 90s’. And to boot, Ulysses Press and distributor Simon & Schuster has sent over some sample recipes for you to grab your witch spoon and conjure up before heading over to your local retailer and snatching up these simple spellbinding Halloween (or anytime) recipes!

Krispy Rice Booooooks

These books may not have been bestowed by strange and ridiculously beautiful witches in a dark wood, but since they’re treats meant for children, that is definitely a good thing. Like a magical tome containing powerful and evil spells, these treats will tempt anyone from young magicians to “clever white witches.”

You can get as cute or as ugly as you desire with your decorations, but remember that all great boooo—ooo-ooooks have all-seeing eyes.

SERVES 12

PREP TIME 10 minutes

COOK TIME 20 minutes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (10-ounce) package of marshmallows

6 cups crispy rice cereal

12 White Milk Chocolate Hershey’s Kisses

1 tube black or brown cake-decorating icing

1. Place the butter and marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave for another minute. Stir until smooth.

2. Add the crispy rice cereal to the melted marshmallows and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed.

3. Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Evenly press the marshmallow mixture into the pan, using a buttered spatula or wax paper. Let cool completely.

4. Once cool, cut into 12 rectangles, 2 x 3 inches each. Press a white chocolate candy, point-down, into the right side of each rectangle.

5. Cut the tip of the icing tube. Squeeze the tube gently to make eyelashes for the candy eyes, scars, or other decorations.

Enchanting Cheese Gougère

A witch is nothing without thy coven, and a chef is nothing without a deceptively easy go-to brunch recipe. This skillet gougère is mostly egg and cheese, but I guarantee it will put a spell on kids and adults alike—trust me. I’m a witch. I know things.

As a quick personal aside, this is an incredibly easy recipe for a budding chef to help with. It was the very first thing my coven concocted together when my daughter started “helping” in the

kitchen at 18 months. If you premeasure the cheese and flour into plastic bowls, even the littlest kitchen witch can help pour the ingredients and gently mix them together.

SERVES 6

PREP TIME 10 minutes

COOK TIME 25 minutes

3 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top

4 ounces grated

gruyère cheese

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl using a fork or wire whisk.

3. Add the milk, flour, and sea salt to the eggs. Mix until all the ingredients are blended.

4. Use a spatula to gently fold in the grated cheese.

5. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Use a spatula to coat the sides of the skillet with the butter.

6. Add the egg and cheese mixture to the skillet and sprinkle sea salt on top.

7. Bake until the eggs are cooked through and starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cut into wedges. Serve warm.

Dead Man’s Toes

Unlike newt saliva, oil of boil, or a bit of thine own tongue, a dead man’s toe (especially a fresh one) is not the easiest of potion ingredients to come by. At least it wasn’t in the 1600s.

When you don’t have access to a life potion with young souls already mixed in, the dead man’s toe is a critical component. But now, with modern technology, it’s easy to have access to as many dead man’s toes as you need, whether it’s for a whole party or just a little solo potion-brewing.

SERVES 8

PREP TIME 15 minutes

COOK TIME 20 minutes

8 hot dogs

1 package Pillsbury crescent rolls

Homemade Mustard

½ cup dry ground yellow mustard

½ cup water

⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a cookie sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

2. Cut each hot dog in half crosswise to make 2 short hot dogs.

3. Open the crescent roll container and unroll the dough. Cut into 16 similar-size triangles.

4. Roll each hot dog half with a crescent roll triangle so that the cut half of the hot dog is wrapped in the dough and the uncut half is sticking out.

5. Using a sharp paring knife, make 2 or 3 thin, shallow slits on the top side of each hot dog right at the edge of the crescent roll dough (this will be the knuckle).

6. Cut a long half-oval out of the top of the hot dog at the uncut end, to look like a fingernail bed.

7. Place the hot dogs on the greased cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.

8. While the hot dogs are baking, make the Homemade Mustard. Combine the mustard, water, vinegar, flour, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and paprika in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk well as you bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 8 minutes, stirring to keep it from burning. Then remove from the stove top and let cool for 5 minutes.

9. Remove the hot dogs from the oven and use the mustard to “paint” the toenails of the hot dogs. Serve with extra mustard for dipping.

10. Transfer any unused mustard to a jar, seal, and store in the refrigerator.

Harvest Festival Pizza

Pizza is a perfect food for young witches to start helping with in the kitchen—there’s limited cutting, the ingredients are easy, and everyone can pick their own toppings. For some added vitamins and autumnal flair, try this harvest vegetable pizza with seasonal squash, onion, broccoli, or even sweet potato. Even a little one who doesn’t normally love vegetables will “lose their head” over the “cheese and Crust!”

SERVES 6

PREP TIME 1 1/2 hours

COOK TIME 20 minutes

4 cups flour (use bread flour for a crispier crust or all-purpose flour for a doughier crust), or more as needed.

1 teaspoon sugar

1 packet instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups warm water, or more as needed

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small eggplant

1 green zucchini (or one red onion)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Attach the dough hook to a stand mixer. Pour the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt into the mixer bowl. Turn the mixer on medium speed to combine the ingredients.

2. While the mixer is combining the dry ingredients, add 1½ cups water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

3. Mix until the dough forms into a solid ball. Use your hands to assess the consistency of the dough. For dough that is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing. For dough that is too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing.

4. Remove the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead, then form into a smooth, firm ball.

5. Use the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to grease the inside of a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in a warm area for about 1 hour, until it expands to twice its original size.

6. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal-size pieces. Cover each piece with plastic wrap and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes.

7. Set the rack low in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. If you will be using a pizza stone, insert it in the oven now.

8. Chop the eggplant, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes to the shapes and sizes you want for your pizza toppings.

9. Unwrap a dough ball of dough and stretch and pound it into the shape and size you want. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet or stone.

10. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the dough and spread evenly with a spoon or spatula.

11. Sprinkle on the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

12. Sprinkle the cheese over the surface of the pizza.

13. Distribute the vegetables over the pizza surface. Repeat steps 9 to13 for the second ball of dough, or you can freeze the extra dough for up to 3 months.

14. Place one pizza in the oven on the pan or stone and bake until the cheese is bubbling and the pizza is lightly browned on the bottom, about 20 minutes.

15. Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a board to cut and serve.

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