The Perfectly Vegan Halloween Party

When the season nears for goblins and ghouls planning a Halloween party to celebrate the occasion only seems appropriate. Halloween parties are fun for all, and should be fun to plan as well. If you are vegan or vegetarian do not fear, all the tricks and treats are here!

Eco Decorations:

Decorating for a vegan party also means thinking green. When choosing décor for the occasion keep it simple, and try to use things that you already have.

Hanging Ghosts

This is fun and simple, and sure to bring a spooky feel to the party!

What you will need:

An old White/Cream Sheet

Scissors

Black String

Black Marker

Fallen Leaves from the Yard

Sewing Needle

1.) Using the sheet and scissors, cut out as many squares that you can. Make the squares about 14''x14'', depending on how large you want your ghosts to be.

2.) In the middle of the square place about 7-10 large sized leaves and twist the sheet into a ball around them tightly. This is the ghost's head.

3.) Tie the string around the bottom of the ball to keep the leaves in place.

4.) Using the marker, draw a ghostly face

5.) With the needle and string, loop the string through the top of the ghost's head one time then tie. Leave enough string to hang from ceiling, tree, doorway, etc.

6.) Using the scissors, or other shredding tool, fray the bottoms of the ghost giving them a spookier look.

7.) Hang throughout home or yard and save them for next year!

Organic Jack-O-Lantern

Most places now offer organics in just about everything, including pumpkins. When making a Jack-O-Lantern for a party decoration, remember that there is need for originality and art!

What you will need:

Large Kitchen Knife

Small Kitchen Knife

Nails

Large Spoon

X-Acto Knife (or similar)

Newspaper

Orange or White Christmas Lights

1.) Decide on a design. There are many online to choose from and print out.

2.) Place the template on the pumpkin and hold into place by a few small nails or tacks.

3.) Using the nails punch out holes following the pattern to display a cutting guide of your design.

4.) On spread out newspaper cut the top off of the pumpkin with the large kitchen knife, usually a circle or oval cut will do.

5.) Remove all of the pumpkins "guts" and save the insides (including seeds) to bake with later!

6.) After the guts are removed, use the cutting tools to carve your design.

7.) When you are finished carving place a small stand of Christmas lights, or organic tea light candle in pumpkin.

To make your Jack-O-Lantern solar powered visit this site: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Solar-Powered-Jack-o-Lantern!-yay

-After the fall season throw your pumpkin into the compost pile!

The Graveyard

What you will need:

Old boxes/ Cardboard

Marker

Scissors

Shovel

Gray, White, Black, and Green Paint

1.) Cut the cardboard into grave stones. Make some large and some small to scatter throughout your cemetery.

2.) Paint your gravestones gray, use white and black paints for blending and shading. Use the green to pain on old vines and grasses. If you do not have eco friendly paint on hand, children's paints usually are environmentally friendly and non-toxic, such as Crayola. Leave about 3'' at the bottom so they can be placed in the ground.

3.) After the pain dries get creative and use a marker to write the names and years on the headstones.

4.) Use the shovel to make a small space in the ground that the "stones" will fit into

5.) After the holiday, store these stones for next year!

Vegan Treats

Squirmy Worms in Dirt

This fun snack is perfect for children to make and eat!

What you will need:

Soy Pudding (Chocolate or Vanilla, maybe both to please all guests)

Gummy Worms (Check ingredients, if a store near you doesn't carry them use raisins and make the snack "ants in dirt")

Crushed Chocolate Cookies (Nabisco Chocolate Cream Oreos or Nabisco Halloween Oreos are the best, and vegan!)

Plastic (Reusable) Halloween Cups

1.) Pour pudding into each cup, filling it about half way full

2.) Add crumbled cookies on top

3.) Add worms or ants!

Rinse out the cups when the guests are finished so they can take them home and reuse them!

Vegan Popcorn Balls

What you will need:

2 ½ c un-popped corn

¼ c chocolate chips (dark chocolate)

Vegan Caramel

I found this easy process to make vegan caramel:

Vanilla Caramel

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

4 tablespoons Earth Balance (or other vegan butter)

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Boil sugar, corn syrup, margarine and coconut milk to firm-ball stage, 245 degrees F. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

1.) After making the caramel, add chocolate chips to the pan.

2.) Pop the corn

3.) Drizzle the caramel mixture over the popcorn and form into balls

Spaghetti and Eye Balls

What you will need:

Noodles (macaroni, spaghetti, linguine...)

1 bag vegan "meat" crumbles

Black Olives

Spaghetti Sauce

3 TBSP Olive oil

¼ c firm tofu

1.) Boil noodles

2.) Mash tofu

3.) In a skillet add olive oil, "meat" crumbs and mashed tofu. Let simmer, until the crumbs are cooked thoroughly.

4.) Using an ice cream scoop or spoons, make the mixture into balls

5.) Place black olives on each side of the balls, pressing firmly so olive stays in place

6.) Drain noodles, add sauce, eyeballs then serve!

Vampire Protection Pumpkin Seeds

-Using the seeds from your pumpkin you can make a great snack guests can munch on throughout the night!

What you will need:

Pumpkin Seeds

3 TBSP vegetable or olive oil

Garlic Powder

1.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2.) Do not wash the pumpkin seeds unless you have a day or two to let them dry! Instead use a damp cloth to wipe the excess "guts" off of the seeds

3.) Use oil to coat the bottom of a pan or cookie sheet

4.) Place seeds evenly on pan

5.) Sprinkle on garlic powder, to taste

6.) Bake for about 45 minutes

Pumpkin Pie Smoothies

What you will need:

Leftover pumpkin "guts"

5 cups Soy milk (vanilla is very tasty for this recipe!)

3 TSP Cinnamon

2 TES Nutmeg

About 15 Ice Cubes

5 TSP Brown Sugar

1.) Combine all ingredients into blender

2.) Blend until smooth

3.) After pouring into cups sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top

*This recipe serves about 10, to make more or less just adjust ingredients accordingly

Vegan Halloween Game Ideas:

Bobbing for Apples

Flashlight Tag in the Graveyard

Pin the nose on the pumpkin

Scary Story Hunt- Hide bits and pieces of a story and let guests piece them together

Pumpkin Hunt- Hide pumpkins as you would on an Easter "egg" hunt

Guess the pumpkin's weight

-Possibilities are endless at a Vegan Halloween party!