A Disney Halloween at Home

I have always wanted to visit a Disney resort during the Halloween season. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that in the next couple of years; but it seems that with the current situation it will be a home Halloween and you know it’s gonna be a bit Disney!

Disney+ has a collection of Halloween films which I have been working my way through for the past few days. I adored Haunted Mansion and Halloweentown as a kid so I’ve really enjoyed the nostalgia I’ve got from watching them. I’m planning on a little Hocus Pocus

tonight, (can you believe I saw Hocus Pocus for the first time only last year!) and then I’ll be straight onto season 2 of The Mandalorian on October 30th. I really love when a streaming site creates a collection for a season and Disney has created a cracking selection on Disney+.

I’ve also been making my way through Netflix’s Halloween options. The Netflix original Hubie Halloween is an enjoyable watch. Created by Adam Sandler, and what seems to be a Grown Ups cast reunion, this film is a mickey take on 90’s horror films like scream and will give you a nice little spooky laugh. The Addams Family is also a classic at Halloween, as well as the Hotel Transylvania films; so I’d definitely suggest a cheeky look on Netflix at their Halloween options.

If you’re looking for a little bit of Halloween homeware then I’d definitely suggest a trip to Asda. Asda’s Halloween aisle is great for sweets, costumes and more. I picked up a Maleficent hanging decoration for £2 and a couple villain glasses for £3 each; I definitely would have gotten more if I had the cupboard space though! They are also offering pumpkin carving kits which are great for more detailed designs as well as to keep the kids away from sharp kitchen knives. These range from about £2 to £5, as they contain different utensils and

stencils. My boyfriend and I went for the £3 collection as there were two of each utensil and a little stencil pack for him to use. The pumpkins are also a great price at £1.50 for the perfect size. We spent a good couple hours watching Halloween films and carving our pumpkins, but we truly had a great time. I’d definitely suggest a little pumpkin carving session as it really does give you the spooky warming Halloween vibes all us Disney lovers are after at this time of year.

The Disney Store also has some good Halloween offerings like costumes and plushes. This season the merchandise seems to be aimed more towards kids, most likely because of the current restrictions on travelling and park closures. However, if you look around there are still some good steals on the website and sale sections. I purchased a Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas) t-shirt dress last year which I noticed is once again on sale this year, just like a few Jack Skellington clothing items. The plushes of Mickey and Minnie are quite cute this year and there are few new bits of villain and NBC merch which is great to see. I’d always have a little look on the website to see if there’s something you want before heading out to the shop though.

I’ve been getting into a lot of cooking this Halloween season. I made spiced pumpkin soup out of the discarded innards from our pumpkins, as well as toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s always good to reduce waste but also the soup is delicious! I’ve also started making cinnamon caramelised apples which are such an autumnal treat in my book. I like to add these to my breakfasts if I fancy a little sweet treat, below I’ll put both the soup and apple recipe if you want to give them a little go!

Halloween is such a fun season which does not need to be too spooky if you don’t want it to be. I hate horror films and such but love the season, so I always try my best to celebrate. I’m going to dress up for work on Saturday because I’ve always loved dressing up. A couple years ago I did my own take on Dr Facilier from Princess and the Frog and it went down a treat. Disney costumes are really versatile and can be easy and fun for all the family!

I hope this has given you some fun ideas on how to celebrate the Halloween season. And hopefully you’ll be able to throw a bit of Disney in there too. Have a magical time!

Recipes

Spiced Pumpkin Soup (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• Innards of 2 ‘large’ pumpkins, seeds removed

• 100g frozen butternut squash

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 red chilli, diced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tsp hot chilli powder

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 6 sprigs fresh coriander, chopped

• 500ml vegetable stock

• 1 tsp honey

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the diced onion, chilli and garlic. Cover for 10 mins until soft, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the pumpkin, butternut squash and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer.

3. Stir in the cinnamon, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the thyme, coriander and honey. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Take off the heat.

6. Using a handheld blender, blend the soup until the desired consistency.

7. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Caramelised Apples (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 gala apples (most types of apples will work fine)

• 15g butter or low fat spread

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

• 2 tsp honey

Method:

1. Core and finely slice the apples.

2. Heat up a small pan and add the butter.

3. Once the butter has melted, add the apples and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Stir in the cinnamon and honey, make sure all apples are coated and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the sugar, cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Serve on top of porridge, toast, rice pudding or use as a pie filling.

7. Enjoy!