On the Homefront: Dogs in Costumes Halloween Table

Drake the Devil Dog wishes you a very scary - I mean merry - Halloween!

Recent purchases from HomeGoods inspired the theme for this year's Halloween table.  The placemats and dog bowl used for the snack mix are printed with a fun costumed dogs theme, and the small square plates feature a Dalmatian wearing a dapper bow tie, so of course I went with a Halloween dogs table in colors of orange, black, and white.

Hallow Home Dogs in Halloween Costumes Placemat (from Homegoods recently); square white dinner plate; black cloth napkin; MAGENTA Square Dalmatian Dessert Plate (from HomeGoods recently); white-handled flatware; orange beverage glass (from The Cupboard in Fort Collins, CO, ages ago).

A ghastly ghost (vase), horrifying haunted house (cookie jar), terrifying
tree, and glowing orange mini-pumpkins are flanked by black cat
candleholders.

A Halloween treat jar (from Pier 1 last month) holds seasonal
Hershey's Kisses recycled from previous years (because I rarely eat
candy any more and now use it mainly as décor).

The THL Dogs in Halloween Costumes Dog Bowl (from HomeGoods
recently) is ready to hold the Puppy Chow snack mix for humans (see
recipe below).

This table would be great for a children's Halloween dinner, so I decided to come up with a child-friendly menu, once again with a dog theme!  Hot dogs (uncured nitrate/nitrite-free turkey for me) had to be the main dish, and the rest of the menu has some connection to dogs or puppies as well.  Make this menu easy on yourself if you like by using pre-made deli slaw and canned chili plus frozen hush puppies.  If you are more industrious, use your favorite chili and coleslaw recipes.  My favorite chili recipe can be found here, but I have to admit that I usually just use packaged slaw mix and bottled slaw dressing to make coleslaw (I stir in about 2 T. pickle relish to add a bit of "je ne sais quoi" to my slaw!).

Really dedicated cooks and/or those who are gluttons for punishment could also make their own hush puppies (a simple and straightforward recipe can be found here), but personally I like to avoid deep-frying anything, especially when a frozen alternative that can be baked is so easy to find here in Georgia.  For dessert, you could buy the Drake's Devil Dogs snack cakes that inspired the meal's finale and serve those instead.  If you do make your own cake but do not want or need a low-carb version, try the recipe that inspired my version here.  I used marshmallow creme for the frosting because I had a jar in the pantry that needed to be used up (from before I started my low-carb diet).  You could easily make your own topping (see the cake recipe link), or use whipped heavy cream or coconut cream instead.

Dogs in Costumes Halloween Menu:

Puppy Chow*

Chilling Chili Dogs and/or Scary Slaw Dogs

Hush Puppies Salad with Salty Dog Dressing**

Low-Carb Devil Dog Cake***

From Chex

*Puppy Chow

Also known as Muddy Buddies, this snack mix is always a favorite with kids!

6 C. Rice Chex cereal
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
2 T. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. confectioner's sugar

Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.  Combine the chips, peanut butter, and butter in a small bowl and microwave on HIGH for one minute or until the mixture begins to melt.  Stir and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds.  Stir in the vanilla.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir gently to coat evenly.  Place the mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add the confectioner's sugar and shake until the cereal mixture is well coated.  Transfer the mixture to a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment and cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

**Hush Puppies Salad with Salty Dog Dressing

Add and/or substitute any vegetables you like in this salad (which is what I did to the original recipe).  If you are making this menu for children who are not big fans of green salads, simply make extra coleslaw and serve the young ones just the hush puppies.

1 bag (5 oz.) salad greens
2 avocados, diced
4 small or 2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 English cucumber, cut into chunks
1/3 C. sliced scallions
1/4 C. roasted and salted pumpkin seeds
16 frozen hush puppies, cooked according to package directions
Salty Dog Dressing (see below)

Divide the salad greens evenly among four salad plates.  Top each plate with equal amounts of the avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, and pumpkin seeds.  Place four hush puppies atop each salad.  Drizzle the Salty Dog Dressing over the salads and serve.  Serves 4.

Salty Dog Dressing: Combine 2 C. pink grapefruit juice, 1/2 of a large shallot minced, 2 tsp. white wine vinegar, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 3/4-1 C. olive oil, and salt to taste in a large jar.  Shake until well combined.

***Low-Carb Devil Dog Cake

A slightly modified recipe for Low-Carb Dark Chocolate Layer Cake is topped with marshmallow creme from a jar to create a homemade version of Drake's Devil Dog snack cakes.

2 C. almond flour
1/2 C. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. baking powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4-1/2 C. sugar (see Note)
3 T. butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 T. vanilla
1/3 C. milk
1 jar (about 7 oz.) marshmallow creme (such as Marshmallow Fluff)

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl until lump free.  Lightly beat the eggs together in a small bowl.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium-sized glass bowl until well blended (see Note).  Beat in the eggs until smooth and quickly add to the dry ingredients until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes for the square pan or 25-35 minutes for the round pan.  Cake is done when the top springs back to a light touch or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.  Top slices of the cake with the marshmallow creme and serve.  Serves 8 (round pan) or 9 (square pan).

Note: The lesser amount of sugar in this recipe makes for a very non-sweet cake, which is my preference when using a sweet topping.  If you want more sweetness, add more sugar (you can use a sugar substitute instead - Swerve is my sister's choice - but I don't like them and prefer to make a less sweet cake).  If you use coconut oil and make this cake on a cold day you may find that the oil begins to solidify.  Simply heat the wet ingredients in the microwave before adding the eggs, then temper the eggs with about 2 T. of the oil mixture before adding them to the wet ingredients.  Immediately stir the wet ingredients into the dry before the oil begins to solidify again!

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Glinda the Good Witch of the South and One-Eyed Jack the Pirate join
Witchiepoo on the credenza to show off their Halloween style.

Glinda the Good Witch

One-Eyed Jack

Witchiepoo, who can't understand why she always gets stuck with the cat!

Deputy Dawg Tex watches the frightful festivities closely, ready to
keep the peace if necessary (and join in the fiendish feasting if not!)

Lovable little Dalmatian Ladybug comes to the spooky celebration dressed
as her favorite spotted arthropod.

And here is one more puppy that I would love to invite to my canine-themed Halloween party:

This puppy's pumpkin says it all!
(from Halloween Wizard)

             

Terrifying Tuesdays: The Fog (1980)

From Horror Site

Happy Halloween!  This last installment of nautical-themed movies for Halloween features John Carpenter's classic horror film "The Fog" (1980).  The cast includes Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, and Tom Atkins, all veteran horror movie actors, as well as the always excellent Hal Holbrook.  The plot of the movie revolves around a suspicious shipwreck 100 years ago off the coast of tiny Antonio Bay in California.  An eerie glowing fog slowly seeps into town as the anniversary of that wreck approaches, and with the arrival of the fog the horror begins.

"The Fog" is not for the faint of heart, but for horror movie lovers it is a must-see (do not make the mistake of viewing the 2005 remake, which is a disappointment to say the least).  This film hits all the right nautical horror notes - a terrifying sea fog, a ghostly shipwreck, and even an imperiled lighthouse!  The only thing missing is a sea monster, although you could consider the fog itself to be a monster.  Enjoy this creepy little horror-from-the-sea film here (you can watch the trailer below), and I sincerely hope that your Halloween night is not a foggy one!

Interesting Facts: John Carpenter claimed that this film was partly inspired by "The Crawling Eye" (1958), which also featured a frightening fog.  It was decided after viewing the rough cut that "The Fog" did not include enough gore to compete with contemporaneous films, so some of the more violent scenes in the movie were added later.  This film was the first of only two movies in which Janet Leigh appeared with her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Gore Guide (0=none to 5=extreme): 3

                

Mysterious Mondays: The Story of Urashima Taro, the Fisher Lad: A Japanese Fairy Tale

From Japan Info

My mother told us this ocean-themed folk tale when we were young, and I remember thinking at the time how very similar the story was to that of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle.  Urashima Taro is a young fisherman who saves a sea turtle, and in return is allowed to visit a wonderful undersea world inhabited by a beautiful princess.  He is delighted with the world, but eventually becomes homesick for his family and asks to return home.  Although Urashima Taro is warned against this visit, he insists, and the undersea inhabitants send him home.  He is given a box to take with him, but is warned never to open the box.  Upon his return home he discovers that what he thought was just a short separation had instead been centuries.  His home and parents are long gone.  In his sorrow, he forgets the warning and opens the forbidden box, with dire consequences.  This is a rather grim fairy tale, but like many stories of this sort there is a lesson to be learned, in this case one of obedience.  Perhaps my mother had a good reason for telling us this tale!

This would be a good story to recount to children on Halloween - it is only a little bit scary, and they just might take the lesson to heart!  You can read the story here, or listen to an audio version on YouTube:

Weekend Wardrobe: Accessories for Dark Brown and Golden Yellow Fall 4x4 Wardrobe

When adding accessories to last week's warm and cheerful fall 4x4 wardrobe, I decided it was time to bring in one more color.  If you look very closely at the plaid shirt you will notice stripes of a light grey-blue in the pattern:

This cool tone works so well with the brown and yellow in the shirt that I knew it would be an excellent addition to my wardrobe, so I found some jewelry and a scarf to pull this color in.  Let's start with the jewelry, where pale blue sea glass pieces join gold as well as antique copper and brass.  I know the antique copper bracelet is for men, but I really like the color and design, and hopefully the artist is willing to make a smaller version for women!  Finally, because the inspiration scarf is horse-themed, I had to include a few pieces of equestrian jewelry:

Clockwise from top left: Surfside Sea Glass Jewelry Rose Gold Sea Glass Necklace in Aqua Blue; Biker BlingCa Gold and Sea Glass Earrings; Jewellery4Less Double Horseshoe Equestrian Bracelet in Yellow Gold; JCLeecollection Antique Copper Bracelet; The Horse Curator Running Horse Brass Cuff Bracelet; YoumeGoldJewelry Solid Gold Horse Stud Earrings in Yellow Gold.

A grey-blue scarf with thin brown stripes joins the inspiration scarf and one more brown, golden yellow, and white scarf in this next set of accessories.  Dark brown leather handbags, belt, and gloves plus a faux fur headband in a melange of brown hues are also included:

Clockwise from top left: Vintage Yellow and White Race Horse Scarf (no longer available); Hermès Grand Apparat Silk Scarf; Soul Young Women's Faux Fur Winter Headband in Nature; Solo Classe Dark Brown Women's Cashmere-Lined Simple Italian Leather Gloves; Frye Melissa Leather Shopper in Slate; Berdino Leathers Alice Calfskin Leather Tote/Shopper in Dark Brown; Coldwater Creek Spirit Double-Strap Leather Belt in Brown; Superdry Noa Noa Scarf in Aqua Gray.

Amber yellow and dark brown coats and jackets will get this wardrobe through chilly weather:

Clockwise from top left: J. Crew Italian Double-Cloth Wool Lady Day Coat with Thinsulate in Dark Amber; L.L. Bean Women's Kingfield Hooded Fleece Coat in Chocolate Heather; H&M Suede Biker Jacket in Yellow; Banana Republic Brown Sueded Moto Jacket.

While the footwear sticks to dark brown leather and suede the different styles add enough variety, and will work with all of the items in this 4x4 collection:

Clockwise from top left: Soft Style Rogan Wedge Shoes in Dark Brown Lizard; Coldwater Creek Bussola "Cage" Microfiber Boots in Brown; Life Stride Women's Viva Loafers in Brown; Diba Eli Booties in Dark Brown.

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Next week I may just switch gears and start looking at more winter-worthy wardrobe color schemes, or more likely I will decide to do one more post for fall.  After all, it took forever for the weather to achieve autumnal aspects around here, and I would not want to shortchange my favorite season!

                

Foodie Fridays: Black Bean Rotini with Vodka Sauce

You may have suspected something like this was coming after last week's Foodie Fridays recipe featuring soy bean spaghetti, but for the next few weeks I am going to regale you with recipes including bean pastas!  This week's option is perfect for Halloween, as it combines black bean rotini with a creamy orange vodka sauce.  I found the fast and easy sauce recipe at India Today, of all places, and I think the Indian influence is apparent in the use of butter and cream but no olive oil.  The original recipe called for tomato purée, which I did not have on hand, but a combination of tomato sauce and tomato paste did the trick for me.  I also did not have any red chili flakes, but a little bit of ground cayenne pepper was more than enough heat for my wimpy taste buds.

One word of warning: if you use black bean pasta, be sure to drain it very well, as the pasta turns the cooking water quite dark.  Rather than risk ending up with a rather gruesome-looking greyish-orange sauce, I rinsed the black bean pasta several times until the water was almost clear.  This dish is creamy, rich, and delicious, which I think makes it the ultimate comfort food.  And we all just might need a little comforting (and maybe a little vodka?) on eerie All Hallow's Eve!

Black Bean Pasta with Vodka Sauce

1/4 C. butter
2/3 C. vodka
red chili flakes, to taste
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
12 oz. black bean pasta (I used Trader Joe's Organic Black Bean Rotini)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a nonstick skillet.  Add the vodka and chili flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce and paste and mix well.  Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.  Pour in the cream and cook for another 5 minutes.  Stir in the cheese until well incorporated.  Season with salt to taste and set aside.  Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Rinse and drain very well and add to the vodka sauce.  Stir to combine and serve.  Serves 4.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: American Masters' "Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive"

From The Hollywood Times

A special treat on PBS just in time for Halloween is the American Masters special "Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive".  This one-hour documentary will focus on the misrepresentations of Poe's character, driven by the confusion of the author with the narrators in his macabre tales of fiction.  The show will also explore the reasons for the enduring popularity of his works.  A combination of re-enactments, readings, and interviews will reveal how Poe was able to tap into his own experiences in life to create works which connect with readers even today.

"Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive" will premiere on PBS on October 30th (9/8c, check local listings).  It will be available to stream the next day on Halloween via pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters and PBS OTT apps.  Below are two trailers for the documentary:

"I am actuated by an ambition which I believe to be an honorable one - the ambition of serving the great cause of truth, while endeavouring to forward the literature of the country."

   ~Edgar Allan Poe, letter to Washington Poe, August 15, 1840

     (from Notable Quotes)

              

Wish List Wednesdays: Creature Cups

If you are looking to start your Halloween morning with a dose of caffeine in a creepy sea creature mug, then the Creature Cup ($14.99 for 11 oz., $16.99 for 15 oz.) is for you!  These ceramic mugs feature an aquatic creature lurking in their depths.  Among the scarier options are a crocodile, a lobster, an octopus, and a shark.  The crocodile comes in red or blue, while all of the others are available in blue only.  Let one of these scary sea beasts give you a haunting hello every time you down your favorite hot beverage!

             

Terrifying Tuesdays: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

From Alchetron

"The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) is loosely based on the Ray Bradbury tale "The Fog Horn" described in yesterday's post.  The movie was already in production under the working title "Monster from the Sea" when the producers found out that Bradbury had just sold his story, which was originally entitled "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", for publication.  The movie studio bought the rights to the story and changed the name of their movie to that of the short story.  Bradbury later changed the name of his story to differentiate it from the movie.

This film is notable for being the first in which well-known animator Ray Harryhausen had full charge of the technical effects and premiered his signature stop-motion model animation technique known as "Dynamation".  The plot involves the revival from suspended animation of a fictional dinosaur called the Rhedosaurus by the detonation on an atomic bomb in the Arctic Circle.  The creature then makes its way to its ancient spawning grounds off the coast of New York City, leaving a swath of destruction in its wake.  The film was a financial success at the time of its release, and is quite well-done for the atomic bomb monster movie genre, of which it was one of the first to be produced.  You can watch the film here or here.  (Be sure to look for the scene starting at about minute 42:53, which is a fairly close reenactment of the Bradbury short story, although minus the fog horn or any empathy for the beast!)

Gore Guide (0=none to 5=extreme): 0

From Jim Lane's Cinedrome

             

Mysterious Mondays: "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury

From SlideServe

"The Fog Horn" (1951) is a very short story by American author Ray Bradbury.  As in my first Mysterious Mondays post of the month, a lighthouse and its occupants are endangered, but this time instead of arriving via shipwreck the threat appears from the bottom of the sea.  Although the creature is certainly destructive, the two main characters seem to feel more empathy than fear, even when it becomes apparent that the lighthouse will not withstand the gigantic beast's arrival.   The senior lighthouse keeper even waxes philosophical about the animal's motives for approaching the lighthouse, and goes so far as to lie about the cause of their lighthouse's collapse, presumably to keep anyone from attempting to locate this ancient creature from the ocean depths.  In a way, the giant beast is more like a third main character than a dangerous adversary in the story.

Allegedly this unique tale caught the attention of director John Huston, who then asked Bradbury to write the screenplay for the 1956 movie "Moby Dick", based on Herman Melville's novel of the same name.  Huston must have thought the story was truly remarkable, as Ray Bradbury supposedly confessed to the director that he had never been able to finish reading Melville's book!  You can read "The Fog Horn" here, or listen to an audio version on YouTube:

             

Weekend Wardrobe: Dark Brown and Golden Yellow Fall 4x4 Wardrobe

Vintage yellow and white race horse scarf (from Etsy)

When I saw the vintage race horse scarf above I immediately felt that it had the perfect color scheme for a fall wardrobe.  I love to wear chocolate brown, but yellow can be a difficult color for me.  However, I find the more golden shades of yellow (with names such as amber, saffron, sunflower, etc.) to be wearable, so I selected the darker yellow from the scarf to incorporate into the collection.  Throw in an ever so slightly warm shade of white, and the color scheme is set:

Let's start with the first set of four in that warm chocolate brown:

Clockwise from top left: H&M Wool-Blend Sweater in Dark Brown Melange; Blair Long-Sleeve Jewel-Neck Tee in Java; Coldwater Creek Pinwale Stretch Corduroys in Brown; L.L. Bean Women's Slim Perfect Fit Pants in Deepest Brown.

The second set of four features the golden yellow:

Clockwise from top left: Coldwater Creek Ribbed Turtleneck Sweater in Saffron; L.L. Bean Women's Signature Cotton Turtleneck in Dark Amber; J. Crew Women's 8" Toothpick Corduroy Pants in Golden Bandy; Coldwater Creek Knit Denim Straight Leg Jeans in Saffron.

A fun array of prints and a basic cardigan are added in the next set of four:

Clockwise from top left: J. Crew Metallic Star Print Ruffle Popover in Champagne Gold; Filson Women's Scout Shirt in Brown/Gold/Blue Plaid; Land's End Women's Supima Cotton Cardigan in Ivory; L.L. Bean Women's Signature Cotton Turtleneck in Fawn Print.

And finally, a few more tops plus a corduroy skirt round out this basic 4x4 wardrobe:

Clockwise from top left: J. Crew Three-Quarter-Sleeve Stretch Perfect Shirt in White; Banana Republic Animal-Print Stretch-Modal Long-Sleeve Crew in Brown Print; Coldwater Creek Superbly Soft Fleece Pullover in Saffron; Coldwater Creek Pull-On Pincord Skirt in Brown.

And here is the entire collection pulled together in a 4x4 format:

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The golden yellow color in particular makes this such a warm and happy wardrobe.  I was lucky to find so many print tops that fit in with my collection, as I love prints.  Next week I will attempt to add some warm and happy accessories, including the inspiration scarf, to complement these pieces.
             

Foodie Fridays: Yum Yum Chicken with Broccoli and Soy Bean Spaghetti

Once again I felt the need come up with a quick and easy recipe using convenient ingredients.  My favorite way to cook chicken is to place it in a crock pot with a cup or so of liquid and letting it cook on the HIGH setting for three hours until it is so tender it falls apart.  I will use just about any liquid, and I happened to have a bottle of yum yum sauce in the pantry, so I thought I would try it.

Yum yum sauce is pale orange and creamy, but by the time the Yum Yum Chicken was done it was neither!  Instead the chicken has a bronzed look and tastes almost like pulled barbecue chicken.  I could have used it for pulled chicken sandwiches, but I had my heart set on a pasta dish, since I just bought some bean-based pastas and wanted to give them a try.  Of the various flavors I had on hand, I chose soy bean spaghetti, mainly because of its orange color which complemented the chicken.  I was worried that bean pastas might fall apart when cooked, but the spaghetti was surprisingly resilient and actually less likely to break than wheat pasta.  I even liked the taste!

The rest of the ingredients are pretty predictable.  I used up the remainder of the Trader Joe's Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce I put on last week's pizza, but any sauce would probably work.  I happen to love the combination of chicken and broccoli with pasta (as in my recent easy recipe here), but next time I may try greens and mushrooms as the vegetable.  Any type of pasta can be used instead of the soy bean variety.  I can't wait to try the four other bean pasta flavors I have in my pantry right now - even on a low carb diet these pastas are acceptable.  Feel free to substitute any liquid for the yum yum sauce when making the chicken, but then of course it would no longer be Yum Yum Chicken!

Yum Yum Chicken with Broccoli and Soy Bean Spaghetti

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle (16 oz.) Terry Ho's Original Yum Yum Sauce
1 bag (12 oz.) microwaveable broccoli florets, cooked
1 bag (7 oz.) Bellabondonza Organic Soy Bean Spaghetti
2 C. pumpkin or butternut squash pasta sauce

Coat the inside of a crock pot lightly with cooking spray.  Place the chicken in a single layer on the bottom and pour the yum yum sauce over.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender.  Reduce the heat to WARM and shred the chicken in the pot with two forks.  Stir in the cooked broccoli, tossing to combine.  Cover and keep warm.

Cook the soy bean spaghetti according to package directions (3-4 minutes in boiling water).  Scoop the pasta into the crock pot with the chicken mixture, reserving the pasta water.  Add the pasta sauce and toss (rather vigorously!) until all of the ingredients are combined, adding reserved pasta water as needed if the mixture seems dry.  Serve warm.  Serves 6.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: Weird and Wonderful Jack O' Lanterns

The ever-popular puking pumpkin!
(from The Cut)

Let's take a break from all things supernaturally nautical this week and look at some wickedly creative jack o' lanterns instead.  From the sublime to the sickening, these transmogrified gourds are just amazing!  See for yourself, starting with the weird:

Conjoined twin pumpkins
(from HubPages)

Big pumpkin cannibalizing little pumpkin
(from Flickr Hive Mind)

Little pumpkin cannibalizing big pumpkin
(from Handmade by Mother)

Predatory pumpkin chowing down on human arm
(from Extreme Pumpkins)

Split-faced pumpkin's skull
(from Mashable)

Split-topped pumpkin's brain
(from Skull-A-Day)

And now for the wonderful:

Giant pumpkin cheeseburger
(from ABC 7 Chicago)

A cute pumpkin owl
(from Brett Bara)

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater's home, perhaps?
(from House Beautiful)

Edvard Munch's The Scream in pumpkin form
(from Design Stack)

Cozy pumpkin flames in the fireplace
(from Dump a Day)

Coastal-themed pumpkins in a seaside setting
(from Apartment Therapy)

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With so many pumpkins from my very first pumpkin patch this year, I may actually carve my own jack o' lantern, but I doubt that I could ever be creative enough to come up with a design as unique as any of the ones here!  There is, however, one jack o' lantern design that is just too frightening to even contemplate recreating:

The terrifying Trumpkin!
(from ShareTu)

BOO!!!