On the Homefront: Spooky But Sophisticated Snoopy Halloween Table

Dalmatian One-Eyed Jack never misses a Halloween celebration!

My dog-themed tables continue for Halloween, this time featuring everyone's favorite cartoon beagle - Snoopy (plus his best buddy Woodstock, even though he is a bird and not a dog)!  I just had to use my Charlie Brown Halloween Plates from Pottery Barn Kids, which set the tone for a traditional color scheme of orange and black, with just a touch of ghostly white.  These plates also inspired me to create a table with children in mind, and that includes the menu I selected.  This tablescape works for youngsters and adults because it is sophisticated as well as fun, and just a little bit spooky! Let's take a look:

Orange round woven placemat; matte black dinner plate (from Target decades ago); Charlie Brown Halloween Plate; stainless steel flatware; black cotton napkin; orange drink glass (from The Cupboard in Fort Collins, CO, eons ago).

Here are the other three Halloween plate designs:

Little Dalmatian Witchiepoo guards the pumpkin-shaped soup tureen.

This cartoon is a holiday classic from my childhood - I always enjoy
watching the Halloween antics of the Peanuts gang!

The salt and pepper shaker set is called "Hug", but I think they look
like black and white ghosts.

I found two of these black and white square plates with a swirl
design at HomeGoods years ago - they make perfect dessert
trays for the table.

I used this Grace's Bake Shop fluted pie plate from HomeGoods
this year as a candy bowl.  It has the word "BOO!" printed on the
bottom, which you would see once you got past all of the
Halloween candy!

My new pumpkin platter from Walmart this year will hold the
vegetable sticks.

A matching pumpkin bowl from Walmart will be filled with avocado dip.

This lovely Coco + Lola bowl with a batty design from HomeGoods
this year is ready to be filled with tortilla chips.

The simple menu features a favorite childhood meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, plus dessert bars which include peanut butter and jam as the main ingredients.  You can use store-bought soup as I did (our local Publix sells a great tomato bisque in their deli section) or make your own (I've included a link below to an easy recipe). The avocado dip will hopefully encourage any kids at the table to indulge in a few vegetables, but if not there are always chips to complement the dip!

Snoopy (and Woodstock) Halloween Menu:

Swamp Slime (Creamy Avocado Dip)*
Brittle Bones and Dried Hide (vegetable sticks and tortilla chips)

Bloody Bisque (Tomato Soup)

Oozing Goo Sandwiches (Grilled Cheese)

Globs of Gore Bars (Vegan PB&J Oatmeal Bars)**

*Creamy Avocado Dip

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into chunks
1/4 C. sour cream
3 T. grated Parmesan
juice of 1 lime
pinch of smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. salt

Process, blend, or use a fork to mash all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.  Serve immediately.  Makes about 1 cup.

**Vegan PB&J Oatmeal Bars

3/4 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 T. vanilla
1 C. rolled oats (I used quick-cooking oats)
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. milk (regular or dairy-free both work - I used almond milk)
3/4 C. fruit jam (I used a 10-oz. jar of raspberry jam)

In a large bowl cut the sugar into the peanut butter with a knife until well combined (you can do this with a mixer, but I prefer to mix ingredients by hand).  Stir in the vanilla with a mixing spoon until completely incorporated.

Add the oats, flour, salt, and soda to the bowl.  Stir in with a spoon, and then use your hands to combine the ingredients into a mixture of fine crumbs.  Drizzle in the milk, adding and stirring in several additions, until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.

Roll two-thirds of the dough into a ball with your hands and place in an 8-inch square baking pan that has been lined with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper (leave some overhang at the top).  Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.

If necessary, warm the jam so that it is spreadable.  Spread the jam evenly over the top of the dough base.  Crumble the remaining dough over the jam as evenly as possible.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until the bars are set and golden.  Cool completely and cut into bars (I put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm them up for cutting).  Serves 16.

Note: My bars were rather soft, so I put individual servings into foil cupcake liners.

🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃

A canine vignette on the credenza.

Woodstock and Snoopy in their jack o' lantern.

Dalmatian Ladybug returns for the Halloween party.

Dalmatian Deputy Dawg also returns to keep an eye on the
Halloween happenings.

Of course Glinda the Good Witch has reappeared, sitting safely
on my tea cart while awaiting the repast!

A fancy Halloween wreath from Pier 1 this year (no longer available)
adorns the dining room window.

For an extra special Halloween treat, you can watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966) here.

From Town & Country

I hope your Halloween is "spooktacular" this year!