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Sian Victoria © - Couple eating in bed on Halloween night

Things to Do on Halloween if You're Not Going Out

This time of year, when the weather gets cooler and the days go darker quicker, I love nothing more than returning home and getting straight in bed to hibernate and watch endless episodes on Netflix (usually repeats of Prison Break because I’m obsessed!).

Last month I shared with you how to make your bedroom cosy for Autumn. Well, this month as part of my collaboration with Studio I’m sharing with you my perfect Halloween night in at home.

Every year I’ll celebrate Halloween night with friends where we will have Halloween decorations, a full-on feast, wear a spooky costume, drink far too many ‘bloody’ cocktails and listen to thriller on repeat while my cousin tries to master Michael Jacksons moves.

But in the run-up to Halloween and during Autumn/Winter in general, my partner and I love to create homemade vegetarian recipes, be cosy and watch old 80’s/90s horror movies. Last weekend we watched Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, I don’t know if it's just us, but we find them more funny then scary, although I must admit they were pretty damn scary when we watched them underage!

This weekend we are watching the I know what you did last summer movies and then Halloween weekend we're going to watch all of the Halloween movies before watching the new one in the cinema.

So, here's how we like to create an affordable yet cosy Halloween night in at home:

1. Make a homemade dip

Sian Victoria © - Homemade hummus dip recipe, Tower glass jug blender

Our cosy weekends usually start by making delicious homemade food. Most recently we have been craving mezze platters, so we had a go at making our own. To make the hummus we started by soaking a cup of chickpeas for an hour in water. We then rinsed and boiled the chickpeas in fresh water for 30 minutes until they become tender.

To mash up the chickpeas, we used the grinder appliance from the Tower 500W Glass Jug Blender available from Studio. Once the chickpeas were broken down we added tahini, ice cold water, sea salt, garlic and lemon juice to create a soft creamy consistency.

To make the hummus even smoother you can remove the skin on each of the chickpeas. We finished by sprinkling cumin and mixed seeds to give it extra flavour and texture.

2. Prepare colorful snacks

Sian Victoria © - Halloween buffet food, healthy vegan mezze sharing platter

To accompany our freshly made hummus dip we added toasted flatbread, falafel, slices of peppers, cucumber and carrots presented in this lovely white 3 Piece Stacking Chip and Dip Set from Studio.

I’ll be using it next weekend for homemade tortilla chips made with split peas, salsa and guacamole. The 3 piece set can also be used individually.

Creating colourful snacks for Halloween doesn't have to mean eating something unhealthy and processed - snacking for the occasion can be made healthy too.

3. Grill veggie burgers

Sian Victoria © - Veggie burgers, George Foreman Grill, Lean mean fat grilling machine

For our main meal, we cooked frozen Quorn vegetarian burgers using the George Foreman Grill. This portable cooking device squeezes out any excess fat from foods into a dish below, so it’s perfect for cooking meat.

Although veggie burgers are lower in fat, it’s still surprising how much fat this ‘lean mean fat grilling machine’ helps to remove.

To show you how versatile the grill is, we grilled some leftover peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes we had. This is the largest George Foreman grill available from Studio, it can cook up to 10 pieces of meat so it’s perfect for when cooking for a social gathering like a Halloween party.

But there are also small George Foreman grills available too. The appliance cooks food a lot faster than an oven and makes the food a lot healthier too by reducing its fat content - this makes me feel less guilty when I grill far too many Quorn nuggets on it and eat them from a bowl all to myself!

Using a cooking appliance like this is a great way to be more sustainable in the kitchen. As its compact size uses less energy and cooks food a lot quicker and evenly while helping you to reduce gas and electricity bills.

4. Bake piri piri sweet potato fries

Sian Victoria © - Homemade baked sweet potato peri peri salt fries

Sian Victoria © - Halloween vegan burger & sweet potato fries, serving board & chip basket

No burger is complete without fries. So, we chopped some sweet potatoes, drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled with peri peri salt and gave them a good mix so each one was fully covered. We then cooked them in the oven for around 45 minutes until they were lovely and crisp.

To make our Halloween night in at home feel a bit like dining out we used this set of two wooden boards and chip baskets from Studio to present our veggie burger and sweet potatoes fries.

They’re perfect for an occasion like Halloween or simply having friends and family over, as it just makes the meal that extra bit special – although I must admit I could have put a lot more effort into my burger stacking presentation by adding a stick and sauces. But it tasted great, so who cares!

5. Add cosy lighting to the room

Sian Victoria © - Round bamboo lamp shade, Scandinavian bedroom interiors

Sian Victoria © - Grey faux fur slippers, Scandinavian bedroom interiors

After food it is time to get cosy, so I’ll take off my comfortable grey faux fur slippers and put on my soft flannel pyjamas from Studio and get in bed ready to watch 80’s horror movies!

For Autumn I’ve swapped over my ceiling light, to this stylish round Bamboo light shade. It completes my Scandinavian and boho style bedroom perfectly and I can’t believe it was only £19.99 it's now one of my favourite pieces in my bedroom.

I like the orangey shade of lighting it gives off too, which looks great for Halloween as it makes me think of pumpkins or when there's a orange moon!

6. Add fairy lights & blankets to make the room feel snug

Sian Victoria © - Halloween at home, V-shaped support pillow, Scandinavian bedroom

As I mentioned previously in my how to create a cosy warm bed for winter post. I’m in love with this V-shaped pillow it’s comfortable and perfect for sitting up in bed watching movies as it supports your back and neck. I’ve made my Boyfriend buy one as he kept stealing it from me every time I left the room.

A cosy bed isn’t complete without a throw, so we have this lovely tassel como cotton throw from Studio too which my dog has taken ownership of. We have also added some copper wire lights to layer over the wall frames, to make the bedroom look a bit more atmospheric while we are watching movies.

They’ll be great for Christmas too as they can be bent to fit around anything. I was originally going to fit them around the pole of my grey metal floor lamp but thought they would look best centre stage in the room.

7. Light scented candles to create a relaxing atmosphere

Sian Victoria © - Halloween at home, Lavender candle, Scandinavian style interiors

Sian Victoria © - Halloween at home, White decorative wall ladder shelf, Scandinavian style interiors

The wide ladder style wall rack in white from Studio is another new addition to my bedroom, it’s perfect to display my houseplants on.

It’s also where I’ll light my candles so that they’re out of the way from my dog's wagging tail. This Wax Lyrical English Lavender candle has top notes of lavender and a hint of chamomile, so its great to put on when its time to relax after a long day. It can help to create a better nights sleep.

I love how the rustic round mirror from Studio reflects the candle and bamboo light too.

8. Clean up along the way so there’s more time to enjoy the night

Sian Victoria © - Chrome finish dish rack in white minimalist kitchen

The biggest nightmare of having a celebration at home is having to deal with the aftermath. Unfortunately, other than buying an unsustainable dishwasher I have no magic solution of not having to do the washing up.

But I have found a way of getting out of the drying up so that I can get back to watching spooky movies quicker! I picked out this chrome finish dish rack from Studio.

Not only because the chrome matches my plug sockets and cupboard handles but because I can store so much more on this rack than my previous one, so my plates and utensils dry a lot better.

9. Get cosy and watch Halloween movies

Sian Victoria © - Halloween at home, Couple in bed with blue merle border collie dog

Halloween isn't complete without a scary movie or series marathon, so get some nibbles, wrap up in a cosy blanket, put some atmospheric lights on and enjoy Halloween at home with your loved ones this season.

To conclude

So, there you go, my cosy Halloween night in with items from Studio.co.uk.

Studio are an online shopping destination where you'll find great quality products at affordable prices. If you’re a first-time customer, you can claim free delivery by using code 089.

Stay tuned to see my Christmas edition in collaboration with Studio, about my festive season essentials for cosy winter nights.

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