I accidently started a tradition when we moved to Wisconsin. But I guess when I think about it, isn't that how some of the best traditions start? The memorable moments that happen naturally and aren't set up with the pressure of being a "family tradition". When you start out with that expectation it puts a lot of pressure on the event/activity. You spend your time trying to make everything perfect so that everyone else enjoys it, so it's something they talk about and want to do again. Then what happens is you are burnt out and you can't relish in the fun moment you created because it has now became this whole big thing.
This accidental tradition started in October 2015. We had been in Wisconsin for almost 1 year and our first Halloween in the community was approaching. The previous few years we spent Halloween night trick or treating with friends in the community we lived in in Ohio and on the weekend we took the kids trick or treating with their cousins in my hometown.
This year though was different. We hadn't found that crew to go trick or treating with yet and we lived in the country. I mean have you ever trick or treated in the country? Nope! And there is a reason for that. It's because there were a total of about 4 houses in the 2 miles stretch of our road and what are the chances that the elderly bachelor down the street actually had bought candy for the non existent trick or treaters he got every year? And buckling and unbuckling two young children in car seats at every stop is not very much fun for mom!
I did take the girls into town for the Business Spooktacular. This is where you trick or treated to different businesses in town. I thought it was fantastic! Not knowing which neighborhoods to go to, or who you were getting candy from (I grew up in a very small community. You pretty much knew every single person you were getting candy from) kind of freaked me out. While the Spooktacular was fun, it wasn't as much fun as going with friends.
So I wanted to make Halloween special for the kids (pretty sure it was more for me then them because life in a new state without friends or family around is TOUGH!) So I thought we would have a Halloween Themed dinner. My Godmother had done Halloween themed dinners before and provided some pretty good Facebook inspiration.
The girls helped and we whipped up something spooky and tasty. To be honest, I can't remember what our main dish was but I am thinking it was steak because you can't go wrong with a bone in steak. The side dishes made it extra "spooky". We had bone shaped breadsticks, deviled eggs with olive spiders, spider web loaded mashed potatoes, and finally a chocolate pudding dessert with topped with whipped topping ghosts.
Turns out the girls LOVED it! Not only did they LOVE it, they helped name it "Spooky Super" and started talking about when we do it next year. And that is how the Spooky Super tradition was born.
Some years we do it as a family of four, some years we have invited friends we have made, but every year the girls start asking to plan the meal months in advance and enjoy a night we accidently made a tradition.
Do you have any accidental traditions you started? I would love to hear your stories on how they started. Shoot me an email or comment below with your story.
If you are looking to have a fun themed dinner for your friends and/or family, whether it starts a tradition or not, here are some ideas of different dishes we have made over the past few years...
Spooky Supper 2015:
Dinner
- Steaks (I think?)
- Bone shaped breadsticks
- Deviled eggs with spider olives
- Loaded mashed potatoes with sour cream spiderweb and olive spiders
Dessert
- Pudding in a cloud with whipped topping ghosts
Drinks
- Orange soda
Spooky Supper 2016: (Not super different from the year before!)
Dinner
- Steaks
- Loaded french fries with sour cream spiderweb and olive spiders
- Candy corn fruit cups (layers of mandarin oranges, pineapple, and coolwhip)
- Bone breadsticks
Dessert
- Pumpkin pretzels (chocolate dipped pretzels to look like pumpkins)
- Big chocolate chip cookie from the grocery store
Drinks
- Orange soda
Spooky Supper 2017:
Appetizers
- Mummy wrapped meatballs with marinara for dipping
- Pumpkin shaped cheeseball
Dinner
- Ghost face chicken parmesan and spaghetti
- Spooky salad
- Bone Breadsticks
Dessert
- Spiderweb trifle
Drinks
- Orange soda
- Cider
Spooky Supper 2018:
Breakfast for dinner edition!
- Monster mouth donuts
- Pancakes with blood syrup (strawberry syrup)
- Sausage and bacon
- Yogurt and maple pecan granola
- Batty fruit kabobs - black grapes and mango
- Pumpkin face organges
- Spinach salad with bacon and avocado egg eyeballs
Spooky Super 2019:
Planning is still in the works but the main dish will be burgers topped with pumpkin face Wisconsin cheddar cheese. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what we come up with for this year.