Having a chef for a father and an event planner for a mother, entertaining is quite literally in my blood. So when I found out Halloween was over a weekend, I immediately sprang into action. Fresh off the plane from Iceland and I was in line with oodles of candles, cobwebs, and creepy accessories for a haunted evening.

Hosting dinner parties is one of my favorite ways to get all my friends together to enjoy good food and wine… or in this case a spooky spiked cider. So this year, my sister and I hosted it at my apartment on the Upper West Side and built a centerpiece structure with candles, foam, and cobwebs. The decor also went into the cocktail of the evening which was filled with diced apples, cinnamon sticks, and of course ping pong eyeballs.

The menu was simple with an eye ball caprese (made with small mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil) an incredible cheese and charcuterie plate, and a green spinach pasta in a vodka sauce.

This Halloween really was magical, with the perfect fall weather in the city, amazing themed events and the company of genuine friends. After two challenging costumes and a full weekend of parties, I think it's safe to say that all Hallows' eve is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays.