Sinister Saturday – No Bake Cherry Cheesecake (Semi-win!)

Sinister Saturdays in October is the horror part of my web blog, with my failed baking attempts that are simply terrifying!😄

Today I tried Jell-O brand’s No Bake Cherry Cheesecake. Perfect choice for me, not only is it 103 degrees in SoCal.🥵 No baking means less chance to screw up the recipe.

Ah, but I didn’t say zero!

First thing you need is a box of Jell-O brand’s No Bake Cherry Cheesecake. Super easy, only 3 other ingredients needed, milk, butter and sugar.

Next, you follow the instructions on box, mixing butter and sugar together to make the crust first; and then, add milk to create cheesecake mix.

Unfortunately, my attempt to make a crust with just two ingredients, just two, derailed my plan to successfully make a no bake cherry cheesecake.

The crust results were so awful and I got so frustrated, I forgot to take a picture before tossing. Basically it was too clumpy and wouldn’t lie flat in the pan. It was just a big mess. No idea what I did wrong. Too much butter?

But folks, this ain’t my first rodeo. You can look back previous years to see I’m no Rachel Ray (Haunted cake pan fail). I suspected I’d mess up and so I bought a back-up. Keebler elves to the rescue!

Poured the mix into my store bought ready made graham crust and popped it in the fridge for a few hours.

Finally, time to decorate by adding the cherry topping.

The cherry filling packet was actually a little sparse. I suggest buying a can of cherry pie filling to supplement. It’s probably how other people’s pictures of their cherry cheesecake looks so good. Mine, not so much.😄

Now, anyone about to chastise me about using store bought ingredients or lazy baking, let me tell you to fuck right off as plainly as I can. I have no time for that. I have no time for you. Go hit up the Food Network. The rest of us got a Halloween to celebrate! This is Sinister Saturday, bitches!🎃

Happy Halloween!

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Haunted Blue Vodka

Happy Friday! It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps! It’s October and 100 degrees out west, not very Fall nor Halloween weather but what can we do.

I recently gave up soda and took up sparkling water as a go-to beverage. Of course it was only a matter time before I started experimenting like mad scientist mixing concoctions. Haunted Blue Vodka is this week’s freakish refreshment.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Blue Curacao
1.5 oz. Chilled vodka
4 oz. sparkling water (I choose coconut La Croix)
Splash of lime juice

Garnish: fresh fruit, flowers, tiny umbrella (opt)

Pour chilled ingredients into a glass and stir well.

Tastes like alcoholic soda water, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I’m gonna warn ya up front. But, you can play around with the recipe and add more sparkling water if it’s too strong or vice versa. Honestly, it’s probably a better summer drink than fall but it’s kinda perfect for a SoCal Halloween.

Have fun. Please don’t drink and drive. Be safe out there this season!

Happy Halloween 2026!

We celebrate all 31 days in October and before I share the Halloween schedule this year, I just wanted to say a few words.

There’s a lot of misery in the world right now, and a lot of bad people. You have choice. Full stop. YOUR choice holds more power than you think. If it didn’t, so many people wouldn’t be trying to control it or take it away from you. Always remember that.

This is not just to remind my American friends to vote this November, it’s a reminder to all that sharing our cultural traditions helps preserve them and embracing our communities makes us stronger and breaks down barriers between human beings. This is the time of year when people do the most for each other, and the Halloween season is all about community.

Spirit Halloween’s charitable org Spirit of the Children celebrates 20 years!

So, I want to encourage people to go out and get involved in community events. Go to an art show, holiday fair or school carnival, visit a haunted maze, go to the theater to watch a spooky play or movie, invite some neighbors over on Halloween night and pass out candy together. Start a new tradition.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, CA just opened a new horror movie exhibition.

I’m also going to repeat something I said last year because I believe in it so much:

Don’t let anyone tell you how to do Halloween. Decorate or not. Wear a costume or not. We can be scary and sweet. We can be spooky and cute. Let the teenagers trick or treat. Kids collecting candy are too occupied to do anything else. I truly believe Halloween makes people happy. It’s about community. We need our communities more than ever. It’s the only thing that can save America now.

Be sure to check back every day this October for cool, fun, and inspirational Halloween, horror, and haiku.

HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE 2026

Monday Macabre

Every Monday, I’ll be posting a brand new Halloween Haiku.

Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Check in on Tuesdays for some trivia fun. I’ve got treats and I’ve got tricks!

Wicked Art Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase the amazing and unique talents of Halloween artists from around the globe. Real art, not ai made.

Timeless Thursdays

Every Thursday, let’s travel back in time and revisit the spookiest toys and games.

Friday Fright Nightcaps

Bubble bubble, drink away trouble. It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps!

Sinister Saturdays

Decadent desserts from the darkside. I’m not much of a cook, so this could get truly evil.

Spooky Sundays

Spooky Sundays are for reading, relaxing, and recharging our brooms.

Let’s eat, drink and be scary!

8th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge2026

The Halloween Haiku Challenge returns for one day only this October. The contest starts midnight on October 30th through Halloween day and a winner will be chosen on November 1st.

More details to come, but for now, sharpen those pencils or pull up a blank page; I can’t wait to see those Halloween haiku!

Don’t forget to follow Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Pinterest and Blue Sky.

Have a Happy Halloween season, everyone! Be safe out there!🎃

Halloween Candy Alternatives

Happy Fall! The Halloween season has officially begun and instead of posting a horror movie list this month, I thought I’d share a list of best Halloween candy alternatives.

Anyone who’s been to the grocery store lately has noticed prices are up. Between cocoa and sugar shortages, trump’s stupid tariffs, rising manufacturing and packaging costs, and corporate greed, Halloween candy prices are also up again for the sixth consecutive year.

Now, I’ve always tried to keep optimistic about the over-commercialism of Halloween. I love how Halloween brings out the creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit of some people, but left’s face it, sometimes capitalism goes too far.

Turns out kids actually like getting little Halloween novelty toys and glow sticks in lieu of candy. So this list is for those looking to please trick or treators without breaking the bank this season.

Silicone or rubber slap bracelets, squishy toys and fidget toys are all the rage. Many of these items can be found at dollar stores or Oriental Trading Company (OTC), a popular seller of bulk novelty, party, and craft supplies store that offers dozens of options of Halloween alternative items.

Bulk Halloween Character Rubber Duck Assortment – 60 pc $24.99, OTC

Personally, I’m more into eco-friendly wooden Halloween pencils, Halloween notepads, and cute little Halloween stickers or temporary tattoos.

Cash and coins are still cool, but not good if your neighborhood hosts a lot of trick or treators. Naturally, quarters are preferred over dimes and pennies, but hey, if you’re about to spend $40 on miniature candies and have around 150 trick or treaters, financially it works out about the same anyway.

Halloween Rubber bracelets, 32-pc $49, Kohl’s

Keep this mind, glow sticks, rubber bracelets and tiny plastic toys may provide instant happiness and are great candy alternatives, but they’re also not biodegradable, and that’s bad for the environment and unsafe for wildlife.

Halloween pencils, 16-pc set $1.50, Dollar General

Ask yourself if you’re looking to be more budget conscious or be environmentally or sensory friendly this season. There are so many alternatives about there!

Sensory-friendly Pop Fidget Toys, $1.50 Dollar General

Before you forego your candy treats, first determine your budget and the number of expected trick-or-treators you anticipate this year.

Free Halloween Printables from iHeartCraftyThings.com

There are still plenty of reasons and ways to celebrate Halloween without spending gobs of money. Don’t forget, you could always mix and match.

Whatever you decide, I wish you a Happy Halloween!

Be safe out there!

Monthly Haiku Corner – September 2026

Summerween might be ending next week, but where I live, I’m not so sure the temperatures are coming down.🥵

Truth is, I envy those who can walk out their front door and experience a fall that I only see in pictures. To have mother nature showering you with inspiration, inviting you into the dreamscape and awakening your soul with the crisp morning air…. it’s kinda the only thing I dream of right now. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.

The point is September feels less like Fall out west more and more each year. Climate change is real, and this is a reminder to all to treat the planet more kindly, because it’s the only one with pumpkins, and we can’t have Halloween without pumpkins! Full stop!

dried out fall leaves
chocolate melting in the sun
SoCal halloween

Be safe out there.

Welcome back ‘BER months 2026!

Happy September!

Finally, the ‘BER months return!

This is not just to remind my American friends to check if they’re registered to vote this November, it’s a reminder to all that preserving traditions and embracing our communities makes us stronger. It improves our mental health and well-being. So, I want to encourage people to choose to get involved with community as much as possible during the ‘Ber months. This is the perfect time of the year to do so.

This is the time of year when people do the most for each other. We’re all trying to bring joy into our lives and escape pain. Helping others will help youself. It’s as simple as that. It’s a proven time-tested theory. So, you wanna feel better? Get out there and be part of your community. Participate, volunteer, buy local and embrace the holiday spirit. There’s so much to do, see, and experience during the ‘Ber months.

Also, protect your wallet. People are scamming, at the highest levels. READ. Do research. See who you’re supporting and don’t support people and companies who hurt your community. We all gotta stick together and protect ourselves.

The ‘BER months are a magical time. Let’s make the most of it!

Don’t forget to follow Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Pinterest and Blue Sky.

Have a Happy Halloween season, everyone! Be safe out there!🎃

Monthly Haiku Corner – August

Midsummer Scream never fails to get me excited for the Halloween season! More on my MSS experiences later but today I’m ready to kick off the unofficial start to Halloween 2026!

It’s two weeks til the ‘Ber months, our favorite time of the year. This is what we’ve been waiting 8 long months for! Four months of festive holidays, cooler temperatures and the smiles and laughter that can shape a community. Halloween is the one of the few holidays truly for everyone. It’s a season for the people, by the people. People’s creativity and passions are what fuel the love for Halloween and keeping hope alive and making people laugh is no small feat in these dark times.

Seeing as I likely have two more months of 90 degree weather giving me brain fog, I decided to lean in and accept my cheesy haiku, because we deserve all the humor we can find.🎃

summer full of dread
‘ber months are returning soon
just like your smile

Have a spook-tacular Halloween season! Be safe out there.

Monthly Haiku Corner – April 2026

April is the halfway point to Halloween! It’s also Earth Month. The easiest way to celebrate both is too plant new pumpkins for the upcoming Halloween season!

blue skies and white clouds
planting jack o lanterns
from seed to smile

Be safe out there.

Winners of the Halloween Haiku Challenge 2025

Happy November! Anyone else forget to set their clocks back? LOL Here are the winners of the Halloween Haiku Challenge 2025!

We had three talented writers submit some great spooky original haiku in this year’s Halloween Haiku Challenge. It was another tough one to judge! Congratulations to all the winners!

1st Place:

2nd Place:

3rd Place:

I will directly contact winners to get mailing details to get prizes out. Please do not post personal information here or on social media.

I thank all participants for their contributions on making this a successful haiku challenge.

This concludes the Halloween season 2025. I thank everyone who stopped by this past October and shared in our love for Halloween, horror, haiku, and all things spooky!

May November be kind to you all. Be safe out there!

Friday Fright Nightcaps – The Bride’s Nightcap

Happy Friday! Tonight’s Friday Fright Nightcap is The Bride’s Nightcap, a Midori and pear vodka cocktail in celebration of Frankenstein Friday.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Midori
2 oz. pear vodka
.5 oz. Malibu (or white rum)
.5 oz. Key West lime juice (or lime juice)
4 oz. lemonade

Mix ingredients well. Garnish with Maraschino cherries or fresh fruit. Serve chilled.

I got a little exotic using Malibu and Key West lime juice. Honestly, regular white rum and lime juice will work too. It’s a little sweet if you don’t add the lime juice and Isuppose regular vodka is fine too. F*** it, use what you got. Midori is the star of the show no matter how you dice it.