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How to celebrate Halloween 2021: What to do and eat

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BABY RUTH MEXICAN VANILLA BUNDT CAKES | This dessert recipe may be difficult but you will definitely impress your guests with your baking skills. Top your Mexican vanilla bundt cake with a gooey caramel glaze and pieces of the nostalgic candy, Baby Ruth. For the Baby Ruth Mexican Vanilla Bundt Cakes recipe, click here.

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ETCH OUT AN IMPERFECT CIRCLE AT THE TOP | Ditch your inner perfectionist and give up any hope of carving a perfect circle around the top of your pumpkin. Instead, carve at an angle and leave a notch in your circle so you know how to put the two pieces back together perfectly.

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The creepiest haunted house in every state | 24/7 Tempo drew on information from the websites of places alleged to be haunted, paranormal resource materials and media reports to determine the creepiest haunted place in every state. We considered the number of cited haunting incidents as well as the story behind a place's spectral episodes.

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An assortment of pumpkin-flavored foods from Trader Joe's.

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The best Halloween movies for a good scare, according to fans | To determine the best Halloween movies according to fans, 24/7 Tempo developed an index based on audience reception using data from the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes. The index consists of each film's average IMDb user rating and Rotten Tomatoes audience score, each measure weighted equally.

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REPLACE A TRADITIONAL CANDLE WITH AN LED LIGHT | Swap out hazardous flame-lit candles with a repurposed mason jar filled with a string of lights or an LED candle for a safer way to light up your creepy creation.

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14. Indiana: Willard Library | Town: Evansville - Year built: 1885 | Since the 1930s, people have reported seeing a specter known as the "Grey Lady," who supposedly has been spotted in the library's basement.

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START CARVING | The time has finally come. To begin carving, move your miniature saw, blade or knife along the lines you've traced, pausing whenever a change of direction is required. After carving the outlined pieces on your pumpkin, pop each piece out with a slight push against the pumpkin's inner wall. It's easy to lose a jack-o-lantern tooth here or an eyebrow there if you're going too fast, so patience is key.

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MIX MATERIALS AND CARVING METHODS | Why pick one decorating method when you can do it all? Carve, engrave, power drill and paint. Mix and match the methods to fit the look you envisioned.

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LAY DOWN NEWSPAPER OR A TARP | No one said pumpkin carving was a clean activity. Pumpkin guts and chunks of the outside will be all over as you work your way through your ghost or ghoul, so put a protective layer down before you start. This could mean covering the floor or table in newspaper, using ripped up garbage bags, a tarp or whatever you can simply roll up when you're done to clear out the mess. Consider carving outdoors and have rags or paper towels on hand.

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BUTTERFINGER CHEESECAKE | What's a fun twist you can do to a popular Halloween candy like a Butterfinger? Make it into a cheesecake. All you need to do is make a cheesecake and cover it in a layer of chocolate and pieces of Butterfinger. For the Butterfinger Cheesecake recipe, click here.

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Robert Ruiz and Monica Ruiz put finishing touches on two inflatable Halloween decorations installed on their front lawn, in the 2900 block of North Talman Avenue, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

The Culinary Institute of America

32. New York: Culinary Institute of America | Town: Hyde Park - Year built: 1903 | Before the Culinary Institute of America moved to its Hyde Park location in 1972, the main building on the property housed a Jesuit novitiate, a place to train young priests, for more than 60 years. Today, some people claim the spot is haunted by a priest named Father Murphy.

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GUT THE PUMPKIN WITH AN ICE CREAM SCOOP OR LARGE SPOON | Ice cream scoopers are for more than yummy frozen treats. Use yours to scoop out any pumpkin guts from your soon-to-be jack-o'-lantern. Otherwise, grab the nearest giant spoon or use your hands to empty out all the gooey and stringy pumpkin guts.

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BUTTERFINGER CREME BRULEE SMOOTHIE | Turn Butterfinger candy bars into an enjoyable smoothie (which is honestly more like a milkshake). Combine ice cream with Butterfinger, milk and caramel syrup for this dessert. For the Butterfinger Creme Brulee Smoothie recipe, click here.

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MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS | To ensure all your jack-o'-lantern bases are covered, invest in a kit. These usually include one or more small and easy-to-use saws, a scooper for gutting and other helpful tools. If you'd rather use what you have in the kitchen, opt for a straight-edged blade or serrated knife when carving.

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BUTTERFINGER CAMPFIRE PIE | Turn classic s'mores into a pie by layering chocolate pudding, marshmallow fluff and Butterfingers on top of a graham cracker crust. For the Butterfinger Campfire Pie recipe, click here.

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PRETZEL STICKS WITH BUTTERFINGER, BABY RUTH AND BUNCHA CRUNCH | Pretzel sticks are already a great snack food to have around the house, but this recipe will satisfy your sweet and salty cravings all at once. Dip your pretzel sticks in melted chocolate, sprinkle pieces of Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Buncha Crunch and then freeze until solid enough to eat. For the Pretzel Sticks with Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Buncha Crunch recipe, click here.

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DON'T CARVE TOO EARLY | Pumpkins typically start to decay two to three weeks after being carved. If you want yours to last until Halloween, wait until Oct. 18 at the earliest to carve.

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BABY RUTH SALTED CARAMEL COOKIE SANDWICHES | This cookie sandwich recipe uses yummy vanilla ice cream between two peanut butter cookies and chunks of Baby Ruth candies on the outside. For the Baby Ruth Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwiches recipe, click here.

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6. Colorado: The Stanley Hotel | Town: Estes Park - Year built: 1909 | The Stanley Hotel inspired Stephen King's novel "The Shining." The hotel's concert hall is said to be a locus of paranormal phenomena, where lights flicker, disembodied laughter is heard and footsteps pace the floor.

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CANDY PARTY MIX WITH BUTTERFINGER, BABY RUTH AND BUNCHA CRUNCH | Here's a fantastic recipe you can use the next time you visit the grocery store to get Halloween candies. Simply chop some pieces of Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Buncha Crunch and mix it all in with marshmallows, pretzels, popcorn and more. For the Candy Party Mix with Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Buncha Crunch recipe, click here.

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47. Washington: Seattle's underground tunnels | Town: Seattle - Year built: Late 1800s | The city council of Seattle took precautions before reconstructing one of its oldest neighborhoods, Pioneer Square, following an 1889 fire, which led to the creation of tunnels in this part of the city. Some of the ghost tales emerging from the tunnels include one about a bank teller named Edward who was killed on the job and a woman who was slain behind a bank.

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THE JACK O'GRONI COCKTAIL|A negroni — but make it fall. This cocktail recipe combines everything that makes a classic negroni with pumpkin butter, giving it the flavor of one of the best holiday pies. For the Jack O'Groni Cocktail recipe, click here.

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CARVE IN A WELL-LIT PLACE | Keep yourself and others safe by carving in a well-lit place. While a spooky nighttime carving party may sound like fun, a well-lit space will not only ensure safety while using sharp tools, but also getting that design just right.

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SAVE AND RINSE THE SEEDS | As you thoroughly clean out the inside of the pumpkin, save and rinse the seeds. These sneaky thyroid-healthy snacks could use a good roasting and pinch of salt, but more on that later.

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Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm is one of many suburban pumpkin farms filled with fall fun.

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3. Arizona: Copper Queen Hotel | Town: Bisbee - Year built: 1902 | The Copper Queen Hotel, believed to be Arizona's oldest continuously operating inn, reportedly has some ghostly visitors who never leave. Paying guests reported hearing voices from people who weren't there and said the hotel's electronics mysteriously malfunction at times.

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CREATE POLKA DOTS WITH POWER TOOLS | Create polka dots or other circular designs on your pumpkin by drilling through with a power drill. Different drill bit sizes will result in varying dot sizes when pressed against the pumpkin's outer skin. Alternate sizes or create zigs zags all across the pumpkin's surface. For safety reasons, only the adults should work the power tools.

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BABY RUTH TURTLE CHEESECAKE MILKSHAKE | It will also help you make use of those leftover Halloween candies. Blend together milk, Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, cream cheese and chunks of Baby Ruth candies. For the Baby Ruth Turtle Cheesecake Milkshake recipe, click here.

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THINK OF A CREATIVE DESIGN | Pumpkins need personality. Channel inspiration from your favorite TV shows, movies, books or music if you're looking to deviate from the traditional ghoulish grins. Remember to craft a design that's both ambitious and doable at your carving skill level.

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THIN THE PUMPKIN SHELL | After scraping the walls of the pumpkin with a large spoon, thin the shell by shaving it down from the inside using a scraping tool. This allows for easy carving and brightens the appearance of any fancy etching and shaving.

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SKIP CARVING AND PAINT WITH LITTLE ONES INSTEAD | Parents of children 4 and under may choose to abandon ship here. Avoid any unfortunate pre-Halloween ouchies and paint pumpkins with toddlers instead of carving them.

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20. Maryland: Samuel Mudd House | Town: Waldorf - Year built: 1859 | Mysterious phenomena have been reported at the home of Samuel Mudd, the doctor who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Over the years, people have claimed to have heard unexplained voices, and to have witnessed, during a Civil War reenactment, electric candles going on and off in the house.

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COAT IN PETROLEUM JELLY | Petroleum jelly protects your skin during harsh winters … and your pumpkin's during brisk falls. Rub the interior of your pumpkin cuts with petroleum jelly to help lengthen your jack-o'-lantern's lifetime.

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KEEP JACK-O'-LANTERNS OUTDOORS | Cool air helps to preserve the life of a carved pumpkin. So leave yours out in the open near all the stunning fall foliage.