Halloween will be here faster than you can say "Boo." That means now is the time to plan the monster bash you've been contemplating.

All Hallow's Eve falls on a Friday this year. Leave that day for the kids and their trick-or-treating and plan an adults-only Halloween dinner party for Saturday night. Not only will you be extending the festivities an extra 24 hours (You can wear that costume twice! You can eat more candy!), but you'll be a lot more likely to find a teenage babysitter for your brood, should you need one.

Fantastic food

Heat up hungry spirits with this bone-warming menu:

• Chili choices -- "I think everyone wants chili around Halloween night," said Erin Renouf Mylroie, a St. George food blogger who moonlights as a competitive cook. "Instead of doing one chili, though, I would try to do maybe three or four different kinds so it is more like a chili-tasting party."

She suggests vegetarian pumpkin chili, apple and sausage chili with white beans, traditional spicy beef chili and chicken and black bean chili. The vegetarian pumpkin chili is particularly satisfying with its deep, reddish-orange color, spicy taste and silky smoothness, she said.

"For parties, I always make two kinds of chili; one with meat and one without," said Renouf Mylroie, who blogs at prudencepennywise.blogspot.com. "I've learned my lesson to make big batches of both, since the carnivores will love this one, too."

• Pumpkin-shaped tortilla chips -- To go along with the chili bar, Renouf Mylroie suggests making your own pumpkin-shaped tortilla chips, dusted with chili powder and cumin.

• Festive French bread -- If you prefer toasted bread to tortilla chips, you can still be creative. Use cookie cutters in Halloween shapes to cut pieces out of French bread, said Jeannine Marvell, owner of Marvellous Catering in Provo. Spread with your favorite garlic or Parmesan spread and toast them up in the oven.

• Spooky vegetables -- Vegetable platters are a staple at adult dinner parties but that doesn't mean they must be boring. For example, Renouf Mylroie suggests cutting carrots into long strips and slipping an olive on the end of each piece. You could also cut jicama sticks into bone shapes or stuff black olives with cream cheese to look like cat eyes if you really want to gross out your guests.

• Dreary drinks -- Hot chocolate and apple cider are two simple beverage suggestions.

"Of course, you always want to use dry ice," Marvell said. "I would do apple cider in a big bowl and put dry ice in it so you have that steamy look coming up. And then the apple cider tastes like Martinelli's [sparkling apple cider]."

If you want to serve punch, Marvell suggests the addition of black ice cubes.

• Doomed dessert -- For dessert, Renouf Mylroie says she prefers to keep it simple. Her family has hosted a neighborhood Halloween party for years and they've learned to steer clear of too many sweets.

"People eat so much candy, and they really want savory foods on Halloween," she said. "We've made cupcakes, we've made doughnuts, we've made scones, but they don't really get touched very much."

She suggests white hot chocolate and s'mores made with gingersnap cookies instead of graham crackers. Caramel popcorn could be served, too, or a pumpkin Bundt cake drizzled with black icing.

Ghoulish games

Any of the traditional fall activities would work well for an adult Halloween party -- bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins and the like.

But if you're looking for a game that is particularly ghoulish, consider buying a board game with a twisted bent. Here are a few to consider:

• Host a murder -- Games from the "How to Host a Murder" series are particularly fun for Halloween, says Mark Hansen, manager of Board Game Revolution in Orem. The games generally work like this: Players (up to eight adults) are assigned character roles that are acted out over the course of dinner. Each of the characters has some relation to a recently murdered victim. Investigations and insinuations run rampant and in the end guests find out who dunnit, Hansen says.

• Werewolves and all -- If you're hosting a larger group, "Werewolves in Miller's Hollow" is a simple game that works well for up to 18 people.

"It's kind of like Mafia, where you close your eyes and certain people have secret roles and people deduce who the werewolf is," Hansen said.

• Zombie-inspired -- Zombie-themed board games (like "Last Night on Earth" or "A Touch of Evil") also are hits for Halloween, as well as the "Dracula" board game, "Zombie Fluxx" and "Once Upon a Time."

• Spooky stories -- If board games aren't your thing, enlist the most dramatic partygoer for a late-night reading of a creepy poem or short story. Anything by Edgar Allen Poe should be sufficiently spooky, such as "The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Raven." Make sure you have the lights out and the candles lit.

Devilish décor

Taking the time to make your home festive for your guests isn't a waste of time.

"I think your decorations can help your guests feel more in the spirit of your party and feel more comfortable, more invited in and welcome, which is what you want when you're throwing a party," said Leslie Nelson, owner of Celebrations, an event-planning company based in Orem.

And you don't have to go over-the-top just because it is Halloween. Here are a few ideas for festive décor, no cheesy screaming ghosts required.

• Go natural -- Head to your backyard or a nearby field to collect branches, leaves and seasonal berries that can be used as decorations. Branches could be spray-painted black and placed in a tin bucket from your garage, Nelson suggested. Pick up pumpkins and gourds and place them on stacked cake plates for a festive centerpiece.

• Light the candles -- "I love candles," Nelson said. "I think candles go with any kind of celebration that you have." Tie big black bows around candles you already have to make them appropriate for the night of darkness. Or, buy inexpensive black, orange, purple or green candles at a discount store.

• Use silhouettes -- Silhouettes are making a comeback in decorating and are quite appropriate for Halloween, Nelson said. Use black butcher paper and an overhead projector to enlarge spooky silhouettes, like a tree with an owl, big witch, cat or a particularly heinous profile.

• Hang it up -- Use rick-rack, textured ribbon or string to hang mini-pumpkins or gourds from a window, lamp or ceiling fan. Chinese lanterns would work well, too.

"I love hanging things from ribbon because it gives good dimension and texture to a room," Nelson said.

Garlands decked out with small paper silhouettes or Halloween ornaments would also be fun hung from a front window or around a door, she says.

• A little illumination -- Make luminaries to line your driveway or front lawn and welcome guests to the party. You can use paper sacks filled with sand or even kitty litter, Nelson said, then add candles. Use a paper punch or stamp to embellish the paper sack. Canning jars also make great luminaries, she said.

Slow Cooker Chili

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 3-4 tablespoons chili powder

• 3 tablespoons corn meal

• 1 cup beef stock

• 2 (14-ounce) cans beans (I use almost any variety I've got on hand.)

In large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Transfer to slow cooker with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, onions and sour cream.

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

• 1 large bell pepper, chopped (I used some red, some yellow)

• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons chili powder (less if yours is hot)

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• Pinch of cayenne

• 2 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained

• 1 (14-ounce) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes with juices, blended in the blender

• 1 cup canned plain pumpkin puree

• Shredded cheese and chopped cilantro for serving

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, two cloves garlic, ginger, bell pepper and carrots. Cook for five minutes, stirring often, or until vegetables begin to soften. Add chili powder, cumin and cayenne and cook for one minute. Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until all vegetables are softened. Stir in remaining garlic and pumpkin; warm through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheese and cilantro, if desired.

Pumpkin-shaped Tortilla Chips

• 1 package tortillas

• 1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (or to taste)

Use scissors to cut tortillas into pumpkin shapes. Don't worry about making them all the same. Coat both sides of cut shapes with cooking spray. Dust with chili powder and cumin and a pinch of brown sugar. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Tortillas will crisp as they sit.

-- Recipes courtesy of Erin Renouf Mylroie, www.prudencepennywise.blogspot.com