By Catriona McGrath At the risk of damaging all that wonderful credibility I like to think I’ve built up with my many (two?) reviews I would now like to draw the attention of all cheapeats readers to the wonder that is ‘Kraft dinner’.  I discovered this when I lived in Canada and I’ve been lamenting [...]

The fake blood, that you can buy in shops, is usually unconvincing and leaves a heavy mark that requires such a serious cleaning job that you end up drawing actual blood when attempting to remove it. Well, this non-toxic blood recipe will save you money and is so realistic that your friends will think you [...]

I don’t want to sound like an ol’ biddy but Halloween is getting really commercial. I did live a fairly Dickensian childhood but when I was a young lass; all the decorations were handmade, weeks were spent sowing costumes and, with the exception of monkey nuts, all treats were homemade. Of course, to be honest, [...]

Hallowe’en is coming, so it’s time for Colcannon, sticky toffee apples, and barm brack! If you’re looking for a cheap, seasonal meal, I hope to see you down in Carlow this Friday October 30. I’ll be facilitating the Hallowe’en Folklore night, a fun and informal session of “spooky stories” over a light dinner of seasonal [...]

Still living in pumpkin land, here’s a recipe for a lovely risotto. Pumpkin Risotto (Serves 4) Ingredients: For the pumpkin risotto 570ml vegetable stock 1 small onion, chopped 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped finely 2 tbsp olive oil 170g arborio (risotto) rice 250g pumpkin or butternut squash, diced small 50g butter Salt and freshly ground [...]

Halloween is coming up and it’s a deadly festival. It’s actually my favourite and the fact that it’s origins lie in the ancient Irish festival ‘Samhain’ makes it all the more intriguing. I cram in as many horror films as I can in the month of October and embrace all the usual traditions in an [...]