Holy Pumpkins Batman, it’s that time of year again, Halloween! The stunning red and orange foliage, apple picking, and chilly weather that require increasingly more cups of your seasonal favorite pumpkin spice lattes, all signal that fall is officially here and so is a favorite holiday for so many.

If Halloween is your favorite holiday, it’s probably safe to assume that you’ll be playing host to your favorite ghosts and ghouls on October 31, or the weekend proceeding it.

If so, here a few Halloween food and drink ideas:

Themed Food Options

Although several Halloween party tables will include dishes made with pumpkin or candied apples, the most fun and creative Halloween dishes adhere to a creepy crawly theme, decorated in the spirit of the holiday.

Think treats designed like mummies, snakes, spiders, eyeballs, monsters, pumpkins or even just a theme of orange and black.

Spooktacular Witches’ Brew Cocktails

We all know the best Halloween party options are festive, stiff, and just a bit creepy.

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At Catering by Michaels, we have to admit that one of our most favorite meals is one that many wouldn’t consider “necessary”. Of course, we’d beg to differ—dessert is the most important meal of the day (ok, after breakfast that is).

Our obsession with sweets is apparent when taking the time to look through our current menus. We pride ourselves on a dessert menu that is as innovative as it is delicious. Check it out. Who knows? You may find a new favorite.

A LA CARTE

MINT RICE KRISPY SQUARES

Garnished with peppermint patties.

OREO® RICE KRISPY SQUARES

Garnished with an itty bitty Oreo®.

MINIATURE TIRAMISU PUSH-POPS

Layers of cookies and mascarpone mousse garnished with a chocolate covered coffee bean.

CANDY BAR PIE 

Layers of salty caramel and peanut butter nougat baked in a chocolate crust, and garnished with chocolate covered pretzels. A staff favorite!

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Another successful picnic season has come to a close and we thought it would be fun to share some of the stats, including the astonishing 22,924 guests we served throughout the season and the team of 794 staff members it took to make it all happen.

Here are a few of the interesting numbers:

Thanks to all the amazing companies (big and small) that trust us each year with their annual company-wide picnics. Picnics are always exciting for us since we can really push the creative limits!

It’s never too early to start planning your 2018 picnic. Give us a call at (847) 966-6555 or contact us online to get started. Our experienced team of event coordinators are ready when you are!

Corporate holiday parties are a special type of event unlike any others that happen during the year. They offer companies the chance to reward their employees for their hard work throughout the past 12 months, and an opportunity to let the personality of the company shine through.

Here are some of the elements associated with the best corporate holiday parties.

Branded Event Customization

More so than any other time of year, a hot topic for us when it comes to catering during the holidays is customization. Consider the implications for a corporate holiday party, taking a food item and customizing it with a vessel (think shot glass or guitar pick) branded with the company’s logo. It really takes an event to the next level and guests always take notice. We love customizing parties and are always willing to go the extra mile to help clients create a unique experience at their events.

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Yom Kippur, marking the day of God’s forgiveness, is one of the most important holidays on the Hebcal Jewish Calendar. It closes the “Ten Days of Repentance”, which started with Rosh Hashanah.

The holiday literally translates as “Day of Atonement”, as the faithful ask forgiveness for their sins in the past year and blessing as they begin the New Year.

Yom Kippur, part of the High Holidays, is characterized by fasting and feasting as the members of the community strengthen their bonds. Because the months of the Jewish Calendar follow the lunar cycle, Yom Kippur is not held on the same day of the civic calendar every year, though it usually occurs between September and October.

This year (2017) it will begin Friday, September 29 and ends the evening of September 30.

The feasting starts the day before Yom Kippur, with everyone eating and drinking in abundance. On this day, two celebratory meals are consumed: one early in the day and another moments before the onset of Yom Kippur, as the holiday’s central component is in fact fasting.

Because the fasting period lasts for a little more than 25 hours, after the Erev Yom Kippur meal until the following evening, those who are too feeble, sick, or young to safely fast are not required to do so. However, healthy females from the age of 12 and males from the age of 13 must fast as part of the tradition. Those well enough to do so often add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day of fasting, which is known as tosefet Yom Kippur.

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