Trick-or-treating, haunted houses, and costume parties are events we all look forward to around the end of October. But due to the pandemic, plans may be altered this year.

It is no secret that social gatherings are currently unsafe. Even with the inclusion of a mask, staying at home for Halloween might be the safest option. But this does not have to be all so dreadful because there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied from movie marathons to seasonal baking and pumpkin lattes. Did I mention pumpkin carvings? The fun is endless.

Although haunted houses are not recommended, you can still get your scares from screening movies indoors. 

With all the chaos in the world, everybody could use a cozy night clustered around loved ones, binge-watching the “Harry Potter” series and stuffing faces with candy because Halloween is a time to put aside calorie restrictions and enjoy every moment.

One activity to attempt this fall season is baking. More specifically, baking pumpkin dishes because autumn is not complete without it. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin bread are all great choices. However, if you are feeling in a pumpkin crunch mood, there is a special recipe for you.

Here is a delish pumpkin crunch recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix

1 can pumpkin pureé (15 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup melted butter

Instructions:

1. Grease the bottom of a 9×13 pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom.
2. Combine pumpkin pureé, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
3. Mix it well, pour into the pan and sprinkle cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture.
4. Top it all with pecans, drizzle it with melted butter over top and bake it at 350ºF for 50-55 minutes or until it appears golden brown.
5. When the dish is cool, loosen the pumpkin crunch from the side of the pan with a knife. 
6. Invert the pan onto a platter (the top becomes crust).
7. Finally, top with whipped cream or serve with vanilla ice cream.

With Halloween and the holidays approaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises taking safety precautions such as staying home during this time to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 exposure. But those who do venture outdoors this Halloween, please do so as safely as possible.