Regal Beagle Online

Halloween Snack Board

Serves 10 to 12

• 1 cup guacamole or hummus
• 1 recipe mummy pigs in a blanket
• 1/2 recipe cheese ghost mini pizzas (use either pizza sauce or pesto)
• 1 recipe deviled eggs
• 1 recipe puff pastry bats
• 1 recipe ghoulish pretzels
• 2 cups vegetables sticks, such as carrots, celery, and/or peppers
• 2 cups fruit, such as sliced apples and/or pear or grapes, optional
• 4 to 6 clementines
• 1 ounce candy eyes
• 1 cup candy corn or other small candies

Grab your largest cutting board or a large baking sheet. Place the bowl of hummus or guacamole on the board and add a small spoon. Arrange the pigs in a blanket, English muffin pizzas, deviled eggs, puff pastry bats, and ghoulish pretzels on the board. Add the vegetables and fruit to the board. For extra Halloween fun, add chives to the deviled eggs and a small piece of celery to the tops of the clementines so they resemble pumpkins.

Now your board will be pretty full, so you can scatter the candy eyes and candy corn here and there. Make sure you set out plates for everyone to build a plate or napkins for those who like to graze.

🔥 Why these fires happen

If lithium batteries are damaged, defective, overcharged or get too hot, they can enter something called thermal runaway. This is a chain reaction where the battery explodes violently, burns and spreads faster than most people can react.

And no, it’s not just cheap knockoffs. Fires have started in brand-name devices, too. But cheap chargers, off-brand batteries and poor storage make things way worse.

💻 Laptop + device safety

Never leave your laptop or phone in a hot car or on a windowsill in the sun. If it feels unusually warm, unplug it and power down. Use a free app like Core Temp (Windows) or Macs Fan Control (Mac) to monitor temps. Over 175°F? Bad news. Got an old phone you’re not using? Don’t toss it in a drawer. Store it in a fireproof bag. They’re $20 on Amazon and worth every penny. Thank goodness airlines have these on board now.

🚲 E-bike safety (big one)

Only buy e-bikes with a UL 2271-certified battery. That label means it passed real safety tests. Use the charger that came with your bike. No cheap replacements. Never charge it indoors, especially overnight or when you’re not home. Store it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sun. If your battery smells weird, hisses or bulges, unplug the bike immediately and call the fire department.

🗑️ Don’t trash that battery

Got an old phone, laptop or e-bike battery? Don’t toss it in the garbage, it could catch fire. Use Call2Recycle.org to find a place to drop it off near you. It’s quick, easy and your trash won’t explode.