Essentially {Bonfire}

No fall gathering is complete without a bonfire. Drinking cocktails and roasting marshmallows around a warm fire is what the season is made of. Whether it's the focus of your get together or the ending to your Thanksgiving meal, there are some bonfire essentials that you can't do without. From blankets to benches and everything in between, here's my list of all you need to throw the perfect bonfire!

1. Apple Cider Cocktail: Perfect for sipping with friends around the fire. It might even help calm your nerves during the ghost stories!

2. Ghost Stories: This spooky tradition will sure excite guests! Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories is filled with tales bound to scare.

3. Roasting Sticks: You can't make the perfect hot dog or roasted marshmallow without it.

4. Warm Blankets: Cold nights require wooly warm blankets like this chic one from Ratzer.

5. Rustic Benches: Everybody needs a seat around the fire so why not gather a bunch of hand built benches and sit in style?

6. S'mores: The ultimate bonfire essential. A piece of dark chocolate, a warm roasted marshmallow, and a crunchy graham cracker are all I need to make it a perfect night by the fire!

Indulge In {S'mores Cupcakes}

One of the things I'm most excited about this fall is bonfires. They remind me of Friday nights in high school after football games when we would all gather around the flames and bask in the glory of victory and cool fall nights. Of course, these get togethers all included everybody's favorite bonfire treat, s'mores. The slightly burnt marshmallow between two graham crackers with a piece of dark chocolate is like a piece of fall flavor heaven. Now, I often find myself craving the treat more often than I'm around a bonfire. I wanted to create a version that can easily be made indoors and still remind me of the great times spent around the fire. The solution, s'mores cupcakes! The plus, they are incredibly to make! We're talking easy like box cake. In fact I used a Duncan Hines dark chocolate cake. I love using box cakes when I'm in a big hurry and don't have the time to whip up a cake from scratch. These s'mores cupcakes are a perfect party treat because they make a big impact with little effort. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
1 Box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Cake (and appropriate ingredients to mix)
12 Large Marshmallows
Graham Crackers

:: Directions ::
1. Mix cake according to box directions.
2. Fill cupcake tin 3/4 full and bake at 325 (for dark & non-stick pans) for 13 minutes.
3. Place marshmallow in the center of each cupcake and bake for 5 more minutes.
4. Remove from oven and top with graham cracker crumbs and piece.