Happy Halloween

Tonights the night when all's a frights

when black cats prowl and vampires bite

When zombies walk thru graveyards bare

when witches fly throughout the air

Tonights the night to howl and scream

as monsters haunt your every dream

So trick as you will and treat as you might

tonight my dear is Halloween night.

vampires

For thousands of years, almost every culture has had some version of a half dead creature that roams the earth in search of blood from the living . Many of the the modern day interpretations are taken from the Eastern Europeans beliefs and are most thought of around Halloween. We all know the basic qualities of the vampire. Likes- hanging out with bats, drinking blood and long walks on the beach. Dislikes- garlic, daylight and a stake thru the heart, but I found a few lesser known facts from Beverley Richardson that were pretty interesting.

The Slavic culture believes that by putting millet or poppy seeds in a loved ones grave distracts vampires, because it is common knowledge that vampires have a fascination with counting. In Romania, if a child was born out of wedlock they were destined to become a vampire. Often, the graves of children would be opened 5 yrs after the death to check for cases of vampirism, and even plants and animals could not escape becoming vampires according to the gypsies. If left too long in the house, pumpkins and melons could move, make sounds or drip blood. A sure sign of Vampirism.

Enjoy this Halloween eve watching a few of your favorite interpretations of the legends. Brad Pitt, Gary Oldham, Mr Burns, and although never been caught biting any residents of Sesame St....the Count are a few of mine.

the Great Pumpkin

I cannot remember a Halloween that I did not watch this Peanuts classic. Tomorrow before the Office and the fabulous return of Miss Tiny Fey in 30 Rock, I am putting in "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown". The music, the animation, the characters, I just can't imagine Halloween with out it. And any one who knows me, knows I am a sucker for a beagle.

While searching for some images I found a few fun sites worth checking out.

You can see the entire TV special on I am bored , take a fun trivia test or add some Peanuts wallpaper to your screen on Snoopy ( i only missed one question) or recall some of the famous quotes on IMDb

... and the Simpsons annual Treehouse of horror this Sunday has a Peanuts theme. "It's a Grand pumpkin Milhouse" The previews look hysterical.

its a jungle out there

This weekend was my beautiful sister Amy's baby shower. I offered to help with the decor and wanting to share my eco-friendly centerpieces with you all.

The invites had these adorable safari animals on them, which was also the inspiration for the nursery. When enlarging and color copying the figures turned out looking cheap, I decided to use the skills I learned from a recent acrylic art class to craft my own animals. With some help from an overhead projector, they turned out really cool. I knew I didn't have an unlimited budget for this, so I tried to use what I already had on hand and was amazed at what I was able to create. First what to put them on ?...I had several stems of dried horsetail grass from an old centerpiece that made perfect sticks, then I re-used the Mason jars we used at our rehearsal dinner. I was thinking rocks and purchased dried grass, but got even craftier when I decided to use dried beans and the zebra grass from our back yard. (We will be eating chili for a while with all those left over beans).

They were a huge hit, in fact, Amy is using the hand painted animals as wall art for the nursery. I loved the fact I was able to create something with things I already owned too. Just buying flowers could have set me back $100 at least. Sometimes it takes a little more imagination and time..but the results are one of a kind and of course made with lots of love.

filers and binders and test tubes, oh my !

Reason # 324 why I love living in a college town...the UW SWAP. What is it you ask...a treasure trove of old University materials. Open to the public Fridays from 8-3 , it is a clearing house for all the surplus property generated by the University of Wisconsin. This huge warehouse is filled with chairs, desks, computers and filing cabinets, but also a crazy array of other things. Pieces of the UW basketball floor were being sold for $100 and get this, a soundproof booth for $35. If I ever plan on hosting a game show, I know where to come. Lots of chemistry odds and ends too..centrifuges, beakers and all kinds of oddities at rock bottom prices. It is a found art lovers Eden. I picked up an overhead projector for $5.00, which will greatly assist me in painting some animals on my nephew's nursery...who is arriving in a few weeks.

Thank goodness someone realized that all these goods can be re-used instead on ending up in a landfill. Proving once again that one mans trash...well, you know the rest.

the Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Set in the tranquil Hudson River Valley, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells the story of schoolmaster Ichabod Crane's meeting with the ghost of a decapitated warrior known as the Headless Horseman. The schoolmaster mysteriously disappears after a confrontation with the Horseman, while the woman he loved marries his greatest rival, "Brom Bones." Washington Irving's dark and eloquent folktale captured the American imagination when it was first published in 1820 and has inspired several modern film adaptations and one stage musical.

My favorite is Disney's 1949 version featuring Bing Crosby as the narrator/singer, but Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp is a close second. Mr. Burton's magical scenery and characters transport you into the world of Sleepy Hollow, and the famous bridge scene will have you curling up under a blanket. The Disney version is only available on VHS, but either will really get you in the Halloween spirit on a cold, windy October night.

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, I recently discovered an excellent beer from New Holland Ichabod's pumpkin ale, not too sweet and nice hints of nutmeg.

leaf pile

Abby and I saw the best pile of raked leaves on our neighborhood walk yesterday. It was huge. Oh how I saw myself running and jumping in them. What joy that brought me as a kid...that crunch when you land, and that warm, earthy smell as you would bury yourself up to your nose. Oh, I really was going to, UNTIL I remembered how much doggies like to pee on leaf piles. The adult in me decided to refrain.

photo credit
Erik Petersen

Meat cupcakes and tater frosting ?

They say we eat with our eyes, so this recipe is just as much a TRICK as it is a treat. Inspired by a Halloween recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray , tonight we are making meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting for the football feast...Broncos vs the Patriots. The unexpected savory disguised as a sweet is as fun (and gross) for the adults as it is the kids.

Here is what i did-

Preheat oven to 400
Mix 1 lb of organic ground beef with 1 med. yellow onion (grated on largest hole), 1 egg and about 1/3 c. breadcrumbs (eyeball this based on consistency)
season with salt and pepper and oregano (or use your favorite meatloaf recipe)

Press mix lightly into a cupcake lined pan about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 min and let cool at least 10 minutes.

While baking, make your mashed potatoes. Boil 3-4 large Yukon Golds (peeled and cubed) in a large pot of salted water. Once knife tender, drain and add 1/2 cream, 2 Tbls butter and I like to add cheese (whatever I have on hand). Tonight it is 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Whip with a mixer and pipe on to the baked meat cakes with a snipped plastic or pastry bag. Broil for 3 to 5 min or until the tater tops get all crusty golden brown.

Serve with a blood dipping sauce. Ketchup, BBQ sauce or even marinara.

scary snacks

Who needs tricks when you can have these treats at your Halloween party or dinner. They can be made in under an hour and cost less than $10 to make.

Greet your guests at the door with a cocktail chilled by an olive and radish eyeball. Peel a radish, core it, then insert a halfed cocktail olive and add to you ice tray. They look equally frightening in a Bloody Mary. For a little nosh, why not chomp on some witches fingers and hairy toes. I love the idea of making your own dough, but in a pinch, store bought breadstick dough does the trick. Cut a strip in half (1/4 for the stubby toes) and add either a plain blanched almond or ones that have been soaked in a bit of red food coloring (just a minute or two) to create the nails. Realism is the fun part here. Add a few knife slits to mimic wrinkles and how about a little coarse salt or rosemary for some hair on those toes. Bake according to package directions. Great for a work potluck or served with a big bowl of blood red marinara.

skull a day

Check out this scary site- Skull-a-day

Graphic artist Noah Scalin started a blog in June of 07 and posted a new skull each day for a year ! The images are really fabulous and all created or found by him. Due to the huge success, he has turned the ideas over to the public and asks for daily submissions. Creative, inventive and photographed wonderfully, this site will help you get in the spirit of all things spooky, or just kill some time at your desk.

Football feast- the mighty seed

After our future garden floated away this May, we let our compost go a bit"natural" this year. So, in honor of the butternut squash seed that survived the flood this spring and decide to grow out of our overgrown compost pile...tonight's football feast for the Giant/Browns game is Butternut Squash Risotto. With all that rich and nutritious soil, we are in for a treat.

Risotto gets a bit of a bad rap for being ultra labor intensive, but it is really not. Yes- you have to stay in the kitchen, but a few key steps is really the trick and you will have this creamy savory dish on your plate in no time. Besides, the waiting is a great time to open a bottle of wine and hash over the days events with your loved one.

Ingredients
2 cups water, divided
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-salt beef broth (or vegetable)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Bring 1 1/2 cups water and broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water, squash, salt, and pepper; cook 10 minutes or until squash is tender and water has almost evaporated. Add rice; stir until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring often. Add the remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total). Stir in cheese, butter, and parsley. Serve immediately.

Minneapolis, MN

Whether I see it on a TV show, read it in a magazine, or word or mouth, over the years I have assembled a fairly large filing system of interesting things to do, see and eat when I visit a city. This time Minneapolis, MN.

I offered to help my sis in law this year with our nieces Halloween costumes (Alice and the Cheshire Cat) and felt I really needed to be hands on and see how things fit on little 5 year old forms, so I went up north for a few days this week. Knowing I would have some free time during the day, I brought my file and am reporting on my fabulous finds.

This is Patina, a group of 5 unique, eclectic gift store scattered throughout the Minneapolis area. Filled to the rafters with the hottest and most eye catching decor trends, this shop has litterly something for everyone. Baby, cards, holiday, jewelry, you name it. Cara my (sis-in-law) bought me a darling squirrel tote I was eyeing as an early birthday present too.

The next morning I made an early pitstop at the MidTown Global Market to find the Salty Tart. I found this shop through an article in a local food and entertainment paper. Almost every bigger city has some sort of publication like that (usually free), and they are the BEST way to find the newest, hottest independent businesses. The article highlighted the chef Michelle's talents at creating Valharona brownies, rosemary corn cake squares and the piece de resistance....coconut macaroons. I started with a small breakfast of my own. Rich french roast coffee and the flakiest, butteriest croissant filled with chevre and topped with crunchy golden brown asiago cheese, and left with a sampling box of all the above mentioned treats to bring home for my sweetie to share. I really cannot say enough about those macaroons. Little chewy golden balls of coconut heaven.

After a stop at the Aveda Institute where they give $15 student supervised haircuts (I got 8 inches cut off !!!!! darling) I worked my way over to find Twin Cities Green a store after my own heart and one that I wanted to visit most of all on this trip. This recently expanded shop sells everything made from recycled, restored, reclaimed materials and also a large selection of organic and natural home goods. Not the same old 'recycled gifts' you have seen in other shops either, the owners have done a fabulous job at offering not only fresh affordable gifts, but one of a kind large works of art and furniture that you can feel good about owning or giving.

I picked up a 4 pack of recycled decorative file folders, and I can see me making this stop a regular one on my MN trips. They have a great online shop and also support local artists. I plan on submitting a few green cricket items to them in the near future.

There were still many places I did not get to visit on this trip, but there is always another time. So, whether it is a business trip, vacation or family visit, next time you are in a new city, take some time to explore the local scene. You will be delighted on the treasures you discover.

31 days of pumpkins

Stumped for ways to update your spooky decor this October? Country Living's website has this great feature offering unique and ingenious ways to decorate this fall. 31 days of pumpkins. Fun tips, ideas, and inspirational photos for making your Halloween not only a festive one but a creative one.

beets...its whats for dinner

I could not pass up these golden beets the other day at the market. Gorgeous. How could they not make an incredible football feast. So tonight for the Saints vs. Vikings game, we are having roasted beet and arugula salad with a maple mustard dressing.

This week recipe is more of a "non-recipe". Use what you have in your area and gear it towards your tastes. I try more and more to eat locally, not only for our planet, but because food that travels a shorter distance is fresher and generally, if you eat what is indigenous, you eat natures best when it is ready. Nothing compares to that first spring asparagus, warm August sweet corn or in this case...cool fall beets.

INSTRUCTIONS

First roast your beets. Peel and chop your beets in small bite sized cubes. Toss into a baking dish along with a few quartered cloves of garlic and whatever variety of onions you have (diced). Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake. All ovens vary, but I did mine at 425 degrees for about 25-30 min. Wait until they are all caramelized and soft before you remove from the oven. As an added flavor boost (and so nothing goes to waste), I used the remaining roasting oil from the beets to make a dressing once it had cooled.

To this garlic veggie oil, I added a big tablespoon of hot sweet mustard and a few tablespoons of maple syrup (my secret ingredient). Place a large bed of farmers market greens on a platter (I used peppery arugula), layer on the roasted beets and top with the dressing. Paired with an local Oktoberfest ale, this is a dinner salad that is restaurant quality and one you can feel really good about eating.

shadows in the night

I try to limit myself to one or two new Halloween decorations each year and these bat shadow puppets are currently high on that list. Chicago artist owlyshadowpuppets has them on her Etsy shop as well as many cool others. They all have such a unique look about them...like illustrations from vintage storybooks. She even shows ( if you are ambitious) how to make one of your own on her site owlyshadowpuppets I am leaning more towards buying them.

Etsy has a whole section dedicated to Halloween. Kids costumes, decorations, etc. Adding a few handmade art pieces into your mix of store bought goods creates quite a unique and conversation starting display.

treasure hunt

I struck gold yesterday.

I am thrilled that I have sold almost half of the items on my Etsy shop, but it is looking quite bare so I needed to find some inspiration for some new projects. On this trip, I supported my local St Vinnie's and it was a huge success. Kitchy album covers, novelty textiles and one very sad looking peacock painting just begging for a makeover. I have grand plans for them all, so keep your eyes peeled to my shop for their "afters" in the very near future.

It feels good to give back on so many levels. Not only am a saving something from ending up in a landfill, but I am creating a useful object of art AND most importantly... helping my community. The donations from our thrift stores support the largest food pantry in Dane County. Everyone one wins on this green adventure !

spooky

I love Halloween -maybe it is the weather, the macabre decorations and lore, or the abundance of candy apples and popcorn balls, but each year I look forward to October. I usually try to experience all this season has to offer, but this year I want to kick it up a notch...visit a haunted house or two, see a few classic movies that I have never seen, and learn more about the history and legend behind this mysterious season. So with today being the start of October, I am planning to fill my posts this month with all things that go along with this very spooky time of year. Enjoy.