It's Halloween: 2014!

Happy Halloween, you! Today is one of my favorite days of the year. I just love the theatrics of the holiday. I love being spooky and more importantly, I love the candy! This year, I decided to take it easy on myself and dress of as one of the clones from the show Orphan Black. I chose to dress as the character "Cosima Niehaus;" partly because her costume is easy. I wear glasses and she is a scientist (I majored in Environmental Science). I was going to wear burgundy colored clothing and a skull tank top, but decided to just wear a Hogwarts t-shirt instead. I do have on the crazy cat eyeliner, twisted hair pulled into a pony tail and the glasses. By the time the trick or treaters arrive, I might change from jeans into pajama bottoms. It is going to be very cold out, so pajama pants and a long cardigan will work. I always feel badly for the parents who are walking in the cold; the temperature is supposed to drop to the 40's. At least the holiday is on a Friday, which means the children can sleep in tomorrow and snack on candy all weekend. I know I intend to snack on candy all weekend.
Right now, I'm watching the movie Fright Night (the original 1980s version), later I'll watch Haven and then Rosemary's Baby. It will be a great way to end the holiday. Tomorrow will be the beginning of something new and I'll describe that in more detail, tomorrow. Until then, have a great holiday, have fun and be safe! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Making A Quilt Pt. 4

I have finally resumed work on the quilt project. When I initially began working on the quilt, it was still summer and I intended to upcycle men's shirts. The last time I had tackled such a project, I was only making a napping blanket. So, when I used the same amount of shirts as before, it shouldn't have been a surprise when the blanket was small. However, I don't want another napping blanket, I want a full size quilt. When I hit this detour, I decided to take a break in order to figure out what I wanted to do next.
A few weeks ago, I added more fabric to the top and the bottom of the quilt, in order to make it longer. Then, I set the quilt aside again to take a break from it. Yesterday, I took more measurements and found that the quilt STILL wasn't long enough. So, I added more fabric to the top and the side to make it the right size.

Now, the quilt looks too large. Tomorrow, I will iron it out, fix some stitches and the cut where ever it needs to be reduced. Clearly, this quilt is going through an awkward phase, but I love it anyway. It will, eventually, turn out right. So, far this whole process has been a bit hilarious, but as long as I have a unique looking and warm quilt for winter, I'll be happy.

In other news, the weather here isn't that great. It has been windy, gloomy, chilly and damp- very damp. Even though it isn't great weather for outdoor adventures, it's great weather for crafting, baking, and scary movie watching. I decided that this year, I would dress up as the character "Cosima Niehaus" from the show Orphan Black. In past years, I've dressed up as scary creatures or characters. However, the children who were trick-or-treating were very young and very scared to take candy from me. More than once, I've made a toddler cry when I was in costume. So, this year, I'll still be in costume, but no tears will be shed. Maybe I will post a quick tutorial on the costume, that day...we'll see. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Delicious Squash Waffles

Four years ago, I changed my Thanksgiving tradition a bit and began celebrating the holiday at my sisters house. This makes perfect sense. Both of my sisters live very close to each other, but they are 100 miles away from me. They also have children and it is so difficult to travel with children; especially after a long day of feasting. It is much easier for me to travel there to enjoy the holiday and it makes the celebration process a more pleasant experience for my sisters, too. That being said, I don't get a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers. Sure, I bring a plate of miscellaneous pie slices home, but I don't get that yummy squash, cranberry sauce or turkey.

This week I decided to have and early Thanksgiving. After seeing so many tweets from Canadians celebrating their Thanksgiving, I really wanted a feast. We used butternut squash from the garden and it was delicious, but we have so much leftover! This morning, I decided to not let the squash go to waste and made fluffy squash waffles. With spices added to this mix, it has all the warm flavors of Fall. Here is the recipe: 1 egg
                                      5 tablespoons of squash
                                      1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
                                      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                      1 1/3 cup of milk
                                      2 cups of baking mix (Bisquick)

 Directions: In a medium sized bowl, or a 4 cup measuring cup, add one egg. Beat the egg until light in color and fluffy. Add the squash, vanilla and spice and mix until smooth. Add half of the milk and mix, then add the baking mix. Mix all together, adding the remaining milk as you mix, until the batter is thick and smooth. Pour, or ladle, batter onto hot oiled waffle iron and cook according to your waffle setting. Remove and enjoy! This made 5 large waffles.

This was so delicious, especially with a hot cup of black coffee. It's a great way to use up leftovers. If I still had leftover cranberry sauce, I could have folded that into the batter at the very end before pouring onto waffle iron; that would have been fantastic!

In other news, this Nor'easter is crazy, but I'm taking the time to indulge in watching a marathon of "The Forsyte Saga." It's also a great time for cozy crafting. One of these days I need to get on track and post about the quilt constructing- the cold weather is fast approaching! As soon as I complete another craft, I'll be certain to share with you. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Freaking Myself Out For Halloween

It is now ten, TEN days until Halloween and I"m getting very excited about this! This is the time when my decorations are already up, baking has kicked into high gear, my costume has been chosen and is in development, and I'm watching all sorts of creepy movies. So, some of you might be so busy that you've totally forgotten that Halloween is around the corner. Some of you might has been a huge fan of the spooky holiday since childhood and have lost touch with it. This post is to help those of you catch up with some ideas of what you can do to begin celebrating.

Books Worth Reading:
The Harry Potter Series By J.K. Rowling- Witches, wizards, werewolves and faeries. Spells, enchantments, good fitting evil and He Who Shall Not Be Named....
Wicked By Gregory Maguire- The beginning to the Wicked Witch of the West's story and all the things that happened in Oz before a farm house crash landed there.
Frankenstein By Mary Shelley- Old school science fiction/horror. This story makes you really think about science and how it can go too far, with a tragic outcome.
Dracula By Bram Stoker- Certainly, one haunting tale. This is perfect to read on rainy and stormy October nights.
The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe- Practically every creepy short story you could read from Poe, truly a masterpiece of fright.
Roald Dahl's Book Of Ghost Stories and Skin by Roald Dahl- Very different from his beloved children's stories. These stories are witty, dry and totally creepy. If you grew up reading his stories, you'll be surprised by these tales.
Spooky New England: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, and Other Local Lore Retold By S. E. Schlosser- Classic New England folklore involving ghosts of pirates, weeping ladies, ghost animals and more.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark By Alvin Schwartz- I still have this series from my childhood. I discovered this in the fifth grade and the stories have stayed with me. Classic slumber party horror stories. These are just a hoot to read as a grown-up and they still maintain their creep factor.

These are books that I enjoy reading this time of year. Obviously, there are plenty of Steven King stories to read. However, his horror novels terrify me and I can't read them because I'm a big baby. You'd think that a person who loves spooky things would be all up on that, but no thank you. I'll stick to his short stories that don't involve horror.

Movies Worth Watching:
Carrie- This is a classic horror movie based on a Steven King novel. Those high school girls wear worse than bullies, they were horrid. However, I do think they got a little more than they deserved, don't you think?
Nosferatu- For a silent film, this is darn frightening. Put this on at shut out the lights and you'll be surprised at how scary a silent film can be.
Halloween- The first movie of this franchise is incredibly creepy, a guy in the mask that follows you around all the time is very unnerving. Even the theme song to this movie gives me the heebeejeebees!
The Others- Oh gosh, things that go bump in the night and in the day, too! If you grew up in a haunted house, like I did, this movie totally takes on a whole other meaning. Freaky stuff!
The Omen- Made me hate the name "Damien." This movie terrifies me, a cute little boy who isn't such a cutie pie.
The Exorcist- This movie, where do I begin? It is wrong, just wrong and makes split pea soup very unappealing. This movie will spook you.
Rosemary's Baby- Poor Rosemary, her maternal instincts are dead on and everybody is out to make her feel crazy. This is a very scary movie to watch.
Poltergeist- This movie doesn't scare me as much as it did when I was younger. However, it is a tradition for me to watch this film. Some aspects of the movie are scary, while others are overly dramatic.
Carnival Of Souls- Hands down, my favorite "B" movie. This horror classic from the 60's was a DVD that I happened upon at Walmart when they sold $1.00 DVD's I bought it and I adore it. If you can find this online, you should watch this gem, it's really great.

Spooky Kids Movies Worth Watching:
Coraline- Based on Neil Gaiman's story, this is such a great story with adorable animation. I dressed up as Coraline, last year for Halloween. The animation is beautiful and this movie is very moody.
The Nightmare Before Christmas- This movie came out when I was in high school and all of my friends and myself went nuts for this. It's based on a poem by Tim Burton and it is typical Burton style.
Corpse Bride- Again, another animation type movie using puppets and stop motion, this is such a fun movie with great music by Danny Elfman.
Hocus Pocus- You read this right, this is a classic and you know it!
Teen Witch- Because I am a child of the 80's this is sort of a must. The acting isn't great, there is an awkward moment when two suburban teenagers engage a a rap duel. The weird psychic lady from "Poltergeist" is in this too and as creepy as ever. Watch this gem!
The Worst Witch- I watched this dozens of times as a little girl and bought it on DVD years later. Tim Curry plays a warlock in this, it is very adorable and one I'll be watching soon.
Return To Oz- Not intended to be a Halloween type movie, but way scarier than people anticipate it to be. I never saw this when I was little, and I couldn't get my hands on the DVD until a few years ago. This is so scary compared to the musical movie made in 1939. Dorothy was going to get electro shock therapy! Seriously, watch this if you can find it, it is amazing!

Television Shows To Give You The Creeps:
Twilight Zone- All kinds of freaky stories to unnerve you.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents- Even more creepy stuff, hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Outer Limits- More bizarre stories that keep you up at night.
Dark Shadows- The tragic soul of Barnabus, mastered brooding long before Edward Cullen.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer- The chosen one, stabs vamps with stakes, but loves them too!
Vampire Diaries- Modern teenagers falling in love with centuries old teenage vampires. Such drama!
Hemlock Grove- For most of season one, you don't know what's going on, creepy as all heck. Season two, totally messed up but fun to watch a great show if you like monsters- which I do!
The Walking Dead- This grew on me, I'm watching new shows as they air and watching older shows on Netflix to catch up. This show sucks you in, it is so well written and acted. The makeup and costumes are amazing. This show, by the way, is terrifying!
Sleepy Hollow- This show is so fun! IT is spooky. It recalls classic early American folklore and it is so great how the writers are able to connect stories with historical events and figures. The actors are very great at what they do, such a charming show.
Haven- I've written about this show before, but again, I love this show. Set in fictitious "Haven" Maine, the "troubles" make life difficult in the otherwise sleepy coastal village.
Supernatural- Two brothers fighting evil for nearly a decade. There are a lot of demons on this show
Harper's Island- I caught this show when it aired on the channel CHiller. This show is terrifying, I can't believe it was on CBS. It was like a slasher movie in 60 minute episodes. Such a twisted story and the ending is crazy. I think you can find this on Netflix (although, I'm not certain of this.)
Witches Of East End- Two generations of witches that just want to live normal lives in a quiet town, but life won't settle down.
The Originals- A spin-off of THe Vampire Diaries, set in New Orleans, lots of scary (and attractive) monsters.

Food Stuff:
-Pretty much anything that involves pumpkin.
-Treats that are shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, or bats.
-Treats that look like zombies
-Treats with candy corns
-Caramel apples
-Caramel corn

This zombie cake I made a few weeks ago. I used a devil's food cake mix with raspberry pie filling in the middle. I also used 1 can store bought chocolate frosting that I mixed with 4 ounces of cream cheese and 23 tablespoons of cocoa powder and I mixed it all together. Then, I bought these gummy eyes in the cake /cookie decorating area at Walmart. It was super easy and a hit with my nephews.

Spooky Music:
 I searched and found all kinds of Halloween classics like "The Time Warp" and "Monster Mash" even scary movie themes all on Spotify and I bet many other music streaming stations have the same thing. Create a great song list, I had a lot of fun creating a Halloween list on Spotify. Also, I know that premium cable has a seasonal music channel on their music channels. They have a few channels to help you get in the spirit of Halloween.

So friends, get creative, pop some popcorn brew some cider punch and get ready for the big day! The internet is an excellent resource for recipes, craft ideas and even has great sights for watching spooky things. Go to the thrift store and gather supplies for a unique costume and have fun!
Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Thirteen Days Until Halloween!

As October inches its way towards Halloween, I am becoming more inspired. The colors outside really are spectacular! Lately, I've been doing a lot of baking (aside from the days that I was far too sick to function) and I've been brainstorming more crafts to tackle.

Tuesday, I baked oatmeal bread. I was craving toast made with fresh oatmeal bread. So, I found a great recipe in one of the kitchen cookbooks and went crazy with the oats and flour!

I wish that you could smell the bread as it was sliced! It was amazing, I encourage you to find your favorite bread recipe and bake yourself some bread. The process of bread making is very relaxing; it takes time and patience. When you're baking bread, you're not multitasking until you swoon. You're focusing on kneading the dough and making certain that it is just right, before you set it aside to rise. Then, you have to wait and hour for it to rise, prepare it for baking and let rise for another hour, and bake it. This all takes a lot of time to not be doing anything else but baking bread. While it bakes, your house is filled with the most comforting aroma. Then, when the time comes to eat the bread, it is such a luxury and you did it yourself!

I also made molasses popcorn, it's delicious. I usually make caramel corn this time of year, but I needed a change. However, next week I'll make caramel corn and I'll share the recipe for the caramel corn, as well as, the molasses popcorn, then.

After my baking spree, I fell ill and did nothing but rest and watch Netflix until I was better. On Friday, I had a surprise girl day out with a friend; which refreshed me. In the morning I was very tired after my ordeal, but feeling better and well enough to go for an adventure with a friend. We shopped, went to a tea house and did what most women do on girls day out- TALK-TALK-TALK. By the time I got home in the afternoon, I was inspired to decorate for Halloween!

What is a Halloween house without some gravestones, zombies and cobwebs? With the countdown to Halloween officially on, I am very excited to get into the spirit of the holiday! I hope that next week, my schedule will return to normal and I will be back to blogging regularly. I will do my best to stay healthy and to keep creating. Tomorrow will be spent waiting for the 125th episode of Heartland, this is huge and very exciting! Also, I'll be anticipating a new episode of The Walking Dead. I hope I can convince myself to spend the day focusing on working on my quilt. I hit an obstacle in the middle of do the patches and set it aside until I could figure out a solution. Now, I think I know what I can do to proceed with the project and when I do I'll share with you! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

ps. This post kind of got away from me, I know. I'm just really excited about Halloween... and I really like bread!

I Look Like Wednesday Addams

Such a lovely Fall photo, is it not? Just a few days ago, I was frolicking in my sister's back yard, having a jolly time. Then, I returned home and everything seemed to fall back into place. I cleaned up, watched Heartland (what is going on there?) and then I watched the premiere of The Walking Dead. It was a perfect way to end the weekend. The next day, I settled back into my norm, I went on an adventure with Fred. That afternoon I made molasses popcorn. Then next day, I baked oatmeal bread. Everything seemed fine, although I did take a longer than usual nap in the middle of the day, felt exhausted Tuesday and went to bed uncharacteristically early.
Then, Wednesday morning arrived with a punch in the gut and the worst headache I've experienced in a very long time. I managed to take a Tylenol and get myself a mug of coffee, but I could barely touch my coffee. Then, things went from bad to worse. I spent the rest of the day in bed, not eating dealing with a terrible headache that wouldn't budge and trying to sleep off whatever was bugging me. Fred stayed dutifully by my side.
I did some internet research and found tips on how to beat a stomach bug. I tried everything: avoiding heavy food, taking small sips, drinking ginger tea, drinking peppermint tea, drinking 7Up. Nothing was really working. I knew I had to ride it out. However, that isn't very fun. This morning, I managed to get myself up and I smeared Vapor Rub all along my forehead. This really helped my headache go away. I'd doubt that this is a recommended use for Vapor Rub, but I really just wanted the pain to stop. I went back to sleep and slept the worst of it off. I think having the headache ease up helped.
Then, I put on Netflix and watched Hart of Dixie and Witches Of East End. It was during this time that I managed to successfully consume a stack of Saltines, boy did those taste like a delicacy!
I turned on Steven & Chris and discovered that Chris was flying solo that episode, because Steven was home with the flu! Steven was probably also eating Saltines, snuggling with his pooch (Maxine) and watching Netflix, because what else is there to do in these circumstances?
Needless to say, I have been sporting serious bags under my eyes, I am very pale (enough to make a Cullen blush), and my uniform has been loungewear. I do hope to be back to my normal self soon and will be crafty and all around creative as usual. I will post about the things I made before I fell ill, soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Enjoying The Outdoors

I've been away, spending time with family for the past week. Fred and I took a walk today and here is another shot from our walk. It's amazing how quickly things can change in a week. So many leaves are on the ground now. However, the sun was shining today and it has been a beautiful week, weather wise.

Meet Marshall.

Last Spring, my sister's cat had to be put down. He was 17 years old and very ill. She and her husband got him and his brother, as kittens, when they were still in college. It was sad to see him go, he was a respected member of the family. Her children grew up with him and it was very sad for them to lose a beloved friend. As time passed, their hearts mended and they were able to get two new kittens. They got a boy and a girl, Marshall and Pepsi.

Pepsi (left) and Marshall (right)

Whenever I visit my sister, I love spending time in the woods behind her home. I love the smell of the woods, the sounds and the textures. It is the most peaceful place to be, This time of year is my favorite time to go into the woods; because there aren't any bugs to annoy me,  I can go there to relax.

Fred really enjoys walking in the woods with me. My nephew decided to join us for a silly adventure into the woods.

Here is a Pinterest inspired sign that I made for my nephews a few years ago. I made it one time when I was visiting and my nephews were away at school. I surprised them with the sign, placing it at a fork in the walking path. Surprisingly, it's still up and it even survived a hurricane!

Now, I am home and catching up on things that needed to be done. When I got home yesterday, I had to unpack and tidy up after the mess I left behind when I left before. I managed to get a lot done before watching the premiere of The Walking Dead. I had no idea what to have for a snack during the premiere; had I planned ahead of time I would have made gross cupcakes. Instead, I improvised with hot cocoa and pumpkin spice Milano cookies. Today, I intend to make a treat and do a little holiday decorating. I'll be sure to post about that soon. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Pumpkin Butter Is Where It's At

Last week, I traveled up North to visit a farm that my family owned and operated for a few generations. I found old graves of ancestors, some of which were on the homestead. I also stopped at a few Amish stores. I purchased these pie pumpkins at the Amish store for half of what it would cost me at the grocery store. I was so excited to find nice pumpkins that were locally grown. When I brought them home, I had a plan to make pumpkin butter.

I began the pumpkin butter process by cutting, gutting and peeling the pumpkins. I saved the seeds for roasting, they were super tasty! Then, I diced the pumpkin meat and placed it in a large pot with water and boiled it until it as tender. Then, I drained the water and placed the pumpkin in a Crockpot and cooked it on low for 8 hours.

Next, I drained it some more, mashed it, added brown sugar, spices and apple cider then cooked it on high for an hour.

I gave the pumpkin a final mash before storing it in small containers.

My original plan was to can the pumpkin butter for preservation. However, after doing some internet research, I discovered that the USDA recommends that you NOT can pumpkin. Apparently, canned pumpkin is a dangerous experiment that can lead to the formation botulism. Since I am a novice when it comes to canning, I decided to stay safe a freeze my pumpkin butter instead. I think I like freezing way better; it is a lot less work and the process of sterilization and the hot bath is very nerve wracking. In the end, I had four 2 cup containers of pumpkin butter. It is so tasty on toast and on biscuits, it's a great Fall treat. This Sunday, I'll have to bake some anadama bread to enjoy with this pumpkin butter.

After all of that was done, I baked a cake, cleaned up a big mess in the kitchen and prepared for more traveling. I was going to touch on another topic within this post, but my butter got away from me. I'll need to save that for next time. If you want to find a recipe for pumpkin butter, there are plenty to be found on pinterest. It is really easy to make, but time consuming, so plan accordingly. All the time and effort is totally worth it. Months from now, I'll be able to pull some pumpkin butter out of the freezer and have a taste of Fall on the spot. Until next time! Toodahloo!

It's October And I'm Rolling In Pumpkins

What a difference a week makes! It is officially October and the colors outside are changing quickly. I have been very under the weather, lately, and it's been tricky getting myself to do anything. I just haven't had the energy to do anything crafty and a few days ago, I was in too much pain to do anything but sit as still as possible. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm easing back into things.

Some pears were harvested from an old pear tree and I used them to make pear butter. I hope to make pumpkin butter very soon, too!

Yesterday, I made cinnamon rolls (from a can) with pumpkin puree on top. It was like a combination of pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls. They were delicious! I used the left over pumpkin to make my own pumpkin spice creamer for my coffee. That should be a tasty treat for the rest of the week. I am so happy that October is finally here! This is my favorite month. I will be baking and crafting like a nutter and that will be fun to share. I hope to resume work on my quilt, soon, but that won't be completed until November. However, I have the entire month to be as creative as possible and I hope to be able to get it all done. Until next time~ Toodahloo!