Spooky Halloween Chili

Okay, so I don't actually eat chili. However, I know plenty of people who love it, especially on a cold, wet, rainy fall day. Today IS a slightly cold, and super wet and rainy day here in the tri-state, making a spooky chili dish perfect for today's Foodie Friday post!

Ya'll know how much I love REALLY simple ideas for giving food a creepy Halloween feel, and you can't really get much simpler than this. Make a pot of chili like you normally would (or find one of thousands of recipes online), and cut out fun, Halloween shapes from slices of cheese. A variety of Halloween cookie cutters are available this time of year at just about any store for only a few dollars. The photo and recipe for this variation comes from Parents.Com and is included in a slideshow feature 'last-minute' Halloween dinners!

Halloween Doormat

Boo Y'all! I wanted to stop in and share my new doormat with you all! For the past few years, I had a haunted house scene doormat. At the end of last season, my boyfriend threw it out, saying it was in REALLY bad shape. At the time, I was really upset. I loved that doormat and thought we could get away with at least one more season, lol. Turns out, it was a blessing in disguise. Since I needed to replace it, it gave me a reason to buy this lil' ghostie doormat, which I'm totally in love with. I found it at Walmart in the Halloween section for $9.97!

Where Does Candy Corn Come From?

Candy corn is just nasty....and this proves it, lol. Although, if you ARE a fan of the tri-colored sugar spikes, you might want to check out my previous blog about how candy corn is made! 

Healthy Halloween: Veggie Trays

Usually my Foodie Fridays involve less-than-healthy options for Halloween themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts, and even cocktails---but sometimes I like to provide a healthy alternative to the traditional sweet and sugary treats of the season! Today, I'm sharing a few ideas for Halloween veggie trays. Veggie trays are a great way to offer a healthy option at Halloween parties and gatherings, and can even be incorporated into a family snack tray. Here are some options:


I love how quick and simple this idea is. De-gut your pumpkin, and just slide the container of dip right into it. Add your favorite cut veggies and you're done. For a Halloween party, you could take the creativity a step further with a fun platter and added touches, such as some olive spiders!

Source: One Little Project

Nothing screams Halloween like a Jack-o-Lantern, and the adorable icon of the season makes a great shape for a veggie tray featuring MY favorite cut veggie, carrots! Again, you can really put your own mark on this creation, using various veggies for the stem, vine, grass, etc. Get creative! 

Source: Mom Endeavors

If Jack-o-Lanterns aren't your thing, or you want something a little spookier, how about a cauliflower skull? I like this option because it allows you to have a variety of veggies available without having to worry about making them into something specific, lol.

Source: Mommy on the Money

As a paranormal investigator, I HAD to include something that features a ghost! This one is similar to the cauliflower skull, but instead is a lil' ghostie made of cauliflower on a bed of other veggies. I seriously might need to make this one!

Source: Mommy on the Money

Happy First Day of Fall, Y'all!

It's September 22, 2016...which can mean only one thing:  It's the first day of autumn! Happy First Day of Fall, y'all! Although, it doesn't really quite FEEL like fall around here, with temperatures expected to reach in the high 80s, and possibly low 90s today. Also, not counting Sunday, we've had quite a dry spell around here lately, which usually means the leaves aren't going to be so brilliantly colored again this year.

But, the important part is that autumn IS finally here, which means the push to Halloween is really here. Have a wonderful day and a wonderful season everyone!

Pinup Witches Volume 2

This Glamour Witch is actress Joyce Holden. Photo taken in 1950. Happy Witchy Wednesday! 

Baby's First Halloween

If you have a little one celebrating his/her first Halloween this year, this might be an idea to try! To me, it sort of looks like a baby trying to escape a pumpkin womb, lol. What do you think? Would YOU make a pumpkin like this?

Stacy Hone Halloween Art

It's been awhile since I shared a piece of Halloween art! I found this lovely, yet untitled piece by Stacy Hone of the Etsy shop, PaintingsOfPeace. The original 11''x14'' acrylic painting has been sold, but please check out her shop for more wonderful, original pieces of art!

Vampire Movie Marathon

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I had an impromptu Vampire Movie Marathon! It started when I was going through the newly added movies on Amazon Prime and found Interview with the Vampire. Since I hadn't seen it in YEARS, I loaded it up and sat back for some 90s vampire nostalgia. Man, Louie might have been a whiny lil' you-know-what, but he was quite easy on the eyes! It was a trip down Memory Lane that lead to a few other choices in weekend viewing.

*Near Dark (1987)---I had never seen Near Dark, starring Bill Paxton, Jenny Wright, and several other names you may recognize, but my boyfriend had fond memories of this 80s vampire favorite. When a cowboy falls in love with a female vampire and is given the opportunity to prove himself to her 'clan,' plenty of insane hijinks ensue. I don't think this movie is billed as a comedy, but it definitely had some comedic moments, and Bill Paxton, while actually a fairly minor character, steals the show with his personality. Pretty violent, but not unnecessarily gory, this movie was a nice, safe choice for our Vampire Movie Marathon.

*NightLife (1989)---Following Near Dark, Aaron picked the next film as well. This one WAS billed as a comedy, and is not to be confused with several other movies of the same name that came out around that time, lol. The NightLife WE watched was a made-for-television movie that aired on USANetwork and is a quirky comedy about a Mexican vampiress, a doctor, a previous lover, and the greatest maid EVER. Even though the whole film takes place in Mexico, the only Mexican speaking character is a police officer, which I thought was just as amusing as the heat-packing, ass-kicking maid that stays loyal to her vampire mistress. It's sort of a cute love triange-type story as the vampiress struggles not only with trying to adjust to life in the 20th century, but to juggle a new love interest and a clingy ex. This is available on YouTube if you want to give it a shot. It's obviously not a cinematic masterpiece, but there's some witty dialogue, and a proper amount of cheese to make it worth the effort.

*The Lost Boys (1987)---After Aaron went to bed, I was still awake enough to continue on with the
marathon. I chose a childhood favorite, The Lost Boys, since Aaron isn't a huge fan of this movie. It has been a few years since I've watched it, but I still love it as much as ever----and still giggled whole-heartedly at the shiny saxophone player and his movies. I also spotted Kelly Jo Minter for the first time! I had only recently made the connection she was in it, but unfortunately her main speaking part was cut from the final version. As a side note, I can't wait to meet her at ScareFest this year, as she was my favorite actress in another childhood favorite, Summer School. I also noticed something else for the first time; young Kiefer Sutherland looks EXACTLY like young Joshua Jackson. The resemblance was so canny that I took to the internet to see if they were distantly related or something. I don't think they are, but plenty of other people had the same idea, apparently.

Anyway, that concluded our short Vampire Movie Marathon! I got in two classic childhood favorites, and was exposed to two new to me films that I proudly now pass on to you for recommendation. There are a ton of other great (and not so great) vampire flicks out there, and I may add in a few more before the week is completely out...so let me know what YOU would recommend! What are your favorite vampire movies?

The Perfect Pumpkin

Picking out the perfect pumpkin is a major life decision. I want to take them ALL home with me, but I usually go for one that's a little crooked or a little splotchy or a little weird. What type of pumpkin do YOU look for at the pumpkin patch?

Horror Movie Flowchart

One of the many fun things to do as Halloween approaches is to cram in as many horror films as possible! In the days leading up to October, I like to save my actual 'Halloween' based movies, and ease into the season with some of my favorite horror. If you're looking for some inspiration on what to watch, check out this handy flowchart! Based on what sub-genres you're interested in, it'll give you some suggestions.  Oh, and sorry about the chart going off the page...I wanted to make sure you could see all the spooky goodness!

Old-Time Radio Halloween Shows

I love listening to old time radio shows and there are plenty of spooky, regularly scheduled programs to choose from. However, I recently stumbled across a YouTube channel that has specially curated a list old time radio's favorite Halloween specials! The channel, OTR HalloweenHolidaze, offers hours and hours of both holiday specific programming from the golden age of radio as well as a sampling of some of those year round mystery and horror favorites.

The channel is still being regularly updated and so far I've listened to shows from the 1930s to the 1970s. Most are less than half an hour long, and some are quite a bit shorter, making these the perfect thing to listen to while doing chores, relaxing, or driving to work. They're also perfect for sneaking in some Halloween cheer when you don't have time to watch a full-length movie. Go check 'em out!  Here's one of the episodes I recently listened to---its a little longer than most:

CBS Radio Mystery Theater Halloween 1976

FREE Halloween Ebook!

If you have a Kindle device or the Kindle app, you can download a copy of Ruth Edna Kelley's 1919 classic, The Book of Halloween, for FREE through Amazon!

Unfortunately, this digital version doesn't include any illustrations or photographs, but its a great historical glimpse at both the history of my personal favorite holiday, and the games, recipes, and traditions that were popular at the time of the book's publication. There are also a TON of poems.

Some of the material about the history of how Halloween evolved into an American favorite can be a little boring and tedious to get through, but I promise it is worth it. A really fun read for a really fun time of year!

*GET YOUR COPY FROM AMAZON HERE*

Haunted House Humor

Ha! I know what it's like growing up in a haunted house, and its not all bad. In fact, its pretty cool most of the time. I still love going to haunted house attractions, though, every Halloween season. Each year, I try to hit at least one or two. While they don't scare me, or even really startle me anymore (which may be a direct consequence of living through an actual haunted house, lol) I love them for their creativity and energy. The people who work/volunteer for these places REALLY enjoy their work! What are some of YOUR favorite haunted house attractions? Let me know below in the comments.

Grim Reaper Cake

For today's Foodie Friday blog, I wanted to share another awesome Halloween cake with you all! Over the years, I've been honing and refining my own personal Halloween decorating aesthetic...and recently I've really begun to embrace the classic black and orange motif. There's just something about black and orange together that evokes a sense of nostalgia. To me, it just screams vintage Halloween.

So, I instantly fell in love with this cake, especially the little haunted house. I'm not a HUGE fan of the Grim Reaper, honestly. I much rather would have seen a classic ghost figure or something, but it is well done, and does look pretty cool.  I wasn't able to find an artist/baker for this cake, so if you know who it belongs to, please let me know and I'll properly credit them.

Hehehe, I actually found this image on Pinterest, which in and of itself isn't that funny, but the fact on what it was classified under IS. I found this image in a collection of ideas for someone's TWO YEAR OLD daughter's Halloween birthday. Yeah, this would make an awesome birthday cake, especially for someone reaching one of those milestone 'over the hill' birthdays, but I'm pretty sure having Death on a two year old's birthday cake sends the wrong message, lol.

Welcome, September!

Wow, is it really September already??? This year is flying by, which is a good thing! It means Halloween will be here that much faster. Since we're starting the official countdown, I thought this photo was quite fitting. For a couple of weeks now, I've already been seeing the pumpkin flavored goodies creeping onto store shelves....and I have a feeling that things are going to definitely pick up. Hehe, last year, I admitted the fact that I am NOT a fan of pumpkin spice anything, let alone any type of pumpkin spice coffee beverage. I was accused of not being a true white girl, which is slightly ironic since my recent AncestryDNA results back that up!