From Our Haunt To Yours

image from the movie 'Trick r Treat'

Sam is our household Halloween mascot.  We simply adore him!  How can you not?!  He is the epitome of creepy cute!!

A HAUNTINGLY HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!

Yummy Scrummy Traditional Dish!

Colcannon

This is a dish I look forward to every Halloween season!  Nowadays, with the internet, you'll find many variations of this recipe (though they don't seem to differ a whole lot) but today I am sharing our family version, which has been handed down for generations.  It's super simple and super delicious so serve up this traditional dish to all the creatures in your household, they'll be goblin it down!  hehe, couldn't help myself

INGREDIENTS:

4 c. mashed potatoes

2 1/2 c. cabbage, cooked and finely chopped

1/2 c. butter (do not use margarine!)

1/2 c. evaporated milk or cream (I prefer the evap)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

 Saute onion in butter.  Make mashed potatoes as usual (do not use potato flakes!  Afterall, they didn't have such in the Olde World).  In a large pan, place all the ingredients except the cabbage.  Cook over low heat and blend thoroughly.  Turn the heat to medium and add the cabbage.  Stir occasionally until completely heated through.  Serves 8.

Can't Get Enough...

This time of year I shamelessly indulge in all the pumpkiney goodies I can - pumpkin shakes, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin ice cream the list goes on.  Whipping up a batch of pumpkin pancakes on ALL HALLOW'S EVE morning is an absolute must and a tradition my family looks forward to.  So today I'm sharing my recipe for this festive favorite!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Whisk 1 1/4c flour, 2 Tbs. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves.  In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg, 6 Tbs. pumpkin puree, 2 Tbs. melted butter, and 1 c. milk; fold into dry ingredients.  Heat a buttered skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 c. batter for each pancake.  Cook about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and maple syrup.

Appreciation Giveaway...

It's been another successful year on soooo many levels!  To show my appreciation, I'm giving away a Halloween-themed glass pendant necklace (image chosen at random) with every purchase from my ETSY store!  This offer runs 'til the end of the month so hurry on over to snag that one-of-a-kind treasure & receive a free gift to boot.  

From the bottom of my li'l ol' black & orange heart, a great big 'thank you' to each and every one of you who were part of the magical memory making!  

A Little Divination Anyone?

During the Victorian era, spiritualism was all the rage.  There were mediums, seances and fortune telling a-plenty.  Children, and even some young adults, were forbidden from taking part in such serious matters so they would often secret away to do some simple divination of their own.  Perhaps this Halloween you may want to delve into what the year ahead holds in store for you! 

Apple Seed Fortune Telling

Carefully cut an apple open and sort out the seeds. 

Count how many and see what your fortune will be!

2   seeds predict good luck

3   bad luck - uh oh

4   wealth

5   an early marriage

6   fame

7   predict a great surprise in the near future! 

Random Act of Silliness.......

Witch's Broom

A vroom with a view??  hehe

One And Only...

show slated this Halloween season!

Harvest on Hughitt

Saturday, October 16th ~ 9am to 3pm

downtown Iron Mountain, Michigan
 

After 3pm, festivities will turn into a full-blown OCTOBERFEST with live music, seasonal food, hayrides, horse-drawn carriage rides, a scarecrow scavenger hunt, pumpkin carving and much much more.  I'll be staying the duration :) 

Looking forward to seeing some of you there! 

Wicked Wearables

Glass pendant necklace featuring one of my
previous creations now available on ETSY!

Symbols of Halloween

The Bat

The bat is one of my favorite Halloween symbols. 

It's long-time association with the darker side of folklore and superstition no doubt has much to do with its habits of nocturnal flight and roosting in places such as caves and old, ghostly ruins.  Not to mention the fact that this is a furry li'l mouse with razor-sharp teeth! 

There are many superstitions attached to this creature.  A bat that flies thrice around a house, crashes into a windowpane, or flies inside of a house is supposed to be an omen of death for one of the occupants.  If a bat shows up inside a church during a wedding ceremony, it is an omen that the marriage is surely doomed.  Bats have been used to forecast weather and in some cultures it was once believed that bats were actually witches in disguise!  If a bat was seen flying straight up in to the sky and then dropping back to Earth, this was a sign that the witching hour had arrived.

Luckily for the bat, just as it has sinister associations in many parts of the world, there are other places that regard the bat as a good omen.  In Poland and China, the bat symbolizes happiness and longevity.  They are greatly respected by the Australian aborigines, who dare not harm or kill a bat in the belief that doing so takes years off one's life.  In some cultures, the bat is regarded as a symbol of protection & rebirth and bringer of good luck.

I, for one, don't see these misunderstood creatures as menacing maniacs in the least.  To me, they are awe-inspiring, even magical.  I enjoy the aerial antics of these tiny dancers and I sport an outdoor bat house during the season these li'l guys return to my area.  I've had occupants in the Bats Motel every summer.  You should see the looks that sometimes gets....hehe.

What's your favorite Halloween symbol?  Is it the witch, skeleton, pumpkin, black cat, owl, or something else?  

** facts paraphrased from The Pagan Book of Halloween by Gerina Dunwich

All Those Years Ago...

...and still so sadly missed.

Happy Birthday John

Serve Up Some Witches' Brew!

Around our house, serving up some witches' brew on ALL HALLOWS EVE is an absolute must!  Here are a couple variations of one of our favorite seasonal sippers.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 - 6oz. package orange gelatin

1/2 to 1 c. sugar

2 c. boiling water

1 - 46 oz. can apricot nectar

1 - 46 oz. pineapple juice

3/4 c. lemon juice

4 ltr. ginger ale, chilled

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin and sugar in water.  Stir in the apricot nectar, pineapple juice and lemon juice.  Freeze in two 2-qt. freezer containers.  Remove from the freezer 2 to 3 hours before serving.  Place contents of one container in a punch bowl; mash with potato masher.  Stir in the ginger ale just before serving.  Repeat.  Yield: about 8 quarts.

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Ingredients:

1 - 46 oz. can pineapple juice, divided

1 - 3 oz. pkg. orange gelatin

1 - 64 oz. carton orange juice

1 litr. ginger ale, chilled

1 qt. orange sherbet

In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of pineapple juice to a boil.  Stir in gelatin until dissolved.  Cool; transfer to a large container.  Add orange juice and remaining pinapple juice.  Chill.  Just before serving, pour into a punch bowl; add ginger ale and mix well.  Top with scoops of sherbet.  Yield: 20-24 servings.

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Tips: Place punch bowl in a hallowed out pumpkin shell for an extra festive flair!  Serve with gummy bugs or candy corn frozen in ice cubes!  Don't forget the Halloween-themed cups and straws! 

My, What Big Eyes You Have...

Sporting handmade top hats and ghoulish grins, these whimsical skellys look like they're ready for some major mishchief-making now that the season of spooking has begun!

Skelly ornaments & other Halloween goodies available now on ETSY! 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

the Harvest Moon * pumpkins glowing in the night * the colorful palette of mother nature in all her glory * crunching leaves underfoot * scary stories * scary movies * the smell of wood fires drifting from chimneys * festive parties * caramel apples * candy corn * dancing bats * creepy scarecrows * haunted houses * hayrides in the countryside warm apple cider * coming up with creative costumes * hosting the annual dumb supper * handing out treats AND tricks hehe

Welcome Glorious October!

OCTOBER is here......my most favoritist time of the year!!!  The spirit of the season has awakened and will now take a magical hold on all I see & do every moment throughout the next 31 days.  I will be inhaling it all in........savoring every experience to it's fullest.........let the magical moments begin!