NYC part 1: Disco Mom Takes Manhattan

I've only been saying for three years, since we moved to Virginia, that I'm going back to New York.  "Soon."  "This year."  Or "next year."  But time flies.  And money is tight.  And then I was pregnant.  And then I was nursing.  Ed goes on his hunting trip every October.  And every year I say I'm going to New York.

The "why" is a no-brainer.  New York is awesome.  When you're not tied down to an apartment in Brooklyn with two babies and a no-show overworked husband.  New York is awesome to visit.  And I deserve a vacation.  Always.  And there is so much I never did there (see above.)  And...the New York Chocolate Show is there every November.

I went to the Chocolate Show once before, in 2007.  It's as good a reason as any to go to New York.  Better, really, because it's, hello, chocolate.  So this year I said I'm going.  And I actually did.

I understand it can be really, really boring reading other people's travel logs, minute details about people you don't know and places you've never been (and don't care about.)  So you don't have to read this (and the 2 or 3 or 4 more posts it takes me to cover the trip.)  I just want to write it all down.  

First, this is my friend Juli.  You're going to be seeing her in a lot of pictures.  Just thought I should introduce you.  Juli had never been to New York, and she is an accomplished and expressive cook, so when I mentioned the Chocolate Show in a conversation, she perked her ears like a deer to the snap of a twig in the woods.  She checked her calendar, and she was IN.

 Juli's husband, I should mention, is also the foodiest foodie I've ever met, by a long shot, and an astounding chef as well.  (Their family has a cheese budget.)  By way of example, here's the menu for the lunch he packed us for the bus ride up last Thursday.  (He made the sweet potato spice marshmallows himself.)

 We took the Tripper bus up on Thursday afternoon, which was a great ride besides the typical horrific traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour.  We pulled in just in time to drop our stuff off at the hotel (Hilton Manhattan East, near the UN, booked through Priceline), grab a sandwich, and head to the theater.

Our hotel is the tall brick one in the middle, about 3 blocks east of Grand Central Station.

 For we had tickets to War Horse.  Do you know about this play?  It won a bunch of Tony's and has been made into a movie, coming out on Christmas (it was first a book.)  It was astounding.

 The horses are puppets, which you forget pretty quickly.  The music is gorgeous, the effects and storytelling creative and entrancing. 

 It's hard to explain about the puppets, so watch this:

Here I am during intermission.  It was drizzling and of course I left my umbrella at the hotel.  But after the show we were on a high and didn't mind a little rain after going through World War I and reaching Armistice Day, which was the next day (11/11/11.) 

I mentioned Juli's husband, Brian.  In addition to our lunch, Brian researched and prepared a 2-page list of suggested restaurants and food shops for us to try during our trip.  I had like one or two to add, but was happy to follow his recommendations since NY's food scene is overwhelming.

After the show we went to Casellula Cheese & Wine Cafe, where we ordered fancy sodas, a two-cheese sampler - one Irish, one from Vermont, both amazing - white bean crostini with oyster mushrooms and house-cured bacon, and two desserts: zucchini layer cake with lime filling, and maple baked pears with buttermilk ice cream.  I.  Could.  Die.  It was our favorite meal of the entire trip, and that's not because anything we ate was bad.  On the contrary.  It's just that this was truly exquisite, and the perfect finish to our first night in New York.

Next post: Friday, the Chocolate Show, Jacques Torres, Paris Baguette (it's not what you think!), and more!

Fall Photo Shoot

 We did our (dreaded) family Christmas card photo shoot today.  Dreaded because it's a little stressful, and I hate how I look pretty much all the time, avoiding mirrors when possible and cameras at all costs.  So why would I PAY someone to take my picture?

The only reason is because Ed and I both HATE it when people send pictures of just their kids in Christmas cards, so to avoid hypocrisy, and in the spirit of "4-out-of-5-Hickmans-looking-great-is-a-majority", we did it.  We scheduled the fabulous Alia, who did our pics last year.  I cannot say enough about how easy and awesome she is to work with.  She had the girls, even Poppy, who is a tough age for smiling at strangers, wrapped around her finger.  Since we thought it might be chilly in mid-November, we wanted an indoor site.  I asked her where this is - love that distressed wood! - and would you believe it?

It's a backdrop.

 Is this bad?  Should I not be giving this secret away?  You totally can't tell in pictures, which is why I find it so amazing I can't keep mum.  We just set it up in the family room, mid-afternoon to catch the natural light, and voila!

 How do you like our styling - the gray with pink accents?  I wore gray and black with silver earrings...and more make-up than I ever wear the other 364 days.  And I even blow-dried my hair with product and a round brush.  I really went all out.

Hazel is wearing a gray dress with small white dots from Target, Ginger's dress is from Carter's (belt from Wal-Mart) and Poppy is wearing an H&M gray onesie with white dots and Uniqlo gray corduroy jumper (and Old Navy gray & black striped leggings.)  All flower clips are from Claire's.  

 Hazel has really taken Project Runway to heart.

 What a coupla lookers, right?  Like I said, 4 out of 5.  (Ed's wearing a gray sweater over whatever he wore to work - a blue shirt, I think - he breezed in for about 20 minutes between work meetings, and breezed right out again - we're just glad he made it at all!  And he always looks good.)

It was such a mild and lovely day we did go outside after these shots, but I didn't take my camera.  We took more family pics, individuals, sisters, and a few with the blog header in mind so I'm excited to see how those came out.  Alia's going out of town Sunday so she promised them before she left - stay tuned...

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

 

Well here's the crowning post of a truly amazing Slow-Cooker Week.  Maybe I'm just saying that because it's my blog.  The truth is, for every recipe I posted this week there were two or more I rejected; so these are all really good.

But that said, this one's the best.  

Here's an explanation from Cook's Country on "why this recipe works":

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs added deeper flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili than boneless breasts, especially when we browned them before they went into the cooker. We started with fresh jalapeños to give the chili the extra heat it so desperately needed. Adding pickled jalapeños at the last minute really brought the dish together.

Pureed hominy (dried corn kernels that have been soaked in lye or slaked lime to remove the hull and germ) added body and rich corn flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili that tasters loved. To give the chili extra body, we pureed one can of beans with some broth.

What they said.  You will LOVE this chili.  And if you've never used hominy, like I hadn't, it looks like this and is found with the canned vegetables and beans.  You do NOT want to leave it out of this recipe!

 

And while I'm being bossy, also do not fail to garnish with fresh avocado and squeezes of lime - the best!

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili (print recipe)
(Serves 6 to 8)
3 (16-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), fat trimmed
1 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T drained jarred pickled jalapenos, minced
1 to 2 avacados, diced, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

BLEND BASE - Puree 1 can beans, hominy, broth, and 3/4 tsp salt in blender until completely smooth.  Pour into slow cooker.

BROWN CHICKEN - Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook thighs, skin-side down, until skin is well browned and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard skin, then add thighs to slow cooker.

COOK AROMATICS - Pour off all but 2 T fat from skillet.  Cook onions, chiles, and 1/2 tsp salt until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer half of onion mixture to slow cooker; reserve remaining mixture in refrigerator.

FINISH CHILI - Add remaining beans to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.  Transfer chicken to bowl.  When cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Stir cilantro, pickled jalapenos, shredded chicken, and reserved onion mixture into slow cooker and let warm.  Serve topped with diced avocado and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Recipe from Cook's Country, Oct/Nov 2009

Slow-Cooker Pull-Apart Ribs

If you just got served these ribs, you might never even consider they were done in the slow cooker.  That's because after they slow cook to tender perfection, they're slathered with homemade barbecue sauce and grilled to a nice sweet & smoky crust on the outside.  Genius, really.  Way better than the grilled ribs I tried to make a few years ago that were tough and nearly burnt by the time they cooked through. 

But these fell right off the bone and were absolutely perfect.  Four adults devoured them and wanted more, so the only amendment I might make to this recipe is, get another crockpot and double it.  And sorry, you ain't gonna have leftovers.


Pull-Apart Ribs (print recipe)
Makes 1 rack of ribs (about 14)
Rub and Ribs:
2 T dry mustard
2 T paprika
1 T dried oregano
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 T sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 full rack pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer OR 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Sauce:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 T ketchup

1.  RUB - In a small bowl, stir together dry mustard, paprika, oregano, seasoned salt, sugar and pepper.

2.  RIBS - Remove the ribs from packaging; rinse in cool water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Cut rack in thirds.  Season ribs with 1/4 cup of the dry rub, pressing on with your hands.  Pour beer or broth and 1 1/2 cups water into slow cooker.  Stack ribs in cooker and cover.  Slow cook on LOW for 9 hours.

3.  Heat gas grill to medium-high or coals in charcoal grill to medium hot.

4.  SAUCE - Place remaining rub, brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

5.  GRILL - Carefully remove ribs from slow cooker.  Baste with sauce.  Grill ribs 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes.

Recipe from Family Circle, June 2011

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are perfect for slow cooking and absolutely fall off the bone when they're done.  An abundance of lemon and garlic mellow in the process to a deeply infused flavor, perfect for serving over pasta.  Baby spinach, wilted in at the very end, adds the perfect fresh touch.

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs (print recipe)

6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup packed baby spinach, chopped
8 ounces angel hair pasta

1.  Trim chicken thighs of any excess fat.  Place them in the slow cooker bowl and scatter garlic cloves over top.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest, juice and the chicken broth; pour half of it (about 1/3 cup) into slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW.

3.  Remove chicken thighs to a platter and keep warm; discard garlic cloves.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice mixture, cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Whisk into slow cooker bowl with chopped spinach and cook another 30 minutes on HIGH or LOW.

4.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, about 4 minutes.  Stir in half of sauce from slow cooker bowl into pasta and serve remainder with chicken.

Recipe from Family Circle, August 2010

Slow-Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork

  Last spring my friend emailed a bunch of us about spring break coming up.  She set up a bunch of day-outings for us all to join her on, and included a call for crockpot recipes so we could all have dinner waiting when we got home.  One response was this recipe.  

I was so excited to try it; I've always loved Indian curries but I'm relatively new to Thai coconut-type curries.  But what I've had, I've loved.  So I was stoked to try one.  And in the slow cooker!  So lucky!

I made this a couple Sundays ago, to cook while we were at church, and greet us on our homecoming.  It was mouthwateringly fragrant and so satisfying served over hot rice, with a sprinkle of cilantro.  I ate more than I should have, devouring faster than I could register that I was full.  It was that good.

A word about green curry paste.  I'd never used it so I was worried it might be hot; it's not - it's quite mild in this recipe so if you want more heat you'll have to add it.  Great for kids.  Also, I bought a little fancy jar of it at my grocery store for $4.  In the future I'll hit an Asian market - we have so many here! - where I can get it much cheaper, and probably more authentic.  Thekitchn recommends Maesri brand, it comes in a can the size of canned tuna.

Slow Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork (print recipe)

serves 6 to 8
Between 2 and 3 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into fourths
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can Thai green curry paste (4 ounces)
1 can coconut milk (14-15 ounces)
Chopped cilantro or chives, to serve (optional)
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to serve (optional)

1.  Heat the broiler. Cut the pork into four pieces and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and broil, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until well-browned.

2.  Spread the cut potatoes in the insert of a slow cooker. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper.
While the pork is browning in the oven, fry the curry paste. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the curry paste and fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the paste smells aromatic and has begun to absorb the oil. Whisk in the coconut milk and cook for another few minutes, or until the coconut milk begins to bubble.

3.  Take the browned pork out of the oven and drain away any liquid fat. Arrange the pork in the slow cooker with the potatoes, and pour the hot green curry and coconut milk mixture over it.

4.  Cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. At the end of cooking shred the pork with two forks; it should be meltingly-tender. (Depending on how much fat is released from the pork, the curry sauce will not look thick and creamy; it will probably be thin.)

5.  Taste and season if necessary with salt or soy sauce. Serve with brown rice, and small bowls of chopped cilantro or chives and toasted unsweetened coconut.

Recipe from Faith Durand on thekitchn.com

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

Here's the chicken version of that warm comforting stew we all crave in cold weather.  And let me just say, if you have never tasted the sensory symphony of chicken & thyme, you are in for an exquisite treat.  And this is just as good, or better, warmed later as leftovers.  A sweater, slippers, and a bowl of this is all you need to keep the chill out.

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes (print recipe)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 ounces small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms drained (I left this out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T unsalted butter, softened

1.  In a medium-size bowl, stir together chicken, 2 T of the flour, 1/4 tsp of the salt and the pepper; add to slow cooker.  Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the thyme, the sage, and broth.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 T flour and the butter until a paste forms.  Push the chicken and vegetables to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and thyme into slow cooker bowl.  Cook 1 more hour until thickened.  Makes 6 servings

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket

 I bought a small jar of Chinese Five-Spice a few years ago for some cookies I don't think I ever made.  So I was pleased as punch to find a recipe for it, and a slow cooker one at that!  In case you're wondering the five spices are: cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger and cloves. 

This recipe is a great concept, and the meat came out tender and saucy.  The juice was a bit mild so I added a dash of this and that to taste - hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, a little more vinegar.  It's hard to think of something better than hot spicy meat over rice when you're really hungry.  Which I always am.

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket (print recipe)
1 beef brisket, about 3 pounds
1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 can diced water chestnuts
4 chopped scallions, divided
Hot rice, for serving

1.  Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Season brisket with Chinese Five-Spice.  Place in slow cooker.  Scatter onion and garlic over meat.  Combine tomatoes, broth, vinegar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Pour over brisket.

2.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 9 hours.  Add water chestnuts and half of the chopped scallions during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

3.  Remove meat from slow cooker and cool slightly.  Slice or shred and stir into sauce.

4.  Remove brisket and sauce and serve over hot rice.  Sprinkle more chopped scallions on top.

*If the final flavor isn't strong enough for you, add any of the following to taste: toasted sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, ground ginger, more Chinese Five-Spice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, onion powder, etc.

Recipe adapted from Family Circle, September 2011

Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but you have to believe, this dish is gooood.  I think the secret is the combination of rosemary and Italian dressing.  Normally the dressing would be too strong, but all flavors mellow in the slow cooker.  This is usually to a dish's detriment, but in this case it works out, to make a flavorful but not overwhelming sauce for the creamy beans and tender vegetables.  I've given you the original recipe here, from the book that came with my Crockpot, but in my book I've made a note to one-and-a-half or even double the sauce and vegetables because the first time we made this, oh, we wanted more!



Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans (print recipe)
2 T oil
4 to 6 chicken breast halves (or any skinless chicken pieces would work)
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1/3 cup Italian dressing

In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken breast.  Remove and drain.  Place carrots, celery and beans in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the chicken breasts.  In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, rosemary and Italian dressing and pour over the food in the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cover; cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Slow-Cooker Week (It's Back)

Have I got a treat for you.  It's been a few years since I did a Slow-Cooker Week, but I've recommitted to beefing up my slow-cooker repertoire, and I finally - FINALLY! - have seven good ones to share.  It takes awhile, you know?

I really think any time of year is perfect for slow cookers.  Summer, because they don't overheat your kitchen.  Fall and winter, because they often produce warm, meaty, stew-like comfort food.  Spring, because the weather is great and we want to spend all our time outside, not slaving over dinner.  I just love my slow cooker.

Which is not to say everything it makes is good.  There are way too many mediocre and bad crockpot recipes.  But I think you'll be really pleased with this week's findings.  Sorry vegetarians, this week I've got 4 chicken, 1 beef and 2 pork recipes.  (But just sub in some veggies and you're good.)  I've got Thai, Chinese, Italian, BBQ, Mexican, and more.

It's a good week for slow cooking.  I don't know why.  Maybe because I am going OUT OF TOWN, which almost NEVER happens, and I just feel like having posts go up while I'm gone.  Whatever, enjoy.

Art Tuesday: Shoebox Painting

 A few years ago Hazel did a project like this in preschool, but I totally forgot about it until Ginger's preschool did it, too.  It's fun, easy, not too messy, and definitely a new way of painting.

What you need:

• Tempera paints, several colors
• Paper or plastic cups
• Spoons
• Masking tape
• Acorns, marbles, or small rocks
• White 8x11 paper
• A shoebox or other box with lid

What to do:

1. Lay a piece of paper in the shoebox and tape it into place.

 2.  Pour some paint into a cup.  I usually cut it with some water to make it thinner.  Place an acorn or small rock in the paint to get it covered.  Use a spoon to remove it.

 3.  Place the acorn in the box on the paper.  Close the box tightly.

 5.  Shake, shake, shake!

 6.  Open the box and behold your masterpiece!  It's also fun to put several acorns with several colors in and shake them up together.

Meanwhile, I gave Poppy a squirt of paint on her highchair tray and a silicone pastry brush to keep her busy.

 But she still wanted to do some of the box-shaking.  Undoubtedly that is the most fun part.

Check out our work:

 

 

Halloween 2011 (part 2)

 Um, it was a little more work than I expected to get a good shot of the kids in their costumes.  Everytime I said, "1, 2, 3..." Poppy ran towards me, and my stupid idiot camera was never fast enough. 

 Finally Knight Hazel laid down the law with her sword and I got a shot.  Baseball bat and all.  But can we all still please agree I need a new camera?  A GOOD camera?  You know I'd use it.  This is the beginning of my Christmas hinting.  I've only done this five Christmases in a row.  Maybe one of these years it will stick.

 But back to the kids.  They were really cute, right?

 Trick-or-treating in our neighborhood is awesome.  The neighbors really deck out with decorations, scary-but-not-too-scary music, costumes, etc.  One house even had a platter of pumpkin muffins for the grown-ups, and another had a full spread on a table in their driveway - hot dogs, cookies, and big thermoses of steaming hot chocolate.  So thoughtful because it was kind of a chilly night, and it got us through the last stretch.  Several groups had fire pits going in their front yard and were making a fun night of it with friends. 

 We took Poppy with us to a few houses, then brought her home to stay with Ed while he ate dinner and carved our pumpkin - never too late!  After only a few trick-or-treaters at our door, Poppy caught on and took that duty upon herself.  First, watching out the window for people:

 Then handing them the candy when they came and calling, "Happy Halloween!"  Then her favorite part was closing the door and watching out the window again. 

 Here's the jack-o-lantern Ed carved - not bad, eh?  Love those template books!  A NICE camera could have taken an amazing shot of it in that low light.

 

The girls had a good haul - Hazel liked the Tootsie Rolls and Ginger discovered the wonder of Skittles - they are her new favorite treat by far.  I still go for the Reese's and Snickers myself. 

 

 And just for some final spooky fun, here's a picture of my brother Dave and me, circa 1981?  He just loaded a bunch of pics to his Facebook page in an album called, "Look Who Found a Scanner", and this was one of them.  Don't you miss the days when you had to make your own C3PO costume?  And you know I was working that wig!

Halloween 2011 (part 1)

This post has it all: photos.  Parades.  Parties.  Cakes.  Giant inflatables.  Videos.  Everything Halloween should be and more.  In no particular order.

First of all, thank you to FX for playing "Twilight" several times over the last few nights.  It's been real. 

Last year I mentioned an enormous, house-sized black cat our neighbor put up.  The girls called him "Scary Skip" and were scared to walk by him.  This year we were thrilled to see his return, and instead of fear, we greet him heartily each day. (And let me just say - it is SO amazing to be able to send videos straight from my phone to YouTube!)


Last week Ginger's preschool had their annual Halloween sing-along and outdoor parade, always a crowd-pleaser.  I have got to get a playlist from their music teacher, some of those songs are super cute.  Her class had a small cupcake-decorating party first.

Ginger was Olivia this year.

 We got the ears headband from an Etsy seller, the leggings at Target, and a red sailor dress from ebay that my Mom added the collar and tie to to make it look right.  She was lacking some girth but not much we could do about that.

Poppy was the same ladybug that both Hazel and Ginger were at her age.  Easy peasy.

This month my friend Sheri traveled to England to see, among other things, the Bears play an NFL UK game - see her awesome write-up here.  While galavanting and basking in kidlessness she also managed to remember I LOVE Cadbury creme eggs, and picked me up a bunch of these Halloween versions - "Screme eggs" with green in the center.  Oh, yes, they are all the Halloween candy I need.  YUM!

In preparation for our church Halloween party, a bunch of chicks-in-aprons got together one night to assemble this cake and this one, which would be prizes for the pumpkin carving and chili cook-off contests.  It was a great night of gabbing and frosting.

Last Friday night Hazel's school had a Halloween party, so we all donned our costumes and schlepped over to the school.  There was a movie, stories, crafts, a "spookhouse" (= the music room draped and darkened with a few scary things), and DANCING.  Yes, a DJ was there, and from the moment we got there to the moment we left, Hazel was cutting the rug.  She's got moves and she loves to dance.  It's kinda dark to tell, but she was a knight.


Saturday was the church party.  But before that, we got the season's first SNOW!  The girls were beside themselves and talk of Christmas immediately ensued.

But we did still go to the party.   From the decorations to the activities, to the astounding "Thriller" dance performance at the end, the whole event left me speechless.  Games, cupcake walk, Pirate's Cove, live music (yes, a BAND).  It rocked.

 

It was also fun that I got to be a chili judge, tasting 19 different concoctions, and realizing there is a very wide berth when to comes to interpreting "chili."   Another thing I always love about the church party is that the adults dress up.  Ed and I were salt and pepper shakers.  Unfortunately my costume snagged on a door and fell apart before we could get a picture together, but here is Ed with Poppy.  I looked like him but with black pom-poms and balled up newspaper in my shaker.

 Here were some of my other favorite adult costumes -

Alex Trebek and Jeaopardy contestant - nice winnings, Ashley!

 Mr. & Mrs. Pacman

Facebook page and National Geographic cover - this NG fellow had the most rocking homemade robot costume last year, he is one to keep an eye on!

I never did get a proper shot of all the girls together, but maybe tonight I can take one.  We're all looking forward to trick-or-treating since we skipped last year (Halloween being on a Sunday.)  Speaking of candy, both Hazel's school and a local scout troop are collecting leftovers for Treats 4 Our Troops, do you know about this?  Genius everyone-wins program.  Or there's this feature on candy-filled treats (but like I said here, does anyone really have Reese's left over?!)  Let's take Halloween candy and ADD MORE SUGAR!  Who's with me?  You couldn't pay me enough to make or eat the Taffy Ice Cream Bomb (who gives out taffy for Halloween?) but I could be persuaded to try the Kit Kat Crescents...

Finally, I got this "tasteful" black wreath for door, what do you think?  I went out to get the paper one morning, and when I turned around this was what I saw.  What on earth could be more welcoming?

So there's our Halloween except for our actual Halloween.  What are you doing and being this spookiest day of 2011?