1st Annual Girls Halloween Party

Well, we did it. We survived the First Annual Grace and Sophie Halloween Party! Whew! Here she is our Kimono Princess...isn't she lovely? I spent quite some time making these little party favors...but they turned out so cute, so it was worth it. Watch out Lucy...Countess Gracula. So we had around 22 kids at our house...and me, the only adult. Here's an example of the ensuing chaos.

Cornbellys

The family adventures at the pumpkin patch...it was too bright. So, this is the best photo I could get of everyone.



We had a great time, although the corn maze freaked the girls out. They DID NOT like walking around in the corn (imagine a lot of crying and whining)...so we had to take the short cut (aka: weaving our way through stalks of corn and getting whipped in the face) to find the exit.

A Story by Grace: Scaredy Cat (And she typed it too!)

Once there were two black cats named Steve and Nellie. One day Nellie was walking down the sidewalk when.... "Boo!" a ghost said. "Meow"! screamed Nellie.But it was a fake ghost. When Steve found out what happened he laughed at Nellie.He laughed so hard cat cream came out of his nose.Nellie was embaressed.So she ran away from Steve.She was out walking when....."meow!" A scary pumpkin apeared.It was a jack-o-latern.Steve found it out.He laughed so hard and this time milk came out of his nose. One day Steve was walking down the street when .......he he he he he he!"Meow! A whitch"!screamed Steve.Then he relized it was fake. Steve learned his lesson.And he and Nellie lived together forever in a happy life.[Can you guess what the lesson was?]

Worms and Eyeballs

This is one of our favorite meals that we eat even when it isn't Halloween.



Here's how you make it:
Meatballs: 1lb of ground chicken (or turkey).
3 green onions sliced
1 chopped red/orange pepper
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic
2 T hoisin sauce (in the Asian food section)
salt and pepper

Mix together and form into little balls. Cook on baking sheet (cover with foil for easy clean-up) and bake for 12 min at 400 degrees.

Stir Fry Veggies:
Scallions
Peppers
Snow Peas
Zuchinni
Shredded Carrots
Bean Sprouts
1/2 cup of soy sauce



Cook in 1 T of butter.
Cook 2 handfulls of pasta (buccatini if you have it---makes it more wormy).

Add all ingredients with @ 1 C of soy sauce. Enjoy!




I know these meatballs don't look perfectly round, in fact they look a little like cookies. But, I don't love to handle the meat(gross), so I use a spoon---kind of like cookies. Except they're meat cookies, which doesn't sound very good...but they are delicious. Yum. The chicken is the best.


Tamari soy sauce is the best and because this recipe uses so much soy...I would use only this brand. I've tried it with other brands, but it didn't taste as good.

A Ghosty FHE

We made these cute little ghosties for family home evening. They were super simple.




Here's how:

1. Melt one bag of white chocolate chips over a double boiler.
2. Add 1 1/2 tbls of veg oil and stir until smooth.
3. Then with a spoon of chocolate make the head, arms and then the tail on wax paper.
4. Stick in a lollipop stick, (kind of roll it around in the chocolate to make sure it stays) and then add dark choc chips for eyes.
5. Stick the wax paper on a cookie sheet in the fridge for about 7 min. And voila! A perfectly spooky treat.

Enjoy!
xoxo
Jen

Lucy Rocking it Under the Table

What to be for Halloween

Sigh. What to be for Halloween.

This has been a MAJOR discussion at our house as of late. Sophie is full of questions. "Mom, if I'm the Kimono Princess, do I get to have the fan AND the parasol?" "Mom, can I be the Grecian Goddess?" "Do you think the Gypsy's cute?" "Do we have forty dollars?" "Mom, are you ignoring me?"

Yes to ALL of those questions.

All the while I'm trying to convince her to be Dorothy...or Daphne...or a Flamingo..(all the costumes we all ready have). But no dice.

We will not be deciding until the very week of Halloween, because of all the decisions that get changed from minute to minute. But really, if I had the chance to decide what I'd be right now. Anything at all...well, it's tough. I'd like to be a cross between Martha Stewart, Jack Johnson, J.K.Rowling, Heidi Klum, Julie Beck, Mother Theresa and Super Mom. So, don't make me choose.

"Mom. Are you listening?" S asks.

"Yes. Tell me again about the pirate costume my dear Soph."