Tricks, Treats and Traditions

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Tricks

Trick or Treat? That is the question of the day. On Halloween, most people follow the tradition of simply loading up the kid's bags with sweet candy treats. However, there are some who get their thrills by playing tricks. When I was a little girl of five, my sister and I had our first glimpse of the spooky side. We were both probably dressed up like princesses, and we were going about our duty of collecting as much candy as possible. Our bags were beginning to get heavy when approached "the house". It looked like a normal house. Glowing pumpkins on the steps and a festive scarecrow on the front porch. We didn't think twice as we strode up the driveway. We climbed the front steps in anticipation of being greeted with candy, but instead were scared to death when the scarecrow jumped up and tried to grab us! It was our neighbor dressed up complete with a pumpkin on his head! We ran screaming down the driveway. I'm pretty sure we didn't go back up to get the candy!

Treats

Here is a twist on my favorite classic Halloween treat, Carmel Apple Cheesecake. Yum!

Traditions

Tradition 1: Every year on Halloween we made a big pot of hot chili. I think this tradition started in part because the chili warmed us up before going out into the cold.

Tradition 2: In the weeks before Halloween we trek out to the pumpkin farm and select the perfect pumpkin. We carve , then we line our masterpieces up on the hearth and admire our handiwork.

Tradition 3: After gathering candy, we would come home and dump out our stash on the floor. We'd then divide it by type of candy, and were on a constant sugar high in the weeks to come.

Have a happy Halloween!

Daring Bakers Challenge - Pizza, Pizza!

This month I took on a new challenge and joined the Daring Bakers. It's an online group that takes on a baking challenge each month. The rules are simple: follow the original recipe given to you, add your own creative twist, keep the challenge ultra top secret, and most of all have fun! For more info on this group check out there website here: The Daring Bakers.

Now for the challenge: This month we were asked to bake a simple pizza crust. We had to use a sauce of some kind, but the rest of the toppings were up to our imagination.

Oh yeah, they also told us we had to toss the dough and capture a picture of it. I quickly found that tossing wasn't my forte, but I sure had fun doing it. (Thanks Michelle for taking the picture! :))

Savory Pizza

The Dough: I'll have to get back to you with a link to the recipe. For one pizza crust I stuffed it with a tablespoon of basil and a small handful of sun dried tomatoes. This was a hit!

As promised, here is the recipe:

~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~

Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).

Ingredients: 4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled

1 3/4 Tsp Salt1 Tsp Instant yeast

1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil

1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml)

Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)

1 Tb sugar Cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE 1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO 8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C). NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

The Sauce: Mix pesto and Alfredo sauce and spread over the dough. This gave the pizza a rich, creamy base.
The Toppings: Arrange pulled cooked chicken and thinly sliced onion. I added variety by adding thinly sliced red bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes or basil. Top the pizza with a generous handful of mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sweet Pizza

The Dough: Same as the savory recipe

The Sauce: 2 T. melted butter, 2 tsp. cinnamon. Mix and spread over crust

The Toppings: 3/4 c. brown sugar, 3/4 c. flour, 1 T. water, 1/4 c. softened butter, about 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/3 c. oatmeal, 1/3 c. crushed almonds, thinly sliced strawberries. Set the strawberries aside, and mix all ingredients together. Add oatmeal as needed to get a crumbly texture. Sprinkle over the crust. Layer with sliced strawberries.

For an extra sweet touch: Mix 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, 1/2 T. milk and 1/8 tsp. vanilla. Swirl the glaze on top of the pizza.

Note: It will smell delicious the second it comes out of the oven, but swat those hungry hands away because it tastes best once it has had time to cool down a bit.

Between the pizza, wine and good friends to share it with...a girl couldn't ask for much more!

Halloween Inspiration Board

Halloween is only a couple of days away. If you're throwing a bash, it's not to late to add a few special touches that will make your party even more memorable. Check out the links below for fun D.I.Y. ideas and inspiration.

-Ghoulish Glam Mood Lighting
-Halloween Spiderweb Cookies
-Pumpkin Treat Bags
-Spooktacular Bar
-Drill a Pumpkin
-Party Tub
-Spooky Stairwell
-Mummy Candy Holder
-Chocolate Rats

Sweet and Savory Pumpkin

Okay, so it's no big secret that I love pumpkins. My husband jokes that he's never known anyone who uses all of the pumpkin for cooking, and he says that if I wanted to I could even find a use for the stem! With so many delectable recipes for cooking with pumpkins, it was hard to choose only a few. However, here are some of my favorites and some I've never tried but they looked so scrumptious they've made my list of must tries.

-Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
-Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Pecan Praline
-Pumpkin Cornmeal Muffins
-Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
-Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
-Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
-Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta
-Spanish Pumpkin and Bean Soup
-Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Most Important Meal of the Day

"'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'What's the first thing you say to yourself?'
'What's for breakfast?', said Pooh. 'What do you say, Piglet?'
'I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?', said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. 'It's the same thing.', he said."
-A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh 1926

A short time ago I decided to take on a culinary challenge and attempt to make macarons. A foodie blog that I love, Tartelette, features these tasty treats quite often, and I thought that by following her skilled instruction I too may be able to make these challenging cookies. Well, my culinary adventure ended up being a culinary catastrophe! Instead of looking like Tartlette's puffy delights, mine looked like flat saucers.

But there is a happy ending for the creamy filling I had prepared. What was once intended to be sandwiched in the middle of the macarons, I used as a delicious topping to french toast. Since I rarely get to make breakfast in the morning, I enjoy serving it for diner from time to time.

I started by making homemade wheat bread. Bread sounds more intimidating than it should. If you have a good recipe it's fairly easy to make.

Whole Wheat Bread

1 pkg. dry active yeast

1 1/8 cup warm water

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup white bread flour

1 tsp. salt

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in the water, add the sugar and let sit 5 min. until it starts to foam. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Scrape onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 8 min. adding more white flour as needed to get a smooth elastic dough. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and let sit at room temp. to double, about 1 hour. Punch, re-shape and rise to double, about 45 min.

Put in a lightly oiled loaf pan. Cover and rise to double, about 45 min.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 min. Deeply colored and sounds hollow by tapping the bottom. Cool on rack.

I then cut the fresh bread into thick, generous slices. Soak each slice in a mixture of eggs, milk, a dash of salt and a dollop of maple syrup. Cook on a griddle until golden. Top each slice of french toast with a spoonful of Cream Cheese Buttercream filling.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 1/2 sticks (170 gr) butter at room temperature

4 oz (120gr) cream cheese, softened

3 egg whites1/2 cup (100gr) sugar

2 Tb water

1 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they have soft peaks. In the meantime, combine 2 Tb water with the sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan and bring the syrup to 250F. Slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg whites. Continue to whip until the meringue is completely cooled. Slowly add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The mass might curdle but no panic, continue to whip until it all comes together. Add the cream cheese, the same way, a little at a time until everything is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract, or paste or bean.

Festive Feathered Wreath

I recently saw this fantastic feathered wreath while perusing my Pottery Barn catalog. The look is dramatic and a bold statement for Halloween, and my first thought was, "I could make that...".

Step one was to dig this simple wreath form out of my Mom's craft closet. Any wreath form will work. A cheap styrofoam form would actually work best because they are light weight, and you can get these at any craft store.


Step two was to pull out the dress up box to get my old black feathered boa that I wore to a dance in high school. I never thought I would find a use for it again! If you don't have a boa on hand, you can get them at craft or costume stores. Wrap the boa around the wreath (you may need more than one to cover the entire surface).

Here is my wreath hanging on my front door. With Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect way to greet all of those trick-or-treaters who will soon be here!

Wordless Wednesday - Take Time to Notice the Small Things

Creative Letters

I am a huge fan of letters. I love giving them just as much as I love getting them. There is something so exciting about opening up your mailbox and seeing a card, postcard or letter waiting there for you. This week I came across a few "cards" that take creativity to a whole new level.

(Photos courtesy of Fred Flare)

The Capsule Letters at Fred Flare are perfect for those of you who dreamed of becoming a secret agent when you grew up. Each capsule contains a scroll of paper on which you can scribble a secret message or simply tell a friend hello.

Jordan, from Oh Happy Day, shared her super creative invitations to a dinner party which are nearly identical to these capsule letters. Her cards are made with vintage glass capsules found at a flea market. These invitations definitely do a good job of setting the tone for the event. Now that is a party I would want to be invited to!

(Photo courtesy of Oh Happy Day)

(Photo courtesy of A+R)

The Carve Your Own Postcard from A+R is a grown up version of carving your sweetie's initials into a tree trunk or in a picnic table. This postcard is made of soft wood that you can carve with a key. You could get really creative and carve a more intricate design with a craft drill.

Pumpkin Wishes and Candy Dreams

Every year my family makes a trip to the local pumpkin patch and spends the afternoon selecting the perfect pumpkin. It's just not officially fall without a pumpkin sitting on my front porch. If carving pumpkins isn't your thing, you can still use pumpkins to decorate in many unique ways.

The top picture shows smaller pie pumpkins covered in a layer of glue and then covered in orange glitter. The sparkle adds a touch of glam to your tabletop. Setting them atop cake pedestals adds height and depth.

Wouldn't you love to have this display of painted pumpkins on your porch? The stacked benches piled with various sizes of painted pumpkins create a stunning display.

There are endless possibilities for decorating with mini pumpkins. Here they have carved a hole just big enough for a votive candle, and have placed a simple hurricane on top. You could also carve a smaller hole that fits a tea light candle.

(Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart, Jackaroo Love and Good Housekeeping)

Ok, so now for the Candy Dreams...

For the recipes, check out the following:

I Scream Ice Cream

Pecan Carmel Spiders

Scream Cookies

Glass Containers + Fallish Items = Instant Decor

In my family room I have three glass containers that sit atop my bookcase. Each season I fill them with various items that reflect the time of year. This fall I filled two containers with plasticized leaves from Pottery Barn, beaded mini pumpkins and pine cones collected from the cabin. I poured shimmery black sand into the third containers and stuck a single orange taper candle in the center.

This is an easy decor project that anyone can use in their own home. All you need is an odd number of clear glass containers and a little imagination. Possible filler items for this season might include:

-a mix of gourds, squash and mini pumpkins

-pine cones and moss collected from your backyard

-leaves found either in a store or from a nature walk with your kids

-candy corn rather than sand at the base of a candle.

Whatever you do, have fun with it. Decorating your home sets the tone for the season and should be fun and not a chore.

National Boss' Day

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

Tomorrow is National Boss' Day, and if you have a great boss then this is a perfect day to say thank you. According to Wikipedia, "National Boss's Day is usually celebrated by presenting one's boss with a small gift or greeting card. It is also customary to treat one's boss with extreme kindness, very similar to a birthday." You could always get the "World's Best Boss" mug like the one that Michael on the Office holds near and dear to his heart. Or you could do something as simple as a card or extra smiles. I spend my day job in an office full of sugar lovers, so I'm saying thank with a plate full of my famous oatmeal cookies.

If you're self-employed and your own boss, take some time to thank and appreciate yourself. Go for a walk, add whipped cream on your latte or get a manicure.

Whatever you choose to do, know that you'll be making that person's day just a little brighter. Everyone wants to be appreciated.

New England Memories

As promised here are pictures of our trip to New England. Some of my favorite memories include:

-Seeing the sites of Boston on the Freedom Trail

-Sneaking into Fenway and walking on the Green Monster

-Hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire

-Touring the coast of Maine

-Visiting Sleepy Hallow Cemetery and Walden Pond in Concord, MA

-Sitting on the deck at the cottage in Maine, drinking coffee with my hubby as the sun came up over the lake

All in all, it was a trip that I will never forget and I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to go.

Seashore, Autumn Glory and History

I'm back! We had such a wonderfully relaxing and very eventful trip. I am full of stories to share and my camera is full of pictures to show you (356 to be exact, but don't worry I'll only show you the highlights). Until I'm able to download all of those pictures I thought I would give you a sneak peek tonight. Enjoy!

And We're Off!

My hubby and I are off to New England for some much needed rest and relaxation. We'll be staying in a cottage on a lake in Maine. Picture the movie On Golden Pond and you'll get an idea of where we'll be. I'll be back next week with lots of pictures and adventures to share!

Sugar High

What is the first think that pops into your head when I say the word "Halloween"? For me it's candy. That's why this is a perfect time for me to introduce you to the creative force that is Amy Atlas. She creates beautiful displays of...what else, candy! More specifically, she's an "event planner who specializes in high-end dessert bars". Her edible arrangements are eye candy so deliciously unique that your mouth will water just looking at the beautiful pictures on her website. Check it out and I know you'll get some fabulous ideas for your next event.

Eating the Bounty of Your Local Community

It's harvest time and that means a smorgasbord of squash, apples, pears and corn. To get the freshest produce available, there is no better place to visit than your local farmer's market. We have the Bellevue Farmers Market located just down the road from our home. These are pictures from a recent trip. Buying produce at a market means you're guaranteed to get farm-fresh quality. After all you'll be buying the food from the very same hands that planted the seeds, nurtured the plant to grow and brought it straight to you. Our market will only be open for one more week, so check your local market schedule and squeeze in a visit before the Farmer's Market season is over.

Ghoulish Gallery Giveaway!

I have a spooktacular surprise for you! Tim Turner, the owner of Ghoulish Gallery, is giving away one of his haunting portraits through Little Ant Design. All you need to do to win is visit Little Ant Design and leave a comment telling her which creepy character you would like to have haunting your walls.

While you're there check out the rest of her blog. It is incredibly creative and has a lot of great entertaining inspiration. Have fun!

Ghoulish Gallery

Those of you who know me know my love of decorating for the holidays. Boxes of decorating treasures are pulled out and their contents slowly find their places throughout my home. Before you know if, my home is transformed. It's something that I have loved to do ever since I was a little girl.

Halloween is no exception to the decorating fun. you know that creepy crawly feeling that someone is watching you? Well over at Ghoulish Gallery they have made that fear a reality. They have created these fun portraits that change ever so creepily when you walk by.

Isabella is one of my favorites. I would love to have her haunting my walls this season!

Another (less creepy and less spendy) way to add some ghoulish flare to your home is using simple frames. Head to your local thrift store and purchase a variety of frames in all shapes and sizes. You can get these often for as little as $1.00. Pop out the pictures and glass and spray the frame in a high gloss black spray paint. Arrange in layers over your fireplace or hang on your wall. For an added touch cover the frames in cobwebs. Instant drama.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy October