Holidays

Halloween 🦇 Meals

I love this idea from Food.com BLOODY RED WINE PASTA WITH MOZZARELLA BATS 3 cups water(750 ml) bottle red wine, 1/4 cup reserved1 (15 ounce) can cooked sliced beets, beet juice reserved1lb linguine5 garlic cloves2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar3 tablespoons olive oil1 cup grated parmesan cheesesalt and pepper1⁄3 cup heavy cream2 teaspoons sugar2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped1⁄2lbContinue reading “Halloween 🦇 Meals”

Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns

Carve jack-o’-lanternsGreet guests with a lineup of these lighted hosts on your stoop or porch. Light with candles, battery-operated candles, electric Christmas lights. Or use a drill and hot knife like on this one (who doesn’t like Tinkerbell?) Or fill with dry ice like this one. Or “carve” artificial foam pumpkins as jack-o’-lanterns or dioramas.Continue reading “Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns”

Outfit of the Day: All Black

Halloween: More Than Just a Day

When I was a kid in the ’50s, Halloween wasn’t just a day; it was an event. First, there was a costume parade at school along with a party in our classroom, and then a school carnival (at least at my elementary school), and then coming home and waiting until it finally got dark andContinue reading “Halloween: More Than Just a Day”

Oktoberfest

The above image is my Oktoberfest set made in the PetCity1 game. Oktoberfest takes place in the last part of September and originated in Germany. It began in 1810 to celebrate a royal marriage: “The occasion for the first Oktoberfest in 1810 was the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. OnContinue reading “Oktoberfest”

A Tea and Comfort Tea Party for September

Lore In times of stress and struggle, people have always turned to the comfort of herbs. Lavender is probably first among the most-loved herbal comforts, for its scent is both soothing and refreshing (and, scientists tell us, the chemicals in lavender actually calm the brain). Chamomile tea is an age-old favorite to calm jangled nerves,Continue reading “A Tea and Comfort Tea Party for September”

Fall Cinnamon and Spice Ornaments

Makes 32 two-inch wonderful smelling ornaments.Do not eat! Not for internal use. Ingredients:1 cup ground cinnamon1 Tablespoon ground cloves1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg1 Tablespoon ground ginger¼ teaspoon ground coriander (if available)¼ teaspoon ground anise (if available)3/4 cup applesauce, drained2 Tablespoons white (Elmer’s-type) gluerolling pinflour Directions:In a medium bowl, combine spices. Add the applesauce and the glue.StirContinue reading “Fall Cinnamon and Spice Ornaments“

Recipe of the Day: Lavender Tea Bread

3/4 cup milk2 T. dried lavender flowers, finely chopped, or 3 T. fresh2 cups all-purpose flour1-1/2 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt6 T. butter, softened1 cup sugar2 large eggs Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then let steepContinue reading “Recipe of the Day: Lavender Tea Bread”

10 Reasons I Like this time of year

Last fall, I moved from one side of the state to other. Eastern Washington is known for its cold winters and hot summers. The weather was more temperate year-round in the Seattle area and the Olympic Peninsula. I was a bit apprehensive about what Spokane summers would be like, only to experience what felt likeContinue reading “10 Reasons I Like this time of year”

Outside

I don’t have a lot of pictures of me and my siblings in the 1950s. Film was expensive then, for a poor family, and flash bulbs or flash attachments even more so. I suspect these photos were taken by my grandmother with her old Brownie camera. Of course, in those days kids didn’t have thingsContinue reading “Outside”