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Long journal: kids, school, autumn, halloween.
13 years ago
Autumn is getting closer! Tomorrow is the start of September. leaves will be changing, nights getting cooler, smells are different, days are shorter. i can hardly wait. As well as kids going back to school. Yay!
What will you do with your free time? If you have any. :p Any advice on keeping things organized? How about healthy lunches? Tell us about back to school for your family.
And since Autumn is gettign closer this also means decor is changing, and will change more as halloween arrives. So, tonight I am posting just some of the halloween ideas, recipes, and fun I have so far. I ask for more contributions. We would love to hear how you bring the seasons and celebrations into your life and home!
Also, before I begin my autumn segment, whats going on in other parts of the world? What festivals, holidays, or events are happening for you? We would love to hear and maybe try to offer up some ideas for our global members. :)
Here we go.... I realize it's not a big list yet, I promise to try and add more as we get closer. There will also be other journals and photos will be uploaded in the next few days of some of the recipes, craft ideas, and instructions. Just hang tight till then. :D
RECIPES!
Skull marshmellows:
Supplies: Marshmellows. knife. Pastry bag or condiment pencil. Chocolate frosting.
1. Arrange marshmellows ona cutting board.
2. Using a knife, gently cut each marshmellow almost in half and then score each one where you will draw the mouth and teeth.
3. With frosting, draw lines for mouths. Add hatch marks for teeth and dots for eyes and nose.
Float in cocoa for a spooky surprise. or add too a sundae or dessert with colorful sprinkles for a treat!
Ghost Toasties!
Supplies: White bread. Mini cookie cutters or pearing knife. Straws normal and small sized. Butter.
1. Cut ghosts and other shapes out of the bread with cookie cutters or knife.
2. Pinch one end of the wider straw to make an oval and then use it to punch out ghost mouths. Use the smaller straw to punch out eyes.
3. Over medium-low heat, warm butter in a pan and add bread ghosts, panfry until golden brown. done! (or add garlic powder and bake)
Mauled apple cider:
Serves 12
20 whole cloves. 5 lady apples. 1 gallon apple cider. 2 cinnamon sticks. Zest of 1 orange. 6 star anise.
Press 4 cloves into each lady apple. Pleace cider, cinnamon, orange zest, and studded lady apples in a large pot and warm over medium low heat. let steep 1 1/2 hours without boiling, until aromatic and falvorful. garnish with star anise.
This is an alcholic beverage!!! Please drink responsibly and be safe!
Bloody brain shots:
Supplies: 1 ounce peach schnapps. 1 teaspoon baileys irish cream. Grenadine. Shot glass.
1. Pour peach schnapps into a shot glass. 2. float the baileys cream on top of the schnapps. 3. Dribble a few drops of grenadine on top of the baileys. there is no hurry. take it slow. 4. Serve
Spicey cranberry tea:
4 cups water
4 cups cranberry juice
4 orange pekoe tea bags
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
16 cloves
1 macintosh apple, cut into 8 slices with seeds removed
16 fresh cranberries for grnish (optional)
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and juice and bring to a boil. Place teabags in boiling water/juice mix, remove from heat, and let steap for 10 min. Remove the tea bags and add the cinnamon and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place 2 cloves in each apple slice and add to the tea. Cover and let steap for 5 more minutes. Pour into warmed tea cups or mugs and garnish with the apple slices and cranberries. Makes 8 cups.
DECOR:
I realize many of these make little sense without photos and will post them with photos soon. :)
For gently bobbing apple candle holders, first toss whole apples into a tob of water. Each will float a differently. Mark their topsides with one dot a peice, and remove from water. Centering the bottom of a tealight over the dot, trace the candles circumferance onto the apples skin, then cut out the circle with a utility knife inserted as deep as the candle is tall will be flsuh with fruits surface, squeeze lemon juice onto the cut fruit to prevent browning; insert candle, and light. Keep flotilla by the door.
You will need: Apples. Washtub or other large tub. Tea lights. Utility knife. Lemons.
Votive bags:
You will need: Paper bags. Stencils. Utility knife. Cardbaord. Glue stick. Candles in glasses. Lighter. Sand. (to help weigh down bottom of the bag)
Plain brown bags spell danger for arriving trick or treaters. The softly lit scare tactics are simple to employ. you need two same sized bags for each lantern.
1. Using stencils outline letters, phrases, or designs on one bag; cut out with utility knife. insert a peice of cardboard to avoid cutting between both sides of the bag. Do not discard center cut outs fro letters such as A, O, and B.
2. Fold top edge of second bag over twice. Trip top if stencil bag so that is is slightly shorter than bag with folded edge. Run a glue stick around the edges on the letters on the inside of the bag. Place folded bag inside cutout bag, tucking the stenciled bag under the folded edge of its companion. Press the bags together, reposition any saved centers or cutouts and glue to the insude bag. To illuminate, hold candle in its glass, halfway down into bag. light with lighter and lower carefully.
FUN:
I realize many of these make little sense without photos and will post them with photos soon. :)
Sleepy ghosts brooch:
Supplies: Chalk penicl. Small peice of black or white felt. Clasp pin or safety pin. White or black thread and a needle. Stuffing.
1. Trace patern and cut ghost shapes from the felt. Place pin in middle of the back. using thread and needle. sew it on with a few quick stitches until it feels nice and snug. knot thread and set aside.
2. For your ghosts face: Use roughly 10 to 14 stitches for the eys and 3-4 stitches for the mouth. It's up to you! Knot thread cut away extra.
3. Align the two pieces, right sides facing out, and sew together starting at the tail. Try a stitch the size of about 3 millimeters with a little space between each stitch. leave a 3/4 of an inch gap.
4. Keeping your needle and thread in place, fill your ghost with stuffing.
5. Stitch up the gap and knot thread on the backside of your ghost.
What will you do with your free time? If you have any. :p Any advice on keeping things organized? How about healthy lunches? Tell us about back to school for your family.
And since Autumn is gettign closer this also means decor is changing, and will change more as halloween arrives. So, tonight I am posting just some of the halloween ideas, recipes, and fun I have so far. I ask for more contributions. We would love to hear how you bring the seasons and celebrations into your life and home!
Also, before I begin my autumn segment, whats going on in other parts of the world? What festivals, holidays, or events are happening for you? We would love to hear and maybe try to offer up some ideas for our global members. :)
Here we go.... I realize it's not a big list yet, I promise to try and add more as we get closer. There will also be other journals and photos will be uploaded in the next few days of some of the recipes, craft ideas, and instructions. Just hang tight till then. :D
RECIPES!
Skull marshmellows:
Supplies: Marshmellows. knife. Pastry bag or condiment pencil. Chocolate frosting.
1. Arrange marshmellows ona cutting board.
2. Using a knife, gently cut each marshmellow almost in half and then score each one where you will draw the mouth and teeth.
3. With frosting, draw lines for mouths. Add hatch marks for teeth and dots for eyes and nose.
Float in cocoa for a spooky surprise. or add too a sundae or dessert with colorful sprinkles for a treat!
Ghost Toasties!
Supplies: White bread. Mini cookie cutters or pearing knife. Straws normal and small sized. Butter.
1. Cut ghosts and other shapes out of the bread with cookie cutters or knife.
2. Pinch one end of the wider straw to make an oval and then use it to punch out ghost mouths. Use the smaller straw to punch out eyes.
3. Over medium-low heat, warm butter in a pan and add bread ghosts, panfry until golden brown. done! (or add garlic powder and bake)
Mauled apple cider:
Serves 12
20 whole cloves. 5 lady apples. 1 gallon apple cider. 2 cinnamon sticks. Zest of 1 orange. 6 star anise.
Press 4 cloves into each lady apple. Pleace cider, cinnamon, orange zest, and studded lady apples in a large pot and warm over medium low heat. let steep 1 1/2 hours without boiling, until aromatic and falvorful. garnish with star anise.
This is an alcholic beverage!!! Please drink responsibly and be safe!
Bloody brain shots:
Supplies: 1 ounce peach schnapps. 1 teaspoon baileys irish cream. Grenadine. Shot glass.
1. Pour peach schnapps into a shot glass. 2. float the baileys cream on top of the schnapps. 3. Dribble a few drops of grenadine on top of the baileys. there is no hurry. take it slow. 4. Serve
Spicey cranberry tea:
4 cups water
4 cups cranberry juice
4 orange pekoe tea bags
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
16 cloves
1 macintosh apple, cut into 8 slices with seeds removed
16 fresh cranberries for grnish (optional)
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and juice and bring to a boil. Place teabags in boiling water/juice mix, remove from heat, and let steap for 10 min. Remove the tea bags and add the cinnamon and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place 2 cloves in each apple slice and add to the tea. Cover and let steap for 5 more minutes. Pour into warmed tea cups or mugs and garnish with the apple slices and cranberries. Makes 8 cups.
DECOR:
I realize many of these make little sense without photos and will post them with photos soon. :)
For gently bobbing apple candle holders, first toss whole apples into a tob of water. Each will float a differently. Mark their topsides with one dot a peice, and remove from water. Centering the bottom of a tealight over the dot, trace the candles circumferance onto the apples skin, then cut out the circle with a utility knife inserted as deep as the candle is tall will be flsuh with fruits surface, squeeze lemon juice onto the cut fruit to prevent browning; insert candle, and light. Keep flotilla by the door.
You will need: Apples. Washtub or other large tub. Tea lights. Utility knife. Lemons.
Votive bags:
You will need: Paper bags. Stencils. Utility knife. Cardbaord. Glue stick. Candles in glasses. Lighter. Sand. (to help weigh down bottom of the bag)
Plain brown bags spell danger for arriving trick or treaters. The softly lit scare tactics are simple to employ. you need two same sized bags for each lantern.
1. Using stencils outline letters, phrases, or designs on one bag; cut out with utility knife. insert a peice of cardboard to avoid cutting between both sides of the bag. Do not discard center cut outs fro letters such as A, O, and B.
2. Fold top edge of second bag over twice. Trip top if stencil bag so that is is slightly shorter than bag with folded edge. Run a glue stick around the edges on the letters on the inside of the bag. Place folded bag inside cutout bag, tucking the stenciled bag under the folded edge of its companion. Press the bags together, reposition any saved centers or cutouts and glue to the insude bag. To illuminate, hold candle in its glass, halfway down into bag. light with lighter and lower carefully.
FUN:
I realize many of these make little sense without photos and will post them with photos soon. :)
Sleepy ghosts brooch:
Supplies: Chalk penicl. Small peice of black or white felt. Clasp pin or safety pin. White or black thread and a needle. Stuffing.
1. Trace patern and cut ghost shapes from the felt. Place pin in middle of the back. using thread and needle. sew it on with a few quick stitches until it feels nice and snug. knot thread and set aside.
2. For your ghosts face: Use roughly 10 to 14 stitches for the eys and 3-4 stitches for the mouth. It's up to you! Knot thread cut away extra.
3. Align the two pieces, right sides facing out, and sew together starting at the tail. Try a stitch the size of about 3 millimeters with a little space between each stitch. leave a 3/4 of an inch gap.
4. Keeping your needle and thread in place, fill your ghost with stuffing.
5. Stitch up the gap and knot thread on the backside of your ghost.
For us the almond trees have blossomed several weeks ago and set their almonds, the peacharine, and apricot is covered in blossom. The plum trees are giving us showers of pink petals as the wind blows the blooms about. nigts are coldish and days are beginning to be blessed with blue skys and sunshine. The day time temp is slowly increasing. Won't be long and the magpies will be swooping. There is still rain about here and there and we save what we can for the garden as summer creeps ever closer. Its a time of planting tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, cucumbers and lots of baasil. New leaves have begun to push through on bare branches and the bottle brush tree is paused on the brink of bursting into great red bracts of flowers. Won't be long before the parrots will gather and enjoy the nectar of the blooms. Noisy but a delight to watch from my front window.
What's going on for Australia varies from state to state and culture to culture.
We have just celebrated the Almond Blossom festival in Mclaren Vale, SA Australia.
Right now on Sunday 2nd its our Father's Day Celebrations and family are getting together celebrating all things dad related. On sunday I will at some point light a candle for my dad and put a piece of rosemary near his picture. My mate will buy his dad some McDonalds pancakes for his breakfast and drop off a card and gift. For me it is a time of rememberance and time of precious memories as I was born on the 4th of septemeber in a year that was also fathers day at the time. My mother told me they made in to the hospital in the early hours of father's day and at 2AM my father didn't even have the heart to smack me on the bum to start me breathing. I loved him very very much and a day doesn't go by without me missing him.
We sometimes get the odd trick or treater come to our door on halloween but it isn't widely celebrated. I generally buy a coule of packs of lollies, put out a sign that trick and treaters are welcome and if any show up share what I have. I've had several years when no one came and others that I've had a couple of kids come arround.
What's going on personally, I celebrate my 46th birthday shortly, I'm putting in the last of my assignments and school will be winding up for a two week break then four weeks of school and I'm on holidays till next year end of January. Got a few seminars here and there on diabetes to attend if I want to. October November sees the medical appointments wind up until January which is a much needed break.
We don't have many holidays before christmas only the odd local one or two. It varies from state to state in Australia as to when and what the local holiday is.
Hope your halloween is fun, safe and enjoyable *hugs*
Australia seems so diverse.
It's odd to think that things are just beginning to bloom there as they are withering here. But Feel free to send notes with gardening tips or questions. We want to cater to everyone. :3 And there are still gardens growing and other holidays and advice needed. It's nice to be reminded of that.