NYC Windows!

The Disney Store on 5th Avenue is full of the most wonderful costumes!

Bell, Book and Candle!

One of the most fun yet provocative  Halloween movies of all time is the 1958 classic , Bell ,Book and Candle starring the bewitchingly mischievous Kim Novak and the devastatingly wonderful James Stewart. Kim as Gillian Halroyd is marvelous as a lovely witch who falls madly in love , casting a spell to make James Stewarts character dump his fiance and fall for her. This is a madcap romp through an incredibly fun, twisty and strangely magical world. In the end Gillian gets her man , but at what cost? You'll have to watch to find out!

 Her makeup and wardrobe are totally worth the price of admission ,(Goddess just look at those eyes!) and because it's a 1950's movie, make sure that you don't forget the martinis!  I suggest Apple infused vodka, pomegranate juice, a bit of agave nectar and a jigger of cinnamon schnapps! Shake with cracked ice , pour into a martini glass and garnish with a generous shake of red hots! Enjoy!

 

Girls Night Out!

I love folk art and this particular piece definitely suits the spirit of the season! It's called "Girls Night Out" and it was painted by an artist names Will Moses whose link I've attached here. I love this painting of these frolicsome witches and their cats casting their magic into the cauldron under the light of the full moon!  Will has many other wonderful seasonal pieces but I was especially bewitched by the Halloween note cards that he's created which you'll  find  on his site! 

While I was searching for Will's work I came across another fabulous Halloween site that I'd love to share with you. It's called  Yankee Halloween  and they've got everything that you need to create the spookiest All Hallows party ever! They carry the full line of Will Moses's work including his utterly wonderful Sleepy Hollow jigsaw puzzles that will be perfect entertainment for the whole family , sitting by the fire on a chilly autumn evening!  

While you're putting together that Jigsaw puzzle, how about a hot applejack toddy? Just take some fresh apple cider and put it in a saucepan, add a bit of maple syrup to taste, a liberal dusting of fresh cinnamon and a jigger or two of Lairds Applejack . Heat until just beginning a boil, pour into a warmed mug, add a dollop of fresh butter or freshly whipped cream, a cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Will Moses Folk Art

"Welcome the Spirits this Halloween!"

Some emails are too great to not pass on! The press release below was sent directly to me from the bewitching Katrina Taft at  SKYY vodkas and is definitely one to share! These recipes for Halloween cocktails from SKYY Infusions are  very enchanting indeed!  If you haven't tried SKYY infusions yet, beware for they are potent and absolutely delicious! I've tried many different infusion vodkas but have never been satisfied until I met these/ They are great , infused with natural flavors and there is none of that strange artificially fruity taste that you get with so many other vodkas. SKYY Infusions come in Citrus, Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Grape , Pineapple and Cherry and are are wonderful by themselves over ice over ice or mixed into any beguiling manner of cocktail!  I've posted the recipes below  for your enjoyment!

"Even if you choose not to wear a costume this Halloween, the holiday for all things sinfully sweet and “creepy, crawly” serves as the perfect occasion to dress up your cocktails.  Simple drinks turn festive with the use of fun cocktail glasses and gory garnishes; all designed to bring out the frightful fun of Halloween, with a sophisticated twist.  So while you may be tempted to partake in some of the more traditional Halloween activities such as bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving, we all know that there is only one way to really drink in the spooky spirit of the season!  
 
This year, All Natural SKYY Infusions are serving up a truly bewitching cocktail menu, featuring the line of fresh fruit-infused vodkas that offer an unrivaled true-to-fruit taste year round.  Each inspired by one of the many hallowed Halloween traditions, these SKYY Infusions cocktails will help you get into the spirit of Halloween, whether you’re in a packed house or with a few friends at home.  To add a bit of glamour to your regular Halloween celebrations, try mixing up some of the sweet treats below – no tricks necessary."  
  

Jack-O-Lantern

2 oz. SKYY Infusions Citrus
1 oz. Mango Nectar or Juice
0.5 oz. Orange Juice
0.5 oz. Fresh Sour*
 
Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and pour into a goblet glass and garnish with a slice of orange and a mint leaf laid flat on top.
*Combine 0.25 oz fresh lime juice and 0.75 oz simple syrup.
 
 

Vampire’s Elixir

1.5 oz.  SKYY Infusions Raspberry
.75 oz.   White Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz.    Half and Half
Strawberry Syrup
 
Dress strawberry syrup on the inside and rim of a chilled martini glass.  Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass.  Garnish with vampire teeth.

 


 


Black Widow

1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Raspberry
0.5 oz. Triple Sec
2 oz. Pomegranate Juice
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice
Raspberry Syrup
 
Draw a spider web on the inside of a chilled martini glass with raspberry syrup.  Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass.  Garnish with plastic spider.




Red Zombie

1.5 oz. SKYY Vodka

3 oz. Tomato Juice

0.5 tsp. Finely Grated Horseradish

1 tsp. Barbeque Sauce

3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce

3 Dashes Tabasco Sauce

0.5 tsp. Finely Chopped Chipotle en Adobo

Pinch of Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Generous Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Pinch of Celery Seeds

1 Celery Stick

2 Large Green Olives

2 Lychee Fruits



Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass.  Garnish with green eye balls, laid across the rim of the glass*.

*Cut the end of a stalk of celery so it measures 5-6 inches long and split the stick in half lengthwise.  Slide the green olives into two lychee fruits to make eye balls and push the thin celery stick through both as garnish.


Wicked Witch Apple Punch

1 750 ml bottle SKYY Infusions Passion Fruit
1 750 ml bottle Sparkling Apple Cider
1 64 oz. bottle Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1 Liter Ginger Ale
2 cups Pineapple Juice
Red Apple Slices
 
Combine all ingredients in a large black witch’s cauldron with ice and stir.  Garnish with large slices of red apple floating on top and dry ice.


 
 
 

Twilight bites.....The Most Bewitching Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever!

My dear readers! You have  been blessed! 

 What follows is the recipe for the most amazing chocolate chip cookie I've ever eaten. This recipe was created by my dear friend Bethane and it's beginnings were handed down to her by her mother Barbara who to this day still holds my personal blue ribbon for fudge! I am passing this recipe on with great anxiety, because I have spent years trying to convince my friend that she needs to enter this recipe in a cookie baking contest but to no avail. She just loves to bake them for all of us,  but being a typical Cancerian is terribly shy and wishes no accolades. So, I'm giving them to her and in turn giving you the most satisfying cookie recipe that I know. 

Bethanes mom was a very proper church going lady who had a marvelous sense of humor at times. She always thought that I was way too worldly for her daughter and warned her endlessly about me, but she was also the only woman except my mother who kept all of my press releases and clippings. I loved her and her marvelous fudge, but her daughter has taken these cookies to a whole new level. However, you can walk into Bethanes house at times right before she starts to bake and smell a lovely strange almond scent, a bit like a delicious Hough Bakery (Native Clevelanders WILL remember) cake. That's Barb...and remember I said that she had a great senses of humor. The tweaks and additions to this recipe are Bethanes but knowing her mom she approves. She wouldn't have made these in life (highly improper) but she's quite a free spirited little entity  and would have loved the more unusual additions of the cayenne and the star anise in the baking spice!  I'm pretty sure that it was she that tipped the cayenne pepper into Bethanes  cauldron , giving the initial bite to these fabulous cookies. Please note...they do have a bite and they warm the back of your throat on a cold evening in the best way possible!

They are best eaten warm, but they are good at anytime. My entire family is addicted to them including my father who guards the plates that she brings him and hides them in his room so no one else can find them. She keeps them in a lovely Witches Brew jar in her kitchen which only adds to the pleasure. they would be fine with milk or tea, but I love to eat them with Bourbon, neat :)

Bethane and Barb's "Twilight Bites"

3/4 c. drk brown sugar
3/4 c. fine white sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream above together.
Add 1 lg. egg at a time, mixing at med. - high speed.

Sift together:
1 c. whole wheat flour (or substitute wheat if necessary)
1 + 1/4 c. white pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon of Penzeys cake spice   http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

1 tsp. high quality cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Dash or two of cayenne pepper

Mix dry ingredients with wet above.
Add:
6 oz pkg semi-sweet baking chips (swirled or flavored) or chunks
4 oz. butterscotch baking chips
1/2 - 3/4 c. crushed walnuts

Blend all together and drop tsp. on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated oven @ 375F. for 12 min. Best eaten warm and shared with friends!

Painting "Stirring the Cauldron" property of the Halloween Art Gallery- Check them out for fabulous and fun Halloween art!

 http://www.halloweenartgallery.com/large-view//14276-6--/Painting/Figurative.html

  

Jack O' Lanterns and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

I love to carve Jack O' Lanterns and for years until my son was too old to do such silly things (about 16 so don't waste a precious minute moms !) we'd sit together on the floor of our old century farmhouse and carve as many as we could. We'd put them out everywhere, light them and then we'd roast the seeds for the snacks in his lunches. I came up with many different ways to roast them, but eventually we settled on a favorite! Here's the recipe!

 Make sure that the pumpkin seeds are washed clean and dry. Spread them out on a non - stick baking sheet and brush with a mixture of tamari, maple syrup, a wee touch of cayenne pepper and melted butter.  Put them into a preheated oven (around 325) and bake until caramelized and golden. You'll need to flip them once or twice but watch them carefully.  You'll know when they're done by the smell, they'll be absolutely toasty, like delightfully roasted nuts. These also make a great addition to an autumn mixture of nuts and other munchies that you'll serve with cocktails. Just make your basic Chex Mix recipe and add them!  Truly a seasonal treat to not pass up!

The only downside with carving pumpkins is how quickly they rot. To minimize this sad effect keep the top opening smaller and dip the entire surface of the lid into a dish of powdered cinnamon. You can also sprinkle the cinnamon on the inside of the pumpkin and when you light the candle inside the scent wafting from it will be amazing. The cinnamon has antibacterial properties and will keep your Jack O' Lanterns fresher longer! You can buy pumpkin carving kits but to be honest I never have. I prefer to do it the old fashioned way with a magic marker and a kitchen knife and donuts and cider all the way around.  Come to think of it, my son will be home from college for Halloween this year!  Maybe just maybe he'll indulge his mama.......

Apple Butter with Spices and Bourbon

Nothing says Autumn to me like apple butter! It used to be in the historical town that I lived in that we would get up early on a crisp october morning and go to the Century Village to drag out the huge copper cauldrons, light the fires and spend the day from sunrise until late doing the back breaking work of making the apple butter that the town would sell all year. I'll never forget the smells, fire and cooking apples and later the sugar and cinnamon that were added to the bubbling brew before it was ladled into mason jars. 

We've since moved from Burton but every year I still make apple butter. It's really easy to do and the recipe is basic. Fresh peel and sliced apples, sugar, a pat of butter  and lots cinnamon, that's it! Cook in the slow cooker for about 10 hours and you've got apple butter! This year though I added a bit of a twist and came out with a batch that's a bit more like a chutney  and absolutely delicious. 

Into my slow cooker I put about 14 sliced but unpeeled apples, a diced onion, a cup of maple syrup, a cup of apple cider and a cup of  really good Woodford Reserve bourbon. Then I added no less than 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, half a stick of butter and some organic liquid smoke. I turned on the slow cooker for 10 hours low heat and left for awhile. Upon my return the house was filled with the most incredible fragrance of fall. Towards the end I added a bit more smoke and lots of chopped walnuts, then  ladled it into clean mason jars for gifts. Be sure to put them into the refrigerator so that they don't spoil and use them fairly quickly. This particular batch of apple chutney I'll be enjoying with roasted meats and game or if I'm lucky,  a fresh scone out of the oven. 

  

Practical Magic!

Well, It's October the 1st and there's 30 days left until Halloween. I don't know about you, but I love to spend the month watching scary witchy movies. One of my favorites is called "Practical Magic" starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Witchy sisters yes...one reluctant witch and one who's powers fully get her into the worst kind of trouble.  In the end love conquers all but it takes a good spellbinding while to get to untwist the problems that are created in between!   Midnight Margaritas anyone ? 

Take a large jigger of your favorite tequila, a bit of smoky chipotle powder, 1/2 cup of sangria, the juice of one fresh lime, 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and a cup of organic lemonade. Shake together with ice and pour into a salt rimmed glass. For a bewitching little garnish add a tablespoon of fresh pomegranate seeds!