Halloween Fun

It's time to get haunting again! I have costume tips and scary food to share. Can't decide what to be this year? Look in your closet and see what's on hand first. I'm sure you have some odd hats or capes. Work around things you all ready have. Consider what's in the news lately or who is in the news, what movies are current, what's on TV, etc. Now imagine yourself imitating someone or something like an iron chef or the people you see in commercials for cereals or insurance or maybe a forensics investigator. With a little makeup and some odd clothing combinations and accessories your there.
I remember when my daughter was little she wanted to be a princess or a bride.I took a trip to the local thrift shop and found an old lacy wedding gown for $10 and a few brides maid dresses for $5 each. With a little snip here and a stitch there she was a beautiful bride, Bell or Cinderella. Those dresses lasted for 3 years and her friends always came here to play dress up. I even supplied her preschool with a trunk full of dress up clothes and accessories.
For my son an old wool blazer was easy to turn into a pirate captain by cuffing the sleeves or a military officer with the collar turned up and Velcro to add ribbons and applets.

It is also fun to create creepy food that is really healthy for kids to snack on so they won't just go for the candy. A plastic skull covered in ham and a plate of eyeballs (mini mozzarella balls, sliced cherry tomatoes, Sliced olives with pimentos, a little fresh basil and a bit of olive oil). They look great and taste good too. There are thousands of great ideas on the internet to spook up a Halloween gathering.

 See my favorite recipes page to inspire you with a rich creamy tomato soup to float your eyeballs in!

Kindles and iPads for Reading and Travel

I just got a Kindle for a trip I was taking. It is awesome & fits in my purse. I wanted to take some books to read on the plane and when I had down time. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get books on it and save money on the cost of books. It also weighs so little and fit right in my purse. They hold a charge for a week. I found an offer to try one or an iPad 1 and keep it for free. Check it out here http://cli.gs/03JWH6
I think the iPad has touch screen technology for page turning but that didn't matter to me.

Great BrunchTrick

I am planning to cater a brunch for 20 people and I was looking through my files for ideas when I came across something fun for all. This little recipe works like a charm and gets everyone involved.
ZIP LOCK OMELET
Have your guests write their name on a quart size Ziploc freezer bag with a permanent marker.
Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them, or use a whisk in a bowl before placing them in bag.,
Put out a variety of ingredients such as ham, sausage (pre-cooked), cheeses, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, hash browns, salsa, etc.
Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake.
Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.
Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.
To make it a bit easier I plan on beating eggs up ahead of time and will add eggs to each bag with a ladle. I have a small ladle that is about equal to 1 egg.
The ingredients will add a nice colorful touch to the buffet I will set up.

Get Kids Going Green For Lunch

For years I collected kids Bento Boxes to keep my kids interested in their school lunches. I used to cut sandwiches into shapes with cookie cutters and turn them into critters with raisin eyes or carrot noses. I didn't like all the trash most kids were generating at school and I thought it would make my kids smile when the opened things up.
I grew up with a Japanese woman I called my other Mom who taught me how to cook real Japanese food and introduced me to Sushi and Bentos. Over time I have found many fun ideas to serve in little compartments. Recently I planned a catered dinner for some friends presented in stacking Bento Boxes. It made it fun to set them all up ahead of time and stack them up to transport them. Best of all I just unstacked them and handed them out to everyone. Great WOW factor and easy to take home to clean up after.
The twist was they were filled with non Asian meals and pretty garnishes that caught everyone by surprise.
I combined things like scalloped potatoes that were cooked in ring forms, green beans that were wrapped in bacon and roasted in little bundles, small round slices of tenderloin and a small salad in a cucumber ring garnished with Dicon radish and carrot slices that were cut into small crab and horse shapes I had in a Japanese garnish cutter set. The colors popped and the details made them pretty. Just use your imagination and put your favorite recipes to the test. Lasagna works great if you roll them upright individually with a little kitchen twine tied in a bow around each one. Make your own croutons cut out with canape cutters.
I discovered a great site for ideas also: http://www.laptoplunches.com/lunchmenus.html

Thinking outside of the box

I think everyone has the ability to think outside of the box if they want to. I know I am always trying to find easier or smarter ways to do things. My biggest passion is cooking and preparing food that make you want to devour it. We all eat with our eyes first and how our food looks does matter. A few days ago I saw a young boy in my local market clearly searching for some ingredients on a recipe he had on his phone. When I came up the aisle he ask me if I could help him find a certain spice. He told me he was making a special dish for his mom's birthday as a surprise. I was amazed at the complexity of the recipe he was planning and I quickly volunteered to help him find the remaining items he needed.
The last item on his list called for the zest of an orange. There were no graters to be found and he was on foot to shop. After looking all around the store for an alternate tool to accomplish the task I came across an "as seen on TV display" with a device designed to shave foot callouses. I realized it had a micro plain in it and a nice compartment to hold the shavings. I explained to the boy how the micro plains designed for food preparation had the same metal parts but way more expensive and that this would work well for his task at hand and may other tasks in the future. This young man had such a passion a lot like my own for preparing food and was very grateful for all of my help. I told him that it was really my pleasure to meet someone so young who already had such a gift to share with his mom. I think he was about 13 and very mature and determined.
So don't be afraid to think outside of the box because in a pinch you can almost always find an alternative to solve a problem if you need to. Just look at the ad and I think you will see this tool through new eyes. http://cli.gs/q28663

Back to cleaning and being green at home

Still trying to be more Green at Home? I just spent a few hours steam cleaning my bathroom tile so I could put our new kitten in there and know she would be in a safe environment. I recently rescued an abandoned kitten that needed to be quarantined. My daughter named her "Toad" because she sleeps with a stuffed green frog so she can go green too. Now she has room to run around and play safely. The steam cleaner made it really easy to clean with no chemicals to worry about and it did a great job. For a great deal on a small cleaner check this out: http://marycre8s.dealshop.us/asseenontv-offers/Monster-1200-Steam-Cleaner-As-Seen-On-TV
The money I save on cleaning products is substantial.

I love Halloween

I just found a great spooky soup on the Design Mom's blog I have listed. Last week I gave my friends eyes to eat. They were mini Caprese salads in little cups. They were a big hit. The soup is the next step. There are so many fun things to serve up on this fun night.