Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets Blog

Archive for the ‘Halloween’ Category

Jack-O-Lantern carving has become an art in recent years. The artistry and innovation people are coming up with is amazing. There are new tools, stencils, and designs coming out every year for pumpkin carving enthusiasts. But if you’re not an artist, don’t despair.  You can still carve your pumpkins the old fashioned way simply and with beautiful results. Here’s how:

• Choose a pumpkin that is firm and regularly shaped. Avoid any with damage or a flat side. Your Jack-O-Lantern won’t look as good if you start off with a lopsided pumpkin. However, if you want to do a cute variation of the standard pumpkin, then you might want to go with oddly shaped or colored specimens.
• Don’t carry your pumpkins by the stem as the stem could break off. If it does break off, you can always carve it from the bottom and still have a lovely finished product. But if you have your heart set on the traditional pumpkin, be gentle with the stem.
• Decide what you want your pumpkin’s face to look like. Are you going for the triangle eyes and wide, toothy grin? Are you aiming for a more serene or sweet looking end result? Plan it out on paper first. You can then either draw freehand on the face with a permanent marker (water based markers will wipe off the pumpkin’s skin) or you can cut out the individual pieces from your paper and trace around them.
• You’ll need a sharp knife. More injuries happen with dull knives than sharp ones. With a duller knife, you’ll have to press harder and may slip. Don’t let children do this part of the carving unless they are closely supervised. Kid-safe tools are now available that allow them to punch and scoop out the pumpkin’s design, and there are no sharp edges to worry about. These tools usually come in kits that can be found in grocery and discount stores during the Halloween gift season.
• To carve your pumpkin, start by cutting out a circle around the stem of the pumpkin. Lift the top of the pumpkin off. Reach in and scoop out the pulp and seeds. You’ll want to use a heavy metal spoon to scoop down the sides and bottom to really clean it out. If you want, place the seeds in a bowl and wash them off so you can toast them later in the oven for a nutritious snack. Make sure you get out every bit of the pulp as it will make the pumpkin decay faster if you leave it in.
• Now you’re ready to cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth you drew on. Insert the knife and make short cuts, doing a little of the design at a time. Don’t make large, broad strokes as this can lead to cutting off more of the pumpkin than you meant to. Pop out the cut material and continue on until the whole design is cut out.
• Decide on how you will light your Jack-O-Lantern. There are many choices on the market today, some of which were not available in years past. You can buy flame-less flickering votives in white or color that run on batteries. You can also get flashing strobe lights designed especially for pumpkins. Glow sticks also work well. If you want the traditional look, you’ll want to go with votive candles. You will, however, have to keep an eye on them if you have an open flame.

Ever Wondered Where Going Door-to-Door Saying Trick or Treat on Halloween Came From?

Halloween is my favorite holiday hands down.  One of my favorite things is having all the kids dressed up in their adorable costumes coming to our door saying 'Trick or Treat'.   We almost always go all out decorating our house for Halloween so the kids love venturing up the driveway just to see the decorations including the spiders on the doorbell and skeletons coming up from the ground.  They always know they'll get a good treat at our door too!  In fact, my husband is at Wal-Mart right now stocking up on Halloween candy.  Last year, we had nearly 300 kids stop by our door and I expect even more this year.

Apparently the tradition of dressing up in costumes and going door-to-door to beg for treats goes back to the Middle Ages.  The costumes are said to be a Celtic tradition which placates evil spirits.  The handing out of food originated in Britain and Ireland where poor people would go door-to-door on November 1st. They would be given food in exchange for their prayers for dead souls on November 2nd. This practice was known as 'Souling'.  The practice of trick or treating in America is believed to date back to the early 1900's and it became a more widespread activity in the 1930's.   Whatever the origins, I am glad that this is one tradition that has caught on for the long term.  Happy Halloween and be sure to check out these Halloween safety tips to keep your pets, children and yourself safe this year!

When I think of Halloween, images of ghosts and goblins immediately come to mind.  Although my 7 year old son loves the goulish side of Halloween, my soon-to-be 3 year old gets spooked pretty easily.  So this year our Halloween decorations focus more on non-scary images, and I thought I would share some tips for an un-scary Halloween Party - perfect for younger crowds.

1. Celebrate the Season:  Take advantage of the fall harvest and have partygoers bob for apples.  Make sure to have plenty of towels on hand!
2. Have a Pumpkin Toss:  Choose some small pumpkins and mark off a place in the yard where it's OK to make a mess.  Have participants choose their pumpkin, mark it with their name and see how far they can throw it from the starting line.  I recommend separate pumpkins for each guest just in case they go "splat!"
3. Decorate in Black and Orange:  Hang crepe paper in the doorway, light the path to your house with friendly jack-o-lanterns, and utilize balloons for decorations.  If you don't have helium balloons, hang some balloons down from the ceiling and let others float around on the floor.
4. Create a "Friendly" Witch's Brew:  Using a large black cauldron, flavored drink mixes and dry ice (if available), give each child an ingredient to pour into the brew while you stir it together using a large ladle.
5. Don't Forget the Candy:  Have a large bowl of candy or a Halloween Treat Basket on your table for the kids to nibble on.  Bake sugar cookies in advance, and have colored frosting on hand.  Give each child a cookie, some frosting and a bunch of candies (red hots, candy corn, M&M's, etc) so they can come up with a unique Halloween cookie creation!

With this simple tips, you can host a fun Halloween party with no need for scary parts!

Once there was a young man named Kowashi, who lived with his old mother in a small Japanese village at the foot of the mountain. They were happy, respectable people and lived their lives in the simple, good way.

There was just one thing the young man used to wonder about. His mother used to be a gentle, sweet little woman. But when she got to be about eighty years old, he began to notice that she had long, sharp, pointed teeth. She used to eat her fish, tail, eyes, and all; she even seemed to enjoy crunching up the raw bones.

One night a fish peddler of Kowashi's village was walking home through the mountain pass after . a day's work at the market. He had not sold all his fish that day. And those left over were in the fishing gift basket which he carried on a pole over his shoulder.

He was not afraid of night robbers, because it was a bright moonlit night and he could see every stick and stone in the path.

Suddenly he was set upon by a whole horde of cats. They smelled the fish in his basket and were determined to get it.

He fought them off with the long pole. And he fought so smartly that finally the cats gave up the fight. Then one of them said, "Go call Old Woman Kowashi."

"That's funny," the peddler said to himself, for young Kowashi and his mother were his neighbors in the village.

So the man quickly climbed into a pine tree, wondering what would happen next.

In the moonlight the man could see the path and all the cats and their shadows as plain as day.

Soon one of the cats said, "Here she comes." Another said, "Here comes Old Woman Kowashi."

The man looked. And what he saw was a big tough old gray cat coming through the pass.

"He won't give us the fish!" all the cats said together.

So the big gray cat climbed up into the fish peddler's tree. The peddler was lying stretched out along a branch. The cat crawled out along the same branch until she came close to him - eye to eye!

Inch by inch she came nearer. Each of her sharp claws looked six inches long.

What could he do?

Suddenly he remembered that he had his fish gaff with him. (A fish gaff is a heavy barbed hook with a wooden handle, used for hauling heavy fish into a boat.)

Quickly he grabbed the fish gaff and gave the big gray cat a whack on the head.

Just about then the sun peeked over the horizon, It was morning, and all the cats vanished instantly. One minute they were there, and the next minute they were gone - just like that.

The fish peddler climbed down from the tree and hurried home. And that morning he went and told young Kowashi the whole story.

The young man listened and nodded his head.

He was thinking about how his mother had changed, and how her teeth had gotten so pointed. And just this morning he had noticed a deep gash on her head.

Now he asked her how she had cut herself, and she glared at him with baleful eyes and snarled, baring her long pointed teeth.

So young Kowashi suddenly understood: a cat witch had taken his mother's place! Quickly he seized the witch, drew his long sword, and cut off her head at one stroke.

Then he looked down, and what lay at his feet was a bloody old gray cat.

Not long after this, Kowashi discovered that the wicked cat witch had killed his real mother and buried her in the garden.

October is the time to think of the beloved dead. Visit the cemetery if possible to honor the graves of those departed. Alternatively, find a quiet place outside, close to the earth, and meditate for a few minutes upon those dear ones who have died: think over each loss experienced this past year whether from death or separation. Allow the tears to come and gently comfort yourself with warm memories of fond times. Learn to express sadness and grief! Remember it was the tears of Isis that started the annual life-giving Nile floods.

In Sicily, legend has it that the dead leave their tombs during these days, raiding the best pastry shops to bring children gifts or special treats such as these Dead Man's Cookies.

Dead Man's Cookies (makes about 5 dozen)

These cookies are eaten in Italy on All Soul's Day, when they are shaped to look like fava beans, a symbol of the dead in ancient Rome. Recall the May ritual to the dead spirits, the Lemuria, where beans were used to propitiate the dead.

"The grappa [an Italian brandy] in this Venetian sweet gives the cookies a distinct and slightly bitter edge. The same cookies are made in Rome without pine nuts or grappa by reducing the almonds to a fine powder, adding at tiny bit more butter, and flavoring them with cinnamon."

• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups blanched almonds
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon grappa
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg white for glaze

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade or with a sharp knife, chop the almonds into fine grains, but not a powder. Move them to the bowl of an electric mixer or to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, flour, pine nuts, grappa, lemon zest, butter, egg, and egg yolk. Mix on the lowest speed in the electric mixer or stir together by hand. The dough initially seems very dry, but does eventually smooth out and come together. If you are really having trouble, add egg white, a teaspoon at a time.

Butter and flour baking sheets or line them with parchment paper, Divide the dough into several pieces. On a lightly floured work surface roll each one into a long narrow log about ¾ inches wide. Cut into 1-inch segments, about the size of a fava bean. Roll each one slightly to smooth out the edges, and then press a small indentation in the center, so that the cookies really do resemble the fava beans. Set on the baking sheets. Whip the egg white until it is frothy and brush a little bit on each autumn themed cookie.

Bake cookies at 300 degrees until pale gold in color. 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool on racks.