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Halloween is the holiday my kids look forward to the most, right after Christmas. They have 2 things on their minds, costumes and candy. The last thing they want to hear is me nagging them to eat something before we head out to trick or treat. But if they don’t, I could be facing [...]]]>

Halloween is the holiday my kids look forward to the most, right after Christmas. They have 2 things on their minds, costumes and candy. The last thing they want to hear is me nagging them to eat something before we head out to trick or treat. But if they don’t, I could be facing a long night of sugar highs and potential upset stomachs on a school night. Oh, you bet I looked at the calendar. It’s on a Sunday this year.

My only hope of getting some food in them before the sugar onslaught is to make some snacks and party food they can graze on while they vibrate around the house asking, WHEN ARE WE GOING TRICK OR TREATING ALREADY? Last year we had a fun little party with scary “feel and touch” bags and some terrifyingly tasty food.

We aren’t throwing a party this year, but I still want to make Halloween as exciting as possible for the kids. Little do they know it’s my favorite holiday, too. Shhhh. Continue reading post on Club Mum.

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After reading my friend’s wise words, I decided to get more creative because I didn’t want them eating cafeteria food even a few [...]]]> I’ve been experimenting with bento. School lunch was an abysmal failure for us last year. The kids preferred to buy their lunch because the lunches I made for them were uncool. Ingrates.

After reading my friend’s wise words, I decided to get more creative because I didn’t want them eating cafeteria food even a few times a week.

This was my first attempt at a bento meal. It’s a dinner I made for the kids after some of the bento supplies I ordered came in. Please to ignore the poorly-lit photo. Also, I was trying to take the picture while holding the kids back with my elbows because they were starving. They hate suffering for my art.

Why yes, those are the drip trays for a George Foreman grill. Thanks for noticing. The ketchup is Hunt’s, and that’s a whole other story.

The corn is in Wilton silicone cupcake molds with chicken feet. I separated the food in the boxes with silicone sushi grass. The cheese cutouts were made with ocean scene cutters. I ordered all of the bento stuffs from All Things for Sale.

My dinner creation is certainly not the greatest, but I wanted you to see my first attempt. I plan to get better at this. I mean, obviously.

I’ll have a lot more cute things to show you soon, including photos of the kids’ lunches, hopefully with better lighting and composition.

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1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:

In the ER.

2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?

Repairing our AC. Doesn’t count? Okay, a trip to Whole Foods.

3. What do your [...]]]> I saw this on Avitable’s blog today and just felt like doing it.

1. It’s 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely:

In the ER.

2. What’s the last thing you spent more than $100 on?

Repairing our AC. Doesn’t count? Okay, a trip to Whole Foods.

3. What do your bank checks look like?

I use one per month, so they are the standard ones.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from?

It’s a white (natch), sheer, batwing tee I got from one of the secret sale sites I haunt. Probably Rue La La or Ideeli.

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list:

Perhaps the iPad or a new lens for my Rebel.

6. What color is your toothbrush?

White with black bristles and accents.

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it.

Candles. I try to quit them, but it doesn’t work. I’ll light up the house like I’m having a seance just so they’ll burn down and I can buy more.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it?

Crabby Bill’s for a 7 year-old’s birthday party. Service and food was great. Kid behavior was hideous, like stab yourself in the eye hideous.

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for?

My husband.

10. What is your worst bad habit?

Driving all the way to Tampa just to go to Alessi Bakery, where I buy elaborate iced sugar cookies that are $2.50 each. I do this more than I’d like to admit.

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to?

Lucky.

12. Your favorite pizza toppings?

Goat cheese, spinach, extra cheese.

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book?

For a business that can come clean my grout.

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most?

My friends.

15. What is the last thing you cooked?

Grilled salmon with Chai Thai Teriyaki sauce.

16. Name something you wouldn’t want to buy used?

Shoes.

17. Which shoe do you put on first?

Left.

18. What is the last thing you remember losing?

A point and shoot camera with a lot of pics on it. I’m still not over it.

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house?

An antique Victorian barrel chair with orange fabric that I plan to have re-upholstered soon. It’s been three years and my husband doesn’t believe me. But then it will be the most beautiful piece in the house.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning?

A shirt from Target that was too small.

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why?

La Vanille in 4 different scents.

22. Your favorite board game?

Scrabble.

23. What was the last board game you played?

Candyland.

24. Where did your vehicle come from?

The Honda dealer.

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be?

“Because I Got High” by Afroman. Just kidding.

26. You’re sad, who can cheer you up easily?

My friends, including the fabulous ladies of Skype.

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to?

Green. I think. All I remember is the cake.

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most?

Cleaning the toilets the men in my family use.

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?

Buffalo nuggets dipped in blue cheese.

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is?

Huge. Chocolate with peanut butter buttercream from Publix.

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We had a party for the kids and their friends, and I went a little nuts with themed food [...]]]> Another Halloween is over! We had a fantastic time and have enough candy to last until Valentine’s Day. Maybe. I was able to overcome my unexplained sluggishness of late and really do it up this year.

We had a party for the kids and their friends, and I went a little nuts with themed food and fun. First up, the door wreath. I found an inexpensive feather wreath and added a ghoul to the top. That was easy.

I decided that the theme of this year’s Halloween would simply be Gross Out the People. Take a look:

Dirty Q-Tips: Mini Marshmallows on white straws dunked in caramel (ear wax).

Snot on a Stick: Pretzel sticks with green cream cheese dip (snot).

These were my favorite. Squished Cockroaches: Dates filled with cream cheese and chopped walnuts (roach innards).

One of my favorite memories of Halloween as a kid was the haunted houses that had bowls of gross stuff to feel. I used paper bags lined with plastic bags. The kids loved this, but I think I liked making the bags more!

Scabs: dried apple chips
Dragon Skin: wet tamale wrappers
Goblin Guts: pumpkin seeds and strings
Ghost Vomit: cold oatmeal
Tapeworms: oiled half-cooked fettuccine
Ghoul Eyeballs: peeled grapes

Do you know how hard it is to get a good photo of eight kids when four moms are each taking pictures at the same time and shouting, “Look over here!”? Hard. Still cute.

And, finally, the best sugar cookies ever. My daughter handled the icing of the cookies. She wanted them all to be happy. The only thing gross about this is that I ate eleventy billion of them. They’re that good.

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Post tags: Grossing myself out, Halloween '09, Memories

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