Storm of Thoughts

Happy Halloween! (And My Own Personal Ghost of Halloween Past)

My family was never that big on Halloween when I was growing up. (Which is unusual, since we are definitely holiday people.) In fact, I’d say we were just big enough. Enough decorations to be fun, definitely lots of candy to hand out, and some thought given to costumes. But haunted houses, mechanical figures, and bowls full of grape eyeballs were just too much fun for us. Maybe it was because we don’t really like to be scared. (I’m told some people really do enjoy it, but the reason why is beyond me.) For me, especially, Halloween was kind of scary. When I was about four, I was traumatized by our neighbors. Throughout October (which, in case you weren’t sure, is my favorite month), I would see a monster lounging in a lawn chair in their yard. I’d see him when I looked out the window. I’d see him on my way to the park. I’d pass him by without a thought coming home in the car at night. The monster lived in the lawn, and, though ugly, he was just fine with me.

Until Halloween night of course. (Perhaps you can see where this story is going.) One of our neighbors dressed up as the monster and lounged in the lawn chair himself. The bowl of candy? Sitting dangerously in his lap. When I showed up without a second thought to get my candy, he jumped up. I’m not sure if he expected laughter and fun. Or if he thought maybe I was one of those rare people who actually enjoy being scared. (And, really, what four year old is?) What he got, though, were screams and tears. I ran away crying. He took off his mask. I resisted when my mom tried to bring me back over to him. He offered me more candy…but it was too late. Not only would I not even consider approaching him for more candy (that’s right - I was too traumatized to even accept extra apology sugar), but Halloween was ruined for me. That year, and for many more.

A similar experience occurred a year or two later. This one involved me running an entire block away. It ended after the man tried to come apologize, unsuccessfully, so many times that finally his non-costumed wife came outside, walked all the way down the street, apologized for him, and tried to give me candy. (Again with the bribe of more candy to relieve their consciences.) I always thought it was interesting that these people were so surprised by my reaction. Wasn’t the point to scare me? If it had been me, I would have expected at least one child to be truly frightened by that ever-popular Halloween prank.

I did eventually get over it. Which is a good thing, because last year, my roommates and I had a Halloween party. Some of the highlights:

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

A well-decorated TV

And, of course, some clever napkins

Plus, Pete dressed up as Santa and, since we didn’t live together then, coming to the party involved some travel on public transportation. Which is how some guy ended up sitting on Pete’s lap and telling him what he wanted for Christmas. Pete’s costume was especially great because he 1. carried around an ipod with speakers in his sweatshirt to play Christmas carols all night and 2. handed out candy canes that he kept in his plastic pumpkin.

I hope everyone has something fun (and not too scary!) planned for tonight. Happy Halloween!

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Wordless Wednesday: At the Pumpkin Patch

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Harvest Recipes

Yesterday, even though the weather was actually warmer (in the 60’s), we were in a decidedly fall mood. For breakfast (which, based on the time we finally decided to get up, was really brunch), we had pumpkin pancakes and, for dinner, harvest ravioli. In between, we actually went shopping for sweaters. The only thing missing from our fall day was some football and leaf raking. Here are the recipes:

Pumpkin Pancakes with a Topping of Warm Apples and Candied Pecans and Apple Cider Syrup

For Syrup:

3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

For pancakes:

1 cup flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For topping:

One apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 - 1 cup pecans
2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar

In a large saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring a few times. Then turn heat to low and let simmer and reduce for about 25 minutes.

In a small skillet, toast pecans over low heat. Add butter and brown sugar while toasting and stir to coat. Then set aside.

Put apple in microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for two minutes and set aside (still covered).

For pancakes:

In large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, and oil until just smooth. Stir gradually into dry ingredients until moistoned. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold gently into batter.

Pour batter by large scoops onto a hot greased skillet or griddle. (We use a Griddler!) Turn when bubbles start to form at edge and cook until golden brown.

Place pancakes on plate, then top with apple, nuts, and syrup.

Harvest Ravioli

One package butternut squash or pumpkin ravioli.
1 cup butternut squash, cubed and pre-cooked (or frozen and microwaved slightly).
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
about 5 pieces bacon
1 tablespoon oil

For sauce:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Boil water for pasta while cooking bacon and toasting walnuts. (I cooked the bacon in the oven while toasting the walnuts in a large skillet, but the same skillet can be used for each ingredient.) Set walnuts and bacon aside.

In medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in milk while whisking. Raise the heat to medium low and bring to a boil, whisking somewhat frequently. Then return to low and simmer until thickened (check how it coats the back of the spoon). Stir in the parmesan until smooth/

Add a tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and cook butternut squash until warm or starting to brown. Remove from heat and add in craisins, walnuts, and crumbled bacon.

Cook pasta according to package, then drain, but save about 1/3 cup liquid to add to skillet with squash. Add ravioli to same skillet and stir. Then place in serving bowl and top with sauce.

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I Feel So Loved

I was so excited to find that I had been given this award by Sharon over at Mom Generations. It’s especially meaningful because of how much I love her blog. In fact, it’s a shame I can’t give it right back to her! (Although I can, of course, bestow the honor upon the other Mom Generations girls, who are equally as great. A lot of my blog reading time is spent on their site!)

So now, to spread the “I Love Your Blog” love, it’s my job to nominate 7 other blogs that I really like. (Although, of course, I love more than 7 blogs!) Here are my choices for this award:

CPA Mom at Did You See That?
Snow Betty at Psst…
Mrs. Mogul at Mrs. Mogul
Pamela at Little Baby Lump
Sherry at Chaos Theory
Jane at Mom Generations
Audrey at Mom Generations

Rules:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

Thanks again, Sharon, for making my day!

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Wordless Wednesday: Taking Time to Look Up

Also, coming tomorrow will be some blog love thanks to Sharon over at Mom Generations. (Even though I’m holding off on my post about it, Sharon deserves some extra love a day early.)

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Pumpkin Extravaganza

I can’t avoid pumpkins lately; not that I would want to. This weekend, I went to a pumpkin festival and a pumpkin patch, ate pumpkin pie, and put up some new fall decorations. Pumpkins are, of course, the epitome of fall, which is why everything in October is so full of them. And anything seasonal carries with it a certain magic - you need to pick out, collect, carve, decorate, admire, cook, bake, and eat your pumpkins before they disappear again as suddenly as they showed up. Which is why I’ve decided to share some really delicious pumpkin recipes that my family has been collecting over the years (along with a few pumpkin pictures). Hope they put you in even more of a fall mood too.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup gold raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients and blend well. Beat the eggs with the milk, pumpkin, and butter, then stir into the dry ingredients. Blend until just moist, then stir in raisins. Spoon into buttered muffin tins (this recipe makes 12 muffins). Bake 15-20 minutes.

(Can serve with butter that has been softened and mixed with cinnamon and sugar.)

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
1 egg
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon ginger (or grated fresh ginger) or 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 425. Put aside 1 tablespoon of sugar and add the rest with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons of the butter with a pastry blender or your hands until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Add to this the pumpkin, sour cream, and ginger (if using). Beat until well blended, then add to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 10 times. Roll the dough out into a 9” x 6” rectangle. Cut out 6 squares (approximately 3 inches each) with a floured knife, and then cut each square in half.

Place each triangle 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Melt the remaining butter and brush on top of the dough before sprinkling with the remaining sugar.

Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Note: Biscotti dough isn’t generally the easiest to work with, but it is always so worth it!

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ cup mashed canned pumpkin
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and stir well. In another bowl, stir pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla together with a whisk. Slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until moistened. (Mixture will be very crumbly, but becomes moist after stirring.) Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until browned. Remove from heat and cool, then gently stir into the dough. Place the dough on a floured surface and divide into four portions. Flour hands and shape each piece into a 1” x 15” log. Place logs 3” apart on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake for 23 minutes. Allow logs to cool for 15 minutes. In the meantime, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and cut each log (diagonally) into slices about ½” thick, using a serrated knife. Place slices flat on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for an additional 15 minutes. (You can turn them over halfway through.) Cool completely on wire racks.

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

For cake:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup cooking oil
1 16oz can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

For icing:

1 3oz cream cheese
1 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly. Spread the batter in an ungreased 15” x 10” x 1” pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and cool before frosting.

Icing: Cream together cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla and then add sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Frost cake and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

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You Might Call Me a Rock Star

I have a brother, so it was no surprise to me when I moved in with Pete that he had a certain attachment to his Xbox. And while he occasionally lets me play with him, my complete inability to use (or, seemingly, to even learn to use) the controller makes me more of a video game spectator in our house. (Or, you know, the person in the other room on the computer while the game playing is going on.)

He used to have Guitar Hero, which I thought was a good game only in theory. In practice, I found the guitar even more difficult to use than the controller. (Clearly, I’m video game impaired.) And while the game was sometimes fun to watch, games aren’t fun forever, and Pete eventually gave it up. Apparently, guitar playing had taken a toll on his wrist, and the money he could get by trading it in convinced him to move on. It was a relief to me not to be asked to give the guitar another chance and to no longer have to explain to him and others that playing Guitar Hero does not mean you can actually play a guitar. (They should maybe put that in the instruction booklet.)

Yet you could see the sadness in his eyes whenever his friends went on to become even greater Guitar Heroes without him. And then came Rock Band. If playing guitar is exciting, imagine how much fun it is to have your own band. Yet Pete never bought Rock Band and instead lived vicariously through his friends. (Again with the sadness in his eyes.)

Which brings me to this weekend. Rock Band 2 came out yesterday. And you might not be surprised to hear that it has already found a place of honor in our living room. Before convincing himself that it was worth the money, though, Pete implored me to play with him – and I agreed (as long as I could avoid the guitar). I first tried the drums. They were mildly amusing, although I still had some problems. (Pete assures me, though, that it’s always hard at first and I’m not necessarily a lost cause.) He asked me again to try guitar. (Um, no thanks.) And then, finally, I picked up the microphone.

Although I could barely stumble my way through an easy song with that stupid guitar, I found I could hold my own with the mic. We spent our night rocking out on everything from Dani California to Last Train to Clarksville. We laughed our way through Hungry Like the Wolf (once we saw what all the lyrics actually are). I even created my own rock star character. And, much to my surprise, I not only didn’t fail any songs, I scored in the high 90’s – and even earned a few 100% accuracies. (Which, because of my history with Xbox, was especially impressive.) In fact, several times I was named “Most Energetic.” (Which is maybe surprising to those who know me and would normally consider me less than effusive.) But my Rock Band alter ego (who I like to refer to as “Chrissy Moonbeam”) was clearly born to be a rock star. That picture would even make the perfect album cover. The microphone, apparently, was the only missing piece.

Now, not only is Xbox fun for me, it gives us something else to do together. Plus, you know, I may have found my true calling. Is it too late to join a rock band?

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Birthday Memories Revisited

After yesterday’s post about birthday memories, my mom responded with some photos of her own.

Here is my very first birthday, one of the few I remember very little about.

Skeptical, but still enjoying myself? I hope no one planned to eat that cake when I was done with it.

Glad to see I was given a more civilized piece.

I wish I could remember what it was like to be the size of a stuffed animal.

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Birthday Memories

Birthdays have always been special in my family. From streamers and signs all over the house and cookies and ice cream for breakfast to special dinners and the power to turn the day into anything you want, we make celebrating a pretty big deal. (I once played a game, in fact, that determined what your favorite thing was. My favorite thing turned out to be birthdays. I was not surprised.) We even have a tradition of giving siblings (and now boyfriends) “unbirthday” presents on the other person’s birthday - something my parents probably planned to only carry on for a few years when we were little and cared too much about someone else getting attention and presents. (Funny how those things stick, huh?) Our newest family tradition involves giving a small surprise each day for one week leading up to the birthday - something that was thoughtfully invented by my dad. It was a good way to extend my mom’s birthday, especially since she’s the one who does most of the work making everyone else’s day so special.

Of course, it’s not only your own birthday that’s fun; birthdays are fun in general, and the ability to surprise someone or make their day tends to make your day too. But, let’s admit it - we all love our own birthday the best. Which is why yesterday was so much fun for me.

As you have probably now figured out, it was my birthday. And it was filled with exactly the kinds of surprises and fun that makes birthday memories so special. With packages in the mail (including a surprise cake from my mom), birthday cards from far-away friends, a shopping trip, a really nice dinner at the Melting Pot, and a bunch of perfect presents, it was a very nice day.

I’ve had a lot of nice birthdays and a lot of nice memories (including some fun childhood parties and surprise grandparent visits), and most of them involve pictures (although for the earliest, cake-in-the-face footage, you’d have to go to my mom). I don’t have pictures from yesterday yet (I say yet, since coverage is likely to be coming), but I do have some from the previous two years, which I’ll share in honor of birthday memories and special days.

Two years ago, we spent a weekend in Martha’s Vineyard:

And took what was clearly a riveting sightseeing tour.

This was a VERY exciting “blue box” to receive:

It was a necklace; Pete is a great gift-chooser, no?

And last year, a really leisurely day was spent wandering around Boston.

We sat here and ate ice cream

and found a beautiful little garden

before dinner in the North End. (I told you I always take pictures of this tower.)

What birthday memories do you have?

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Making the Most of Fall in New England

One of the best things about living in New England is the fall. Everyone told me that summer here is the best; days are warm and long, and the city clears out when college students head home in April and May. And, while summer was nice, it’s generally accepted that fall is New England’s greatest work of art. And, since we are lucky enough to be in Massachusetts this time of year, Pete and I try to visit places outside of the Boston/Cambridge area. Last year, at this time, we saw some pretty great foliage in New Hampshire. And two years ago, we spent an October weekend (which just happened to be my birthday) exploring Martha’s Vineyard. Recently, we headed to Rockport.

I’ve wanted to go to Rockport for several years, ever since seeing a picture of the town. North of Boston (and right near Gloucester), Rockport is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. The town if filled with history, old houses, fisherman, and artists - all of which make it a picturesque New England town. And while I’m sure it’s beautiful during all four seasons (I can image the flower-filled parks and window boxes in the spring, the sun-drenched boat decks in the summer, and the narrow streets and old houses lined with snow in the winter), I have a feeling there’s no better time to enjoy the town than right now.

We started out at Halibut Point State Park, where we spent the morning hiking through the wooded paths and along the Atlantic coast. Apparently, on a clear day like the one we had, you can see straight through to the coast of Maine. (Although how you would distinguish it from the numerous other visible coastlines, I’m not sure.) We also hiked by the quarry, where granite was taken at the turn of the century and used in numerous roads, bridges, and buildings, including the Custom House Tower in Boston (which I tend to take a picture of every time we eat in the North End).

Eventually, we decided to head back into town in search of lunch. Parking in Rockport was virtually impossible, but, after circling the center of town about three or four times, we finally found a spot. We had sandwiches at Brackett’s Oceanview Restaurant, an old town favorite that is known, of course, for its ocean view. We then wandered around town, ate some homemade fudge (how can you resist?), checked out a number of art galleries, and even saw a couple getting married.

We may not have eaten seafood or watched a Red Sox game but, all in all, it was the perfect New England day.

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