Bundled Up For Halloween

Our pumpkin patch

It was cold last night, but our new radiator heater kept us warm. This heater is filled with oil and doesn't have a fan, so you don't feel the warm air blowing on you, but if you are staying home for a long time, this is a very efficient way to warm up a small area. We kept it on all night, and I noticed that our furnace didn't kick in as much. My hubby noticed that it wasn't as cold in the living room this morning.

DeLonghi SAFEHEAT radiator heater  

No, my hubby didn't dress up as Two-Face from Batman.
He's raising money and awareness for prostate cancer research. 

For those of you who can't grow your own....

Our dogs are ready to greet some kids from trick-or-treating. They love kids! They are already dressed up for it. And the costumes will keep them warm since it is expected to be near freezing tonight.

It's like wearing a down jacket.

"When are the kids coming?"

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To learn about prostate cancer, or if you wish to donate to prostate cancer research and cure, visit the site by clicking the image below.

Wear your beard with pride!

Good Halloween Treats, Bad Halloween Treats

We are NOT going to have another piece of candy.

Looking at a basket full of candies, we hope those kids wouldn't get sick from consuming so much sugar. Nevertheless, it is fun to look at those little individually wrapped candies that only come out during this time. My hubby and I often joke about the treats that are inappropriate to give out to kids. Here I took a picture of some of what we came up with. Do not attempt to actually give them to kids!

Typical halloween treats

Dental floss, cotton balls, rubber bands, push pins and tooth picks.
I don't recommend them.

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Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Crispy, salty and sweet

I originally wanted to use bacon grease to flavor them, but olive oil worked just fine. The brussels sprouts turn so much sweeter when you roast them. Honey is optional, if you want the sweet and savory flavor combo, I recommend this recipe. But just a simple seasoning of salt and pepper is enough to enhance the flavor of this yummy vegetable. 

Lay them flat facing the cut-side down

Eat them right out of the oven while they are still crispy.

Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb. brussels sprouts
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
Splash lemon

Preheat oven to 400. Cut brussels sprouts in half. In a bowl, toss brussels sprouts and splash lemon. Add olive oil and toss. Mix in honey and coat well. Add salt and pepper and toss again. On a cookie sheet, lay a sheet of foil and spread brussels sprouts facing down. Bake on the top rack for 40 minutes, turning a few times, until they are caramelized. The outer layers should be crispy like chips. Sprinkle more salt before serving.


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Keep Calm And Carry On....

We have another wall decoration for our office. I've seen posters with "keep calm and carry on" and so many different twists on this phrase, but when these phrases were put together side by side, they gave me good chuckles. I probably spent too much for them, but it was worth it for good giggles. We just need to figure out where to hang them. 

Specially funny because I am known to get freaked out easily.

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"A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money." Today's deep thought...

Eerie Halloween Eyeball Drink

Use a toothpick to show off the eyeballs

Lychees make great eyeballs. They come in syrup and already pitted. Stick a blueberry in the cavity of a lychee and you have a spooky eyeball. Easy! Lychees taste almost like grapes, and they go well with many drinks. Use them to replace the olives in your drinks. I just love foods that make you smile or go ewww!

Lychees in syrup. They already look like eyeballs.

The eyeball assembly

Lychees and blueberries make great eyeballs.

Eerie Halloween Eyeball Drink

1 shot vodka
1 shot St. Germain
Top off with pomegranate blueberry sparkling juice
1 orange slice for garnish
3 lychees
3 blueberries
1 toothpick

Eyeballs are floating in the drink.

Here are more halloween recipes!

• Not so scary meatloaf man
• Halloween Reese's peanut butter muffins

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Pumpkins for Healthy Weight Loss

Maple tree in our front yard

There are pumpkins everywhere you look. And everything started tasting like pumpkins. I don't mind it for a short while, pumpkins are actually really good for you. They are low in calories, rich in beta-carotene along with other antioxidants. And they contain a lot less carbohydrate than sweet potatoes, and they help your digestion. If you are on a diet, you can't pass up pumpkins. Don't fight the pumpkins, embrace them!

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Pumpkin seeds are rich in good protein and fat, GABA and minerals! Are you stressed and can't sleep? Feeling hungry? Try pumpkin seeds!

Mapo Tofu Bowl

I like serving it in a small individual bowl like this.

This is my easy go-to dish made with a little bit of tofu. I happened to have leftover tofu from the other night, and I needed to consume it before getting spoiled. All you need is tofu, onions, garlic, ginger and some seasoning. A popular Chinese take-out made at home!



Mapo Tofu Bowl

1 cup cooked rice
1/2 block tofu, cut in bite sizes
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp ginger grated
1 small Japanese eggplant sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp Chinese garlic chili paste, I like it spicy, but you can adjust it.
1 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp soy sauce
1/3 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp granulated chicken bullion
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Heat canola oil in frying pan. Sauté chili paste, garlic, ginger and chopped onions till onions are translucent. Add in eggplant and tofu and cook for a few more minutes. In a small bowl mix soy sauce, ketchup, chicken bullion, water and cornstarch. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Stir-fry till the sauce thickens and everything is well coated. Toss in green onions. Drizzle in sesame oil at the very end. Serve it on a bowl of cooked rice. 



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Dismembering the Meatloaf Man

For those of you who were curious about how we ate the meatloaf man, here are some pictures of how he went....

I ate an arm, my hubby ate half of the head. 

Leftover limbs in a casserole dish

• Here is the recipe for the meatloaf man. 

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Not So Scary Meatloaf Man

Looks a bit like a gingerbread man....

I have been compelled to make halloween foods. You know, the scary and gross looking foods that make you go ewww! So I decided to try a meatloaf man. There are a lot of versions of this out there, some really creative. I saw one with spaghetti pouring out of its tummy. I'll go with the one with a knife stuck in its heart. Just use whatever the meatloaf recipe you like and have fun.



Not So Scary Meatloaf Man

1.5-2 lb. lean ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1 onion, diced small
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Ritz crackers, crumbled by hand
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp ketchup, and more for drawing face and blood
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Dash of paprika and nutmeg
2 pimento stuffed green olives

Preheat oven to 350. Mix panko and milk and set aside until it absorbs all the liquid. Sauté the onions until they are nice and caramelized. Let it cool a bit. Combine all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on cookie sheet and dump the beef mixture. Mold it into the shape of a man. Bake for 35 minutes or until the inside temp reaches 160 degrees.
Place olives on the loaf for the eyes, use ketchup to draw its mouth. Stick a knife into the body with ketchup around it.

Ewww!

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Spooky Time, Y'all!

Halloween in southern style

I drove by our neighborhood to find some interesting halloween displays. We usually don't carve a pumpkin because it is rather messy, but we still enjoy looking at what people are doing in their yard. 

This guy is coming out of their flower bed.

The pumpkin man is watching the people go by.

Is it just a white picket fence? Wait, they're bells. Wait, it's a skeleton!

Spiders on the web

Rock the house!

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