Sunday, September 15, 2013

Halloween Décor & More 

In my travels this weekend I stopped in at my all-time favorite Antique Shop in the New Orleans area. Sister’s Antiques is a quaint little Antique Creole Cottage located in charming Old Metairie, just a couple miles outside New Orleans. Should your travels take you to Haunted New Orleans and you love shopping for antiques, well defiantly put Sister’s on your “places to shop spots”, you won’t be disappointed.

A little history about Sister’s 

For the past 20 years, Sister’s Antiques has been a trusted name for exceptional quality, value and service in the antiques market.  Sister’s is located at 114 Codifer Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005 sits in the heart of the Old Metairie.  Owner Kathy Collins has transformed this classic New Orleans Creole Cottage into a unique shopping destination filled with coveted antiquities, art works and luxuries for the home. The store is popular among visitors and locals alike who pleasure in the atmospheres of antique filled rooms if only just to browse or to enjoy a delicious sweet treat that graces most buffets in the shop. A visit to this classic cottage will surely inspire you.
Kathy Collins, not only has a great eye for fine antiques but she's an amazing decorator who can turn a “white box” into something wonderfully elegant, or hip and edgy by mixing Antique’s with Modern or Ultra Contemporary pieces that seamlessly fit together puzzle like, if you get my drift.
 
While visiting sister’s I took the photos below to pass along to you guys.The shop was filled with little splashes of Autumn and my favorite Halloween decorating, so I snapped a few pictures. Hope you too enjoy and feel inspired to get moving with your Autumn decorating because Halloween is creeping just around the corner.      
 
 


 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next Week Do Check Back For Some More Amazingly Creepy and Cut Halloween Recipes!

 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Great Halloween Ideas for Decorating Chandeliers!

When preparing your home for your Halloween Party, look up! Yes, a naked chandelier or lighting fixture is like staring at an un-iced cake, boring. We take so much pride in creating the table, so  why not complete the look by decorating what hangs above your table. Below you will find some decorated chandelier ideas in hopes of sparking your creative juices! Enjoy, and get busy the count down has started to Halloween.
 

Formal Elegance - I love visiting the Christmas section of my Hobby Lobby Store this time of the year because I find more amazing Black Christmas Ornaments! This look is achieved by using a few Black & God or Orange Christmas Ornaments, black and white cording and black feathered boa.
 
Just drape some black and tea stained gauze on a chandelier makes for a good foundation for your haunted fixture! Just add some creepy crawlers, branches and bats and your have it! Simple.
 

Simple understate elegance! This is nothing more than a store bought Chandelier and some autumn foliage. Perfect!
 Again, a little outdoor nature! Just gather a few outdoor branches, some gauze, creepy crawlers and an Owl is all it takes to create this amazing look! 


A Grand Antique Bronze Chandelier. I just had to include it, totally looks haunted to me!

This look is achieved by gathering lots of twigs and branches and  weaving them into each other covering your fixture.

Listed Haunted Places Around Covington & New Orleans

Greetings! I've put together some pretty amazingly haunted places in Covington and New Orleans, Louisiana. If  you guys are planning a trip down to one of the most haunted cities in American you may decide to check into one of these properties, or not.


 

Odd Fellows Rest  - New Orleans, Louisiana

34.1 miles from Covington, LA
Even if it weren't haunted this cemetery would be worth seeing due to the ambiance of an old gothic style cemetery falling into ruin
 
 
 
 
    St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 - New Orleans, Louisiana
35.7 miles from Covington, LA
Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau is buried here. A crow said to watch over her grave is believed to be inhabited by her spirit.
 
 
Deserted Benedictine Monastery, Covington, near St. Benedict.
Since the earliest settlers arrived in the wild woodlands that later became St. Tammany Parish there were among them men and women of faith charged with keeping the righteous right and evangelizing the natives to increase the ranks of the church. One such frontier ministry was instituted by the Benedictine brothers north of what is today Covington. Though the Benedictines now have a strong presence at St. Joseph’s Abbey and Seminary, the long ago monastery was a shadow of that modern edifice. Built precariously on the edge of the wild and left to fend for itself for long stretches of times between supply wagons, it is said that the brothers and laymen of the first Benedictine monastery were killed by Native Americans who attacked the holy place and burned all remnants of it to the ground. Legend has it that the Natives even dug up the dead from the consecrated cemetery that stood not far from the monastery walls.

Since that horrific event, which most likely took place in the early 1700’s, a strange apparition has been spotted in the piney woods outside of Covington: the apparition of the monastery itself is seen to appear and disappear at unexpected times in the shadowy woods.
Witnesses who claim to have seen the monastery say it is like seeing a grey, shadowy “photo negative” of a building – almost, but not completely transparent. Others claim to have discovered the desecrated graveyard where they say a feeling of such malevolence overwhelms them that it is impossible to linger there long. Invariably, they are never able to relocate the graveyard, despite any number of attempts. Still others have heard the sound of ghostly Gregorian chant and claim to have seen the shapes of hooded monks walking through the shadows of the trees.

The mysterious disappearing monastery is said to lie somewhere off the River Road, not far from St. Benedict and the present day St. Joseph’s. Where it was originally is anyone’s guess, but if you travel the old River Road, you just might see this number one most chilling place.
 
 
Artesia Restaurant and Inn, Hwy. 59, Abita Springs.
The sleepy little town of Abita Springs grew to prominence because of the luck of its location – in the heart of the ozone belt at the confluence of several healthy artesian wellsprings. People came from miles around to “take the waters” at Abita Springs and in an effort to provide accommodations to them more convenient than hotels in Mandeville or Covington, Abita Springs businessmen responded with style and pizzazz. One of the first hotels to be built in Abita Springs was located in what is now the Artesia Restaurant on Highway 59 just north of town. It is said that the hotel had all the accoutrements expected of such a place in its heyday and that the builder, a man not only of means but of high expectations, made certain that every part of the building and grounds met his demands.

It can be surmised that a man such as this might accumulate enemies as well as friends, as he accumulated money. Whatever the cause, the story goes that one summer day in the early 1930’s, the man left the hotel walking toward town: he was never seen or heard from again. Since that time, a restless spirit has haunted the old hotel and grounds. Workers in the restaurant have encountered the apparition of a man standing in the entranceway or in remote parts of the dining room. Guests arriving early have seen the ghostly spectre peering down at them from the second story of the old building. Visitors who stay over at the quaint Bed & Breakfast cottages at Artesia have reported being awakened in the middle of the night by the voice of a man calling out a name they can’t discern; there have also been reports of heavy footsteps around the cottage area; and at least one motorist has reported striking what he thought was a man standing in the middle of the highway in front of the hotel. When the rattled motorist came to a stop and ran back to help his victim he found himself alone on a darkened highway. (It doesn’t help that Highway 59 is known throughout the parish as the “Highway of Death,” but that’s part of another story…) Police have also been called by concerned residents who have seen a man wandering aimlessly along the road, perhaps concerned he is a criminal and up to no good; patrols have repeatedly failed to turn up anything, or anyone.

Employees and even the owners of Artesia Restaurant confess that they do not like to be the last to lock up at night. There is a presence, they say, that broods in the old building, constantly watching everything that is done.

Artesia Restaurant and Inn is open limited hours since Hurricane Katrina, so call ahead and prepare for a ghostly encounter!
 
 
Guste Island Road and the Famous White Lady, Near Port Louis, Madisonville.
Madisonville is a beautiful little town that nestles on the banks of the Tchefuncte River near where it empties into Lake Pontchartrain. One of the oldest settlements in what is now St. Tammany Parish, the town still sits amid wild woods and encroaching swamplands. Even in a heavy downpour there is threat of flooding from the nearby Lake, not to mention the surge and deluge recently experienced in Hurricane Katrina.

Highway 22 runs through the heart of Madisonville, crossing the Tchefuncte at Main Street and continuing on into the rural areas to the west. Guste Island Road intersects the highway approximately three miles outside of town and is the only access to the waterfront community of Port Louis. The road is a long, winding affair, like something out of a Cajun dream, alternately lined with frowning woodlands and empty, marshy swamps. Gators often crawl up out of the swamps and sit in the road or alongside of it, providing a scare or two, but the most frightening thing about Guste Island road isn’t the twists and turns or the local fauna: it’s the ghostly white spectre of a long-dead woman.

She appears out of nowhere, say most who have seen her; often she is just walking alongside the road, but as a car approaches she will suddenly turn and – hopefully – vanish. On the occasions when she has not vanished, witnesses have been aghast at the sight of her skeletal face and empty eye sockets. Many have been petrified out of their wits: some have backed up practically all the way to Port Louis, others have hit the accelerator and blown right by her, but not before she reaches out with a scratchy, skeleton hand against the car windows. One couple, who shall remain nameless, actually drove off the road and both nearly died: the driver swore that he had seen a deer, but his passenger was all too certain that the figure was that of a woman in white who rushed across the road and into the path of their car. The car was totaled and both ended up in the hospital, but they report that the most frightening thing was having to wait for the tow truck and ambulance in the dead of a dark and cloudy night with the ghost of Guste Island Road on the prowl.

Who she was and how she came to haunt this desolate stretch of swampy road, no one knows, but all agree that she is there and it is no pleasure to encounter her, making Guste Island Road number three on the list of most haunted places in “New Orleans North.”
 
Old Creole Cemetery, Hwy. 90, Lacombe.
The old Creole Cemetery faces the busy scenic route Highway 90 in the middle of the little hamlet of Lacombe, Louisiana. It is one of the few cemeteries on the Northshore where Day of the Dead celebrations are held regularly and on the night of November 1st every year the cemetery is alight with candles and festivities in memory of the souls who have passed on.

But for the other 364 days of the year, give or take a couple, the cemetery sits in silence and darkness. Few dare to enter it who do not have family already buried there, and no one, it seems will venture there after dark except on that one holy All Saints’ Day.

There are very old graves in the little cemetery. Many date from the earliest days of settlement in Lacombe and the surrounding areas. Most of the dead are Creoles who came across the Lake from New Orleans to found a new community in the piney woods of the Northshore. Once settled they mixed and ultimately intermarried with the Native Americans already living here, and as most were raised in the prevailing Catholic faith, most ended up buried in the little cemetery.

But many people say there is something else in the cemetery. Some don’t feel fearful of it, but most, especially those with no connection at all to the place, say there is an evil presence lurking among the old Creole tombs. One night of lights and prayers, they say, isn’t nearly enough to keep it still all year.

Late night drivers or those unlucky enough to be walking past the cemetery at night have reported seeing shadowy forms moving among the graves, hunched over, like someone looking at each tombstone for a familiar name. One driver reported that he witnessed a ghostly visitant literally rise from the ground of the cemetery and walk across the road, narrowly missing the moving car. Not far along is the Rumours bar and its not surprising that they get their share of spooked motorists in there on any given night.

But perhaps the weirdest thing about the Old Creole Cemetery is the traveling tombstone.

The story goes that late one night a motorist slowed and swerved to avoid something laying in the middle of the highway. Pulling over to the side, the motorist got out of his car to inspect the object and was appalled to see that it was a tombstone, laying flat in the middle of the road. Seeing no one in sight to offer any assistance, the motorist moved the stone himself and stopped at the next Sheriff’s annex to report what had happened. A sheriff deputy dispatched to the location was unable to locate the stone, however, another deputy on patrol eight miles in the opposite direction came upon the errant tombstone, once again in the middle of the highway. This deputy picked the stone up and, placing it gingerly in his trunk, went into the station to make a report. The stone was removed at the station and placed against a side wall. To his dismay, when the deputy returned, he found the tombstone missing yet again. Assuming a prank or some petty theft, the sheriff filed his report and went off shift for the night.

Two days later another deputy on patrol found the stone laying in the road across the street from the cemetery and called in a report. This time the deputy did not leave his vehicle, but, with lights flashing and headlights fixed on the stone, he proceeded to start his report about the finding.

When he looked up from his report some minutes later he was alarmed to see that the tombstone had moved and was laying at the gates of the Old Creole Cemetery!

Boldly, the deputy got out of the car and looked around. It was nearly 3 a.m. and there was no one around, nor had any vehicle driven by in the time since he had stopped. There was no plausible explanation for the movement of the stone and, not inclined to interfere with what he deemed “higher powers,” the deputy left the stone where it lay. Yet another deputy, however, on an early morning patrol, saw the tombstone at the cemetery gate and stopped to place it in his trunk. When he reached the station he was surprised to hear a chorus of “Not THAT thing!” from his cohorts. On hearing their wild stories about the moving tombstone, the deputy figured he’d put an end to it and locked the stone in a nearby maintenance shed while he attempted to track down family members from the name on the stone.

A call to the cemetery started the wheels in motion and a the deputy was told that a keeper would meet him at the gates within a half hour. The deputy decided to leave the stone in place and go out to meet the keeper, but before he even reached the cemetery he received a radio call that the keeper was on a pay phone near the cemetery reporting a TOMBSTONE laying out at the cemetery gate!

Shocked and confused, the deputy asked a fellow officer to check on the status of the stone locked away in the maintenance shed. He was shaken to hear that there was no tombstone to be found in the shed. Somehow, it had moved of its own volition, and had returned to the cemetery gates.

There was no living family to be found who could claim the stone as their own, but the with the help of the keeper the proper location of the stone was determined: it had somehow been moved, or had moved, from a spot under a shady oak tree at the rear of the cemetery. A sheltered spot, it was only when the keeper said aloud, “That the old Indian oak, you know the one where they found those Indian skulls buried inside it?”

Soon it became clear: the name on the tomb was that of a prominent Catholic Creole who had, in his lifetime, hated and mistreated Native Americans. It never was clear whether the spirits of dead Indians were responsible for evicting the old Creole, but it was obvious, in a weird way, that the Creole was trying to get his stone back in.

The traveling tombstone was finally completely buried in a separate plot not far from the remains of the old Creole man and the haunted tree. So far, it hasn’t resurfaced … well, not yet anyway.
 
 
 
 

Haunted Covington

 The Old SSA School - The old building now in ruins is totally hidden in the great pine woods, known for eire noises, screams, and ghost activity. The local story tells that over 60 nuns died in the building from a fire. An old abandoned graveyard lies behind the building. This is where nuns and priest were buried dates back to 1841. A tall woman's ghost dressed in a white nun habit walks the grounds of the cemetery. There is also what appears at times to be the ghost of a red cat walking around the haunted deserted building. Often some report hearing this ghostly cat wailing day and night.


Friday, August 23, 2013

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Cool Ways to Light Your Halloween Party Walkway

Halloween Lighting Your Walkway Ideas

I'm always looking for easy inexpensive ideas to greet my Halloween Party Guest that are unique and innovative. Lighting your walk way is a must! The exterior of our home is an introduction to what our interiors offers, so it's almost like the "little nibble to the neck" so lets get busy.
 

Caning Jars are so easy find and throw a ton of light!

 
 

Another fun way to light the walk way is with Glow Sticks! I have used them in mason jars or even in white or brown paper bags that I have hole punched.

Sterno Cans are another way to light a walk way or outdoor patio. Please do exercise caution we using real fire. I fill a small black cereal bowl with sand and place a small can Sterno in the center of the sand burying the can about 3/4 of the way down. I always use the small one hour Sterno's to be super safe. 

 

Another cool way to light your walk way is to take a glow stick and insert it within a balloon, take to your local grocer florist and have them fill with helium and tie a 5 foot ribbon and weight to each balloon. Line your walk way and your ready to go. About two hours before my guest are due to arrive I have them filled. Each balloon glows for about 4 to 6 hours.

 

Another fun idea is Glow in the Dark Foot Prints! Super easy using glow in the dark paint. Using your foot as a template on poster board. Fill a paint tray with craft store bought glow in the dark paint, step into paint and makes lots of foot prints on white poster board. Cut out and using heavy duct duck tape (for strength and durability) tape down to walk way but cutting a piece of tape and folding it over to create double sided tape. This should be done early in the day so that when night falls the foot prints glow bright and strong. 

 

Ghosts Stories of Old New Orleans


Ghosts Stories of Old New Orleans

Aside from being an October baby all those years ago, Halloween has always held an endearing place in my heart. As a child growing up in the French Quarter of New Orleans, haunted houses and ghost stories and even witch craft were common street topics. Although, my mother was a devote Catholic and loved Lord with all her heart, was defiantly in touch with her dark side, and thus introduced my little sister, Linda and I to the “other side of the mirror”.
Even then the only months that got my attention was June, because school was ending for summer break and October, because Halloween and all its magic would soon arrive. I have vivid memories of “trick or treating” through the haunted alleys of the French Quarter at dusk as the fog rolled in off the Mississippi River.  The air was cool and crisp and the sound of our giggling voices echoing in those long narrow brick alleys really added to the eeriness of the night. I would say Halloween in New Orleans was the perfect recipe for the imagination of this curious six year old girl.
The purpose of this blog for me is to highlight Halloween in all its glory, from the entertainment/celebrating aspect to the hauntingly magically side of this beloved holiday. Hopefully, together we can delve into fond childhood memories, ideas and traditions we have come to know, love and share with family and friends. I’d love to hear your story/memory.
Another childhood memory for me is mother going to great lengths to locate  and eventually purchase a copy of a book that even back then was most difficult to find. Before momma located one for sale in a Royal Street book store,  I remember going to the New Orleans public library with her so that she could copy pages from the book. The book titled, Ghosts Stories of Old New Orleans was listed as rare and could no longer be checked out but coping was permitted. Momma would copy the stories about a particular address then we were off to find the house.  What was most interesting to me were all the facts surrounding the ghosts stories were told including the address and names of those who experienced the hauntings.
Mom passed away July 24, 1988 when I was quite young and of the small amount of worldly possessions she owned this book was all I wanted.
Ghosts Stories of Old New Orleans – Jeanne deLavigne 1944 (RARE)
Ghosts are said to wander along the rooftops above New Orleans’ Royal Street, the dead allegedly sing sacred songs in St. Louis Cathedral, and the graveyard tomb of a wealthy madam reportedly glows bright red at night. Local lore about such supernatural sightings, as curated by Jeanne deLavigne in her classic Ghost Stories of Old New Orleans, finds the phantoms of bitter lovers, vengeful slaves, and menacing gypsies haunting nearly every corner of the city, from the streets of the French Quarter to Garden District mansions. Originally printed in 1944, all forty ghost stories and the macabre etchings of New Orleans artist Charles Richards appear in this new edition. 
Drawing largely on popular legend dating back to the 1800s, deLavigne provides vivid details of old New Orleans with a cast of spirits that represent the ethnic mélange of the city set amid period homes, historic neighborhoods, and forgotten taverns. Combining folklore, newspaper accounts, and deLavigne’s own voice, these phantasmal tales range from the tragic—brothers, lost at sea as children, haunt a chapel on Thomas Street in search of their mother—to graphic depictions of torture, mutilation, and death. 
 
 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

 

Halloween Spooktails Anyone??

 

                             Hauntingly Decadent White Chocolate Martini

3 Ounces half and half
2 Ounces White Chocolate Liqueur
2 Ounces Vanilla Flavored Vodka
Garnish: Shaved White Chocolate

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add half and half, white chocolate liqueur and vanilla vodka. Shake mixture vigorously then strain into a martini glass and garnish with white chocolate.

Jack-O-Lantern

1 teaspoon lime juice
Green Sanding Sugar (party supply place)
4 Ounces fresh orange juice
2 Ounces carbonated orange soda
1 1/2 Ounces orange liqueur
1 1/4 Ounces spiced rum
Garnish: Orange slice, green slivered almond
Rim glass with lime juice. Place rim in sanding sugar and rotate to coat completely
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add orange juice, soda, liqueur and rum. Shake vigorously for 5 to 10 seconds, strain into glass. Place a green slivered almond in the middle of the orange slice and float on drink if desired.  (makes one drink but you can make a pitcher full by using simple math)
 

 
Candy Corn Shooter
 
1/2 Once banana liqueur
1/2 ounce coconut=flavored rum
1/2 Ounce orange curacao
2 drops of grenadine
3/4 Ounce half and half
 
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add banana liqueur, sake vigorously. Strain into a shot glass. Fill shaker halfway with ice, add rum, curacao and grenadine. Slowly pour rum mixture over the back of a spoon so that it runs down the side of the glass and floats on the top of the banana liqueur. Slowly pour half and half over the back of a spoon so that it runs down the side of the glass and floats on top of the rum mixture.  When serve these I have 3 pitchers with each layer and just pour away! Always delicious and a great conversation drink! Enjoy
 
 
 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013


Why are we so intrigued with all things scary?


My thoughts on the subject:

I often wonder why do we love scary stories? Why do we enjoy that creeping sensation or jolt of terror when we read a ghost story or see a horror flick? I think part of the answer has to do with biology. When we are frightened, our bodies fight or flight system kicks in and our amygdala orders up a burst of adrenaline and other hormones like dopamine that go shooting through our system. Fear is a stimulant, and in a setting where we know that we are ultimately going to be okay, it can be an enjoyable feeling.
There is actually an evolutionary component to our intrigue with things that frighten us. Horror films and books offer a safe way for our brains to adapt and respond to scary situations. It works on the same principle that play theory does. Playing strategic games strengthens connections in the brain that help us with critical thinking. In a similar way, scary movies and stories can stimulate connections that are linked to our ability to survive. Some of these connections were created by our DNA and evolved through the development of our species, and others are learned through many types of experience.

There could also be a psychological reason why we like to be frightened. Maybe there is a feeling of power gained when we face our fears and seemingly conquer them. Regardless of the reason, tales designed to frighten us have been around for centuries. Have you ever listened to ghost stories around a campfire, or sat around sharing ghosts stories at a sleep over when you were a kid? Apparently, that tradition has been passed down for centuries as well. Some were told for practical reasons, like keeping children close to home, especially at night. This always worked for me.
But the scary stories always had huge entertainment value. Just take a look any given week’s box office numbers when a horror film is playing. You can bet in the top 3 movies playing one will be a horror film. I won’t be running out to see any of these because I find the films today are must to gruesome for my personal flavor, but I do like an old fashioned gothic novel, ghost story or movie. So tonight I will probably freak myself out as I sit on the couch reading or watching something spooky as the wind rattles my windows and the rain beats against the doors and windows of my home.  I will probably end up sleeping with my covers over my head…lol  Yep, I sure do love be frightened…lol

 

Frightfully Fun Party Adult Games


During the course of the evening I like to throw little twist and turns to keep the party fun and unexpected by getting everyone together to engage in a few games and some fun little prize wins.  

Game Party Prize Ideas Include


1)     I love visiting Bath and Body works and picking up bath gel & lotion when they offer it 3 for $10.00 – this is always a winning surprise!  I wrap a lotion or bath gel in black or orange tulle, tie with Halloween ribbon you’re all set!  For $20.00 I have 6 winning gift that always brings smiles.

2)     A set of four Halloween Coffee Mugs from Target, Walmart or even the Dollar Store is always a useful idea!

3)     I also love shopping the bargain book section of my bookstore and picking up a couple of books of Ghosts Stories. Most times these books can be picked up for $4.00 or $5.00 dollars.

4)     Another fun and really inexpensive gift is Halloween Pins. These can be picked up from any dollar store.

5)     Homemade baked Halloween cookies are another great idea! Another delicious homemade prize idea is homemade Pumpkin Bread or Carrot Cake made in mini loaves.

When selecting your game gift think useful or tummy memorable! People love things that can be used year after year and not just another dust collector and sweets are always a “take the cake winner”!
 
Halloween Cookies

           Bath and Body Works Spider Cider!Bath & Body Works Halloween Lotion

 

Game Ideas!

 
1)     Halloween Trivia is my favorite! – Using famous Scary Movies create 15 Trivia question cards. Gather your guest and ask them to group in groups of 3 or 4 having each group collaborate on the questions you ask. Each group has 60 seconds to write down their answer. When all questions have been answered I read the answers and the group with the most correct answers wins. Each participant in that group wins a gift! Fun, Easy and Entertaining!

2)     Another fun game is again grouping into groups of 2, 3 or 4 ( my husband and I are the judges) – Pass out paper and pencils and give your guest 10 mins to come up with a Halloween Poem. I like to choose a word, example: the word Ghost must be used in the poem 4 times. The poem that’s most creative, unique and rhymes wins.

3)     A Costume Contest is a must!  With a twist on your invite pick a theme or movie and ask your guest to create a costume that they most identify to that particular theme or movie.

When choosing games just remember keep them fun, unique and creative!  If you have a favorite game or game idea, please do share it with me. I’d love to post your idea on my blog!

 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Witch's Flight on Halloween Night

Witch's Flight on Halloween Night

 
 
 
 
Halloween comes but once a year
 and it's on this night we anticipate great fear.
Little Trick or Treater's scurry about
crossing lawns and trick or treating from house to house.
There's an eerie feeling in the air tonight
 that's only felt on Halloween night.
All eyes are focused on the night sky
just waiting and watching for the witches to fly.
So before we know it the witching hour drawers near
and the voice on the wind whispers the witch are here.
In a flash of an eye they appear in the night sky
on their way to the Grand Hall for their annual witches ball.
This haunting site happens once a year
and it's on Halloween night they're sure to appear.
So no need to be frightened of the Witches in site 
because it's all part of the Witches annual flight.
 
written by:     Marilyn O. Baudier
 
 
 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Tantalizing Treats, Hors d'oeuvres and Drink Recipes

Tantalizing Treats, Hors d'oeuvres and Drink Recipes

My Ever Famous Witches Tit Gumbo  
 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 8 ribs celery, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken broth, canned or from base
  • 2 large cans (28 ounces each) tomatoes, diced
  • 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen okra, sliced, thawed
  • 1 pound crab claws
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 2 large dried bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
  • 2 teaspoons dried leaf basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried leaf oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sage
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 pounds shrimp, medium, unpeeled
  • 1 quart oysters, undrained
  • 1 pound crab meat
  • 1 pound Andouille sausage diced
  • hot cooked rice
  • file powder, optional

Preparation:

Combine oil and flour in a heavy skillet; cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux is dark. Be very careful to keep the roux from scorching. Stir in onion, celery, and garlic; cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Transfer mixture to a Dutch oven or large kettle. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, okra, crab claws, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, and pepper; simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Peel and devein shrimp. Add shrimp, oysters, crab meat, and fish to the pot; simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve gumbo over hot cooked rice and, if desired, sprinkle with file.
 
 

U R 2 Choke on These Balls

 

Servings: 50 balls

Ingredients

For the Spinach Artichoke Balls
1 1-pound package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and chopped finely
1/2 pound frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped finely
5 eggs
1 large onion, minced
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder
2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
For the dill sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dill, chopped
2 scallions, chopped

Directions: 
  1. Combine all sauce ingredients together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Squeeze excess water from spinach and put in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Form mixture into 1 ½” balls either by hand or with a small ice cream scoop. Roll them between the palms of your hand to get a uniform smooth finish. 
  5. Place balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and cook until firm to the touch, 20-25 minutes.
  6. Serve warm with dipping sauce. 
  
Prep Time: 
20 minutes
Cooking Time: 
35 minutes
 
Bat Brain & Feta Cheese Spread
 
 
1/2 cup slivered pine nuts, toasted (I substituted slivered almonds)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/2  garlic head, roasted
8 ounces feta cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp white pepper, ground
2 Tbs vermouth
1/2 cup arugula pesto (or regular basil pesto, preferably homemade)
Prepare the ingredients for all layers:  toast the nuts in a dry skillet or in the oven, being careful not to burn them.  Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes, drain of most of their oil, and mix them with 1/2  of the roasted garlic.  Mix the feta cheese at room temperature with the butter, cream cheese, pepper, vermouth, and the remaining roasted garlic.  Add to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy.  Adjust seasoning if necessary. If using commercial pesto, drain it to reduce the amount of oil.  If using homemade, make it with less oil than the recipe calls for.
Line the mold of your choice with plastic wrap, leaving 6 inches overhang on all sides.
First layer:   toasted nuts.
Second layer: Sun-dried tomato mixture.
Third layer: Half the cheese mixture. Spread it gently over the tomatoes.
Fourth layer:  Pesto sauce.
Fifth and final layer: Remaining cheese mixture.   Spoon gently, and smooth the surface well.
Cover it with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.  Unwrap it, invert the torte on a serving dish.  Serve with crackers of your choice.
ENJOY!
 

Aged Crab Poop Pie

 

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
  • One 9-inch pie shell, par-baked and pricked with a fork
  • 1 pound fresh white crabmeat, drained
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch ground mace
  • 3 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pie crust. Top with the crab meat and sprinkle with the scallions. Whisk together the heavy cream, lemon zest, mustard, seafood seasoning, salt, mace and eggs in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

 

Bake until the custard sets, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

 

 

120 Day Old Crusty the Crustacean Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds (12 to 15 count) shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup good mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (2 oranges)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon good white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 tablespoons small-diced red onion

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and devein the shrimp. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss together. Spread the shrimp on one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until pink, firm and cooked through. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. When the shrimp are cool, add them to the sauce and toss. Add the dill, capers, and red onion and toss well. The flavors will improve if you allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Otherwise, chill and serve at room temperature.

 

 Fermented & Rotten Shrimp Mold

 

 

 

Directions

  1. Heat soup in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir gelatin into cold water. Mix hot tomato soup into the gelatin liquid.
  3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise together. Mix soup mixture into the mayonnaise and cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Add shrimp, celery, and green onions.

Spoon the mixture into a 1 quart mold and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight. Unmold onto a serving plate before serving.

Notables

  • Just remember to have fun!~ And try taking ordinary appetizers and giving them devilish names to take them from ordinary to extraordinary! 
  •  I love to visit the dollar store and pick up some basic black small frames to house the gross and gruesome names of the dishes my guest will be puking over.  Sit the little framed dish tags in front of each dish and watch and listen as your guest giggle themselves around the table!
  • More Great Recipes to Come! Enjoy!!