How to entertain Ghouls this Halloween

How to entertain Ghouls this Halloween.
Since we plan on trick or treating I start with a devilishly healthy meal. I make an extra large pot of witch soup which can be served with your choice of sandwiches. Guacamole dip and chips, olives and bowls of fresh fruit complete the meal.

If you have squeamish guest remind them, ghost, goblins, trolls and witches are out on Halloween night. Having a bowl of witch soup wards off evil sprits throughout the year. This may insure every child will have at least one portion of veggies on this night.

Traditional Split Pea Soup

• Bag of split peas
• Water or chicken broth
• Fatback
• Cup each carrots, celery
• Lemon juice

If you choose this method I suggest you cook an extra large ham a week or so before the Halloween and use that to season the stock. Yummy. Clean, wash and cook the peas over low heat for about thirty minutes in water/chicken stock. Add ham to this mix ASAP with celery and carrots. Simmer and serve with bread, sandwiches or sausages.

Vegetarian split pea soup

• Bag of split peas
• Water/ veggie broth
• Pepper, onions, carrots, celery
• Thyme leaf
• lemon

Clean and wash the peas cook over low heat with stock, adding veggies. You can also add potatoes to thicken the mix and make it hardier. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with garlic bread or bell pepper quesadillas with goat cheese.

It’s the perfect time of year to get your kids to eat something green and yucky looking. Your job is to make it taste so good they ask for it next year. Do what ya gotta do to fight off those witches goblins and ghouls.


Extra
Quick fun for older kids. Create a dark scary corner. In a small space place black garbage bags covering wall to ceiling. Replace the light with a black light. Instant spooky corner. Ours is in the hall way going to the bath room. It’s a great place to take pictures. A group shoot here is a blast. The Flash reveals all!

Live large.

I have a dream...

Years ago sitting in a field with my best friends in Alief, Texas we looked into the future and said we wanted our children to be raise there. It's not the same place anymore; the Norman Rockwell picture of my youth has disappeared. But last night I realized though I am not in Alief I have capture the idealized feeling of Austin, Texas. Last night we went to our regular haunts, pun intended, and had a really fun Halloween. My oldest (13) went out with a few friends, some of his last trick-o-treat fun, maybe. My youngest arranged to meet a friend. The crowd was familiar and the streets safe as the homes welcomed the children and adults alike. My husband I escorted from a safe distance and made sure the kids were polite. They got a respectably haul of treats with no tricks. And I am happy to say though miles away I have lived up to that childhood dream after all.

Fall Days

I have had an eventful weekend. I helped my son make a solar oven it is beautiful. He proceeded to make a few cookies in our oven and he assumed that it would take three times longer to cook one cookie in his solar oven. Well, it was about 88 degrees and an hour later the cookie was just melted batter.

He had a better go at cutting out a jack-o-lantern. I was very proud of his cutting skills. We watched horror films and went for a long bike ride too. What a great day.

Moving on.

It is fall in Austin and it is beautiful. We've got the Halloween decorations up and are cheering for the Texans.
After year we are finalizing plans for Thanksgiving and holidays without my sister. I am moving slowly through the grieving process; it is getting better with a little help. I have made changes that are helping me with my entire life.
I have started a large pot garden. We have peppers, spinach and I planted some pomegranate seeds. I have a huge plot of land I need to clean up so we can put in a skate board ramp...yea I know Crazy. But awesome.