Halloween is a holiday I haven’t been excited about for a long time. For more than ten years, I’ve enjoyed Halloween the boring grown up way… buying discounted candy on November 1.
Once or twice I carved pumpkins (for pumpkin seeds) or dressed up (for a party) but it’s not something I’ve looked forward to since I was a trick-or-treater.
Since it’s my first Halloween as a mom, and my munchkin’s first Halloween ever… this year brought renewed excitement…. And this is what we did for it….
Becoming a grandma this year has made me think back to all of the Halloween costumes I made for my kids. I have no idea where some of the costume ideas came from but some of them were very interesting to try to make lol. My kids seemed to think I could make anything they could think of. While it was a nice feeling to know my kids thought that way, it also brought with it the pressure to actually succeed!
My costume making got to the point that neighbours were actually waiting each year to see what I would make each year for the kids to wear!
I thought today I would share a few of the costumes I made over the years and then a few photos of pictures I found on Pinterest with some great homemade costumes for kids and adults!
Sandie
Okay, here are the Pumpkin Seeds as mentioned in my Nemo Pumpkin post. I roasted the pumpkin seeds first and then added the ingredients listed below and roasted them again for a little bit so the seeds are well roasted, well done (because Chris likes them that way) and taste delicious!
I will admit that there is nothing quite like a feed of freshly roasted pumpkin seeds lol!
Sandie
In Canada, Swiss Chalet restaurants are a staple. I can’t think of anyone who has not eaten there. And I think the main reason for the return customers, some to the point of obsessions, is their dipping sauce. It is flipping awesome.
I usually buy the dry packets, like you buy gravy mix, for when we want the dipping sauce. I will cook up a Crock Pot Rotisserie chicken, make some fries in the air fryer and make a package of the dipping sauce and we have what we like to call “Sandie Chalet” for dinner lol.
I took a whole chicken out to cook for dinner the other night, only to find I had none of the premade sauce mix. I thought I would try to make some. I looked at a whole bunch of recipes and made my own take on it with what I knew I had on hand. While it was a little bit tangier than the package or restaurant sauce but I think if I use a little less vinegar than the 2 tbsp. I used, it will be perfect!!!
Sandie
I found Nemo lol! For my granddaughter’s first Halloween, I wanted to make her a special pumpkin. I honestly can’t remember the last time I actually carved a pumpkin. Where we live the houses are so spaced, being farm country, that we don’t get any kids trick or treating so I have just forgone the practice of pumpkin carving.
When my two were little, I swear they thought I was omnipotent because they thought I could make any sort of costume they wanted and carve any sort of pumpkin they wanted. Luckily my kids were easily appeased and whatever I came up with, they were more than happy with! I think My favourite was the year I did Bert & Ernie pumpkins. As with Nemo pumpkin I did this morning, they were a combination of carving and painting to get the desired effect…. and some black wool for the character’s “hair.” It was fun and the kids loved them. I guess I had better get my pumpkin carving game back on track for my grandchild/grandchildren lol!!!!
Here is my Nemo Pumpkin!!!
Sandie
I’ll admit, I was a little bit leery about making this. Chris isn’t always the biggest fan of anything cooked with cream cheese in it but I needn’t have worried about it…. both he and Dillon were big fans of this chili!
I saw a recipe for this a while back in some magazine and thought I would try a batch from what I could remember and what I thought would taste good in it. It is a sort of throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook sort of meal which is perfect for busy days!
The newest addition to the comfort food roster!
Sandie
I was making a pot of Buffalo Chicken Chili (I will post the recipe for this tomorrow) the other night and wanted some kind of homemade bread to have with it. I didn’t want to make just plain bread or even a loaf of French Bread. I wanted something that was more substantial and a sort of stick to your ribs/comfort bread. I decided on Oatmeal bread. Because of the oatmeal, it is a bit denser than regular sandwich bread and paired great with the chili! Dillon liked it so much that he ate the 2 slices I had cut for him and went back to cut more for himself lol! The fact it is made with ingredients you likely already have on hand is just a bonus!
There really is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread baking in your oven!
Sandie
I love chocolate and coconut. It doesn’t matter how it’s combined, there is nothing like the two of them together…. and when you add coconut to and on brownies it’s a deliciously sweet treat! Goes great with a cup of strong black coffee!!!
Sandie
I don’t know about you, but I love the combination of lemon and cranberry. The tartness of the flavours together are delicious. I had some fresh cranberries and thought this would be a perfect way to use them… these are a favourite of everyone in this house!
(The muffins didn’t rise as much as usual… maybe I need to replace my baking powder… but they more than make up for it in taste!)
Sandie
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