...What's Behind the Curtain

Have you ever wanted to bake a cake or cook a special homemade pan of macaroni and cheese...from scratch? Well, if you've ever tried to surprise someone when you're cooking, you know it isn't easy. The wafting aromas bring people into the kitchen and what's the first thing they do...? Yep, they peek in the oven. But...if you have a pretty linen, you can hang it on the door and have it act like a curtain. Then you can tell them, "NO PEEKING!"

The aromas might still give away the surprise but you'll still have the fun of saying, "Pay no attention to the man...I mean, what's behind the curtain." And, if you've ever watched The Wizard of Oz, you'll know what an important line that is ;D

And of course it helps if the linen is an antique hand-stitched beauty.

Each one of these stitches is a small work of art. Women used to make these linens for everyday use. I guess it was before T.V. and the internet . . . but still I find it awe...mazing. And, I look for special purposes for these old beauties.

So, the next time you're baking and want to add a little extra-special anticipation, try an oven curtain.

Popcorn Balls

It's easy and inexpensive to make popcorn balls. And if you add orange food coloring and a few candy decorations, you can make fun food for Halloween. (I don't mean you should give these out to trick-or-treaters - but you can give it to your family and friends)

Here's the recipe from Paula Deen's website:

2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar - because that's what I had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 cups popped corn

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat. When mixture is cool enough to handle (and be careful because HOT sugar can burn badly), press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands. Cool completely on waxed paper.

(My candy thermometer was missing - think my daughter 'borrowed' it - so I tested the syrup by dropping a bit in a cup of cold water - to see if it was at the hard-ball stage).

Vintage Linens Repurposed

I love vintage linens but a person can only have so many table runners. So what can you do with a beautiful hand-crafted linen with beautiful French knots? Super simple...sew it and give it a new life as a pillow.

I took the fabric and laid it out to look it over.

Then I positioned the stuffing on top to make sure I had enough to make a pillow.

Then I turned the fabric inside out.

The edges were fairly frayed but that's okay. I simple sewed it around the edges - with the outside on the inside.

Then I stuffed the pillow and sewed up the edge.

Isn't it pretty on the front room chair?

Scary Nails

I love Halloween and I love silly decorations. Here's how I made these scary nails.

I took some French manicure white fingernail polish and painted it on thick. Then when the policy was nearly dried I stuck little wiggly eyes into the polish to hold the eyes in place. If the eyes aren't sticking, simply use a clear top coat of polish to hold them in place.

An Apple A Day

In the fall, I love caramel and apples and of course they go so well together. But after a long day at work, I don't like standing over a hot stove cooking so this is how I make quick caramel apples.

I wash off a couple of apples and stick some wooden sticks down in the core.

Then I take a bag of caramels and put them in a wide mouth coffee mug and melt them in the microwave (but first I add a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk). When the two components are well blended I dip the apples into the caramel and set them on waxed paper to harden as they cool.

But of course I can't just leave it like that. I have to use cookie sprinkles to dress the apples for Halloween.

And I only feel a little bad about eating these apples because doesn't the old saying tell us, "Eat an apple a day and keep the doctor away..."

So these treats are half good, in my opinion ;D

Zombie Run at Blue Lake

Zombie Run at Blue Lake on October 26, 2013. This is an untimed 5k fun run...well, if you can call being chased by zombies fun.

I'm thinking of doing this run but I'm afraid...and not of zombies but of being slow, too slow to get away from zombies (and remember zombies are supposed to be slow).

See, I'm not a fast runner...I'm a long-distance runner. So, maybe I'd make a better zombie than a "human". I'm still thinking about it because it looks like fun.

If a person is a "human", they get three flags and they have to try to avoid the zombies who will be trying to snag the flag. But, if a person signs up to be a zombie, they get a make over and I'm not talking a beauty makeover, this isn't a good makeover - it's a zombie transformation. That all sounds like fun...doesn't it?

Seattle

We spent a few days in Seattle. It was beautiful...especially at night.

And another angle