If only California had sweater weather. I’m ready to cuddle up with a book and warm tea and enjoy the peace. Instead, I’ll cuddle up with an iced coffee and read.
I Fear My Pain Interests You by Stephanie LaCava is a short novel that follows Margot, the daughter of a famous mother and father. Margot is an aspiring actress but feels the pressure of living in her parent’s footsteps build up, so she leaves her hometown and stays at her friend’s secluded house in a small village. The book focuses on the characters and Margot’s complicated relationships with the people in her life.
I read all my murder mystery books these last two months I needed some drama.
I go into a lot of books blind but I think it allows me to make predictions about the story and analysis the book as I’m reading. These predictions have become helpful when I’m watching a movie or tv because I can infer what’s going to happen in scary movies and makes me less afraid.
My predictions for I Fear My Pain Interest You.
At least one Suicide attempt from the main character.
A toxic relationship with a male. “savior” character. “I just want the best for you.”
A friend will either die or abandon the main character due to the drug abuse and parting
I don’t think the main character will grow as a person. For some reason, the book gives me Breakfast of Tiffany’s vibes
I didn’t get a costume because I assumed I would be working today. I’ll make do with a rainbow unicorn headband and rainbow makeup.
I’m going to my friend’s house for a Halloween party. It’s for my niece and her friends, and I’m just going as an extra chaperon.
The setup looks Fang-tastic.
We decided to make the game the floor is lava to a whole new level. All it takes is a couple of cans of expanding foam, orange, and black spray paint, string lights, and a random piece of cardboard or plywood you don’t care to get ruined. We got everything from Walmart.
Put down our cardboard, bunched up the string lights, and just started spraying the foam on top, waited for it to dry for about 20 minutes, and poured some paint on it. we got inspiration from this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w6Tft040jU
We did this as a way to keep the kiddos away from the side of the house. You always have that one kid who wants to wanter, and the last thing we need is a kid to wander out the side gate on their own.
So on top of having three giant bags of candy we have to give to the kids, we have two dozen cupcakes, a bunch of Halloween cookies we found at Albertson, chips, and we’re ordering pizza. The party starts at 2. wish us luck.
If you’re out partying tonight, trick or treating, or just staying home, I have a delightfully spooky and safe Halloween!
It’s time to dust off those skeletons in the closets and put them in the front yard if you haven’t already. Halloween is Scary close.
Since the weather wants to be unbe-leaf-able, I’ve decided to force a vibe. Can California pick a season? Somedays it’s super hot and sunny and others we’re getting nice windy days.
I just want to get a taste of fall. And since today is the perfect day to stay bundled up I’ve decided to make a fall favorite. It’s nothing too fancy, but I love the autumn feel that butternut squash and sweet potatoes give off.
I originally made this meal when my boyfriend met my grandmother for the first time. So whenever I make it now, I think of her. I miss her, and I’m still sad she’s gone, but she is in a better place now.
Roasted Vegetables
1 cup fingerling potatoes cubed
1 cup baby carrots
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup broccoli
1 cup Brussel sprouts, halved
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*For a keto diet, replace fingerling potatoes with turnips
Preheat oven to 400°. Generously coat a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Spread the vegetables out on the sheet pan in a single layer.
Mix together the olive oil, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl.
Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the top; use your hands to toss the vegetables around to evenly coat.
Roast for 20 minutes before using a large spatula to flip the vegetables.
Resume roasting for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and starting to caramelize. Then serve.
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts
6 chicken breasts (thin, boneless, and skinless)
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
3 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
Combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Stir well to blend.
Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, place flour-coated chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides. Turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and serve
The best side for this meal is a Halloween playlist my friend made.
Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine.
Does anyone know where this quote is from?
I cant wait to celebrate Halloween. I usually plan months ahead of time, but this year everything Halloween-related was planned last-minute.
Does anyone else realize how fast this month has gone? October is almost oct-over. Talk about disappointment. Now I know what my parents must have felt when they finally read my blog.
I’ve been trying to force a vibe for the past two weeks, and while my family was hesitant at first, I’m proud to announce that my family has caught onto my festive mood. The biggest shock of the season was my brother, and he came up with his own fall checklist, which pumpkin-spiced things up. This guy has it all, from leaf art to trying a pumpkin spice latte for the first time.
I recommend everyone creates a fall checklist. Try going to a local harvest festival, having a bonfire with s’ mores, going on a hay-ride, and baking fall cookies. My favorite place to go to for a spicetacular time is Moapa Valley Corn Maze in Nevada. I settled for Tanaka Farms in Irvine this year.
I will say that there is nothing better than being surrounded by fresh pumpkin, except going home and making something with those pumpkins?
Now I know some of you aren’t as Spooktactualar as I am, so I decided to share with you mere mortals my ultimate fall cookie recipe. Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About cookies.
For those who have never been introduced, here’s the basic gist. A light, moist, refreshing dessert with pumpkin as a bonus! These are probably the softest, fluffiest cookies, like little pumpkin pillows that melt in your mouth.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 tablespoons milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat sugar and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter in a large mixer bowl until well blended.
Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
Gradually beat in flour mixture and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are firm.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please let me know how it turned out for you.
Feel free to send in cute pictures of your spooky decorations, costumes, and any fall recipes you are willing to part with.
My niece told me a joke, and I just had to share it. It’s soo terrible, and it’s soo freaking cute.
What does a panda ghost eat?
What?
Bam-BOOO
Last year I lived with my religious grandmother, so my fall theme was pumpkins, nothing fun or spooky.
Since I couldn’t decorate, I had to find a new way to get creative and get my nieces into the Halloween spirit. I found that making fun recipes not only got them to eat, but it made eating fun.
Today’s recipe is a family favorite: Mummy meatloaf and mashed boo-tatoes.
Oh, My Blog! I’m telling you this is the best meatloaf! Ever!
MEATLOAF
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium onion)
2 large cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup Progresso™ Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the onion, garlic, milk, oats, egg, salt, and peppers in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to soak up the liquid. Add in the ground beef and mix gently with your hands, just until combined.
Place ground beef into 4 (6×2-inch) loaves. Bake for 45 minutes
Meanwhile, remove dough from the can; unroll and Cut into 4 rectangles.
Cut each rectangle lengthwise into 7 strips. Alternately cross 7 strips over each meatloaf to look like “bandages.”
Bake 17 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown
Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before cutting.
MASHED POTATOES
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp reserved liquid from cooking potatoes
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 large egg beaten
Salt and pepper
Put potatoes into a saucepan.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add water until potatoes are covered.
Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until done.
Melt butter and stir in cream.
Drain water from potatoes, reserving some.
Put hot potatoes into a bowl.
Add cream and melted butter and 1 Tbs reserved liquid.
Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until well mashed.
Use a spoon to continue stirring/mashing, adding more liquid until you get the desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Now stir in parmesan cheese and 1 already beaten egg.
Put potatoes in a piping bag, or Ziploc with a corner cut off, and pipe your ghosts onto a lined baking sheet.
Put black peppercorns in for eyes (black sesame seeds work too)
Put in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Mashed potatoes were one of the first things I learned to make. I’m not going to lie; I’m usually tired and lazy when I cook and use a bag instead of making actual ones.
You can use instant mashed potatoes and achieve the same thing by piping the mashed potatoes out into ghost form!
I am still trying to get in the spirit of spooktober and all things Halloween. I needed ideas to decorate because I feel like a spooktacular failure for not having any new fall decor and recipes.
I feel like, realistically, we all want to be able to celebrate Halloween and be spooky. Still, life is too busy to decorate and do everything. With social media nowadays, people make it seem like we have to go all out with decorating and make the rest of us who don’t have the time or money feel bad for not having their aesthetic. I spent a lot of money throughout the years and didn’t use half of my Halloween decor.
Usually, my boyfriend and I always try to do something to at least be able to say we did something, but we mostly make plans for Halloween.
I feel like drive-in theaters would be a go-to for fall because the weather gets colder, just having a fave flannel and a coffee from Starbucks. Last year we didn’t get to go to a pumpkin patch, which was a little disappointing. Every grocery store has pumpkins; despite how costly they are, at least we would be able to decorate for Halloween.
Suppose you just want to experience a fall vibe without actually going out. Try going to Barnes & Noble. Do I even have to mention how books and a hot tea give you a fall feel?
Don’t sleep on Dollar Tree. They are a must for those who can’t afford all the Pinterest and Instagram fall decor because they’re inexpensive, so bless them. I also love thrift shopping, mostly in fall time; something about doing that is fantastic around this time.
Even popping a bottle and lighting candles, watching scary movies, or listening to dark academia music, you’ll feel like the main character who does it because, hello, you are one.
How is it October, and I haven’t picked out my costume? Then again, what about this year or the last few years has gone the way it is supposed to?
I really wanted to have a #basicwitch aesthetic this year. Sounds great but fall leaf art and making my own fall scented candles don’t really seem enough to distract me from life.
The weather needs to gets a little colder. I’m ready to wear a comfy flannel or over-sized cardigans, uggs, and black leggings. The amount of sweaters I have in my closest makes me wish I lived somewhere where the weather changed. Is fall weather real, or did hallmark movies make it up like they did small towns with charm? I want to experience the “Han Solo” season. If you aren’t a Star Wars fan, he is famous for wearing boots, a vest, and a white blouse throughout the films. Of course, the joke is that many girls are spotted wearing this same outfit during the autumn months!!
The #basicwitch aesthetic is soo much more than just a comfortable style. Its loving pumpkin spice lattes, Ugg boots, Disney, and old-school Taylor Swift with a passion. It’s Rosé All Day and knowing on Wednesdays, we wear pink. If I were ten years older, it would also be essential to have a “live, laugh, love” sign in my living room. I honestly cannot wait to be a 30-year-old middle-class suburban mom who thinks she’s the cool mom and watches hallmark and lifetime movies.
While I wait for the eternal summer to end, I’ll keep reminding myself of the smells of fall. Aromas of autumn make me happier. Crisp apples, pumpkins, the world smells earthier. It’s nostalgic. One thing I’ll be missing this year and every year since I moved miles away from my mom, I can’t have her make me any hot apple cider. So she sent me her recipe, and yes, I am sharing it with you.
I couldn’t decide whether or not to make spiced apple cider yet, so I mulled it over. Sorry I have no intention to apple-ogize for the pun.
Here’s the recipe for I’m one bad apple cider
Ingredients
5 LBS Apples, Sliced (10 apples. I use 5 gala and 5 honey crisp)
1 tbsp Allspice
1 tbsp Nutmeg
⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
⅓ Cup Real Maple Syrup
3 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Orange, Sliced
Enough Water to cover
Directions
Put everything into a crockpot for 4 – 6 hours on high or 8 – 12 on low
Does anyone else go to target and leave with things they don’t need? No? Just me?
I was just casually strolling around target when I found these super cute paint-your-own pumpkins.
Of course, I had to buy these. I brought some for the kiddos and some for the adults, and we all just had a pumpkin painting day, and honestly, I love lazy days like this.
The whole time we were painting I kept thing of the song from Alice in wonderland, painting the roses red.
I stole my pumpkin idea from Pinterest.
You guys may not know this but, I absolutely love anything Frankenstein. Like anything Frankenstein or Bride of Frankenstein I’ll buy it. The Frankenstein storyline was one of the reasons I watched Penny Dreadful. And how underrated was the original show!?!
Time for the big reveal. Drum roll please….
For a little more Frankenstein love here’s my favorite snl clip. I just realized this is 7 years old I remember watching this when it aired.
This means all the cobwebs and dust in my home just became Halloween decorations.
My type of spooky is a good horror movie or book. But I mostly love the cutest side of Halloween and October.
Me: I love Halloween! Everyone: What’s your favorite scary movie? Me: oh. No, I mean… I love Halloween, like… dancing pumpkins,~spooky~ ghosts, a little bit of singing, etc. Everyone: Me: Everyone: Me: Y’all like Mickey’s House of Villains?
I thought I would be ready to get spooky but just like always I’m not.
I’ve been too busy that I haven’t even had time to pull out my fall decorations. Which are diy harry potter candles and a tiny whomping willow.
I only started pulling out my pumpkin decorations today because I found a cute DIY at target, and I just wanted to create a vibe for my nieces when I have them over on Friday. I need to buy fake spider webs, and a cauldron for my witches brew punch.
I just realized how fast this year has passed and how it feels like I haven’t done that much other than work—the tragic tale of being an adult.
I have an October bucket list, and some of it tends to get pushed to the side as I prepare for Halloween. So if I can do any of this before Thanksgiving, I’ll consider this fall a success.
Watch spooky movies (at least one Vincent Price movie, The Bride of Frankenstein, Corpse Bride, Haunted Mansion, Halloweentown, Halloween, amityville horror
