Scenes from Fall

(All photos from our recent trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Wordless Wednesday: Caramel Apple

 

Wordless Wednesday

Halloween Party Inspiration

Are you planning a spooky Halloween party this year?  I gathered a few recipe, party decor, and game ideas that would make any party "spooktacular."

Spooky Spider's Nest 7 Layer Dip:

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Monster Mash Popcorn:

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Brew Ha Ha Punch:

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Witches's Brew Punch:

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Apple votives to greet your guests at the door:

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Pumpkin faces drawn on balloons:

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Pumpkin toss:

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Pumpkin bowling:

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Pumpkin favors:

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Happy party planning!

Halloween Home Decor Inspiration

I love decorating my house for the holidays.  I still have several projects I am working on to add to our Halloween decor for this year.  There are so many wonderful ideas floating around and browsing around on Pinterest fuels my creativity.  Here are my Halloween inspiration picks:

This front porch is gorgeous.  First of all, I don't have a front porch but if I did, I'd love to have one like this.  I like that the Halloween decor has just a touch of spooky without being scary for young children and can be easily switched out to continue on with the Fall theme until Thanksgiving.

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A cheerful rosette wreath for the front door made out of a plastic charger:

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Here are a couple of cute, free printables to frame:

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I made a yarn spider web last Halloween using this tutorial for my front door.  I think I may try it this year on the frameless glass bay window in my kitchen nook.  It is very quick and easy.  My daughter enjoyed helping out with this project.

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And finally, as we live in Florida near the beach, I must share these coastal pumpkins I saw in the October issue of Coastal Living magazine.  I think I am going to have to try either the starfish or crab design.

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What are your favorite ways to decorate for Halloween?

Epcot: Food & Wine Festival 2012

Epcot's Food & Wine Festival is one of my favorite events to attend during the Fall here in Florida.  What could be better than eating and drinking lots of yummy samples around the "world?"

Hawaii: Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise 

This pork slider was our first food tasting.  I thought it was delicious and one of my favorites.

Ireland:  Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie

The lobster pie is pure comfort food.  It had a few chunks of lobster but was mostly cheesy mashed potatoes.  It was decent but I probably wouldn't choose to spend money on it on a future visit.

Singapore: Seared Mahi Mahi with jasmine rice and "Singa" sauce

I don't know what "Singa" sauce is, but this was my favorite sample of the night. The fish was cooked perfectly and sauce had a sweet taste to it.

I have a few other photos of what we ate and drank but it was too dark to get a decent photo with my iphone once the sun went down.  Here is a full synopsis of what we sampled:

Belgium: Steamed Mussels in Hoegaarden beer broth with baguette $3.75 My husband sampled this one-he said it was okay.

Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream $3 My daughter ate this but I grabbed a small bite.  It was delicious with fresh blackberries and blueberries.

Craft Beers: Flight included: Widmer Rotator IPA, Blue Moon Seasonal, Florida Beer Company's Devil's Triangle, and Full Sail IPA. $12  These were enjoyed by my husband as they are not really my style of beer.

France: Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni $5.50  This was a generous sample of chicken and pearl onions with macaroni and gruyere cheese.  My five year old enjoyed this dish a lot. 4th favorite

Germany:  Apple Strudel with Karamel-Vanilla Cream Sauce $3.50  This was decent but nothing you probably haven't already tried elsewhere.

Beer: Altenmunster Dunke 6 oz, $3.50 

Greece:  Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce $4.25  This was pretty average but I like Greek food and I enjoyed it.

Hawaii:  Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise $3.25  3rd favorite

Seven Tiki Mai Tai $7.75  For the money, I thought this tasted mostly like juice.  I'd rather go back to Hawaii to get a real Mai Tai.  ;-)

Hops & Barley (America): Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster Roll $7.50  The roll was perfectly buttered and grilled with a generous amount of lobster.  This was a delicious sample and totally worth the money. 2nd favorite

Samuel Adams flight: Cherry Wheat, Chocolate Bock, Octoberfest, and Boston Lager $12  My husband and I were really impressed by the Cherry Wheat and Chocolate Bock.  They are definitely worth trying.

Ireland:  Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie $6 See above photo.

Guinness $3.50

Singapore:  Seared Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice with "Singa" sauce $4.25 1st favorite

South Africa:  Fairview Pinotage $3.25  This wine has a distinct "burnt" taste to me. It is not my style but my husband enjoyed it.

At this point, we had an hour left and wanted our daughter to have a chance to visit with the characters before the fireworks show.  We were very full and feel we sampled a large variety of foods and drink.  Some of the countries we skipped had offerings we tried last year.  I wanted to sample different items this year.  We definitely left plenty to try in case we go back again this weekend.  Food listings and prices via The Disney Food Blog.

A Fairy Tale Fondue

This past Saturday, our local Melting Pot offered a Prince and Princess Fairy Tale Fondue lunch.  My daughter loves the Melting Pot so I knew she would really enjoy it.  She wore her Snow White costume down to the necklace, gloves, purse, and little high heels.

Her Royal Majesty, Snow White Taylor:

Our menu: 

Photo with the King and Queen:

Parade around the outdoor mall's fountain:

 Is this my Prince?

Taylor had a wonderful time.  The staff at our Melting Pot did a wonderful job of making the kids feel special.  When my daughter was asked what her favorite part was, she answered "the parade!"  The kids also received a certificate for a free chocolate fondue and a free kid's meal for a future visit.