Tuesday Tidbits (No. 42)

Is everyone ready for Hallowe’en?  If you’ve got little kids I’m sure the planning started weeks ago!  If you’re going to a house party I’m sure you’ll want to bring something fun along and I’ve got a great round up from one of our featured bloggers today.

Kristen is the author of one of my favorite blogs, The Endless Meal.  I’m thrilled to find Kristen because we share so many of the same passions.  She’s a west coaster and loves  healthy eating, the outdoors, photography and her nephews.  She believes in seasonal eating and was once a vegetarian who now loves her meat.  She also believes that we must be the trusted stewards of our oceans and choose our seafood responsibly.   I’m calling this girl for lunch the next time I’m home on the island!

In the meantime,  here’s a fabulous menu roundup from her blog to help you with your Hallowe’en dinner party.  Kristen tells us to beware, these recipes are all rated Adult.  The kiddies will have to eat elsewhere, lol.  I’m loving this dish she included from Tieghan at Half Baked Harvest.  You’ve seen many of her recipes here and as always, it’s exceptional.

Taleggio Ravioli with Garlicky Butter Kale and Mushroom Sauce + Toasted Pine Nuts :: by Half Baked Harvest

What a great collection to entertain your friends on this fun holiday.  I love that all the planning is done for you.

And I just have t share Kristen’s latest recipe that had my eyes popping when I first saw it.   It’s not only delicious but it’s super easy, too.  You know I’m so on board with that!

Easy Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan :  The Endless Meal

This easy vegetarian eggplant parmesan is made in just 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Saute some onions and veggies, add a can of tomatoes and let it simmer. Easy!

Step 2: Coat the eggplant in some panko and roast it in the oven. Also easy!

Step 3: Assemble the eggplant parmesan, put it in the oven and walk away. Super easy!

Now this is comfort food at it’s best.  Kristen has had this recipe in her repertoire for years and now I’m going to steal it and add it to mine!

Bourbon Chipotle Steak with Sweet Potato Mojos | The Endless Meal

And then we have this dish that first brought me to The Endless Meal.  I saw it on social media and knew I had to see more.  This is the perfect example of how you can eat healthy without missing all that delicious flavor.  No need for junk when you can have the gusto of fresh nutritious foods that leave you feeling light and ready for a run instead of a nap on the couch.  I know I could eat this every night for dinner.

Thanks, Kristen, for sharing your recipes today.  I know you’ll love her blog and her creative take on fresh, nutritious recipes.  It’s always the highlight of my week when I visit!

And you’re in for a treat today because I’m featuring two bloggers!  Meet Karen from Back Road Journal.  She and her husband love to travel and experience all types of new food.  It seems that food travel diaries are becoming super popular these days and I can see why!

I love when Karen visits my blog because you can just feel her cheery nature in her comments and you will be hooked when you read your first post on her site.  Her healthy recipes include farm fresh produce and you’ll often see gorgeous travel pics along with them.  This latest one caught my eye and you know I had to share it because it’s…wait for it….shrimp! ha!  Just can’t resist.

Grilled Calamari, Shrimp and Arugula Salad | Back Road Journal

Karen and her husband had this dish in Portofino, Italy and her photos of the beautiful port city truly captured my heart.  This simply flavored and easy to make salad is the essence of clean eating and I can’t wait to try it!  I’d much prefer if I was eating it in Italy but that will have to wait until I can convince the man that we need six weeks to explore this amazing country.

Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous blog and recipe with us today, Karen!

While we’re talking about tasty salads, I want to share this delicious round-up of 5 minute blender dressings.  This is a great list to keep handy because they are super easy and you just know they’re much better for you than store bought.  Once you’ve had home-made, you’re never going back!

These are from the blog, Crunchy Creamy Sweet.   Pop over to pin from her site.

Before we move on to some more fun Hallowe’en stuff, I wanted to share this very short but powerful story that really touched my heart.  Have you ever been traveling with a baby or young child and as you walk down the aisle you see everyone secretly praying that you’re not going to sit down beside them?  I will admit to being the one doing the praying on occasion but I’ve also tried to help out when I can.  It kind of depends on my energy level at that moment.  And after reading this, I’ll never be that person looking away again, lol.

A wonderful reminder that a small act of kindness can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life.  Love it! Thank you, sunnyskyz.com  Click here or the pic to read.

Halloween Trivia Monsters and Ghouls – Questions

1. Which monstrous hurricane did the media dub as “Frankenstorm”?
2. What is the name of the supernatural creature, in Latin American folklore, that drinks the blood of animals – usually chickens and goats?
3. True or false. Vampire Bats were named after vampires.
4.  Bobby “Boris” Pickett composed this holiday hit in 1962. What is the name of the song?
5. Mary Shelly published this Gothic novel when she was only 21. The novel was published in 1818 and is considered to be one of the first examples of science fiction.
6. What is the supernatural condition called whereby a human transforms into a wolf?
7. This creature is believed to inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. What its name?
8. True or false. The Muppet vampire Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth.

Halloween Trivia Monsters and Ghouls – Answers

1. Hurricane Sandy
2. El Chupacabras
3. True
4. The Monster Mash
5. Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus
6. Lycanthropy
7. Bigfoot or Sasquatch
8. True. One way to supposedly deter a vampire is to throw seeds (usually mustard) outside a door or place fishing net outside a window. Vampires are compelled to count the seeds or the holes in the net, delaying them until the sun comes up.

Click here for more fun trivia questions.

Are you a fan of horror movies?  I loved them as a kid but I seriously cannot watch them anymore.  I am guaranteed to have nightmares even if I’m not scared while I’m watching, ha.  Is there one that you love to watch at Hallowe’en?

If you consider yourself a scary movie expert, you can take the quiz here to see test your skill.

I was looking around at Hallowe’en decorations and I cannot get over how many people go totally all out for this holiday!  When I saw this mirror and skeleton I knew I had to have it!  I won’t have it in time for this year but it’s going on my order list.  And so are the hilarious legs below.  I noticed that today it’s 50% off on already reduced items so there’s some good deals to be had.  Check it out here.

Buzzfeed has a list of 57 Greatest Pet Costumes Ever!  Some of these are pretty darn funny!

Fast Food

The Justice League

Harry Potter and Fluffy

Click here or any of the pics to see more.  How cute!

I will confess to being a bit of a practical joker and used to scare the pants off of my siblings when I was a kid.  And yes, they got me back loads of times!  A favorite was hiding in the closet until they went to bed and once the lights were out, I’d slowly push the door open and leap on their bed. Haha!  So cruel, I know…but absolutely hilarious.  Do you play pranks on family and friends?  Tell me about it in the comments.  I love a good scary prank!

And if you get a kick out of watching people get scared, check this out.  So fun!  Have a great day, everyone.