Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Don't You Just Love Free Stuff





A friend of mine is moving to a new place where he won't doing any haunting for Halloween (no not prison, his brothers), so he knew how much we love anything Halloween and donated all of his goodies to us. He said he knew that we would do something cool with all of it, and I told him he could come visit his ex-stuff anytime he wanted. Free stuff is awesome! I got a second fog machine, two uncut Michaels pumpkins, and some crazy head on a stake! Free!
Big thanks to Captain Mark!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas


Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas, and a very happy and safe new year.

Blondes Have More Fun

Peanut Butter Fudge

4 cups Granulated sugar
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Evaporated milk
1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted butter + a little extra
1/2 of an 18oz. or 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter(smooth or crunchy)
1 pint Marshmallow creme
1 tsp Vanilla

Butter sides of a heavy 3 quart or larger saucepan.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and 2 sticks of butter in the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to you reach soft ball stage (236 Fahrenheit) on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and quickly add the peanut butter, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nuts if desired.

Beat by hand until peanut butter and marshmallow are melted and blended well.

Pour into a buttered 13x6x2 inch pan.

Cool in refrigerator until completely cooled and firm (2 to 4 hours)

Tips - You can score the fudge into the desried sizes while still warm in the pan.
You can lay buttered parchment paper across the bottom and up both long sides of the pan to help remove the whole piece of fudge in order to cut it on a cutting board.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Alice in Wonderland - Second Official Trailer


March 5, 2010

Old School Fudge

4 cups Granulated sugar
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Evaporated milk
1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted butter + a little extra
12 oz. Bag of chocolate chips, semisweet
1 pint Marshmallow creme
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)



Butter sides of a heavy 3 quart or larger saucepan.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and 2 sticks of butter in the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to you reach soft ball stage (236 Fahrenheit) on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and quickly add the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nuts if desired.

Beat by hand until chocolate and marshmallow are melted and blended well.

Pour into a buttered 13x6x2 inch pan.

Cool in refrigerator until completely cooled and firm (2 to 4 hours)

Tips - You can score the fudge into the desried sizes while still warm in the pan.
You can lay buttered parchment paper across the bottom and up both long sides of the pan to help remove the whole piece of fudge in order to cut it on a cutting board.

Enjoy!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Chocolate Covered Toffee!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter (+ extra butter to grease pan)
3 tablespoons light Karo syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 Large Hershey bar (7oz I think)
Chopped Nuts (optional)

Generously butter a cookie sheet. Cook first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium high heat until hard crack stage on a candy thermometer (300° F). Pour cooked mixture into buttered sheet pan. Place Hershey bar on top of toffee while it is still hot. Smooth chocolate out with a spoon when melted. Cool about 30-60 minutes. Turn out of pan and break into pieces like you would with peanut brittle.

(Optional) If desired, you could add nuts either to the cookie sheet before pouring the toffee, or the nuts could be added on top of the melted chocolate like Almond Roca.

This is an easy recipe and it gets lots of compliments.

Enjoy

Peanut Brittle .2

Made a few changes since last years recipe.

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
1 cups raw (unsalted) peanuts
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. baking soda

Heat with medium to medium high heat, stirring sugar, syrup and water together in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

Once dissolved add salt.

Cook over medium heat to medium high heat to the soft ball stage (234 degrees).

Add peanuts at 250 degrees.

Cook to hard crack stage (290 degrees), stirring constantly.

Remove from heat as thermometer approaches 290 degrees.

Quickly, stir in butter and soda.

Beat to froth for a few seconds.

Pour quickly onto two well-buttered cookie sheet pans, spreading with spatula.

Allow brittle cool completely.

Break up when cold.

Tips and Tricks

Raw Spanish peanuts are the traditional choice of nut for brittle, but you could use just about any nut you like.

I like to add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to my brittle and the same time as the peanuts. (It gives it a little kick!)

While spreading the brittle onto the cookie sheet use a fork to help stretch it into the corners, but you need to work quickly.

Enjoy

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Second Trailer for The Crazies Remake



Looks crazy!
February 26, 2010
Source

The Candyman Cometh Again


Sorry Tony Todd, I didn't mean you. Don't look so sad somebody will hire you sooner or later. What I meant to say, is that its that wonderful time of year when the Captain and his wife make abnormally large amounts of sugary candies to share with our friends and family. Stay tuned for recipes to follow.

"The fudge, I can assure you, will be exquisite. As for our candy, there is nothing to fear. Our names will be written on a thousand walls. Our recipes told and retold by our faithful believers. We shall cook together in front of their very eyes and give them something to be haunted by. Cook with me and be immortal."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Season of the Witch


Release Date: March 19th, 2010
This looks like it could be pretty good, haven't seen a good new witch movie in a while.

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

Santa's checking his list, and George Van Orsdel's Monster Spookshow Radio is on the naughty list. So all you Boils and Ghouls had better get over there and download the 2009 "Cryptmas" installment of the Monster Spookshow Radio program, and please leave George a comment so he knows we're out here listening or I'll tell Santa Claus you've converted to the Jehovah's Witness.
I'll do it, so don't test me.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Four Boris Karloff Albums


Thanks to Azathoth over at Azathoth's Abode on the Plateau of Leng we have access to these wonderful recordings Boris Karloff recordings.

Tales of the Frightened vol. I & II (1963)

An Evening With Boris Karloff & His Friends (1968)

Legend of Sleepy Hollow & Rip Van Winkle

Don't forget to leave Azathoth a thank you for sharing his recordings with us.

Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Possible Twilight: Breaking Dawn Footage?

Tales of The Frightened Volume 2

"The Vampire Sleeps"
Track 1



"Mirror Of Death"
Track 2



"Never Kick A Black Cat"
Track 3



"The Ladder"
Track 4



"Nightmare"
Track 5



"Voice From The Grave"
Track 6



Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Tales of The Frightened Volume 1, Tracks 5, 6, & 7

"Call At Midnight"
Track 5



"Just Inside The Cemetery"
Track 6



"The Fortune Teller"
Track 7



Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tales of The Frightened Volume 1, Track 4

"Don't Lose Your Head"



Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Tales of The Frightened Volume 1, Track 3

"The Hand of Fate"



Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Tales of The Frightened Volume 1, Track 2

"The Deadly Dress"



"Clothes make the corpse"

Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Tales of The Frightened Volume 1, Track 1

As my contribution to the Boris Karloff Blogathon I present the wonderful spoken word albums "Tales of the Frightened" as told by Boris Karloff in 1963. We will start with volume one and move on to volume two as the week progresses. As you listen to one of my favorite voices of all time, you may want to ask yourself . . . . .
"Are you one of the Frightened?"

"The Man in the Raincoat"



Thanks to "monster4josh" for posting these amazing recordings on his YouTube page.
Don't forget to check out the complete list of bloggers who are taking part in the Boris Karloff Blogathon!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween Blessing

At this time of dark and night,
spirits often give a fright.
We call upon the ancient dead,
circling now around our head.
Bring the blessings from before,
while we stand with open door.
Ancient spirits hear us now,
peace and love do we avow.

By Sabrina Dearborn

Countdown to Halloween - Halloween!

It's Halloween
It's Halloween
It's time for scares
It's time for screams
It's Halloween
It's Halloween

The ghosts will spook
The spooks will scare
Why, even Dracula will be there

It's time for games
It's time for fun
Not for just one
But for everyone

The jack-o-lanterns are all lit up
All the dummies are made and stuffed
By just looking you will see
It's this time of year again

It's Halloween
It's Halloween

All the kids are happy and gay
There doesn't seem to be a cloud in their way
But when it's over and they've had all their fun
They'll wish that Halloween had just begun

Oh, there are witches, goblins, Frankensteins and zombies
And there are tramps, Cinderallas, pirates, angels and gypsies
So let's have lots of fun and give many cheers
For Halloween comes but once a year

It's time for games
It's time for fun
Not for just one
But for everyone

It's Halloween
It's Halloween
It's Halloween
It's Halloween

It's Halloween!

"Happy Halloween Everyone!"


I'll be back to fill in the last couple of days of my countdown.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Countdown to Halloween - October 25th

A Soul cake is a small round cake which is traditionally made for All Souls' Day to celebrate the dead. Traditionally; people made these cakes on All Saints day and, in the evening, placed them on graves of dead relatives to ease their souls. They were also handed out to the poor and needy in exchange for prayers for recently dead relatives. In modern times, these cakes have become a part of the goodies prepared for Halloween.



Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground fresh if possible
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground fresh if possible
1/2 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of saffron
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup currants

Ingredients for the Glaze:
1 egg yolk, beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, the nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork.

Crumble the saffron threads into a small saucepan and heat over low heat just until they become aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Add the milk and heat just until hot to the touch. The milk will have turned a bright yellow. Remove from heat.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon (or use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment). Add the egg yolks and blend in thoroughly with the back of the spoon. Add the spiced flour and combine as thoroughly as possible; the mixture will be dry and crumbly.

One tablespoon at a time, begin adding in the warm saffron milk, blending vigorously with the spoon. When you have a soft dough, stop adding milk; you probably won't need the entire half-cup.

Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead gently, with floured hands, until the dough is uniform. Roll out gently to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a floured 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can and set on an ungreased baking sheet. You can gather and re-roll the scraps, gently. Makes around a dozen, 2 inch cakes

Decorate the soul cakes with currants and then brush liberally with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake for 15 minutes, until just golden and shiny. Serve warm. These get stale real fast, so don’t make more then you’ll eat in a day.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Countdown to Halloween - October 22nd

Bisquick® Pumpkin Waffles
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped pecans (if desired)
Powdered sugar, (if desired)

Directions
Heat waffle iron; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. In large bowl, beat all waffle ingredients except pecans and powdered sugar with wire whisk or hand beater until blended. Pour batter onto center of hot waffle iron. Close lid of waffle iron.

Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle. Sprinkle with pecans and powdered sugar. Serve with syrup.




Maple-Apple Syrup
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup frozen (thawed) apple juice concentrate

Directions
In 1-quart saucepan, heat syrup ingredients, stirring occasionally, until juice concentrate is melted and mixture is warm.

Original Source

I am making these Saturday morning, so I'll let you know how delicious they are afterwards.

Vic Mizzy RIP

Vic Mizzy, whose theme songs for TV's Green Acres and The Addams Family made an incalculable contribution to 1960s popular culture, died Monday at 93.

In an earlier interview with the Archive of American Television, Mizzy said he wanted the timing in the Addams Family opening sequence to be perfect. So he insisted on using a tool called a click track.

"Well, the director — Sidney Lanfield — he didn't know from click track," Mizzy said. "He said, 'Look, Vic, you wrote it. Why don't you just do it?' Well, that's what I did. I directed the main title on camera."



For the Addams Family theme song, Mizzy recorded his own voice and overdubbed it three times. He played the harpsichord, too. He used to joke that he bought his mansion in Bel Air with a couple of snaps of his fingers. That's where he died of heart failure Saturday. Mizzy's funeral was on Tuesday in California.



Original article by by Neda Ulaby for NPR.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party 2009
















BTW, we ended up with a combined total of 5 and a half pounds of candy, I had hoped for more! ;)

Countdown to Halloween - October 21st

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree fresh cooked or canned
1 Tbs. Sugar
1 cup 2% Milk
2 Eggs, separated
2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp.Salt
1/2 Tsp.Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp.Ground Cloves
1/2 Tsp.Ground Nutmeg
2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients and spices in a bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk together, pumpkin puree, egg yolks, milk, and vegetable oil.
Stir wet ingredient into dry ingredients.
Use a mixer to beat egg whites until peaks form. Then, fold them into the batter.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a greased griddle and cook until golden brown.
Serve with syrup.

Makes: 12-16 pancakes

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Countdown to Halloween - October 20th

Trick or Treaters!









Won't be around today, going Trick r' Treating at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party tonight after work! I'll have pictures tomorrow of us all dressed up, and some photos of our haul!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Countdown to Halloween - October 19th

Pin Ups for your workshop walls

Sorry ladies, this post is for the boys (and some of the ladies).
Warning: just a skosh of nudity below, scroll down at your own risk.










Enjoy

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Countdown to Halloween - October 18th

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Preheat oven to 250°F.

After removing as much pulp as possible from the pumpkin seeds, place the seeds in a colander in the sink and run cold water over them as you work to remove any remaining pulp. When the seeds are clean, drain them and place between two paper towels to dry.

In a large skillet, sauté 2 cups pumpkin seeds, 2 tablespoons butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil and 1 teaspoon salt. (For an interesting flavor variation, try Morton's Hot Salt or use Seasoned Salt.)

Stir 3 minutes until seeds are well coated with butter.

Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Take a few out to try at this point (watch out-they will be hot so let them cool a bit first!)

Some seeds are larger than others and will take longer to bake.

If necessary, continue to bake 15 minutes longer or until lightly browned.

Place on a paper towel to cool.