diy: graveyard pudding cups

Hello friends!

My posting has been a bit light lately for a bunch of reasons you don't care about, BUT I'm back today to share one of my favorite Halloween treats with you: graveyard pudding cups!

(all images: moi)

These are a family favorite-- my mom used to make them for school Halloween parties way back when and they were always a hit. I revived the tradition a few years ago when I made them for my husband, and he now insists on them every Halloween.

They are unbelievably simple to make so, this would be a perfect last-minute treat to whip together on or before Saturday.

You will need:

• 1 box of instant chocolate pudding mix


• roughly 1/2 package of Oreo or chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed


• Milano cookies


• 1 tube/pouch store bought decorating icing, in brown or black (feel free to use homemade icing if you wish, I'm just lazy :P)


• Mallowcreme pumpkin candies (optional)


• gummi worms (optional)

{makes about 4 large pudding cups}

First, prepare the pudding as directed, let set for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, arrange a few Milano cookies on a plate or other flat surface and use the icing to decorate your tombstones. I went with the classic 'RIP' but if you have a finer icing tip, get as creative as you want. Allow the icing time to set.

While the the icing is setting, gently mix about half of your crushed Oreos into the chocolate pudding. Line the bottom of your cups or dishes with gummi worms if you're using them, and then layer the pudding mixture on top. Do not fill completely as you'll need room for the "dirt".

Top the pudding with the remaining crushed cookie "dirt". Carefully add your Milano cookie tombstones and pumpkins as desired, and VIOLA!

These would be great for a Halloween party (you could put guests' names on the tombstones for extra fun) and its easy enough for little ones to make as well. My only suggestion would be that you do NOT make this too far in advance (I'd say a few hours before you plan to eat them, tops) otherwise the cookies loose their crunch and get all mushy.

I bet you could even put a twist on this and make it as classic trifle (using crumbled cake or toffee bits for the "dirt") and add a few whipped cream ghosts... next year!

Well, I hope you enjoy! Have a safe & happy Halloween!

xxx,

Mrs. M

Halloweenie

Hello there and Happy Weekend!

We're off to the Rock & Shock Horror Convention and Music Festival tomorrow and its really putting me in the mood for Halloween! I'll be working on my costume today to get in spirit. Are you dressing up? What are you going to be??

I *love* Martha's toadstool pumpkins! and have a go at that little snail!

I hope you can make time for some Halloween tricks and treats this weekend! Check out Martha Stewart's Halloween Central for all kinds of ideas - pumpkin carving designs, decorations, DIY costumes and themed recipes - and have a look at Etsy's Halloween gift guides for more spooky inspiration. (I think I'm going to make some Creepcakes next week-- so cute!)

Enjoy my dears!

xxx,
Mrs. M

horror movie round-up numero uno

Inspired by Ashley's Halloween movie marathon this month, we've been trying to watch at least one horror movie a night. My husband got me into horror flicks when we first started dating (we saw Red Dragon on our first date) and I've been hooked ever since. So this was basically an excuse for us to beef up our ever growing collection of horror films and re-watch our faves for the billionth time.

In honor of our camping trip to upstate New York this weekend, I've compiled a scary movie round-up themed around our travels, just 'cause I'm nerdy like that. Without further ado...

Horror Movie Round-Up #1:

Camping & Road Trips Gone Awry

Left: Shelley takes on the bikers, Right: Jason puts the squeeze on poor Rick.

*Friday the 13th, Part III (1982). Chris, Debbie and the gang are just looking to do some relaxing at the famed Crystal Lake and move past Chris' encounter with some disfigured freak in the woods there a few years earlier. Hilarity ensues when they all end up eating weed thinking they're being pulled over en route to the cabin, and when our friend Shelley has an unpleasant exchange with the local biker gang (which, by the way, has the best gang member names EVER). But alas, the disfigured freak returns and it is, of course, Jason Vorhees seeking his murderous revenge.

This is definitely one of my favorites in the Friday the 13th series and always good for an unintended laugh but, what makes this movie truly great is the amazing disco theme music. Now THAT'S something I can shake my ass to!

A promoter of green living, Leatherface finds alternative uses for his power tools.

*the Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Sally and her brother Franklin, along with some friends, are taking a road trip to check out their grandparent's graves and their family's old homestead out in the boondocks. Not long after they start poking around the old place do they run into the cannibalistic arts 'n crafts projects of Leatherface-- so named for his mask made up of his victims' faces (rustic sewing + upcycled material = tre chic!). Sally ends up the lone survivor of this road trip from hell but, not before she can meet the other members of Leatherface's wonderful family while they feast on her friends.

This movie never fails to creep me out. There's just something about meat hooks and yellowed 70's films that is naturally eerie. I also like the 2003 remake but, mostly because Gunny is in it.

Left: Ash gets a helping hand, Right: Pre-CGI Raimi special effects.

*the Evil Dead (1981). Ash, Scotty and the girls head to a rural cabin for a weekend of fun when they unwillingly discover the illustrious Book of the Dead among their cabin's contents. After playing a recording of demonic chanting from the book, they awaken the so-called Evil Dead and its all downhill from there. Poor Cheryl is sexually assaulted by woodland vegetation and one by one the group of friends becomes possessed by the spirits they have reanimated. Ash emerges the lone survivor and goes on to star in some hilarious, if not random, sequels.

This Sam Raimi classic is near and dear to my heart, not just because of the crude special effects but, the pure creativity. I mean, how many other movies have a tree rape scene in them? Brilliant.

The Fuller fam and Seth Gecko whoop some vampire ass.

*From Dusk 'Til Dawn (1996). Ex-minister Jacob is RVing in Texas with his two teens when they cross paths with the criminal fugitive Gecko brothers at a motel, and are taken hostage. The two parties cooperate and successfully cross the Mexican border, only to end up at a grungy strip club-- run by vampires. They join forces to battle against the undead but, only two of them survive the night.

This is one of my favorite movies period, which surprises even me because it has George Clooney AND vampires in it, and it doesn't suck! But with a cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo, how can you go wrong?

Well, I hope you enjoyed my round-up! And I also hope that we don't run into any tool-wielding psychotics, sexually predaceous trees or vampire tramps during our weekend.... but, hey, you never know at Harvest Fest.

Do have a fabulous weekend! {And do something fun on Monday if you're lucky enough to get the day off!}

xxx,

Mrs. M

fallin'

We've got 2 weeks until Autumn finally descends upon us, but after Labor Day summer is pretty much finished in my book. As much as I love fall in New England, I'm a little sad this year-- I feel like we were seriously jipped out of a real summer because of all the nasty, cool weather we had this year. Le sigh.


BUT after last weekend, I'm letting go of summer. Hubby and I had a 'last hurrah' in the frigid water at the beach, eating hamburgers off the grill and finally getting ice cream cones from Gellar's (the summer snack bar in our little town-- we've lived here for 4 months but, now I feel like a true Manomet-ian!).


I also treated myself to some new warmer duds and saw Rob Zombie's Halloween II, to get me in the mood for the season. It worked. I'm really looking forward to cool, crisp days, warm-hued leaves and making my Dr. Dakota Block Halloween costume, among lots of other things.


Here are some of my favorite fall-inspired picks from Etsy that I just had to share...

Clockwise from the top left:

~Mother and Child Aspen Leaf necklace by Elizabeth Scott Designs
~Tufted Titmouse by Robert Socha Photography
~Skeleton Leaf earrings by Roundabout Designs
~Acorn Tree by Laura Berger (check out her blog & flickr photostream too)


I don't know about you, but I *love* discovering new-to-me Etsy artisans and their work, then hoarding them in my ridiculously long favorite lists. I figure since I can't buy them all - which is exactly why I don't have a credit card - the least I can do is share them and hope you see something you like enough to buy. I heart supporting handmade awesomeness (and no, they don't pay me to say that).


Anywho, I've got lots to look forward to this fall-- how about you?


I'll be attending my second NY Harvest Festival & Freedom Fair on October 9th, which is a whole pile of interesting. I'll hopefully be able to catch the Wailers (!!!) and the always-funky George Clinton, too. Seeing the bright foliage throughout the Catskills is worth the trip alone.

Then on the 18th, I'll be going to my first ICP show in at least a year and I am so pumped for that! They might not be your cup of tea but, god damn do they put on a helluva show.

In between all these exciting events and Halloween of course, I would also love to squeeze in a few fall crafts (like Martha's simple-but-lovely autumn luminarias or another leaf craft of some sort) because I have been neglecting my poor crafty supplies since our move.

AND I want to go apple picking! I haven't been since I was a kid and I am just dying to go. I have been hanging onto PickYourOwn.org for months and I will definitely be checking that out for apple orchards, pumpkin patches and other agricultural fall fun 'round here. I can't wait to make some warm cinnamony-delicious desserts with apples I've picked myself-- it doesn't get much better than that!



Hope you're enjoying September thus far darlings!

xxx,
Mrs. M