Today I came across some pictures that were taken about two years ago and was reminded of the Halloween party that I had attended. Care to hear about it? Well, I'll share the story, anyway.
In early October of 2009, I saw an ad in the newspaper promoting a fun Halloween event. My daughter, Sue, read the same advertisement and suggested we attend. Neither of us had ever been to an adult Halloween party before. A live band had been scheduled to play and everyone would be dressed in costumes.
After a short discussion, Sue and I decided we should positively plan to attend; with or without our husbands. As it turned out, Sue's husband was not interested in going, but much to my surprise, my hubby said he wanted to go along.
Now, we had to decide what to wear. Sue found a delightful fairy costume at a store and added additional accessories. Her husband, Jason, is a very talented artist. He applied most of the make-up to Sue's face. She looked wonderful - very fairy-like.
The task of coming up with a costume for my hubby was left up to me. No surprise there. He had no ideas to share, so I suggested he dress as a zombie. He liked the idea of being a dead man walking, with a thirst for blood.
I found a leisure suit, shirt and an old hat at a garage sale. With scissors in hand, I gave the clothing a very tattered appearance. A realistic spider was attached to the hat. Lots of "blood and dirt" was applied to the jacket and shirt, and the pants were made to look dirty, as well. ElRoy's facial make-up included the colors of black, white, gray, and a generous amount of "blood" around his mouth, chin and neck area. The finished look was very realistic. He certainly would have frightened a child.
As for myself, I chose a completely different look. You could say it fell into the humorous category. I put on a pair of black tights, a long sleeved black t-shirt and topped it off with a gray and white flowered night shirt that went down to my knees. I cut letters from black felt and ironed them onto the front of the night shirt. Each letter was outlined with silver glitter paint for a bit of sparkle. The letters spelled out: This is my sexy lingerie. The word is was underlined twice.
A black satin night cap adorned with small silver pom poms covered my head, exposing three or four bright pink curlers dangling in my hair.
I needed comfy footwear for dancing - wore a pair of satin slippers with rubber soles (to avoid slipping). Some pom poms were also added. After all, everything had to match!
Lastly, I tried to make myself look glamorous. That was the most difficult task. After spending about an hour in front of the mirror, I could only be described as one hot mama. The bright pink lipstick worked wonders.
It's been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In the eyes of the zombie, I looked delicious. But there were many other bodies for his eyes to feast upon, so I was able to survive the night without so much as a single bite.
We all had a great time at the dance and I was able to cross off one more line on my "bucket list."
A Halloween party treat
CANDY CORN SNACK MIX
1 cup candy corn
1 cup M and M's (your choice)
1 cup salted peanuts
Combine in bowl. Store in airtight container.
Yield: 3 cups
A delicious appetizer
SAVORY SPINACH BALLS
1 (10-oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups stuffing cubes (seasoned)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (Mediterranean blend)
1/4 tsp. pepper
Thaw spinach in bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the liquid and discard. To spinach, add margarine, eggs, and stuffing cubes. Mix well. Add cheese and pepper. Allow to stand 5 to 10 min; and then shape into balls. (about 1-inch size) Arrange balls on baking sheet - you will need a pan with a rim. Place baking sheet in freezer until balls are frozen. Transfer to freezer bag. Freeze until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange spinach balls on nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 min. or until hot and slightly browned. Yield: about 20 balls.
Note: My hubby enjoyed these dipped in Bacon Ranch dressing. Double the recipe and bake as many as needed. I love these "make ahead and freeze" recipes.
Not just for company
PORK CHOP CASSEROLE
4 pork chops
1 (10-3/4 oz) can cr. of chicken soup
1/2 soup can water
7 potatoes, peeled and sliced / bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
Seasoned salt / pepper, to taste
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. shredded Colby Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish (12x9-in) with nonstick cooking spray.
Brown pork chops in a hot skillet. I season with small amount pepper and garlic powder. Heat soup with water. Layer potatoes in bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle onion on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Spoon half of soup mixture over potatoes and cheese. Layer pork chops on top and cover with remaining soup. Cover dish with foil. Bake 1 hour. Serves 2 to 4 hungry people.
Variation: Add a can of mushrooms (drained) to soup and water. May substitute cr. of mushroom soup for the cr. of chicken. If desired, use only cheddar cheese (will need 8-oz)
Food for Thought: One should fill their life with experiences, not excuses.