WHAT A DIP! ~ A LOVE STORY

I remember with great fondness those Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercials from my childhood where somebody's chocolate bar would ultimately end up in someone else's jar of peanut butter (because as we all know, back in the 70s, people regularly walked down the street, drove cars, and roller skated while carrying around an open jar of peanut butter). 

A few days ago I was chatting with Beckie of Infarrantly Creative after commenting on her wonderful Apple Butter Post.  Our conversation inspired me to write this post.  And, perhaps I flatter myself, but I like to think if my own little bit of culinary kismet as akin to the famous Reese's incident:

A few years ago my husband and I were in charge of making snack at my daughter's preschool.  On the top shelf of the oven, one of the teachers had an apple pie baking.  On the middle and bottom shelves, we were baking grilled cheese sandwiches (Monterey Jack cheese on Milton's Original Whole Grain Bread).  As is oft to happen with fruit pies, the apple pie bubbled over, coating the corner of one of the sandwiches below with sweet, cinnamony goodness.  Mr. Rook, a big fan of trying unusual food combinations eyed the syrupy sandwich with eager anticipation.  I, however, was wary.  I know it's kinda un-American, but I'm not really a huge fan of apple pie (gasp!).  Smooth-talker that he is, Mr. Rook talked me in to trying a bite and, "WOW!"  It was fantastic!  Unfortunately, this accidental delicacy was in short supply.  So, that evening, we made up a batch of the same grilled cheese sandwiches.  Because we didn't have an apple pie on hand, and hoping to find a way of getting more immediate gratification, we heated up some of our homemade apple butter.  Mr. Rook, spicy devil that he is added a touch of hot sauce to his "dip".  "Shazamm!"  A taste sensation!

As apple time rolled in to pumpkin time, we tried the same approach with homemade pumpkin butter.  It's rediculous how delicious it is when warmed and served as a sandwich dip! Does this sound weird to you?  Having a hard time buying the concept? Don't make that face.  I know you're making that face.   I dare you to try it.  I just dare you!  Otherwise I'll be forced to walk around happlessly for the rest of my days carrying an open crock of pumpkin (or apple) butter in the hopes that I'll bump in to you on the day you decide to saddle up and take your grilled cheese sandwiches for a ride around the Ponderosa.

To get you started on your bold new sandwich dipping adventure, please enjoy (and try) my family's recipe for easy and delicious homemade pumpkin butter.  I believe the secret to its perfection is in its simplicity.  It makes a lovely hostess gift:

Pumpkin Butter

(yields  half pints)

3 cups cooked, mashed, or canned pumpkin

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes until mixture is smooth and thickened.   Pour pumpkin butter into sterilized jars, filling to 1/4 inch from top.  Wipe jar rims clean.  Seal jars with metal lids and bands.  Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

What unusual food combinations have you come across in your culinary adventures?  Do share!

ATTACK OF THE TWO TON TIGGER...OR, WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR

Dear Food,

I hate you.  No, wait, I love you!  You are tasty, cozy, cooling, warming, complex, powerful, subtle, a delicious art form, and possess the power to evoke memories and bring people together.  At the moment, however, I resent you. 

It is because of you and your irresistible deliciousness that I was not able to fit in to my cute little vintage WW II nurse costume this Halloween.  That's how I ended up in my husband's Tigger costume.  It had been in the garage for several years and had thereby accumulated more dust than the surface of Mars.  Halloween was a cold night and the Tigger costume looked warm.  After all, it's made of heavy-duty fleece and is made for a 6' 5" man.  I saw warmth and comfort and I went for it.  Nevermind the fact that I'm asthmatic and that the two greatest triggers for said affliction are dust and cold weather.  What was I thinking?  Apparently I wasn't! 

So I spent the week following Halloween with a head full of snot goblins, which, as always, eventually made their way down to the party in my lungs.  Huffing and wheezing my way through the week I finally had the good sense to call my doctor and request some albuterol refills for my at-home-nebulizer (imagine the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland meets ET when he's hooked up to tubes in the big white tent).  Within about fifteen minutes I went from pallid and pathetic back to feeling like myself again.

So it was at that moment that I realized how lucky we are to be living in the age of modern medicine!  With all the talk lately about our broken healthcare system, the National plan, the hospital lay-offs, the H1/N1 vaccine controversy, the high prices we pay for healthcare and insurance, and the corruption in the insurance industry, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that despite these big issues, we are darn lucky to be living in the 21st century, with all its advances in medicine!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I can't help thinking of those poor Pilgrims (and even more so, the Native Americans that were wiped out by our Euro-germs).  Had I been a Pilgrim, I wouldn't have made it past the age of fourteen.  At fourteen, my appendix burst.  The discovery wasn't made until a few days later after the deflated organ began to go toxic.  Had my mom not taken me to the hospital when she did, wherein an x-ray revealed that I needed immediate surgery, I would have been a goner. 

If somehow I had miraculously lived to see another day in Plymouth, I would have certainly died half a dozen times due to Asthma. 

And if by the grace of God, the Massachusetts air was allergen free and thereby gentle on my fragile lungs, I would have definitely been one of those poor women who died in childbirth!  This is probably TMI, but Madeleine (bless her little heart) would simply not come out my narrow pelvic area, so an emergency caesarean was in order.  I am so, so lucky to be alive and so is she!

For all its problems, ills, and corruptions, I am still very thankful that modern medicine has allowed me to enjoy not 14, not 25, and not 30, but 37 Thanksgivings...and COUNTING!

Sincerely,

Jenn

vintage postcard of Burial Hill, Plymouth, MA

PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM FOR OUR INDIAN SUMMER

Due to the bassackwards microclimate of the Monterey Peninsula, we are intermittently experiencing a beautiful Indian Summer ~ Days of warmth and sunshine, with just a subtle backnote of Fall crispness lingering in air. 

Have you ever wondered what's up with that layered-tank-top-and-long-scarf look that's so popular with the Old Navy/Gap set?  They're not totally nuts ~ they were probably raised in an area that experiences the Indian Summer.  One day you're bundled up in fleece and Ugg boots (this uniform is standard issue in our area).  On the menu:  a cozy Pumpkin Soup and crusty whole grain bread enjoyed fireside.  Next day your sporting shorts and flip-flops.  On the menu?  Well, you're still feeling "Fall", but suddenly hot soup doesn't have quite the same appeal.  So, here in the land of topsy-turvy seasons we've learned to adapt our favorite seasonal recipes to compliment the "climatary quirks", as it were. 

If you're a fan of pumpkin pie, you're sure to love my family's favorite frozen treat:  Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

VINTAGE PAPER DOLLS ~ FREE PDF ~ PART II ~ a wardrobe upgrade from The Graphics Fairy!

I was catching up with some of my favorite blogs today, which of course means spending some time with The Graphics Fairy.  I was delighted to find that she and I both have one of the same darling little paper dolls in our collections.  I decided to repost my free paper doll PDF and include a link to The Graphics Fairy so that anyone with this Paper Doll can have the full wardrobe (I believe hers is a Gaucho costume and is simply too flippin' cute!). 

A few years ago I spotted these charming vintage paper dolls at an antique store in Santa Rosa. Not wanting to "impulse shop", I left them behind; only to find that I couldn't get them out of my head. Fortunately, my little brother was living in Santa Rosa at the time and was sweet enough to pick them up and mail them to me.

At the time I had so many plans for the darling quartet of paper people, but I soon became preoccupied by two real life baby dolls (my daughter Madeleine, followed by her sister Max, three years later). So the paper dolls have taken up permanent residence in my ephemera box, patiently awaiting their debut. While sorting through ephemera for recent inspiration, I came across the paper dolls and realized they were just to special to keep boxed up and all to myself.

I've scanned them in and created a nice little PDF download for you to use as you wish ~ clipart, cards, decoupage, invitations, etc... I hope you'll enjoy this free set of Vintage Paper Dolls. If you use them in a project, please share your pictures, or post a comment to share your inspiration and creativity. ~ Jenn

Paper Dolls

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO GRANT A CHRISTMAS WISH!

While reading some of my favorite blogs today I came across a post by my friend Tabitha over at I Choose Bliss.  It really touched my heart and propelled me into immediate action.  I hope you'll feel the same way too:

"Diana Biorkman needs your help in making her son's wish come true. She has a 5 year old son, Noah, in the last stages of a 2.5 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week and Noahs request is to get lots of Christmas cards.

Please consider sending cards to:

 

Noah Biorkman

1141 Fountian Viewcircle

South Lyon, MI 48178

 

Please let this precious child know he is DEEPLY Loved. FILL HIS MAILBOX WITH JOY"

 

I set out some doodads and paper scraps I've been collecting for just such a project and let my 4-year old daughter Max get creative making a card for Noah.  She really got into the spirit of making a special card for this little boy that I told her was very sick.  It's never too early to grant a Christmas wish, and you're never too young to start learning about reaching out to others.

COLD TURKEY ~ THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING CONUNDRUM

OKAY, LET'S TALK TURKEY!  After all, that time of year has crept up on us with stealth and a loud and blood curdling, "GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE!" 

First some Turkey tips from this Bird about Another:

1)  Try a kosher Turkey.  They are held to the strictest standards and are therefore of very high quality, are extremeley clean (cleaned and processed by people, not by machines in giant factories), and come already partially brined, and that means a nice juicy roast!

2)  If you're buying a regular or heirloom bird, be sure to brine it.   Heirlooms and free-range birds can be wonderful, but are often a little drier than regular turkeys.  Not sure where to put your bird while brining?  Try a small cooler.  It will keep it cool and won't take up valuable space in the fridge.  Alton Brown has a great brine recipe on FoodNetwork.com.

3)  Consider cooking your stuffing outside of the bird.  Not only is it safer (sparing you the potential for an uninvited guest of Salmonella at your Thanksgiving feast), but your bird will cook more quickly. 

4)  Invest in a good probe thermometer.  Those little plastic pop-up things are useless (and kinda creepy, don't you think?).  You can pick up a decent one for under $25.

So, you've made your turkey, survived the hubbub with the relatives and in-laws, stuffed yourself silly and have a refrigerator full of cold turkey carcass to show for it, right?  So that brings us to todays topic: 

COLD TURKEY ~ The Day After Thanksgiving Conondrum 

The question is, what to do with all that leftover turkey? 

Why not embrace the low pressure and slow pace that the day-after brings with a lazy late morning brunch?  Some chilled bubbly, orange juice and a splash of cranberry or pomegranate juice makes a wonderful holiday mimosa.  Pan fry some patties of left-over mashed potatoes and garnish with a dallop of sour cream and chopped chives for an easy side!  Set out a tray of our quick, easy and delicious "Cold Turkey" sandwiches (Cranberry Walnut Djon on Brioche or Turkey Tea Sandwiches) and you have the makings of a very lovely wind-down from the big Wing-a-ding-ding. 

Cranberry Walnut Turkey Salad

Turkey Tea Sandwiches.pdf

Please share your ideas for Turkey Leftovers by clicking the "COMMENT" link below!

ONE WARM COAT ~ A HEARTWARMING CAUSE

Is your child's school, club, or team looking for a way to make a difference in their community this winter? 

Consider a "ONE WARM COAT" DRIVE:  It's as easy as printing up a flyer, setting out a box, and registering with "One Warm Coat" online  to get connected with agencies in your area that will distribute the coats to people in need during the cold winter months. 

"Take a peek in your closet,

garage or chest

to help out those not quite so blessed.

Should you find a coat

you do not wear

Just bring it here to show you care.

It’s getting cold

And you may find

It warms your heart to be so kind.

Coats and Jackets: New and old

Recycled here to fight the cold .

It doesn’t matter: Big or small

Our humble box accepts them all."

                                ~ Troop #2033's One Warm Coat Poem

I am proud to say that this will be the third year that my daugher's Brownie troop will be organizing a "One Warm Coat" drive at Forest Grove School.  The first year the girls put out a big box in front of the school office that looked like a stack of presents.  Nearly two-hundred new and used coats were generously donated by families from the school.  When the drive was over, a representative from the Salvation Army came and spoke to the girls about what their organization does, and took the coats for distribution to the families of migrant farm workers in our area. 

The second year we created a "Warmth-o-Meter" out of foam board:  as the donations came in the mercury rose indicating how much warmth the collective generosity was generating.  We collected more than 500 coats!  The girls were excited!  The school was excited!  And a representative from Monterey County Family to Family came to recieve the coats and talk to the girls about the role they play in our community helping women and families that are without homes. 

This year the box and Warmth-O-Meter are back and the donations have been pouring in!  It's so simple and so rewarding! 

There are no costs required to organize a One Warm Coat drive.

Most tools and resources are available on the website, free of charge.

To organize a coat drive in your community, simply:

1)  Visit ONE WARM COAT and register your drive

2)  Distribute a flyer asking for donations.  Here's a copy of ours.  Please feel free to use some of the text and/or poem for your drive.

one warm coat

3)  Connect with a local charity that will distribute the coats you've collected to people in need.   ONE WARM COAT can help you do this on their website. 

TAKE THIS SQUASH AND STUFF IT!

Running some last-minute Halloween errands this week I was startled to find that as far as the retail world is concerned, Halloween is long gone, Thanksgiving has been leap-frogged right over, and it's CHRISTMAS! Poor little Turkey Day! 

Well, the big box stores may be decking their halls with boughs of holly, but I've got some serious Pilgrimizing to do around here.  To kick off Turkey Month, I'm going to do old Tom a favor and offer a wonderful alternative to stuffing his cold, pink carcass (did I hear someone say Salmonella?) with soggy bread. 

Introducing the STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD AND CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE DRESSING.  The presentation is festive and lovely, and this sweet and savory stuffing always brings guests back for seconds!  Gobble Gobble!

STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CORNBREAD CHICKEN-APPLE DRESSING

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) pumpkin
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Red Delicious apples, peeled and cubed
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2 TB chopped fresh parsley
• 2 TB chopped fresh sage
• 1 package (approx. 1.5 lbs) chicken apple sausage, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 TB chopped fresh thyme
• 1 (16-ounce) package cornbread stuffing
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off the lid of the pumpkin and set it aside. Pull out the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin. Using a large spoon, scrape the inside of the pumpkin clean.. Brush the inside flesh with melted butter, season with salt and pepper. Place pumpkin and lid on a greased baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Add onion, shallots, celery, garlic, apples, celery seed, and fennel seed. Sprinkle in parsley and sage. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausage, and continue to cook 5 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine, cook down 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Stir in the cream and thyme, check seasoning.

Scrape the sausage mixture into a large bowl and fold in the cornbread. Gradually blend in the eggs and chicken broth, until the stuffing is evenly moistened. Fill the pumpkin with stuffing (set lid aside for later), return to the oven, and bake 30 minutes until the eggs are cooked and the stuffing has begun to brown on top. Serve stuffing in the pumpkin bowl topped with lid.

If you still really want to give someone Salmonella, please consider this "adorable" plush option from THINK GEEK:

GETTING MY LUCKY DUCKS IN A ROW...

Many thanks to everyone that participated in October's contests and giveaways with your wonderful comments, subscriptions, and support!  It was especially fun (and hilarious) reading through all the captions for the ABC Nursery Blocks Caption contest.  Without further ado, here are the lucky duckies:

Babygags Baby Apparel Giveaway:  MS. BIBI

(please email me with your mailing address and choice of t-shirt or onesie)

Set of Cupcake Cuties:  ROYAL FAMILY

(please email me your mailing address)

ABC Nursery Block Captions:  HONEY MOMMY

(please email me the address where you would like your 1-year subscription to Bon Appetit sent)

"Does this make my butt look big?"  ~ Honey Mommy

LITTLE GREEN GOBBLIN'S ~ A PERFECT AND EASY HALLOWEEN APPETIZER

My clever and crafty friends Jaime and Lisa over at Sprout Boutique turned me on to this one:

These simple, delicious, elegant and Halloweenishly green appetizers are made using just four simple ingredients:  blue cheese, cream cheese, seedless grapes and pistachios.

Pistachio Blue Cheese Grape Appetizer

(a.k.a. "Litte Green Gobblin's for the holiday's sake)

1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

1 large bunch seedless red  grapes (40 to 60 grapes)

In a small bowl combine cheeses.

Wrap a little of the cheese mixture around each grape to form a ball.

Roll in chopped nuts.

Cover and chill grapes for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Can be prepared a day ahead.

JON & KATE ~ THIS COSTUME'S GREAT!

Halloween brings out such creativity in people! And it can help to relieve our pop-culture induced angst too.

Take for example, my friend Chris (known him since elementary school ~ reconnected recently on Facebook):  His lovely wife Michelle has been often told that she looks like Kate Gosselin.  Okay, so it's a step up from being an Octo-mom look-a-like, or told you have the fashion sense & IQ of the Housewives of Orange County.  Nonetheless, Michelle could do without the comparison.  When Chris and Michelle are out together the problem becomes compounded:  "Hey look, it's Jon and Kate!" (even though Chris bears no resemblance to Jon except the fact that they're both Asian).   

But then, this Halloween, Chris and Michelle needed costumes.  It took some convincing, but once Michelle was on board, her creativity took over.  The couple went to Kohls and Ross to buy "Gosselinesque fashion" (Chris coined this new term).  It was even Michelle's idea to cut out the little kids and attach them to sticks so they could each carry around four kids at all times.  Heavens!  Just look at that picture ~ Michelle's hair is spot-on! 

Chris said, "It was pretty interesting how many people were looking at her all night saying "Wow, she really looks like Kate!". " 

I love their creativity, their sense of fun, and ability to laugh at themselves, at pop-culture and at stereotypes. 

Will you be dressing up for Halloween?  Do tell...

WHAT'S IN "STORE"? YOUR ADVICE, PLEASE...

TINKERING, PUTTERING, AND DABBLING IN ALL AREAS OF CRAFT AND CREATIVITY AS ALWAYS, and being a huge fan of Etsy and Artfire, I've often considered opening up my own little online boutique to feature some of my creations. But since I retired from the cake biz over a year ago due to the fact that it was "not fun anymore", I've approached the idea of any sort of new creativity-based business with great trepidation. In order for any business venture to work, for me, it has to be:

1. Enjoyable.

2. Creatively inspiring

3. Fit in to my life, timewise

4. Involve limited risk and investment (I am a chicken...a poor chicken no-less, but Chicken No. 17 just didn't have the same ring to it)

5. Be lucrative enough to pay for my time, materials, and have something left over.

I always reach a stumbling block at number 5. Often the time and materials involved in making something I deem market-worthy are so high that the retail price would be positively ridiculous.

This is becoming a rant, isn't it? Hmmm... that wasn't the idea. Okay, so here's the idea...

There are two projects I've been working on lately (among many other dabblings) that seem to meet the criteria mentioned above: My "Cupcake Cuties" (please feel free to suggest another name) and my custom Hooded Towels. I've looked at Etsy and Artfire to see if the market is already saturated and to gauge whether my creations are unique enough to stand out. I feel that despite the presence of some similar merchandise, my pieces are unique enough, and can be priced competitively enough to perhaps have some success?

So, here's what I have...please be kind...

These are the "Cupcake Cuties". They're made of wood and are hand-painted and glazed. The dresses are sewn, not glued. The flowers are vintage millinery. The stick in the bottom is removable, so the "cupcake pick" becomes a one-of-a-kind "party favor". I'd like to offer them in three different color schemes, four different hair colors (black, brown, blonde, and red), and two different skin tones. Also, I'd like to offer the option of a hole in the top for inserting a birthday candle. Other sellers on Etsy sell these for around $16 a piece. I was thinking $8. Your thoughts? I was thinking of doing a boy version: pirate and astronaut?

Credit where credit is due: I was inspired to make these after purchasing a Happy Birthday Girl, clothespin creation from "Lollipop Workshop" on Etsy. Her creations are so, so adorable, beautifully conceived and detailed.

Item # 2: Custom Hooded Towels ~ I make these as birthday gifts for my kid's friends.

The responses have been heartwarming.

There are two versions ~ A kewpie topped towel (usually for girls) and a more simple version (usually for boys, although my daughter Max much preferred this black, gold and red tattoo-inspired number). All the towels have the child's first initial appliqued at the bottom in a lovely gold thread.

There are a lot more Hooded Towels out there than there are Cupcake Dolls, but I think it wouldn't hurt to put a towel or two out there to see if there's any interest. I use premium towels double-stitching, and do the personalization. There's a lot of "cute and cuddly" out there (with no disrespect intended). I like to think of my look as more "modern and artsy". Most hooded towels sell for around $30. I was thinking $25.

I'd like to have the ability to add new creations, as they come along.

So, what do you think? I'm eager to hear ideas, comments and feedback. Here are some specific questions I'm puzzling over:

1. Etsy or Artfire?

2. Prices?

3. Do I pull the trigger?

4. Am I out of my mind?

To SWEETEN the deal, I'm going to offer a four-pack of the "Cupcake Cuties" (one of each hair color) to one commenter in a random drawing on November 1.

Thanks for your help! Warmest wishes, Jenn

THE CUTEST HALLOWEEN COSTUME ~ MAIDEN VOYAGE

Last year my friend Maureen blew everyone away with the Hot Air Balloon costume she crafted for her daughter. Maureen has very generously offered to share with us her inspiration, her tips and how-to for this absolutely delightful costume that is sure to "carry you away..."

Rook No 17: This wasn't the first time you've come up with an amazing original costume. So, Mo, tell us: where do you find your inspiration?

Maureen: I usually get my inspiration when I find a unique costume idea that is original and makes me laugh. I find the ideas online, from books or magazines.

Rook No. 17: Do you work from books, online tutorials, or templates? How do you do it?

Maureen: I wing it! I look at a picture of what I am trying to make and try to figure out how to construct the costume. If I think I can pull it off, I draw out my plan and start collecting materials.

Rook No. 17: Could you take us through a step-by-step of how you created the Hot Air Balloon Costume?

Maureen: Here is my list of materials and instructions...

Hot Air Balloon Costume DIY Instructions

Balloon
Basket
Ribbon
Yarn- off white, 'bumpy' yarn
Old dress with straps that you don't mind cutting up. Works best with straps that adjust.(Like overalls)
4 Brown paper lunch bags
Jacket
Scarf
Knit hat
Kids scuba mask

1) I found a 36" balloon at First Impressions Party Supplies in Monterey. (I was told this type of balloon is typically used for car lots when they want to advertise a big sale..)

Note from the Rookery: our favorite online source for specialty and big ol' knock-your-socks off balloons is "Balloon Lovers Corner".

2) I bought a basket at Michael's craft store (half off!) and cut a hole in the bottom to fit around my daughter's hips.

3) I took an old dress with straps, and hot glued the bottom of the dress to the bottom of the basket. This way, my daughter could 'wear' the basket and it would stay upright.

4) I tied yarn to the basket and fastened it to the knot at the base of the balloon to make it seem as if the rope was holding up the basket.

5) To make stripes on the balloon, I used colored ribbon & carefully double taped them from top to bottom.

6) For sandbags, I crumbled and stuffed four brown paper lunch bags each with a plastic grocery bag (so it would be light) and hung them off the four corners of the basket.

7) To give my daughter an 'aviator' look, I dressed her in a jean jacket to hide the strapped dress, added a scarf and fastened a kiddie scuba mask (that I painted black) to a knit hat.

So there you go! I think that's everything...

Rook No. 17: Thanks so much for sharing your talent and project with us Maureen. Any final tips for the would-be-home-costume-maven?

Maureen: Use any materials that work! Glue guns and velcro are your friends.

Have you come up with a fun and original Halloween Costume this year?

Please tell us about it!

BOUTIQUE CHIC DIY CHEAP SERIES ~ SKELETON CREW

COST: Under $2/piece
TIME: 15 minutes/piece

DOLLAR STORE CHEAP TO BOUTIQUE CHIC IN A FEW EASY STEPS...

Can you roll paper into a cone? Can you fold an old fashioned newspaper hat? Well, grab your hot glue gun and lets get going...

Here's what you need:

• Glitter skulls (found mine at the Dollar Tree) Can't find glitter skulls? Buy a cheap plastic skull, cover with craft glue, then glitter liberally.
• Vintage sheet music and/or book pages (I pick up old dictionaries that are falling apart and would otherwise be thrown in the garbage at the end of a garage sale)
• Craft glue
• Ultrafine glitter, silver
• Glue gun
• Paper cupcake liners
• Tissue Paper Fringe ~ it's called Festoonery, but you knew that already didn't you, you crafty devil? If you don't have festoonery in your bag o' tricks, follow the easy tutorial below to make your own

First, open up 4-5 cupcake liners. Put a dot of glue in the middle of each paper, then stack.

Glue stack to the bottom of glitter skull to form a sort of Elizabethan Collar

Make a hat using old paper.

Add embellishments like fringe, glitter and velvet ribbon.

Glue hat on to skull. Now, that's one dapper looking dead guy!

Your final step is to fluff and glitter the ruffled collar. It may sound messy, but the best way I've found is to dip my fingertips in the craft glue, then brush lightly over the edges of the ruffles, shaping as I go. Dust with glitter and allow to dry.

The possibilities are endless...

The Piper

The Clown

The Nurse

The Gentleman...

Easy-Peasy Tissue Paper Fringe How-to

Cut and stack four pieces of tissue paper (about 1.5" wide)

Staple together along one entire edge.

Next, using pinking shears, cut fringe.

Crumple, Crinkle, and Flounce the Fringe (It's the latest dance craze!)

HAPPY CRAFTING! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

BOUTIQUE CHIC DIY CHEAP SERIES: HALLOWEEN WREATH

ASSEMBLY TIME: approx. 15 minutes

TOTAL COST: approx. $15

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• HALLOWEEN SPIRIT (without it, what's the point?)
• (1) A grapevine wreath from the craft store (got mine at Michael's for $4)
• (2) Silk Japanese Lantern Stems (got mine at Pier 1 Imports, $2.99/stem)
• (2) Silk or dried cattail stems (on sale at Michael's for $1.67/mixed fall bunch)
• Dried Corn Stalk fronds (picked mine up off the ground in the pumpkin patch parking lot)
• wire or hot glue
• A few vintage inspired Halloween ornaments. If you don't have any cute little ornaments just laying around your house, here's a tip: Download some free vintage Halloween images from Matthew Mead. Cut out an 8.5" x 11" piece of cardboard from a cereal box (recycling ~ love it!). Most printers will print on this thickness of cardboard. It gives a nice vintage look, and has a good weight to it. Print on blank side (obviously). Cut out. Cover commercially printed side with craft glue and coat with glitter ~ voila! Your ornament is complete!

Start out with ye olde grapevine wreath, available at any craft store. Begin by sticking a few cattails into the wreath. Bend to shape if necessary. Secure with wire or hot glue. Pretty boring so far...I know...

Next, stick in some of your corn stalk fronds. Secure with wire or hot glue. We have a little contrast going, but how about some color?

That's where the japanese lanterns come in. Snip from bunch into smaller clusters and arrange by tucking in to wreath. Secure with wire or hot glue. Ahh, now that's starting to look better...

Dry-fit decorations, then wire or hot glue into place. Fill in gaps with additional corn stalk, cat tails, or Japanese lanterns as you see fit.

Ready to hang and greet guests with Halloween cheer!

OH BABY! APPAREL GIVEAWAY...

One winner will be drawn at random on Sunday, November 1
Your choice of

100% Cotton, made in the USA, babygags onesie, black
“I suck, therefore I am.”
Size 6 mo. –or- 12 mo.

Retail: $22

~OR~

100% Cotton, made in the USA, babygags Toddler Tee, black
“TRASHTALKER In his contemplations on what is real Plato uttered: “If a baby talks trash in the crib, and no one is there to hear, did the baby really talk trash?” 450 bc, Greece, Diaposium”
Size: 24 mo.

Retail: $22

TO ENTER: FOLLOW ROOK NO. 17 (PUBLICLY), THEN COMMENT BELOW TO LET US KNOW YOU DID IT. EASY AS THAT. IF YOU'RE ALREADY FOLLOWING (THANK YOU), JUST POST A COMMENT.

THINK PINK!

I've been blessed, not once, not twice, but thrice with the fabulous "Over the Top" award and I'm positively tickled pink! So, in honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'm putting my own unique spin on the award:

Over The Top: Think Pink Edition

I'm giving this award to bloggers who go over-the-top with their selfless contributions to our world

My gratitude goes out to:
I am the Glue & Tattoos & Teething Rings

for bestowing the honor

The rules to this award are simple (and optional):

1. Please feel free to pass it on to others that you'd like to recognize for "making the world a better place"

2. Encourage your readers to visit the official Breast Cancer Awareness website with this link: http://www.nbcam.org/

Without further ado, the Over The Top: Think Pink Edition Award goes to:

Vashti @ Grains of Sand ~ She directs a non-profit organization in South Africa and writes beautifully and poignantly. Utterly inspiring and very real.

Joy @ This Too Shall Pass has an honesty, depth and sincerity that I relate to. Check out her post "I'm a Kiva Girl" that talks about the great organziation Kiva.org!

If it seems like there's a lot of tail-wagging going on, it's because Holly and Charisse of Life Laugh Latte have thrown us a bone in the form of a "Lafawnda Picked You: Great Blog Award". Bow-WOW! If you haven't already had the pleasure of meeting Holly & Charisse, "make a hot cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and hang out with your two new girlfriends!" They have insightful and humorous articles about friendship, family, faith, things they love and things that make them laugh. They do a weekly "reality show" that is sure to keep you howling!

I'm tossing the frisbee to:

Bibiana at Free Guide for Busy Moms

Lysa at Pierogi & Popcorn

Jen @ Our Sweet Life...all things baking, kids, and life related

FREE VINTAGE ALPHABET CLIP ART ~ and caption contest

D: Drusilla Duck was one mean Mother Ducker!

THE SUBJECT: A set of vintage Alphabet Stacking Boxes
MY OBJECTIVE: Scan images from personal collection and share
THE REASON: These charming little pictures and vignettes are simply too sweet not to share with other creative people!

Perhaps you have no use for vintage graphics at the moment. But wait! Don't walk away!

May I interest you in a little game of "Create a Caption"?

Calling on the witty, the clever, the irreverant and the silver-tongued: You're invited, encouraged, and hereby goaded into contributing a caption for any one of the images below.

Most hilarious caption wins bragging rights and a

1-year subsciption to Bon Appetit Magazine

"Aunt Annie Anteater attracted ants with an alembic of apple alcohol." Polly @ The 5th Sister

"Billy Bear begs bee for a bucketful of beehive’s burden" ~ Polly @ The 5th Sister

"C is for Confused: For the last time kid, I'm NOT your mother!" ~ Rook No. 17

"D: Damn Duckie Doo Doo!" ~ Lee the Hot Flash Queen

E "An elephant's life is not easy...how am I going to get out of this hammock?" ~ Holly at 504 Main

"F is for: Flagrant Flamingo Fishes for Flamboyant Faries." ~ MJ @ Dirty Little Confessions

"G - Giselle the Giraffe Googled Gaby The Goose with Gusto" ~ Ms Bibi

"G - In the tight confines of the freight car it was entirely likely that Gert would get Goosed"

"H: Better run faster the dude I stole the jacket from is coming." ~ Holly at 504 Main

"I - 'Eat your heart out' is a figure of speech Irv, a figure of speech!"

K: "He's your son...do something about it" ~ Holly at 504 Main

L: "Lunch" ~ Holly @ Hip, Stylish & Totally Cool Weddings

"M - Miner McClosky agonized over whether or not to have his Mole removed"

"O: Did you realize how fast you were hopping...Drivers License and registration , please." ~ Holly at 504 Main

"O: Obvious -- the best way to hunt at night is not to approach one's prey with a flashlight."

S is for Saying Goodbye ~ Saul and Selma said goodbye to the country, and inched toward the City. There no one would question their love!

"U: Does this horn make my butt look big? " Honey Mommy

"W is for Wisecracker: Excuse me Miss, do you have any Grey Poupon?" ~ Me

Z ~ Zane Zebra hangs his head in remorse, "A Brazilian wax? What was I thinking?"

"Prickly Porcupine Perks a Smile" ~ Rachel

"Cunning Crabs Capture Carrie on the Couch" MJ @ Dirty Little Confessions

UNPLUGGED

10:41 TUESDAY MORNING: TV was on. Laptop was on. Nearly every light in the house was on even though we were all in the living room. Wasteful! Shame on us! Well, Mother Nature sure taught us a lesson. "Enjoy your precious electricity, do you?" she whistled through a blustery wind. "Well, let's just see how you like this!" she trilled as the lights cut abruptly out (and the rain went horizontal for over-the-top dramatic effect).

So there we were, the Erickson Girls: Unplugged ~ transported to the pre-electric light age in which our old Victorian home was built. Would we rise to the occasion, or had technology completely rotted our brains for good?

Well, we started out by lighting a fire ~ cozy. I took out my stack of magazines that had been piling up for months. As I clipped recipes, craft ideas, and useful articles, the girls cut out pictures and made Halloween collages. It's surprising how many macabre and unintentionally creepy things you can find in magazine ads! I reduced fifteen magazines to a 1" stack of clippings, and the girls made several cards, envelopes (courtesy of an Angry Chicken tutorial I had watched earlier in the week) and collages in just a few hours. All the while we talked, we laughed and didn't notice the lack of electricity at all.

Next up I busted out the ol' button collection. I adore buttons, especially vintage ones. But they're not really doing anyone any good tucked away in box in the office closet. My friends Stephanie and Shannon are always wearing the most incredible necklaces made from vintage buttons. So, the girls and I poured out the buttons in a shallow pan and began threading them on elastic cord. The results were delightful.

Madeleine is, to put it mildly, obsessed with stuffed animals. So it was only a matter of time till the focus of the day's activities took a turn for the PLUSH. Earlier in the week we had gone through our bins of Halloween decor and liberally sprinkled Halloween whimsy throughout the house. In the course of the merrymaking and pumpkin populating I discovered some old gauze fabric from a previous year's table setting. I'm thinking, "The Egyptians didn't need electricity to have fun. Let's mummify!" So Max's "Secret Squirrel" and Maddie's "Snow Bear" became our unwitting subjects as the girls carefully wrapped them in "bandages" I made by cutting the gauze into long strips. Simple, I know, but fun? You bet!

This project was a quick one, and we were all left with a feeling that there was more costuming to be done. I grabbed the black felt, the fabric shears and some black elastic and fashioned black masks for the Buddy Lees (1, 2 and 3), the cast-iron birds, the rocking horse, and a few stuffed animals (of course). The house was warm, festive, and our spirits were high.

Before darkness fell, I made sure all the flashlights were working, set out the candles, and was feeling pretty good about my "survival" skills, when suddenly it struck me: What about the morning coffee? No juice = no joe! The horror! As soon as my husband returned home from work we were out the door again...to buy a French Press. Then, all was right with the world again.

That night we all cuddled up in "the big bed", made shadow puppets, giggled, and got a pretty darn good nights' sleep.

DAY 2: No rain, no wind, and still no electricity, and the girls wanted toast! "Well," I pondered," what is toast, but a cheeseless Grilled Cheese Sandwich?" I put this logic to work and grilled Max some toast, and Maddie a bagel. Mission accomplished.

Max was invited to go to the Aquarium with her friend (also named Max). So while the Maxes were mingling with fish and invertebrates, Maddie and I went about the task of transforming an old green desk I found at a salvage yard into a nice little desk for her room. (Note to self: 8-year olds are still not quite ready to grasp the concept of how close is too close to spraypaint, and will continue to spray even when distracted by something in the opposite direction).

That afternoon, our across-the-street neighbor, Matt drove up with two generators. Bless his soul! He used one to run his refrigerator and that of his next-door-neighbor Steve. The other he brought over for us to share with our neighbors Dave and Barbara. Steve ran over and loaned us a really long extension cord. It was a neighborhood carefest! It was wonderful! There were no TVs buzzing in the background; no click-clack of keyboard keys; no digitized melodies from the DS. Instead there was candlelight, conversation, and good old-fashioned neighborliness!

As Maddie was outside, drifting dreamily on the swing hanging from the Cypress in the yard, our friend Geri pulled up with her kids Roberto and Isabella. We invited them in. The kids played while Geri and I enjoyed a glass of wine. When the husbands were through with work we headed out for a lovely dinner. It was an unusually balmy night, just perfect for a nice stroll around the grounds of the resort where we dined. The dads found a ping-pong table and enjoyed a few rounds. The kids came up with their own version of chess on a life-size chess board. It felt like a mini-vacation!

We returned home -- lights out. Street behind us: lights on. Street on the opposite side: lights on. Ugh. Met the new neighbor behind us, ran extension cord, mooched power to illuminate the bedroom and keep the fridge running. Bonus ~ new friends!

DAY 3: Light! Real toast! Back to the 21st century. Kinda relieved, but sort of sad too. Unplugged wasn't so bad. In fact, it was pretty nice. Okay, so my refrigerator and coffee maker are still must-haves, and I'd be dishonest if I didn't admit that I was going through blog withdrawal (just a little bit), but I'm hoping that my family comes away from this experience with the realization that life goes on when the TV goes off, that there's always fun to be had and memories to be made, and when life gives you gauze, make mummies*...

*No stuffed animals were harmed in the making of this blog post.

I GIVE GOOD WHAT?

Have you been acquainted with the 5th Sister?

No, that's Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister

No, that's The Flying Nun: Sister Bertrille

Yes, now you've got it. That's Polly ~ a.k.a. The 5th Sister

(Musings and ramblings of a devoted wife and Catholic home-schooling mom)

Thoughtful insights? CHECK! Witty Commentary? CHECK! Entertaining features? CHECK! Inspiring? Uplifting? Funny? Frank? YOU BET!

Add THOUGHTFUL AND GENEROUS to that list too...

THANKS FOR THE AWARD POLLY! YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO MAKE A GIRL BLUSH!

I'm passing the award on to...

1. Liz at "21st Century Housewife" ~ no one has ever made Ramen with such grace and style!
2. Julie at Copia's Purse ~ Most of my favorite blogs deal with crafts and cooking. But here, Julie tackles the really tough issues of crafting your financial well-being and investing wisely to make your "dough" rise!
3. Joy at "Joy to the Blog" ~ check out her latest "woman's day "best of" neighbor's homemaking tricks through the dark ages" Where can else can you get advice like, "~ Use a pair of pliers to peel a boiled tongue. {1944}"
4. "Tried and True Cooking With Heidi" ~ Gotta love a gal with a naughty cookie cutter!
   

BLOGGING ~ REWARDING AND AWARDING...

Her recipes: FABULOUS.

Her style: UBER-CHIC!

Her entertaining ideas and creations: INSPIRING!

She's witty, fun, and generous too!

Holly at 504 Main, you're like "buttah". And now, YOU'VE really gone over the top by bestowing upon me not one, but two awards! My eyes are welling up; throat feeling tight; indeed, I'm faklempt! Thank you Holly!

The first award is "One Lovely Blog". Here are the rules: Accept the award, post it on your blog along with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award along to several other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award...

It was hard to choose just a few, but here goes...

1. Whisker Graphics ~ check out her "FREE Owl Editable Printable Download" !
2. Helene at "I'm Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor" ~ her "Memo to the Bosses" is a must read!
3. Wooden Nickel ~ her post "Look Up" is uplifting and inspiring..

The next honor, for which I'm oh-so grateful is "The Over the Top Award" which came to 504 Main by way of Matty over at Matty Thoughts. Here are the rules: Same as above with the addition of answering the fun little questions below with ONLY one-word answers.

I'm passing this one on to:

1. Little Miss Heirlooms : for her whimsical style, great vintage taste, her NEW ONLINE STORE, and for bringing back happy childhood memories. -- AND--

2. BABELISME: talented, generous, cute, fun, and a whole bag o' chips! Check out her "Halloween Essentials Invitation Card" download!

1. Where is your cell phone?...Table
2. Your hair? ......Blonde
3. Your mother? ......Devoted
4. Your father?.....Flatulent (sorry Pops!)

5. Your favorite food? ......Sushi
6. Your dream last night?......Chandelier
7. Your favorite drink?....Coffee
8. Your dream/goal? .....Happy
9. What room are you in? ......Dining
10. Your hobby? ......creating
11. Your fear? .....balloons
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?......here
13. Where were you last night?.....home
14. Something you aren't?.....perfect
15. Muffins? .....Yes!
16. Wish list item? ......Letterpress
17. Where did you grow up?...... Pebble
18. Last thing you did?...... lunch
19. What are you wearing? ......smile
20. Your TV? .....on
21. Your pets? .........pups
22. Your friends? ......treasured
23. Your life?......rollercoaster
24. Your mood? ......dandy
25. Missing someone? ......Mimi
26. Vehicle? ......hybrid
27. Something you're not wearing? ......Shoes
28. Your favorite store? .......TesuttiZoo
29. Your favorite color? ......Pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? ......lunch
31. Last time you cried? .....Thursday (same answer as Holly, hmmm...)
32. Your best friend?......priceless
33. One place that I go over and over? .......Mercantile
34. One person who emails me regularly?.......Sara
35. Favorite place to eat? .......sushi

NEW SLIDE SHOW

I found a great new service for posting slideshows

http://www.slide.com/
I was able to upload my whole portfolio from Flickr and

create this new slideshow in a flash. Yippee!

LITTLE MISS HEIRLOOMS ~ TAKE A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY...

What was your favorite toy from childhood? I loved anything from the Fisher Price Little People line. I had the circus train (below), the parking garage, the schoolhouse (remember the alphabet magnets and chalkboard door?), but my fav of all favs was the Sesame Street Apartment building! I look forward to hearing about your favorite childhood playthings...thanks for sharing!

Just look at Gordon! Dude was seriously hip! His style was way before its time ~ the shaved head, the goatee. You've just gotta love this guy!

Fellow blogger Little Miss Heirlooms has opened the most wonderful online store featuring vintage finds that will bring back the happiest of childhood memories. It's welcoming, charming, and full of whimsy ~ and that's just the layout...just wait till you see the treasures within...

Remember these classics? I do believe I had this lamp. Yes, yes...it's all coming back to me...for years I fought the urge to pry the sweet little wooden figures from the lamp base and play with them. It just didn't seem fair to have such charming toys glued down in a child's room. I didn't yet get the concept of "for decorative purposes only". I remember those party hats! They were so fancy; so deluxe compared to the standard cardboard cone ones. When someone had these beau chapeaus at their party, you just knew their parents spent the big bucks!

Take a wonderful trip down memory lane yourself ~ with a visit to Little Miss Heirlooms. Visit her blog to enter for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate.

Please share your "toy story" in the comments section below. Thank you!

FREE VINTAGE CLIPART -- FALL GRAPHICS

FIRST, CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: I OWE MY INSPIRATION FOR SHARING THESE UPLOADS TO KAREN WHO IS BETTER KNOWN ONLINE AS THE GRAPHICS FAIRY. SHE HAS THE MOST AMAZING COLLECTION OF VINTAGE IMAGES ANYWHERE ONLINE. PLEASE PAY HER A VISIT.

Next, I have two people to thank for my personal collection of vintage postcards and ephemera~ My grandmother, Catharine, who was a scrapbooker and collector; and my husband's Great Aunt Roey, a consummate entertainer, creator, and family historian. From Roey, we have hundreds of incredible postcards, photographs, and cards ~ I look forward to sharing my favorites over Christmas and Valentine's especially. Catharine inspired my own love for things of the past, which started me collecting when I was only about twelve-years old.
Please enjoy these old treasures and feel free to share. These images are free to use for non-commercial purposes.

BROWNIE BOOKPLATE

This first piece comes from the book "Brownies Around the World" from 1894. This book is full of wonderful illustrations.

BROWNIE BANNER

"Upon the land as on the deep, a sharp lookout the wise will keep"

BROWNIES IN THE DARK
strange, but charming, arent' they?

BROWNIE MOON
"Every month brings pleasure bright. If the heart is only right."

MARCH OF THE GOBLINS COVER
Delightful sheet music from 1925

MARCH OF THE GOBLINS MUSIC

PETER, PETER, PUMPKIN EATER
Mother Goose Rhymes-Nursery Tales, 1922

LITTLE MISS MUFFET
Mother Goose Rhymes-Nursery Tales, 1922

THANKSGIVING POSTCARD
Great Aunt Roey's collection

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
from my old movie collection

THE SLEEP WITCH
Rhymes for Kindly Children, 1916
(Illustrated by Johnny Grulle, the creator of Raggedy Ann)

OFF TO BED
Vintage Postcard, Auction lot

Sweet dreams, and happy creating !

xoxo Jenn

BABYGAGS GIVEAWAY ~ FOR HIPSTER BABIES AND THEIR PEEPS

Just a little somethin' for SITS SUNDAY SHOUT OUTS…
One winner will be drawn at random on Sunday, November 1
Your choice of

100% Cotton, made in the USA, babygags onesie, black
“I suck, therefore I am.”
Size 6 mo. –or- 12 mo.

Retail: $22

~OR~

100% Cotton, made in the USA, babygags Toddler Tee, black
“TRASHTALKER In his contemplations on what is real Plato uttered: “If a baby talks trash in the crib, and no one is there to hear, did the baby really talk trash?” 450 bc, Greece, Diaposium”
Size: 24 mo.

Retail: $22

TO ENTER: FOLLOW ROOK NO. 17 (PUBLICLY), THEN COMMENT BELOW TO LET US KNOW YOU DID IT. EASY AS THAT. IF YOU'RE ALREADY FOLLOWING (THANK YOU), JUST POST A COMMENT.

CARDS FOR KIDS ~ HOME EDITION...

If you haven't already read about the wonderful "take-action" group "CARDS FOR KIDS", please read the post below.

The girls had some friends over today and I decided that it was a perfect opportunity to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak

(i.e. make some cards... for kids).

Here's the "recipe":

1 very worthy cause
2 8-year old girls
2 4-year olds, assorted
6 glue sticks
1 glue gun
1 Martha Stewart ballpoint-tip glue pen for fine glitter detail
cardstock and scrapbooking paper
glitter, buttons, doodads and plastic spiders
muffin cups & doilies
Halloween printouts (thanks to Matthew Mead, Martha Stewart, and my favorite: Emily at Inside a Black Apple)
Miscellaneous ephemera (old sheet music, schoolbook and dictionary pages)

The kids had a great time creating from the craft table smorgasbord, and were excited about the fact that their creations are going to other children.

CARDS FOR KIDS ~ CREATE, GIVE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD

I HAD SEVERAL INSPIRATIONS come to mind for articles today. My head was thinking, “TGIF! How about a weekly Happy Hour post featuring seasonal cocktail recipes?” I was getting all toasty just thinking about my favorite Fall beverage: The Hot Apple Pie. But my heart was thinking something entirely different. And I felt pretty warm and toasty thinking about it too…

…Despite a genuine desire to get involved and be an agent of change, we’re sometimes discouraged by the magnitude of the worlds’ problems. Personally, I often get so wrapped up in my little world and mini-dramas that I forget the power of the butterfly effect ~ that often a small, good gesture can have potent results.

I was delighted yesterday, when my dear friend Sara forwarded me some information about a cause called “CARDS FOR KIDS”. The goal of “CARDS FOR KIDS” is to make and deliver cards, goodies, etc. to children who are in the hospital or living in shelters at holiday time. Their latest drive is for Halloween cheer, to be distributed all over Southern California on October 30th (along with Halloween candy of course!).

The good people at “CARDS FOR KIDS” WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP, so they can bring a little something to as many kids as possible. Here’s how to help:

1. Make a few Halloween cards or masks
2. Mail them, before October 30th, to:
Jodie Kocur, Assistant Professor, Psychology Department

California Lutheran University

60 W Olsen Road

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
3. Share this information with your child’s teacher at school. Perhaps they’d be interested in participating as a class project.

What a wonderful project to do with your children, and an excellent opportunity to talk to them about reaching out to others in need and the spirit of giving.

Eager to learn more, I contacted Jodie Kocur, the driving force behind “CARDS FOR KIDS” and enjoyed the following interview:

ROOK NO. 17: Jodie, what was the inspiration for the creation of "Cards for Kids"?

JODIE: The inspiration was an experience I had when my daughter was first born. When she was born her doctor was worried she might have a very serious infection and so we lived in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks while they tested her and gave her antibiotics through an IV. Easter happened to fall during that time and it made it even harder to be in this scary situation over a holiday when we would usually be celebrating and surrounded by family and friends in our home. It also made me so sad for the other children and families who were in the hospital with us, who were also missing their Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets, and family celebrations. . After that experience, I wanted to do something for the families and children who are experiencing a very difficult time and on top of that have to be away from home for a holiday and may be feeling very alone.

ROOK NO. 17: So, how did “Cards for Kids” get started?

JODIE: Although my personal experience started me thinking about doing something, the true catalyst for the program was when a student in one of my classes (I am a professor of psychology at California Lutheran University and I teach Child Development, Child Psychopathology, etc.) approached me and shared that she had the same desire I did to do something for these children. Our common desire started the program. Last year, it started with just her and I sitting out in a common area on campus at a folding table and asking students to stop and write Easter cards for the children. We delivered over 80 hand-made cards along with candy and Easter eggs to the children and families at the Ventura County Medical Center, where I had been with my daughter. The day I brought the cards was the first time I'd been back since we were released with a clean bill of health for our newborn and I couldn't help but break down and cry. I know that these cards are not a huge thing, but if they help these children and families get through just one more day in their journey and fight for health, then I will feel we've made a difference.

ROOK NO. 17: What has been the response to “Cards for Kids” from your campus? The community at large?

JODIE: After the first event, many students approached us with the desire to help and we realized that with their help, and the help of others, we could grow the program and reach many more children and hospitals. In addition to our goal of reaching more hospitals this year, one of our team members came up with the idea to also try to deliver to shelters. And that brings us to today! This is our first event since the event for Easter last Spring.

ROOK NO. 17: Where can people go if they want to find out more about “Cards for Kids”, or find a link to pass the information on to others?

JODIE: My students encouraged me to share the event on Facebook. I am already so excited about the way that Facebook has helped spread the message to others that may want to help, just like you, Jenn!

To show your support for “CARDS FOR KIDS” or to find out more, visit their event page on Facebook
HERE

“IF YOU CAN’T FEED A HUNDRED PEOPLE, THEN FEED JUST ONE” ~ MOTHER TERESA

FANCY SCHMANCY CUPCAKE LINER TUTORIAL, STARRING PEACHES & LITTLE LU

Ever wanted to make those fancy little parchment cupcake/muffin liners at home? Peaches and Little Lu are here to show you how. Peaches and Lu were passed on to me by my grandmother, Catharine. Catharine wasn't known for her cooking, but what she did give to me, besides Peaches and Lu, is an appreciation for things from yesteryear. She was a scrapbooker, a collector, and inspired my nostalgia for family history and ephemera.

So, without further ado, we give you:

THE FANCY SCHMANCY CUPCAKE LINER TUTORIAL

Step 1: Cut Parchment Paper (available in grocery and craft stores) in to 5.5" squares

Step 2: Lay parchment square evenly over cupcake opening on your cupcake pan

(note: Little Lu was resentful about being left alone to do this hefty chore while Peaches was off watching Days of Our Lives. "Who cares if Nicole's secret about the baby switch is finally out!")

Step 3: Using a drinking glass or jar, the same diameter as the cupcake opening, gently press to mold parchment to pan. (note: "Has this glass gotten smaller?" Peaches regrets eating that extra cruller and forgoing her AM Yoga class)

Step 4: Remove glass, crimp any weak folds in the parchment, fill with batter and bake

~FIN~

"What's the point," you ask? You want to bake, not do oragami? Then check out some of our favorite resources for premade, fancy schmancy cupcake and muffin liners:

CUPCAKE SOCIAL~ "Making Cupcakes Too Cute to Eat"

Hey Yo Yo!

Fancy Flours

You can get the premade parchment tulip cups in packs of 50 here:

Kitchen Krafts

NEED A LITTLE VALIDATION?

I've often sung the praises of fellow blogger Melissa at Operation Nice for her inspiring posts, stories, ideas, and projects promoting the idea that "a little NICE goes a long way."

When I stopped by OPERATION NICE this evening I was treated to wonderful gift in the form of a short, but powerful film titled "Validation". Four minutes into the film I was already feeling uplifted and inspired to start my own mobile "Validation" booth. The beginning packed such a powerful punch that I wondered, "with twelve more minutes to go, can the rest of the film deliver?" It did.

With style, wit , charm and a catchy soundtrack, "Validation" reminds us all what a big difference a little bit of sincere kindness can make.

P.S. Melissa, loving the blue hair!

APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH BOURBON BROWN SUGAR SABAYON

I was inspired by fellow bloggers to don my apron and inventing cap and enter "The First Ever Chic Cupcake Challenge" sponsored by Pink Sugar Desserts and Dollface Delights. My daughters Madeleine and Max enjoyed the process as much as I did, and we were all very pleased with results. We hope you will be too. Here's the description:

Fall is apple picking, brisk air, a warm fire, spice… My humble cupcakes were inspired by those things I love best about the season. The applesauce cake is moist and tender, with delicate spice. It marries beautifully with the richness of the brown sugar Sabayon. The Bourbon Lace Crunch adds a dimension of texture ~ a light buttery crunch that takes the experience to another dimension.

I was initially stumped when it came to the garnish. I wanted something attractive, yet delicious. Rather than something that simply acted as "window dressing", I wanted a garnish that would add even more "WOW" to the marriage of flavors and textures from the cake and the Sabayon. What resulted from my musings was a new take on the old classic lace cookie. The hint of molasses added richness and complexity. The bourbon provided a note of continuity. The crunch is delicate, buttery, and starts to melt on your tongue with your first bite of creamy Sabayon and tender cake.

There are four days left to vote for your favorite Fall/Autumn Cupcake Recipe at Pink Sugar Desserts. If you like what you see here, I'd be oh-so-delighted with your vote! Thank you!

Please feel free to dowload and share the following original recipe. Happy Baking! ~ Jenn

Applesauce Cake With Brown Sugar Bourbon Sabayon

THE WRITING ON THE BLACKBOARD

And the winner of the Sprout Boutique merchandise giveaway is:

Sydney of Diapers and Deadlines: Musings of a Media Mom!

A very special thanks to "This Stop Willoughby", Julie, Amanda of "I am Mommy", Amy, Marina of "Energizer Bunnys Mommy Reports", Natalie Jane of "Natalie's Sentiments" (and a few other wonderful blogs), Holly of "504 Main" and "Hip, Stylish & Totally Cool Weddings", Iris at "Tales of a Modern Mommy", and the 5th Sister for leaving comments and/or entering!

It really means a lot to this bird!

Please help me show some love for these supportive ladies by visiting their blogs and letting them know you stopped by.

Stay tuned for new additions to the Sprout Boutique line. For information on where to purchase the Chalkboard Tees, visit them HERE.

i (HEART) bloggers!

I am frequently struck by the generosity, creativity, sincerity, and altruistic nature of my fellow bloggers. The number of giveaways, free tutorials, recipes, patterns, projects and original ideas is positively staggering! It's a breath of fresh air to find a group of people so dedicated to community, positivity, and "paying it forward". It makes the world feel smaller in a really nice way!

I am honored to announce that my new BlogAmiga, "This Stop Willoughby" has awarded me "THE FRIENDS AWARD". I'm giddy with glee, really!

THE RULES TO THIS AWARD ARE:

• This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming.
• These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. (They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.)
• Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated.
• Please give more attention to these writers.
• Deliver this award to other bloggers who must choose others to pass it on to and include this *Cleverly-written* text into the body of their award.
• It isn't specified how many bloggers I am supposed to pass this award along to, but I think four sounds about right.

I'm just as excited to pass this award on as I was to receive it!

Here are four (okay, actually five) special bloggers (and new friends) I would like to give it to:

My first nominee would have been Holly at 504 Main, but, as fate would have it ~ she was also a recipient of the award from Willoughby!

1. Audrey & Maude ~ one of the first blogs I started to follow ~ wonderfully creative ideas, style and generosity!
2. How About Orange ~ DIY Tutorials, Free Downloads, ALWAYS an inspiration!
3. Tangarang ~ Free dowloads, great ideas, exquisite sense of style!
4. And for generosity of spirit in the form of lots of belly laughs brought on by amazing writing... Shannon at Show Me The Mom and Helene at I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor

PROJECT RUNWAY..PLAYGROUND EDITION...

WANNA WIN ONE?

ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY...WHY NOT?

IT'S QUICK, EASY AND PAINLESS! PROMISE WE WON'T SPAM YA, SELL YOUR INFO, OR FEED YOUR DOG FROM THE TABLE.

WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AT RANDOM THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 5:00 PST

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique page on Facebook and join the group. -- AND --
2. Visit the Rook No. 17 discussion board on Facebook and post your answer to the baby related question
3. Leave a comment at the end of this post to let us know that you've stopped by and have done the above.

If you're not a member of Facebook, here's an alternative:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique website and take a look at the Chalkboard Tees section. Then,
2. Post a comment on this post and tell us which Chalkboard Tee design you like best.

WANT AN EXTRA ENTRY TO WIN?

Simply "follow" this blog by clicking the "Follow with Google Friend Connect" button and following "publicly". Then leave me an additional comment to let me know you did it. Again, this won't make you vulnerable to SPAM, give me rights to your first-born, or require you give a toast at my cousin's wedding.

For more info, visit this POST.

AND THE WINNER IS...EVERYONE!!!

WELL, IT FELT A BIT LIKE PULLING TEETH TRYING TO GENERATE SOME ENTHUSIASM FOR THE "FLOWER FAIRY KIT GIVEAWAY". Perhaps I should have made them into "tooth fairies". Hmmm, actually not a bad idea (note to self: add little silk tooth pouch to flower fairies...call them "tooth fairies").

Getting back to the subject at hand, I want to extend a tremendous THANK YOU to Holly, Felicia, Rachel, Jaime and Julie for entering. I am happy to announce that you have ALL WON! I will be sending each of you a flower fairy kit with enough supplies to make two fairies each. All you need to do is email me your mailing address.

Ladies, thanks again for your participation and support! Happy crafting!

~ Jenn

SKINNY PUMPKIN SOUP

Happy October! Although it involves my complete resignation to the fact that we're 3/4 of the way through the year, I always greet October with a measure of excitement. Many years ago my husband and I started the tradition of celebrating the arrival of October with a bowl of homemade pumpkin soup on October 1. This year, I have embraced my self-proclaimed title of "foodie" with a bit too much zeal. On a subconcious level I must have been trying to find a very personal way to pay homage to the October "squash of the month". No need for a Halloween costume this year. I already look like a pumpkin.

Of course I've decided to pick October as the month to start a healthier eating program, since there's little temptation in the months ahead (insert canned laughter here). My first assignment ~ transform my traditional "October Celebration Pumpkin Soup" recipe into a "Skinny Pumpkin Soup" recipe without sacrificing flavor, richness, and bowl-lickability!

I won't bore you with too many of the details. I started with the obvious: reduce the amount of butter. I wanted to boost sweetness and body without the use of heavy cream and added sugar. To accomplish this, I used sweet potatoes. Perfect! The natural sugars in the sweet potatoes allowed me to reduce the quantity of honey. I replaced the heavy cream with evaporated milk. These simple changes yielded a rich and creamy soup with good complexity and balance. Unlike a lot of pumpkin soups, this one doesn't taste like liquid pumpkin pie (Ewww!)

If you speak "Weight-Watcher-ease", you can have a large bowl (1.5 cups) of this soup for ONLY 4 POINTS! Now, that's cause to celebrate! Enjoy!

Skinny Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

1 Tablespoon butter
1 pound sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise, skinny ends trimmed off
2 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed with the blunt end of a knife
48 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 Tablespoons honey
½ cup evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350.

On a baking sheet, arrange halved sweet potatoes. Spray both sides with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until fork tender. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins. Set aside.

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until shallots are translucent and garlic pieces begin to brown. Add sweet potatoes and combine with garlic/shallot mixture, breaking up sweet potato as you stir.

Add stock, then whisk to combine. Whisk in pumpkin, salt and spices and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium- low for 15 minutes, uncovered, whisking periodically to prevent burning on the bottom. Reduce heat to low. Using a stick blender (or transferring soup to a blender or food processor), process until smooth.

Stir in evaporated milk and honey and cook at a low simmer for five more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a dollop of creme fraiche or lowfat sour cream and enjoy.

Serve with a crusty multi-grain bread.

ATTACK OF THE 65 POUND ZUCCHINI

The world's largest zucchini, to date, is a whopping 65 pounds ~ the average weight of an eight-year-old boy. Wow!

"Why the fascination with giant zucchini," you ask? Well, it all started back in around 1981 when my family decided to turn our side yard into a vegetable garden. After several weekends of sifting rocks and debris from the sandy soil (my brothers and I didn't mind...we were pretending to be 49ers panning for gold), adding in some good ol' manure (remember this was back in the days before organic soil and compost were readily available), and hoeing some rows, we we were ready to "grow". Please pardon the garden puns ~ I clearly can't help myself. We planted carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, corn, an assortment of herbs, and zucchini.

I should probably mention that I grew up in Pebble Beach, California (simple little ranch home, not an estate) ~ an area not typically know for it's sunshine or good climate. We lived in the part of Pebble Beach known as the Fog Belt. Nice, huh? You can probably figure out where this is going...tiny little mutant carrots, a few handfuls of herbs (Oh yay, CHIVES! Kids just love CHIVES!), and a single strawberry that looked like Jimmy Durante. We were all so discouraged by this pitiful harvest that we didn't even bother to ask a neighbor to water what was left of the garden when we took off for vacation. Fast forward three weeks...

...We return home from vacation, expecting a wasteland of brown, shriveled vegetation. And that's exactly what we found, except, in the midst of the dryness and decay, we had, what from our child's-eye-perspectives seemed like a 65 pound zucchini! It was probably only about 6 pounds, tops, but it was still pretty impressive.

My mom turned that behemoth into several dozen loaves of the most wonderful zucchini bread ever! I've been nostalgic for zucchini ever since. So, when I visited my friend Carri's ranch last year, I was positively giddy when I saw a whole row of giant zucchini. Carri was kind enough to let me take one home. I took it to school the next day (did I mention I work at an elementary school?) where I was able to show it to several classes. I had each class guess how many zucchini muffins they thought it would make. That night, I baked, and baked, and baked... 256 zucchini muffins to be exact. The kids were thrilled to eat the "results" the next day. There was enough leftover to feed the entire staff.

Whether you have a monolithic zuch of your own, or just enjoy a good slice of zucchini bread now and then, here's my mom's very own, super easy, always delicious recipe:

Momjane's Zucchini Bread (love ya mom!)

3 cups flour ( I now make it replacing one cup with whole wheat flour ~ tastes great)
1 TB cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift first five ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat sugar and oil till well blended.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Stir in zucchini.

Add dry ingredients. Stir well, but do not overbeat.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans (or five mini loaf pans, or a few muffin tins).

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Please join in the fun by sharing your own freakazoid veggie stories...

LUNCHBOX HEROES REVISITED ~ starring YOU!

Back in August, my friend Jill inspired me to put together an article taking on the issue of picky eaters vs. school lunch. It's an issue I can relate to. Packing a healthy lunch for my eight year old daughter is a daily challenge. It's involved much trial and error and a lot of uneaten food. I think I have it figured out for now, but my formula alone was not enough to solve the woes of all the other parents out there. So, I consulted the EXPERTS: my dream team of amazing mom friends. Thanks ladies!

I started off the discussion with one of my daughter's lunchbox favorites:

HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX: What's great about this is that it's a fun activity as well. We start out by picking healthy items from the grocery store ~ nuts, dried fruits, seeds, whole grain cereals, etc... Have the kids pour all the ingredients into a large zip-loc bag and shake to combine. Instead of buying all of those prepackaged snacks that are loaded with preservatives and sugar, you have a fun and delicious snack that will last for weeks, is packed with protein, omega 3s, and whole grains.

The next great idea came from one of the hippest mommies I know ~ Ahnalisa, who said:

"My kids love soup of any kind. Noodles, vegtable, bean you name it. It is quick to heat on the stove in the morning and we pack them in a stainless steel thermos we picked up at Rite aid. Trader Joes has great soup selections. I have them pick a fruit and this usually does it."

Fellow foodie, Iris offered:

"For easy stuff I don't have to make, my kids LOVE Hummus with pita and veggies. Also, grilled cheese with tomato and black forest ham."

School chum Jacqueline (now an elementary school teacher herself) took the hummus concept in a fun new direction:

"Big pretzels and hummus!"

Emily, a very creative and crafty Mompreneur, added:

"black olives and dill pickles-not together but they are a great "something else" when I feel like the lunch is lacking."

Geri, who never fails to put a smile on my face said:

"Wraps! When I feel like it's time for a little change in the ol' lunch pail, I use whole wheat flatbread instead of whole grain bread. You can spread all kinds of things (cream cheese, mustard, hummus, you name it!) then add whatever kind of meat you like (or not), then lettuce, dill pickle, the possibilities are endless, then roll it up, press down to flatten just a bit and cut in a diagonal and presto...a really cool sandwich!"

Jill, the gal who started it all, chimed in with:

"We like to make our own version of healthy lunchables. I put my own spread with a kid friendly knife (p.b, cream cheese, whatever) and then cut out our own shapes of cheese, nitrate free turkey and whole grain crackers"

It was my friend Catherine, however, that had me wishing that she was packing my lunch!

"Sliced cucumbers with a dash of rice vinegar. Rice & black beans with corn, shredded cheese, tbl spoon of salsa verde. Dried fruit & nut mixtures. Whole wheat naan bread & hummus or edamame dip. Almond butter-honey sandwiches. Frozen mango chunks mixed with berries. Whole Wheat pasta w/ Parm cheese. Salmon salad sandwiches. Ham or turkey roll-ups. Small, whole apples. Melon slices. Oatmeal-raisin-walnut cookies."

Kristen, another childhood pal offered several delicious ideas:

"My son LOVES strawberries or bannana slices with vanilla yogurt to dip them in. Plus celery with cream cheese, cinnomon & sugar. He also loves pita bread with cream cheese & ham slices..Then I cut in funny shapes"

Sarah Henry of "Lettuce Eat Kale" did a wonderful feature on "Beating the Brown Bag Blues a.k.a. Taking the Stress Out of School Lunch". Check out her article HERE.

She included a great list of online school-lunch resources :
Epicurious: Back-to-school round-up includes lunch recipes, tips, and daily nutritional needs for kids
Ann Cooper: Healthy suggestions for school eats from the Renegade Lunch Lady
Vegan LunchBox: Inspired offerings from bento blogger Jennifer McCann
The Tiffin Tin: Lunchtime advice with a healthy dollop of humor from Lily Hamrick
What’s Cooking: Satisfying school lunch options from kids cooking instructor Michelle Stern
HealthNews: Loads of practical ideas — and a recipe for granola bars — from self-described suburban soccer mom Susan Brady

HAVE SOME GREAT TIPS OR LUNCHBOX TRICKS OF YOUR OWN?

PLEASE SHARE BY LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU POLLY POCKETS...MAKE CAKE!

A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO "THE POLLY POCKET PROBLEM"

(cake model courtesy of Mackenzie Erickson, age 3)

Rook No. 17 friend Gina H. from Oklahoma City recently posted a comment on Facebook that struck a chord, "We have entered the Barbie and Polly Pockets era of parenting." Anyone else been there? Are ya there now?

It was just a few years ago when the Pollys invaded my home en masse. Their teeny tiny shoes and micro mini skirts were scattered everywhere and I'm absolutely certain that if our civilization were to vanish, Polly Pocket shoes would be one of the few things that archaeologists would be able to find. I'm getting a disturbing visual of cockroaches skittering across an Armageddon landscape in little pink rubber shoes, but I digress.

It got to the point where I would vacuum even more than usual, in the hopes that I'd suck up half a dozen Polly pieces in the process, but this tactic was futile. Polly apparel is apparently the only thing that multiplies faster than dust bunnies.

So, I got to thinking, "How can I rid myself of these blasted toys once and for all and give the impression (to my children) of a loving and creative mom all at once?" The answer: The Polly Party. Yes, the Polly Party. All it took was an inexpensive pan, a box of cake mix, a box of instant pudding, some frosting and sprinkles, a gaggle of little girls, and all the flippin' Pollys in the house. Can you make the cake from scratch? Sure. Will the kids know the difference? No. I'm not always an advocate of cake mixes, but in this instance we're focusing on decorating and having fun, not a gourmet experience.

The inspiration for this idea was the classic "Barbie Cake" (aka the cake decorators' nemesis). You know the one: it's a big mound o' cake decorated to look like a ballgown. You stick a Barbie doll in the top and voila! Edible couture! In this case, you use the Wilton Mini Wonder Mold Pan (you can find it local craft stores for around $12) to make four mini "gowns" at a time.

Bake your "gown" cakes, set out some frosting and sprinkles, and let the kids go to work decorating! When they're finished simply insert a Polly in the top. Your child gets a fun and memorable party; your child's friends get a party favor; and your Polly Problem is gone!

Here are some links to get you started if you want to throw your own (Farewell to) Polly Party:

Wilton Mini Wonder Mold: http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=2105-3020

Excellent Selection of fancy sprinkles and decorations at Fancy Flours: http://www.fancyflours.com/cgi-bin/fancyflours/index.html

Easy Cake Recipe:

1 box cake mix
1 small box instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour your pan. Mix all ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill each cavity in the mini wonder pan 3/4 full. Bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool.

DON'T MISS THIS GIVEAWAY FOR YOUR LITTLE SPROUT!

Our friends Jaime and Lisa at Sprout Boutique have generously given us three fabulous gifts for this week's SWEET SUNDAY giveaway (formerly Sweet Monday Giveaways, but we felt disingenuous calling Monday "sweet").

One lucky winner, drawn at random will receive all of the following (a $50+ retail value)

1) Long sleeve cotton thermal shirt with in the "Give Peas A Chance" motif (size 6).
2) One pair of b&w polkadot certified organic legwarmers from BABEROO
3) One slate gray, supersoft cotton "Chalk It Up" t-shirt with the apple motif. (size 8) unisex

(If you're the winner and need other sizes, the gals at Sprout have assured us that they'll accommodate)

ENTERING IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3:

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique page on Facebook and join the group. -- AND --
2. Visit the Rook No. 17 discussion board on Facebook and post your answer to the baby related question
3. Leave a comment at the end of this post to let us know that you've stopped by and have done the above.
   

If you're not a member of Facebook, here's an alternative:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique website and take a look at the Chalkboard Tees section. Then,
2. Post a comment on this post and tell us which Chalkboard Tee design you like best.
   
   One lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced next Sunday, October 4.

We simply love the "Chalk It Up" tees from Sprout Boutique. They're made from the softest cotton and come in lots of different colors and sizes from 4-10. Motifs include apple, butterfly, heart, skyline, and our favorite ~ a tie!

For more info just click the pic!

TIRAMISU FOR DOTTIE & YOU!

I was nudged out of retirement this week for an opportunity to make some of my favorite little chocolate towers (I call them Parapets) for a very special birthday celebration. The inspiration for the flavor was the classic Italian dessert Tiramisu. I started with a little round of lady-finger cake, soaked with Italian espresso; banded it in a collar of white chocolate with a cocoa butter transfer in a black floral scroll pattern (making me nostalgic for my mom's old calico dishes from when I was a child). Once the chocolate had set, the "Parapets" were filled with a dark rum laced mascarpone cream, and topped with a light dusting of cocoa powder. To commemorate the special occasion, I made chocolate letters that sat atop each Parapet to spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOTTIE". I made some extras so I could share the love around the neighborhood, and am posting a modified version of my recipes below so that you can make some for your friends and family too!

TIRAMISU PARFAITS

6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream (for adding to yolks)
¾ cup cold heavy cream, for whipping

1 lady finger cake, cut into 1x1 squares (recipe below)
cocoa powder for dusting
whipped cream, to top the parfaits

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add 1/3 cup cream to yolks and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Set bowl with yolks over medium saucepan containing 1 inch gently simmering water; cook, constantly scraping along bottom and sides of bowl with heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir vigorously to cool slightly, then set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Whisk in rum until combined. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a large food processor, add mascarpone and cream cheese, and pulse until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl set aside.

In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat the 3/4 cup cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

TO ASSEMBLE PARFAITS

IN A GLASS ICE CREAM DISH OR GOBLET, start with a layer of mascarpone cream. Next, make a generous layer of cake. Sprinkle approx. 1 TB espresso or dark coffee over the cake. Add another layer of mascarpone cream. Add a dollop of whipped cream and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder. A chocolate covered espresso bean makes a nice little garnish on top.

AN EASY RECIPE for LADY FINGER CAKE

1 Box white cake mix
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12 x9 baking pan and dust with flour to prevent sticking. Mix all ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until a toothpick insterted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool and cut into 1x1 cubes.

GIVEAWAYS ~ THE WAY TO GO...

We absolutely fell in love with this adorable backpack from Made by Rae, and offered as a Guest Giveaway at Grosgrain Fabulous!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Giveaways a a wonderful way for new companies, artists, crafters and bloggers to get international exposure and gain a fan following. If you have a product that you would like to promote through Rook No. 17, please contact us.

HERE WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR FAVORITE GIVEAWAYS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE THIS WEEK:

• 250 Greeting Cards from "Stay At Home Mom": ENTER HERE
• A pair of SEE KAI RUN shoes ~ your choice: ENTER HERE
• Honey Mommy is having a great toy giveaway sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com, who sells everything from kid's chairs to toys. ENTER HERE
• Visit Otherhood for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Curly Cue Wall Graphics ("Want to spice up your walls or put some spunk in your room? Curly Cue offers really cute and unique wall graphics".) ENTER HERE
• Dolce Mia is offering one lucky reader a bar of soap, a liquid pump bottle of soap, a pump bottle of lotion and lotion tin in one scent of the winner's choosing. Visit Passionately Curious to ENTER HERE.
• "Now your little one can have his or her very own pair of Beibi shoes by Wee Squeak. The makers of these yummy little shoes are offering one lucky Bullfrogs & Butterflies Baby reader their choice of style and size from the Beibi line!" ENTER HERE.

Entering these giveaways is easy and free, and you'll always come out a winner because chances are you'll find a blog that you connect with, that speaks to your style and humor, and that you'll enjoy.

HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER HUNT ~ Free PDF!

Last year for my daughter's 7th birthday she requested that her party include a scavenger hunt. My husband and I had a lot of fun just putting the list of items together. We combed the internet, drove around town seeking inspiration, and went into a few local stores and public buildings making arrangements with the people who worked there. What resulted was an outrageously fun time for about twenty of my daughter's friends, plus their parents, siblings, and even some grandparents.

What I loved about this party was that it got everyone outdoors in the fresh air, moving around, seeing our hometown from a new perspective. It required teamwork and strategy, creative thinking and a good sense of humor. We live in the small Victorian town of Pacific Grove, California. Folks that know ol' "PG" will know right away that I likely reside in a "cottage", "bungalow", or "Victorian Charmer", all euphamisms for teeny-tiny-house-on-a-postage-stamp-lot. So, it's especially nice that with this type of party, you don't have to worry about paring down your guest list since most of the activities take place around town. Everyone convened back at our place after about an hour; lists were reviewed; prizes handed out; and then we enjoyed some of my husband's I-think-I-might-have-died-and-gone-to-hick'ry-pit-heaven BBQ.

If you're not off daydreaming about good BBQ, you're probably wondering what this has to do with Halloween. Okay, here's the deal: The birthday party Scavenger Hunt was such a success (based on feedback from all participants) that we decided to do it again for Halloween. The Halloween Scavenger Hunt turned out to be such a blast, that we decided to make it an annual event.

With candy corn & costume time just around the corner, I figured I'd post a free PDF of our Halloween Scavenger Hunt list for anyone out there who might be interested in rounding up a few friends, getting a little extra mileage out of those Halloween costumes, and starting a tradition of their own.

Here are some tips/guidelines:

1) Teams: you can either create teams based on your RSVP list or let your guests form their own teams.

2) Ask each team to bring a digital camera.

3) You can give bonus points to teams that come in costume.

4) We give each team an identical bag of "tricks" which includes their scavenger lists, pens & pencils, and some props. One of our favorite props is a roll of toilet paper. One of the scavenger hunt items involves wrapping a team member in the entire roll like a mummy, standing in front of a local museum.

5) Take a walking or driving tour around your town to get ideas to add some local flavor to your hunt.

6) Depending on your neighborhood, you may want to give your teams the option of using their car.

7) Send all the teams out at the same time and give them a return time. We typically give the teams an hour.

We'd love to hear your original ideas for Halloween Scavenger Hunt items in the "Comment" section below.

Thanks for sharing!

*photos appear courtesy of Holly at 504 Main, who participated in last year's hunt

Visit her own creative lifestyle blog at www.504main.blogspot.com

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

LYCEUM ~ INSPIRING A LIFE-LONG LOVE OF LEARNING

Many of my fondest and most profound creative memories from childhood are from the incredible art and science classes I took through the Lyceum of Monterey County. 2009 marks the Lyceum's 50th year as a non-profit that brings experts in our community from many disciplines into the extracurricular classroom to teach and inspire. In talking with other Lyceum Alumni spanning the decades, I have heard my sentiments echoed through their own vivid memories of their often life-changing and inspiring experiences at a Lyceum class.

So, "what is Lyceum," you may ask? Wanda Pan-Christiansen, Director of the Lyceum of Monterey explains it like this:

"The Lyceum's mission is to inspire a life-long love of learning. We accomplish this by offering enrichment classes that aim to stimulate children's:

• individual creativity
• intellectual promise
• academic motivation

The Lyceum's uniquely diverse program enriches the daily lives of students by helping them prepare for - and have an impact on - the future. We are dedicated to serving as many children as possible, with the belief that exposure to a broad range of experiences is extremely important for all children.The Lyceum offers opportunity to interact with enthusiastic teachers in unique settings, opening children's eyes to the possibilities of achievement and the joys of creative self-expression. The Lyceum also sponsors the annual Peninsula Spelling Bee (4th & 5th graders), the Mock Trial, Monterey County History Day and Science Fair."

This Fall/Winter session, the Lyceum is offering more than 50 different classes. Here are just a few examples of the programs being offered:

• Breeding Butterflies
• Robot Programming
• Fingerprinting
• 5 Day King Tut Egyptian Adventure
• Bake Bread from Scratch
• Veterinarian Animal Care
• Mother/Daughter/Sister Self Defense
• How to Write a Screenplay: Lights! Action! Movies!
• Meet an Astronaut in "Reflections on Human Space Flight"
• and many, many more...

I am pleased and honored to announce that I'll be teaching two classes in December:

The Wonkateers: Chocolatiering Workshop
Imagine yourself as Willy Wonka in this two-day hands-on class in the art of chocolatiering. Learn chocolate history, lore and techniques to make your own custom candies at home. Invent your own chocolate bar, chocolate dipped treats and make your own unique chocolate mold. Take home new skills and treats to share with friends and family!

$35.00
Grade: 3-8
Date(s): Th.-F; 12/3-4, Time: 4:00 - 6:00

Holiday Gift Workshop: Soap Making

Create custom soaps using a variety of techniques and fun materials. Each student will take home several projects including their own custom-made soap mold, so you can create at home even after the class has ended.

$35.00 ~ Grade:3-8 ~ Date: Tues. 12/01~Time: 4:00-6:00

If you're a resident of the Monterey Peninsula, what classes would you like to see the Lyceum offer in coming sessions? If you reside elsewhere, feel free to share your ideas as well! We enjoy your comments and feedback!

THE BEES KNEES

We think Sarah at Bit of Whimsy Dolls is simply "the bees knees"! In fact, the girls and I have Sarah to thank for keeping us "busy as bees" last week when we were home sick. The girls and I were getting cabin fever, and had the itch to be creative, so we shut off the tube, jumped online, purchased one of Sarah's PDF patterns for her original Baby Bumblee, and went to work. Our baby bees turned out absolutely adorable and are being snuggled by two very happy, and now healthy little girls. Thanks Sarah!

To purchase patterns from Bit of Whimsy Dolls, visit
http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/pdf-epatterns/

Check out Sarah's blog:

http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/blog/

You can even try out a pattern, for "Eddie Earthworm" FREE here:

http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/eddie-earthworm/

ROOK NO. 17 SAY'S "I DO" TO:

If there's a wedding in your future, or if, like me you're happily married but still enchanted by the dresses, the cakes, the whimsy and drama of weddingdom, you won't want to miss a new blog from author, wedding planner, style maven, and our very good friend, Holly Lefevre. HIP, STYLISH, AND TOTALLY COOL WEDDINGS is the ultimate "glam guide for the savvy bride." Holly describes this latest creative endeavor as, "Hip, stylish, & totally cool weddings for the budget savvy bride with above-average style, a fabulous and fun sense of herself, and distinctive ideas about her wedding. It speaks to the hip bride who knows the importance and impact smart spending and savvy thinking can have on her life and her wedding style."

We especially enjoyed the first installment of her feature tackling "WEDDING MYTHS".

We're looking forward to an interview with Holly precluding the release of her latest book, "The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book", and will be including a giveaway.

The resources available to brides have certainly expanded since I was married almost ten years ago, which prompts the question to my married readers, "if you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?" Hopefully, the groom would remain the same!

FREE FLOWER FAIRY TUTORIAL

By popular request, we've put together a free PDF tutorial so you can make some of these enchanting little flower fairies at home. Please share and enjoy.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a Flower Fairy Kit (includes everything you need to make three flower fairies, except the glue and wire cutters), please leave a comment below. Be sure to note an email address where we can reach you if you're the lucky winner of the October 1 drawing. Two winners will be chosen at random.

Flower Fairy Tutorial

IT'S APPLE PICKING TIME!

With the crisp, cozy, cinnamon-spiced season of Fall just around the corner, what better way to usher in the season than with a day of apple picking at a local farm? This month, farms all over the country open up their orchards to give us cityfolk the opportunity to stroll beneath their leafy canopies, heavy with crimson and golden fruits; to fill our bushels and baskets to the brim; to share the bounty with our friends and neighbors, the smell of flaky pies and tender dumplings wafting from our kitchen windows...

For those on the Monterey Peninsula, the place to visit is Gizdich Ranch located at 55 Peckham Road in Watsonville. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily you can pick Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Pippin apples for just $1.35/pound. Bring your own boxes or baskets, a picnic lunch and enjoy a memorable day with the family.

Try one of our favorite family apple recipes

ALL DAY APPLE BUTTER

(it's absolutely divine over vanilla ice-cream ~ like a warm apple pie sundae!)

• 5 1/2 POUNDS APPLES, PEELED, CORED, AND FINELY CHOPPED
• 4 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
• 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES
• 1/4 TEASPOON SALT

1. Place apples in a crock-pot.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3. Pour mixture over the apples in the crock-pot and mix well.

4. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

5. Reduce heat to low and cook 9-11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

6. Uncover and continue cooking on low for an additional hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.

7. Spoon mixture into sterile jars, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

CARAMEL APPLES ANYONE? FIND THE PERFECT RECIPE HERE.

LUNCHBOX HEROES ~ ENTER THE POWERBALL

We received an anonymous request during our contest from a reader who is looking for a "recipe for raw energy bars for kids lunches."

Here is a recipe for our family favorite, compliments of Wondertime Magazine, September 2008:

LUNCHBOX POWERBALLS

"These wholesome little snacks are simple to make and rival cookie dough eaten right out of the bowl (not that we'd do that). The easiest way to make them is to combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer, but the fun way is to push up your kid's sleeves and let her mush it all by hand."

Makes 40-48 cookies

Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup any combination of nuts and soft dried fruit(try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand.

Roll into Ping-Pong-size balls and, for maximum presentation value, put in paper mini muffin cups. You can eat them right away, but they'll be less sticky after a night in the fridge. They freeze well too, layered on wax.

AND HERE'S ANOTHER RECIPE FROM OUR LIBRARY FOR AN ENERGY BAR USING SOYNUT BUTTER , COMPLIMENTS OF NOB HILL FOODS:

Energy Bars

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thanks to all the friends and fans that participated in our first giveaway. It was fun reading all of your comments and stories. The challenge is on to meet all of your recipe requests ~ a challenge we look forward to in the coming weeks. We've already made some progress in tracking down the famous artichoke cupcake recipe for Holly, and are crossing our fingers that the talented baker that came up with this unique creation will be willing to share his genius with our readers.

So, without further ado, the winner is...SAMANTHA STEWART!

Congratulations Sam! You were interested in some great salad recipes, so we hope you'll give our "Peas, Love & Orzo" a try. You also inquired about some recipes for gazpacho. Turns out our pal Martha did a whole feature on gazpacho in the September issue of LIVING, and we're eager to try all four recipes, especially the "Gazpacho Ajo Blanco". You'll receive a copy with your t-shirt. But for instant gratification, we recommend her Cucumber Buttermilk Gazpacho. It's delightful!

Barb wrote in asking about a referral for online Singer sewing machine parts. Our friend Kate at the Sewing Forum recommends Ron at A1 Sewing Machines. We're working on a local lead for you for sewing machine repairs.

More recipe requests to be fulfilled shortly...

Thanks again!

PEAS, LOVE & ORZO SALAD

Some Saturday kitchen dabbling led to this easy and delicious twist on pasta salad. Please share and enjoy!

PEAS, LOVE & ORZO SALAD

1 pound box orzo pasta
7 oz. homemade or store bought pesto
10 oz. frozen peas
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
3 dozen grape tomatoes, quartered
Salt to taste

Fill a large stockpot with water, a good pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Bring to a boil. Add orzo and frozen peas. Stir. Cook for 9 minutes once water returns to a boil. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in pesto. Fold in feta cheese. Fold in quartered grape tomatoes . Season with salt to taste. Chill at least one hour before serving.

MONTEREY MINIS ~ A PICTURE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY

OUR FRIENDS JAIME AND LISA AT SPROUT BOUTIQUE WANT TO SHARE THIS "PICTURE PERFECT" OPPORTUNITY FROM THEIR FRIENDS AT ACHOR AND EDEN:

Subject: Monterey Mini's - Photography

Our friend has just moved here from Atlanta and is launching her photography business here on the Monterey Peninsula. She will be offering mini-sessions in the coming months - see details below!

Check out her website, her work is amazing - http://www.achorandeden.com/

What is a Monterey Mini?
A Monterey Mini is a mini photography session where you come to a set location for a 30-45 minute, laid-back photo session. Mini-sessions are ideal for quick and simple child or family photos and are perfect for holiday cards!

When and Where
Saturday, September 19th
Friday, October 23rd (perfect for Halloween costume photos)

Monday, October 26th (perfect for Halloween costume photos)

Friday, November 13th

Sessions are by appointment only at 8am, 9am, 10am, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm. Mini-sessions are held outdoors at Callie Murray's home in her garden located at 507 Granite Street in PG.

How Much?
A Monterey Mini-Session is $150 and includes an online gallery and a disc of high-resolution images. Holiday cards are offered at an additional cost.

Where do I Sign-Up or Get Additional Information?
Contact Callie Murray at http://www.facebook.com/l/;404.310.6080 or callie@achorandeden.com.

NOTE FROM THE ROOKERY: CHECK OUT HER BLOG: http://www.achorandeden.blogspot.com/

YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY BY THE TALENT AND CREATIVITY

SWEET MONDAYS ~ OUR FIRST CONTEST

WE'D LIKE TO THANK OUR READERS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, COMMENTS AND GENERAL JOLLY-GOODNESS WITH OUR FIRST OF WHAT ARE TO BECOME REGULAR CONTEST GIVE-AWAYS.

THE FIRST OF OUR "SWEET MONDAY GIVEAWAYS" IS OUR VERY OWN ROOK NO. 17 LONG SLEEVE TEE WITH OUR MASCOT AND LOGO IN REVERSE APPLIQUE. WINNER PICKS THE SIZE (BABY, CHILD AND ADULT SIZES AVAILABLE). SHIRTS ARE 100% COTTON, SUPER SOFT JERSEY KNIT, AND ARE MADE IN THE USA BY AMERICAN APPAREL.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

SIMPLY COMMENT ON THIS POST BY ANSWERING ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS (AND BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN):

1) It would be just ducky if I could find a great recipe for _____.

2) I'm a crafty bird who's looking for a great resource for _____.

3) Rook No. 17 is my favorite blog because _____.

4) Tell us about your fondest Halloween memory from childhood.

ONE WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AT RANDOM AND ANNOUNCED HERE ON MONDAY, AUGUST 24.

POLITICS OF THE PLATE

With the popularity of such groundbreaking books as Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation" and the recent theatrical release of the food industry expose "Food, Inc" the movement towards organic, sustainable, and genetically unaltered food may be on the rise. As the American consciousness about the things we put in our mouths continues its awakening, the media is striving to meet our craving for straightforward and up-to-the moment news on the food industry. Our friends at Gourmet Magazine are leading the way with their online (and in print) monthly feature POLITICS OF THE PLATE. In previous articles they've addressed such issues as "Toxic Strawberries? (California’s governor will soon decide whether to approve a new—and possibly very dangerous—pesticide for use on this beloved summer fruit.)", "Milking for Profit (One of the nation’s largest dairy processors could soon come under investigation by the Justice Department.), and "Politics of the Plate: Roundup Ready—or Not? (A court decision comes as good news for opponents of genetically modified crops. But is it the beginning of a political sea change, or just a blip?) ". From health and science to policy and corruption, Gourmet's talented staff of writers tackle the most current issues on our nation's plate.

You can find POLITICS OF THE PLATE at http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/.

NICE KITTY

While strolling around Capitola today with Connie (of Velvet Cupcakes fame, see post archive) we happened upon the most spectacular candy store ~ EYE CANDY, that is. KITTY MCNEIL has created some of the most unique, inspired, wow-eliciting jewelry we've ever feasted our eyes on (why yes, it's downright mouthwatering). She combines vintage pieces into new designs that delight, enchant, and evoke an immediate craving. Her eye for design, composition and color is apparent in every piece she uniquely creates. Recycling, nay, Upcycling, has never been so chic! As Kitty puts it, "Recycle, Re-bauble, Reborn!" A visit to Kitty is sure to put a smile on your face, some extra twinkle in your eyes, and some sparkle in your life. Visit Kitty McNeil at her eponymous storefront at 201 Monterey Avenue, Unit A in Capitola, California or visit her website at http://www.kittymcneildesigns.com/.

Special Note: If your name is Jeff Erickson and happen to have a certain anniversary coming up in September, we have it on good authority that your wife might have casually admired these earrings

OUR FAVORITE BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT

SCHULTUTE ~ The first day of school is an important milestone for children all around the globe. In Germany, many children receive a Schultute (pronounced shool-too-tuh). The Schultute is a whimsically decorated paper cone filled with school supplies and little treats. The treats are meant to symbolically sweeten the child's transition into the realm of greater responsibility (traditionally, the 1st grade, which is when German children begin their formal education). The tradition began back in the 19th century, when according to lore parents told their children that a Schultute tree grew in their teacher's yard. When the cones grew big enough it meant that it was time to start school. Today, children often decorate their own Schultuten as an end-of-year project at the completion of Kindergarten. Parents then fill the cone for the child to open after the first day of first grade.

We've attached a downloadable PDF of instructions for how to make your own Schultuten. Many high-end retailers are now offering premade Schultuten, but we like the idea of customizing your own to suit your child's unique loves and interests. You can find Do-It-Yourself Schultute at German Plaza along with an assortment of beautiful crepe papers, die cut scrap papers and trims.

Before you head out to the local craft store, take a look around your home. Chances are you have the makings of a beautiful custom Schultute right under your nose. The cardboard from a cereal box makes a perfect foundation for the cone. To decorate:

1. Scan in and print out pictures of your child
2. Download clipart online, then cut and paste
3. Use stickers or rubber stamps
4. Got an old children's book that's falling apart? Repurpose the pages to cover your Schultute
5. Doilies and cupcake liners can be used to add lace and fringe
6. Papier mache or paint over a plain cardboard cone.
7. Wrapping Paper

schultute

BI-RITE DYNO-MITE!

A few weekends ago we ventured up to the city to scope out the art scene, partake in some glorious dim-sum and experience Sam's Sundae at Bi-Rite Creamery. This legendary ice cream creation has been described as "perfection", "heavenly" and with the explicit sensual characterization typically reserved for lusty romance novels. The Bi-Rite Creamery menu describes Sam's Sundae thusly: "Chocolate ice cream with bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt and whipped cream." Unusual; even a bit bizarre! Olive oil on ice cream? I'm an adventurous eater, but must admit, I was a bit wary of how it would play out on the palette

We arrived on 18th Street at around 4:30 p.m. The streets were flooded with the uber-hip college crowd; sun was shining and a guy with a massive boombox affixed to his bicycle wound his way around the crowds blaring Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." We found a place in the line that extended all the way down the block. No matter, this was a people-watching-palooza ~ the highlight of which was a tall and elegantly slender African American man in a sparkling turquoise micro-mini, blind-folded by a gold mesh scarf, and accompanied by an entourage nearly as colorful as he. The line moved quickly, and before we could fully ponder the ethos behind the mesh blindfold procession, we were at the counter.

The sundae arrived in a plain paper bowl that belied its sophisticated contents. Sam's seduction played out like this: exquisitely creamy, deep and rich chocolate ice cream...a delicate, melt-in-your mouth salt-on-sweet nuance from the Maldon sea salt...an incredible aromatic backnote of fruity, orange bergamot dancing harmoniously with the chocolately topnotes...the soft, lightly sweet simplicity you can only get from freshly whipped cream...perfect balance...utter delight ... art... BLISS (cue angelic chorus)!

You may be tempted on your first trip by some of their other artistic fusions like Salted Caramel, Honey Lavender, Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles), Roasted Banana, Balsamic Strawberry, Brown Butter Pecan, Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces, & Brown Sugar with Ginger Caramel Swirl. But be advised, Sam's Sundae is gastronimic ecstacy. The others can wait.

While on 18th street, you may want to visit the Bi-rite Market across the street. Located in the city's historic Mission District, Bi-Rite Market has been San Francisco's premier neighborhood market since 1940. What makes them different is their "old-school" service you can't get at chain stores. Their shelves boast a huge array of organic, sustainable, and locally-produced items; making it easy for you to know where your food comes from.

BACH TO THE FUTURE

With fine arts programs in the public schools becoming about as rare as a Bach Opera, parents with a passion for classical music may be interested to know there is a rich variety of mulitmedia out there to help inspire a love and interest in classical music in the next generation. Here are some of our favorite picks:

The Composer is Dead, by Lemony Snicket (Book and CD) ~ "Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" has been the gold standard for introducing children to instruments since 1946. The concept has been embraced (some may say enhanced) by none other than Lemony Snicket, whose picture-book overview offers the additional layer of a murder mystery. The CD presentation features music by Nathaniel Stookey, performed by the San Francisco Symphony. The story is well paced, employing wordplay, humor, and mild suspense to build a slow crescendo that originates with the delicate strings and climaxes with percussion. The bombastic Inspector, read by Snicket on the CD, sports pinstripes, a bowler hat, and a handlebar mustache in the book. As he interrogates each section of the orchestra, the instruments describe their whereabouts on the night of the crime in characteristic voices, telling something about their actual roles while offering imagery for the illustrator. Thus, "'We were performing a waltz,' said the Violins. 'We played graceful melodies so the ladies and gentlemen could spin around and around and around until they felt dizzy and somewhat nauseous.'" —Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library


Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies ~ Inspired and wildly imaginative, Beethoven's Wig is one of the best introductions to classical music you could give to your children. Featuring snippets of 11 classical music staples--Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, et al.--the disc and its creators, Richard Perlmutter and friends, pour on the silly lyrics the first time around to familiarize young ears to the old masters. Then in the last half of the record, the orchestra plays the same "serious" music pieces instrumentally. You might cheerfully recall Alan Sherman's popular spoofs of old classical works in Wig and you'll again chuckle at pieces like "Drip, Drip, Drip," which adapts Delibes's "Pizzicato from Sylvia." You'll also marvel at the expertise throughout the CD, with all the pieces well played yet thoroughly fun. Beethoven's Wig is an orchestral treasure with a sense of humor as old or as new as its listeners (and the fun questions that run throughout the CD's liner notes are almost as entertaining as the zany musical interludes). Highly recommended. --Martin Keller

Also recommended: Beethoven's Wig II & Beethoven's Wig III

Beethoven Lives Upstairs ~ Based on the best-selling and award-winning Classical Kids CD, Beethoven Lives Upstairs was hailed upon its original release as "a video masterpiece" by the Boston Herald and "the best family film to appear in a long time" by the Ottawa Citizen. The television special has been seen on HBO, PBS, CBC, the Family Channel and YTV and the home video has sold more than 250,000 copies in North America. Based in part on historical fact and featuring more than 25 beautifully-performed excerpts of Beethoven’s best-loved works, Beethoven Lives Upstairs presents the great composer as a hero for today’s children.

To view other titles from this series, click HERE. This series is often found in public libraries ~ check it out!

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) ~ Red was Mozart's favorite color. Beethoven was a slob. Clara Schumann's concerts were so popular that police had to be called in for crowd control. In this enthralling work, Krull dishes 16 of the movers and shakers in musical history--from Vivaldi and the "three B's" (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms) to Gilbert and Sullivan, Woody Guthrie and Scott Joplin (early critics of his ragtime accused it of causing permanent brain damage and ruining people's morals). Readers who thrive on offbeat information will be delighted by the splendid array of fun facts lurking in these informative and accurate snapshot biographies. Krull masterfully distills the essentials of each musician's life into snappy prose, an attitude echoed in the book's lively, playful design (the introductory page for each musician, for example, contains not only pertinent information but tantalizing, often cryptic "kickers" as well--the one above Brahms's name alludes to his checked underwear, which audiences occasionally glimpsed when the absent-minded conductor forgot to fasten his suspenders). Hewitt's caricatures feature full-sized heads on tiny bodies--a slant that plays up the quirky presentation. She, too, has an eye for detail, pulling out appropriate visual tidbits from the text--Bach's prized silver coffeepots, for example, grace a page corner. Even those only remotely interested in music will be hooked by these living, breathing anecdotes--the stuff of which the best biography is made." ~ Publishers Weekly

Also in this series: Lives of the Writers & Lives of the Artists



Is there a "field guide" to composers? Indeed, if you wish to have a little flash-card fun with the family, you'll want to pick up a Fandex Family Field Guide to Composers ~ "Combining 50 individually die-cut cards with full-color illustrations, plus hundreds of intriguing facts, stories, statistics, and trivia, Fandex is the newest breakthrough in information-packed, family publishing. Composers is a chronological history of composers and their music, with intriguing facts, anecdotes, and musical insights into composers from Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven to Gershwin and Bernstein, together with other composers who form the Western musical canon.For kids who are learning it all for the first time, and grown-ups who want to get it straight, Fandex puts knowledge at your fingertips. In full-color. "

Many of these items can be found in our favorite catalog for music lovers (not just classical, but Jazz, Blues, and Musical Theater too), Music in Motion, including these unbreakable classic busts for the truly obsessed!

On PBS you can find the children's program "Little Amadeus". On the Wunderkind website, children can enter young Mozart's world to play games, learn about music, and even send an email message (and receive a reply from) "Little Amadeus".

Check the listings to find out when Wunderkind Little Amadeus airs in your area by clicking HERE.

Pacific Grove Art SEEN...

Vibrant, alive, happenin' and hip ~ words that those familiar with the California seaside town of Pacific Grove wouldn't typically attribute to a Friday night in this sleepy little hamlet. But on Friday, July 17, the town was pulsing with an artistic energy and youthful vibe thanks to the Pacific Grove Wine, Music & Art Walk. It seemed that the whole town had come out to enjoy the live music, visit the studios of local artists, and enjoy the hospitality of Pacific Grove's diverse galleries and unique shops. Here are just a few of the artists we met and whose work we connected with:

DANTE RONDO ~ "Photographic Images From Global Wanderings ~ exhibiting at the Pacific Grove Art Center. Dante, our friend and "tour guide" for the evening gave us a memorable tour through the Pacific Grove Art Center. The highlight, of course, was a visit to his studio where we enjoyed a peek at works in progress and lots of doggy kisses from his canine companion Cal. We had the pleasure of being introduced to many other local talents, personalities and creative forces behind the Pacific Grove art scene. Dante's website is not to be missed, http://www.danterondo.com/, where you can view a gallery of his work from Paintings (landscapes, floral, fantasy, figurative, and abstract) to Photography (breathtaking botanicals, travel and editorial, portraits and more).

PRINCESS SIMPSON RASHID ~ Colorful, Expressionistic, Engaging. We were taken with her most recent body of work exploring the relationship between abstract art, math and science. She explains, "I hope to encourage the audience to see connections between these disciplines by exploring the relationship between color, perception and symbolism. I’m specifically interested in the way the eye and brain communicate to enable visual perception. You can visit her studio at 170B Grand Avenue, visit her fine art shop on cafepress for gifts featuring her work http://www.cafepress.com/prashidart, and get to know her better through your insightful blog http://www.mediciclub.blogspot.com/

We were able to steal a peek of Sculptor, Painter, Poet FRANK SUNSERI working on one of his original glazed oil nudes at the PG Art Center in Studio 5. No images were available to post from this most recent collection celebrating the graceful curves of the human female form, but you can explore Sunseri's work through his online gallery: http://pipergrove.com/sunserigallery/

Glimpsed a rare and miraculous view of life beneath the waves in a photographic exhibit by San Francisco photographer Sara Shoemaker Lind. The large format prints on metal in her "A Mermaid's View" exhibit at the Pacific Grove Art Center were sublime.

Not to be missed is a collection of artist studios at 170 Grand Avenue where we had the good fortune to meet Sue Ann Hillyer in her studio just across from Princess Simpson Rashid. We could have stayed for hours chewin' the fat with Sue Ann and enjoying her work (especially a piece representing a woman's decent into madness), but alas the lights were going out, and Pacific Grove was settling back into it's sleepy little coma.

We look forward to a possible art class focusing on the works of Frida Khalo in development by Sue Ann, and will most certainly be a part of the lively crowd at the next Pacific Grove Art Walk, scheduled for Friday, August 14 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

The Pacific Grove Art Center celebrates their 40th Anniversary Saturday, August 15, 2009, 4-10 pm. "Starting at 4 pm, award-winning songwriter and children’s author Nancy Raven, will perform a children’s sing-along. She will be followed by the Aurora Symphony, PG High School students who will perform jazzy blues with a touch of Flamenco; the Peninsula All-Star Band, who will perform a variety of music; and The Rollin’ & Tumblin’ Blues Review, so wear your dancing shoes for rock and blues. Refreshments will be served."

SOMETHIN' THE BIRD HEARD...

One of our latest music favs here at the nest ~ Mitchell Schaffer ~ simply love him and think you will too!

"LA is littered with electro-indie outfits, but there are still a few great singer-songwriters scattered out there, if you know where to look. Take Mitchell Schaffer, an LA-based folksy rock artist, for instance. He mixes elements of jam bands with more heartfelt lyrics to create a sound all his own.
Schaffer’s recently released album, Inside of My Heart, is filled with songs that show his range as an artist. “Appreciate You” is the standout track with interesting lyrics and Schaffer’s signature vocals."

-- Story by Corey Crossfield, LA2DAY MUSIC

Schaffer's new self titled album is due for release soon. Pre-order your copy today.

THE DETAILS: Mitchell Schaffer

http://www.mitchellschaffer.com/

www.myspace.com/mitchellschaffermusic

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR FAVORITES

A few weeks ago, Rook No. 17 and friends visited the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco. "What is Renegade," you may ask? The Renegade Craft Fair is a unique event featuring many of the most talented artisans and craftspeople in the country. To quote one fan of RCF, "this aint your Gramma's craft fair!" The event is held annually in Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles & San Francisco. Each individual fair draws hundreds of applicants and tens of thousands of shoppers from all over the country and abroad! What sort of things can one find at RCF? You'll find thousands of handmade items from apparel to jewelry, posters to prints, craft kits, letterpress and other unique stationery, handcrafted plush, home decor, and much more. For the creatively inclined, the RCF is a great source of inspiration. Rook No. 17 was happy to see a lot of creative upcycling and recylcing going on. Here are some of our favorite vendors that we had the pleasure to meet at this July's Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco:

CHIAHATS: Absolutely the best hats ever! 'nuff said! (PICTURED ABOVE).

Willotoons (tagline: where geek meets n' roll)has some fun and original apparel for men, women and children. Our favorites were the Rock Squirrel toddler tee and their irreverent greeting card, "Your love of bacon makes my heart skip a meat"

Love, love, love what Stella Neptune is doing with vintage clothing. Using high quality vintage clothing, Stella Neptune adds an image from their repertoire of incredible graphic images to create something totally new, one-of-a-kind, and sure to garner compliments.

Kittybabylove has just about the cutest crayons we've ever seen!

Yes, we at Rook No. 17 have taste for the odd. And at RCF we just about fell head over heels for the plush t-bones, ham-bones, and pork chops from San Francisco's own Sweet-Meats. Bacon aficionados will want to snuggle up to their "Shapin' Bacon" plush pillow, and the people the that love them (the bacon aficionados, not the aforementioned meats) can proudly wear the "I love you more than bacon" (also available in 'pork', 'steak' and 'ham' versions) button. Do not miss their special "Deli wrapping" if ordering a gift for your meat loving friend.

Our favorite jewelry find was Mamas Little Babies. This "wife, mother, daughter, sister, artist, gardener" from Santa Cruz has created the most unique line of Victorian Illustration jewelry. Each original creation is a work of art and a conversation piece to be sure.

We love the artwork of Nate Duval. Check out his posters, art prints and t-shirts.

Ditto for Jen Skelley. We love her posters, art prints and especially her children's t-shirts.
The Rook No. 17 award winner for crative upcycling: KELSO DOESNT DANCE. Their etsy shop features wallets, billfolds, and card/coin carriers hand-made from vintage newspapers, maps and old dictionaries, birdwatching and garden books. They're durable, functional, and just plain cool!

It is an oft reported fact that birds, especially black birds, like shiny things, so it's no surprise that this bird went looloo for Miss Alison:handmade vinyl accessories! This is what happens when Doc Marten collides with a bumper car and we love it! Those with a penchant for all that glitters won't want to miss her wallets, checkbook covers, purses and belts. So sparkly! So fun! Yummy!

Buy handmade ~ support creative endeavors~ shop these vendors

OUR FAVORITE TRAVEL RESOURCE: OFFBEAT GUIDES

Planning a vacation this summer? Fed up with your current scene & packing your bags for an impromptu weekend escape? Tired of the same old travel guides with outdated information? Before you fly, drive, or pedal away on your next adventure, you need to visit Offbeat Guides. In just five simple steps you can build your own personalized travel guide tailored to your visit. What makes Offbeat Guides different? "Offbeat Guides are the first travel guides that you create online using the most current travel information available on the Internet for over 30,000 travel destinations. These personalized travel guides give you all of the information that traditional travel guides include, plus more. For the first time, you can personalize your guide based on your travel dates, destination, and personal travel interests." Cool, right? And the best part is that it's FREE.

COASTAL CANINE: BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE

Is your best friend of the furry, four-legged, squirrel chasing variety? Yes? Well, you may be interested in picking up a free copy of the Central Coast's premier magazine for dog lovers: Coastal Canine. This free, yes free, publication is chock full of great features for dog owners such as the "Training Corner", "Wellness", the "Travelling Canine", stories about canine heroes, heartwarming and inspiring rescue stories, book and restaurant reviews, and more. Coastal Canine has the most extensive list of upcoming and ongoing dog friendly events for Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Looking for beautiful local trails that are dog friendly? Are you seeking a special way to pay tribute to a departed pet? How about a resource for pet sitters, holistic pet care, pet training, and unique pet supplies? Look no further than Coastal Canine. Travelling to the Monterey Peninsula on vacation, or simply wanting to pamper your pooch with a night out on the town? Check out their full page listing of Dog Friendly restaurants and lodging on the Monterey Peninsula. Visit their website at www.coastalcaninemag.com for information on where you can pick up a free copy.