What are you gonna be for Halloween???

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, May luck be yours on Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Yep, it's almost here again. Soooo, what or rather who are you gonna be this Halloween? 

I've decided to go with my usual fall back out fit and dress as a fortuneteller. Or rather what we've come to think a fortune teller should look like. Basically, a boho lagenlook kind of out fit. 

(What? Never heard of Lagenlook? Hmmm, I'll have to do a little blog about it.)

 Anyhoo, I'll actually be telling fortunes! What fun!

So, since I know I'll be telling some fortunes I decided to look up some interesting and fun ones. I also thought about making Halloween Fortune Cookies but that was waaaaay too much like work! :-P

Here are some of the fortunes I found and a recipe for Halloween Fortune Cookies if you're interested.

Classic Dark & Scary Halloween Quotes & Fortune Cookie Sayings:

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"

At first cock-crow the ghosts must go

back to their quiet graves below.

~Theodosia Garrison

'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn

and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world.

~William Shakespeare

From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties

and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!

~Scottish Proverb

Double, double toil and trouble;

fire burn and cauldron bubble.

~Shakespeare

The witches fly across the sky, The owls go:

"Who? Who? Who?" The black cats yowl

and green ghosts howl: "Scary Halloween to you!"

Halloween wraps fear in innocence,

as though it were a slightly sour sweet.

Let terror, then, be turned into a treat.

One need not be a chamber to be haunted;

One need not be a house;

The brain has corridors surpassing material place.

~Emily Dickinson

You wouldn't believe On All Hallows Eve

what lots of fun we can make, with apples to bob

and nuts on the hob and a ring-and-thimble cake.

There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.  ~George Carlin

There is something haunting in the light of the moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery.  ~Joseph Conrad

'Tis the night of the grave's delight, and the warlocks

are at their play; Ye think that without

the wild winds shout, but no, it is they, it is they.

If a man harbors any sort of fear,

it makes him landlord to a ghost. 

~Lloyd Douglas

 Halloween Jokes

How do witches keep their hair in place when flying?

They use ‘scare-spray’.

How do monsters tell their fortune?

They read the ‘horrorscopes’.

Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?

No. They eat the fingers separately.

Where does a witch park after flying?

In the broom closet

What does a child monster call his parents?

Mummy and Deady.

What fairy tale do ghosts like best?

Sleeping Boo-ty.

Why do vampires need mouthwash?

They have bat breath.

What do ghosts eat for breakfast?

Ghost Toasties and evaporated milk.

What doesn’t a vampire order at a restaurant?

A stake sandwich.

What is a vampire’s favorite holiday?

Fangs-giving.

What is a baby ghost’s favorite game?

Peek-a-Boo.

Adult Themed Halloween Fortune Cookie Sayings:

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight

make me a child again just for tonight!

True love is like a ghost, which everyone talks about but few have seen. 

Clothes make a statement. 

Costumes tell a story.

There is nothing that gives

more assurance than a mask.  

Fortunes/Sayings found here

Eat, Drink and be Scary!!!

 

Halloween Fortune Cookies

By The Paula Deen Test Kitchen

 (check out the link at the bottom to see the cookies being made)

Here’s what you’ll need:

Nonstick spray

2 egg whites

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons water

Pinch salt

Fortunes written on strips of colored paper

6 drops orange food coloring

Special equipment: Silpat, coffee mug, and muffin tin.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. On a half sheet tray, spray a silpat with nonstick spray. 

2. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until foamy. Whisk in 6 drops orange food coloring. Add the flour, sugar, almond extract, water, and salt to the egg whites and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour or spoon 1 tablespoon of batter onto prepared silpat and spread with the back of a spoon into a very thin 4-inch circle. Repeat on the other half of the sheet, making only 2 cookies per sheet tray. 

4. Bake the cookies on middle rack of oven until golden brown around edges, about 8 minutes. 

5. Remove from oven and working very quickly, with an offset spatula, remove cookie from baking sheet and place a fortune in the center of the round. 

6. Fold to create a half circle. 

7. Using the rim of a coffee mug, bend pointed edges of cookie toward each other. This should be done quickly since the cookie will become hard and brittle within 10 seconds. 

8. Let cookies cool in the wells of a muffin tin.

MAKES 16 COOKIES

To see pictures of the cookies being made go to  <http://www.pauladeen.com/article_view/halloween_fortune_cookies/>

Gummi Worm Day!!

".....so I guess I'll go eat worms, big fat juicy ones, itty bitty skinny ones, see how they wiggle and squirm!"

Remember that song? Yes, I know it's kind of gross but , hey, what can you expect from a kids song??

Normally, none of us would think of eating worms (I hope!) but July 15th is Gummi Worm Day. The perfect day to make and eat worms!

Homemade Gummi Worms much simpler to make than you would think. You need:

12 tbsp sugar
1 1/3 cup orange juice
8 tbsp corn syrup
8 tbsp unflavored gelatin
Food coloring, optional
Superfine Sugar for coating

Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8x8 inch pan by wetting it lightly with water.

2. Place gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water to soften for about 5 minutes.

3. Place the juice, sugar (regular not the superfine) and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

5. Stir in the gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin dissolves.

6. At this point add food coloring if desired.

7. Pour into prepared pan and leave until completely set, 4-6 hours at room temperature or 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

8. When set, turn out of pan and cut with a sharp knife into long, thin strips to resemble worms.

9. Roll your worms in the superfine sugar.

Now go out there and eat some worms!!!!

National Nutty Fudge Day

 Whoopee!!
Wednesday, May 12 is National Nutty Fudge Day.
Truthfully, I'm kinda so-so about fudge but still any day with a sugary dessert as the star is a good day.
I really don't know the mechanics of fudge nor the history of it. Thank goodness for Wiki!
If you want that kind of info here's the link: Fudge .

Okay, now that the educational stuff is out of the way, here are 3 delicious and varied fudge recipes......

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge (recipe is from Nigella Express/Food Network)

• 12 ounces 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped or 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk and salt in a heavy based pan on a low heat.
2. Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin, until broken up into both big and little pieces.
3. Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix.
4. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square foil tray, smoothing the top.
5. Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. 
6. Cut the fudge into squares.

Mocha Nut Fudge

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

 Directions:

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and corn syrup. 
2. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil; boil for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and coffee granules with a wooden spoon.
4. Continue stirring until mixture is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in walnuts.
6. Shape into two 9-in. logs; wrap each in plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 
8. Unwrap and cut into slices.  

Maple Nut Fudge

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup genuine maple syrup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, maple syrup, milk, and miniature marshmallows; cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy or digital thermometer reaches 235 degrees F. or until it forms a soft ball when a little of the mixture is dropped in cold water. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Let cool to 115 degrees F; add nuts and vanilla extract. 
5. With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat until mixture loses its gloss and starts to harden around edge of saucepan. 
6. Pour into prepared baking dish. 
7. Cool completely.
8. Cut into squares.

March is ....Theatre in Our Schools Month

Why do we need Theatre in our schools? (I knew you would ask)
Here are a few of the reasons:

DRAMA IMPROVES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between drama involvement and academic achievement. In addition to having higher standardized test scores than their peers who do not experience the arts, student who participate in drama often experience improved reading comprehension, maintain better attendance records, and stay generally more engaged in school than their non-arts counterparts. Schools with arts-integrated programs, even in low-income areas, report high academic achievement.

DRAMA STUDENTS OUTPERFORM NON-ARTS PEERS ON SAT TESTS
The College Entrance Examination Board reported student scores from 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005 using data from the Student Description Questionnaire indicating student involvement in various activities, including the arts. As compared to their peers with no arts coursework or involvement:

Students involved in drama performance scored an average of 65.5 points higher on the verbal component and 35.5 points higher in the math component of the SAT

Students who took courses in drama study or appreciation scored, on average, 55 points higher on verbal and 26 points higher on math than their non-arts classmates.

In 2005, students involved in drama performance outscored the national average SAT score by 35 points on the verbal portion and 24 points on the math section.

ATTENDANCE
Research indicates that involvement in the arts increases student engagement and encourages consistent attendance, and that drop-out rates correlate with student levels of involvement in the arts .

- Students considered to be at high risk for dropping out of high school cite drama and other arts classes as their motivations for staying in school.

- Students who participate in the arts are 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance than those who do not.

READING COMPREHENSION
From learning to read to the in-depth study of Shakespearean literature, drama can play a significant role in the continual development of students’ reading comprehension skills. Studies indicate that not only do the performance of a story and a number of other drama activities in the classroom contribute to a student’s understanding of the work performed, but these experiences also help them to develop a better understanding of other works and of language and expression in general. The results below were gleaned from studies where educators and students alike noticed a difference when drama played a part in their classrooms,

- A series of studies on the arts and education revealed a consistent causal link between performing texts in the classroom and the improvement of a variety of verbal skills, including especially significant increases in story recall and understanding of written material.

- Performance of Shakespeare texts helps to improve students’ understanding of other complex texts including science and math material .

- Drama can improve reading skills and comprehension better than other activities, including discussion .

BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH DRAMA
In addition to building social and communication skills overall, involvement in drama courses and performance has been shown to improve students’ self-esteem as well as their confidence in their academic abilities.

- High school students who are highly involved in drama demonstrate an elevated self-concept over those who are not involved .

- Playwriting original works and dramatic presentation of existing works can help to build the self-esteem and communication skills of high school students.

- The act of performing can help students and youth recognize their potential for success and improve their confidence .

BRIDGING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, there has been a national focus on closing the “achievement gap” between students of varying abilities, socioeconomic status, and geographies among other factors that may directly or indirectly affect a student’s academic success. The arts, including drama, address this issue by catering to different styles of learning, and engaging students who might not otherwise take significant interest in academics. Additionally, research indicates that drama courses and performance have a particularly positive effect on at-risk youth and students with learning disabilities.

- A study published in Champions of Change (1999) cites theatre arts, including performance, classes, and participation in a drama club, as a source for “gains in reading proficiency, gains in self-concept and motivation, and higher levels of empathy and tolerance towards others” among youth of low socio-economic status .

- Drama activities can improve and help to maintain social and language skills of students with learning disabilities and remedial readers .

- Improvisational drama contributes to improved reading achievement and attitude in disadvantaged students .

American Alliance for Theatre and Education

I found these entertaining vids, on Youtube of course, put out by the Americans for the Arts.





FYI....
Children involved in "any" of the arts improve thier overall academic performance.

Research shows that kids actively engaged in arts education are likely to have higher test scores than those with little to no involvement.

Kids involved in the arts develop skills needed by the 21st century workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork and more.

Studying the "arts".....
helps teach kids to be more tolerant and open;
allows kids to express themselves creatively and bolster their self-confidence;
keeps students engaged in school and less likely to drop out.