A Lovely Hallo-weekend/お化け焼き弁当

Today is one of my favorite days: Halloween. 

However, since I've become an adult (sort of), I have found that most festivities surrounding the day place more emphasis on consuming alcoholic beverages than I generally care for.  I much preferred the days when we weren't too old for candy, trick-or-treating, and games that didn't involve jello shots.  So, this year I decided to forgo the typical parties and create my own festivities.  That works out just fine for me, as I'm not very good at parties anyway.

A festive Halloween:

A.  The Decorations:

  Random 'Pumpkin Flowers' purchased from the supermarket

B.  The Activities:

Coloring.  Still therapeutic after all these years.

C.  The Guests:

Richard Parker...

...and Lola make an appearance!







D.  The FOOD!

 Candy, pepitas...

 ...baked pumpkins filled with...




                                      


                 お化け焼き! ...little fried tofu ghosts!

Accompanied by asparagus stir fry and a quinoa and bell pepper pumpkin patch sprinkled with the homemade toasted pumpkin seeds! Truly an お化け焼き弁当 (obakeyaki bento), just right for a Halloween party for one!

And who knows where my Halloween adventures will lead, now that the sun is beginning to set?  (Maybe even Sonic 50-cent corndogs?  :)

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Horrors

Two weekends ago, a friend, her husband and I made a trip to Orlando for a wedding.  Of course, just about anyone traveling to Orlando feels the magical pull of Disney and Universal theme parks, and I was no exception.  As it is October, the parks were decorated fabulously for Halloween, and I couldn't resist exercising my photography skills (I use the word 'skills' very loosely).

Although my camera doesn't do well at night, (I tried adjusting the ISO/white balance, but it is just a point and shoot after all...) I did manage to get some good shots during the day.  And of course, where would I be without my friend Picnik?  I always have so much fun editing my photos, but I think sometimes I go overboard.  I guess the fun is all that matters!