Pumpkin Pie Heaven*

I personally love pumpkin. The flavor is amazing and I will eat just about anything with pumpkin in it. My favorite pumpkin dessert is the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard from Dairy Queen. It is the definition of delicious!! Every October/November Dairy Queen has its Blizzard of the Month and I anticipate all year for it to be October so I can get Pumpkin Pie Blizzards!! If you haven’t tried one, i definitely think you should if you like pumpkin at all.

 

 

Another of my favorite pumpkin treats is the recipe I have below-

Pumpkin Pie-sicles*

These butternut squash ice pops taste just like the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

 

Ingredients-

2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2/3 cup light cream

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 

Instructions-

1. To make a batch, cut a butternut squash into quarters and scoop out the seeds.

2. Boil, bake, or microwave the squash until it’s soft. Let the squash cool a bit before scooping its flesh into a medium-size bowl.

3. Add pure maple syrup, light cream, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Use a potato masher to mush the squash and blend all of the ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into ice pop molds (we were able to fill 10), add sticks, and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

 

 

 

 

Scary Crafts!

Crafts are fun to do in your spare time, either by yourself or with a group of friends and family. Here are some cute little decorations that can easily be made to make your home look spooky!

 

Cagey Ghosts*

Materials-

Tomato cage, Duct tape, Twist ties, String lights, Socks, Sticks, Marker or craft foam and a white twin sheet.

 

Instructions-

1. To make one, set up the cage as shown. To form the head, use duct tape to secure the rounded prongs of the cage. Thread the lights through the cage, and secure them with twist ties.

2. For each arm, ball up two socks and duct-tape them to a stick, placed in the ground.

3. Add marker or pinned-on craft foam facial features to a white twin sheet, then drape it over the structure

 

 

Ghost Chair Covers*

Materials-

Felt, Fabric glue or needle and thread, pins and repositionable glue.

Instructions-

The Slipcovers.

1. This easy slipcover, made from a few yards of felt, serves as a backdrop for a year’s worth of decorations.

First, decide how far down the back of your chair you want the slipcover to hang. Measure from that point up and over the top of the chair, then down to the seat (or stop at the arms if your chair has them). This is the total length of felt you’ll need for each cover. Now measure the width of the chair back at its widest point; add to that measurement the thickness of the chair back and 1 inch for the seams (1/2 inch per side).

2. For each chair, cut a piece of white felt to fit your measurements. Ours ran 1 1/2 yards long and 2/3 yard wide.

3. Fold the felt over the chair and pin the sides in place. Remove the cover and sew up the sides or glue them together with fabric glue. If you sew them, turn the cover inside out.

The Decorations.

To haunt your house with this friendly spirit, simply download the
ghost template.

4. Trace the templates on to felt (or other lightweight materials such as ribbon) and then cut them out. (We glued white felt pupils onto the black eyes.) Dimensions will depend on the size of your chair covers.

5. Spray the back of each piece with a thin layer of repositionable glue, then press them onto the slipcovers or layer them on top of one another. (If little hands peel off any of them, just apply another layer of glue and press them back on.) Tip: If you get a clump of glue, spread it out with a paintbrush so it doesn’t leave a mark on the white felt.

6. Store the pieces in plastic bags, preferably with the sticky sides facing away from one another. Next time you use them, spritz on another layer of glue.

 

 

Spirit Jugs*

Materials-

Clean plastic gallon milk jug, black permanent marker, craft knife and a string of 50 low-wattage holiday lights.

Instructions-

1. Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don’t dent.

2. Use the craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent’s job).

3. Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.

For more creative crafts go to the link below! 🙂

Halloween Crafts

Robinson Family Farms

Since September 2006 the Robinson Family Farms have been opened. Never heard of them? Its location is outside of Murrayville, Illinois on County Line Road. This fun outdoor farm has a lot of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends. Weither your picking pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, finding your way through the corn maze, checking out the animals in the petting zoo or getting hot chocolate from the concession stand you are most definitely going to have a good time on your visit!! The farm is open the last weekend in September and all the way through October. I only named a few of the activities, there is plenty more to do! For instance, if you go on one of the special activity weekends you and your family can participate in the pig catching contest or the Halloween costume contest.  🙂  I haven’t been and was going to go this year but my daughter is still too little. I’m definitely going next year though! I have heard from numerous people that it is a very nice, peaceful setting and you are bound to have a good time!For more information go to the link below.

RFF

 

 

Paranormal Activity 2!!

If you liked the first Paranormal Activity, I almost promise you will like the second one! I saw it the other night and I thought it was way better than the first one. I literally jumped out of my seat atleast 5 times!! In my opinion this one is more thrilling and will give you chills down your back from all the suspense. In this prequel, the demon follows Kristi, who just so happens to be the sister of Katie, the girl from the first movie. Her family experiences a few “break ins” they set up video cameras to record whats going on but as in the first one, they aren’t break ins at all, they are frightening encounters with the paranormal. After walking out of the movie and going home from the first Paranormal Activity, I stayed up all night long because I was so worried something from the movie would happen. Seeing the second one, I did the exact same thing that night! The only negative I would have to say about these movies are they are a bit cheesy. But that doesn’t bother me so much.  The frights are non-stop and I definitely recommend it to everyone!! It is still playing in theaters and I think you all should see it to get the full effect!! 🙂

 

Paranormal Activity 2 Trailer-

10 Creepiest Places in Illinois!

I think you all will like this post because if your like me, you will love seeing what strange and creepy places central Illinois  has!! Also, check out Michael Kleen’s Haunting The Prairie: A Tourists Guide to the Weird And Wild Places In Illinois!! It has more than 130 mysterious sites and images from Illinois in the past century.

10. Peoria Public Library- Peoria, Illinois.

Built on cursed ground and seems to pass on misfortune to anyone who occupies it, including a former Illinois governor.. Imagine that! 🙂

9. Lebanon Road- Collinsville, Illinois.

Seven railroad bridges are on Lebanon Road. Legend has it that if someone were to drive through all seven bridges and enter the last one exactly at midnight, they would be transported to Hell. Also, an abandoned house near the road has been given the name “death house”.

8. Illinois College- Jacksonville, Illinois.

I am sure most of you have heard all about IC being Almost every building on campus is haunted by one or two ghosts. Ellis Hall, Whipple Hall and Beecher Hall have the most activity. A favorite of many is Beecher Hall. Rumored is medical students stole bodies from a nearby hospital to study more of the anatomy. Eventually the bodies began to smell and were uncovered.

7. Massock Mausoleum- Spring Valley, Illinois.

Visitors say a pale figure creeps around the mausoleum which has said to be warm to the touch and an obvious place of animal sacrifice. A reporter once went to the mausoleum after hearing about it and poured holy water down a vent which then produced a groaning sound. After the incident police routinely patrol the area.

6. Manteno State Hospital- Manteno, Illinois.

This “cottage plan” layout from the 1930s had an underground tunnel service linking all the buildings. “Manteno Madness” happened in 1939 when 394 patients and stuff came down with typhoid fever. Rumor has it that ghosts of nurses and patients are seen and even voices from a long defunct intercom have been heard! Creepy? I sure think so.

5. Cuba Road- Lake Zurich, Illinois.

It is the setting of a plethora of paranormal phenomenon, including a phantom car, a pair of spectral lovers, and a vanishing house. If this doesn’t creep you out, I don’t know what will. White Cemetery is right along this haunted road and is famous for its “hovering balls of light”.

4. Greenwood Cemetery- Decatur, Illinois.

This is rumored the most haunted location in central Illinois. Established on an American Indian and later Confederate prisoners burial ground. The “Greenwood Bride”, a female ghost who wanders around in her white wedding dress looking for her husband who was killed is the most famous apparition here. Phantom funerals and flickering ghost lights are some other freaky sights.

3. Williamsburg Hill- Cold Spring Township, Shelby County.

The legends about Ridge Cemetery involve occult rituals, spook lights, phantom funerals, and the ghost of an old man who disappears upon approach. Many horseman can be found buried still today.

2. Hickory Hill Plantation- Equality, Illinois.

Also known as the Old Slave House, built by the Crenshaws in 1838. Phantom footsteps and singing are very usual in the mansion. Also, voices from the attic have been heard. No one has been able to spend the night in the haunted attic, everyone is scared off before dawn. One “ghost hunter” spent all night in it and died later. I wouldn’t be willing to take that risk!

1. Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery- Midlothian, Illinois.

This is one of the most haunted cemeteries in America!! Dozens of eyewitnesses have said they see a white farmhouse in various places in the woods along the cemetery trail, complete with a glowing light inside the window. No houses are on the land, atleast not since the 1970s. Another popular ghost of this cemetery is “Madonna”, a lady searching for her lost baby. Also legends about a pond adjacent from the cemetery have said to have bodies from back in the 20s dumped by mobsters and also an apparition of a farmer and his house plowing through the pond. I definitely agree that this would be the number 1 creepiest place in Illinois. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to walk through it, especially at night!

More Information-

Fun Halloween Recipes!!

I personally love cooking and whipping up crazy concoctions! On this post I will show you some very cool and tasty recipes for this great holiday of Halloween! Make them to enjoy or to show off to your friends and family 🙂

 

Carrot-Finger Food*

This silly creation is probably one of the easiest to make. If your having a Halloween party, I would defintely recommend making this! Its healthy and a cute idea at the same time.

Ingredients-

• vegetable dip
• 4 long carrots
• 1 medium carrot

• softened cream cheese
• sliced-almond
• baby carrots

Instructions-

1. To prepare them, just fill a serving bowl with your favorite vegetable dip. Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.
2. With a paring knife (a parent’s job), cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot. Then use a dab of dip or softened cream cheese to glue a sliced-almond fingernail atop each notch.
3. Stick the fingers in the dip, as shown, and serve with plenty of peeled baby carrots for dipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melon Brain*

This would be the hardest one for me to do. If you are skilled with your hands and a good artist this would be a good recipe for you!

 

Ingredients-

• 1 small seedless watermelon

Instructions-

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the entire green rind, exposing the inner white rind.
2. Slice off the bottom of the melon to create a flat base that will keep it from rolling. With a toothpick, outline squiggly furrows that resemble the folded surface of a brain.
3. Finally, carve narrow channels along the tracings with a sharp paring knife (a parent’s job) to expose the pink fruit beneath the rind.

Frankenstein’s Jell-O Monster*

This one is my favorite recipe! It looks very cool and im definitely going to be trying it this weekend! I wont want to eat it since it looks so cute though 🙂

1. Paint scars and mouths on a ceramic plate as shown (squiggly mouths and “stitches” are covering a plate). Let them air-dry over night.

1. Prepare the gelatin according to the package directions. Pour slightly cooled gelatin into the cup, stopping 1/2 inch from the top.
2. Refrigerate until the gelatin is partially gelled, then remove the cup from the refrigerator and use a table knife or spoon handle to push 2 cherry eyes into the gelatin. Refrigerate again until the gelatin is completely set.
3. Use double-sided tape to attach the neck bolts. Peel the scars and mouths off the plate and place them on the cup (they’ll adhere like Colorforms). If it’s difficult to peel the shapes off the plate, stick the plate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, and they should come off easily. Variation: it may not look as cool as the paint, but kids can also use a permanent marker to draw the face on.
4. Cover the top of the gelatin with crushed Oreos hair. Don’t wait too long to gobble up the monsters, or the hair will get soggy.

5. Cover the top of the gelatin with crushed Oreos hair. Don’t wait too long to gobble up the monsters, or the hair will get soggy.

 

 

For more fun Halloween recipes and other activities go to-

Disney Family Fun

On a not so scary note…

Some of my absolute favorite “scary” movies from my childhood and probably from many of yours are Casper, Nightmare before Christmas, Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus. To me, they are all classics! I own all of these movies and every Halloween it never fails, i always bring them out and watch them.

Casper- a cute little ghost trying to be friends with the new paranormal expert and his daughter, Kat, who move into his mansion while also trying to obey his mean ghostly uncles.

Nightmare before Christmas- is all about the famous Jack Skellington, the king of Halloweentown who is trying to understand what this “christmas business” is all about. One of Tim Burtons great classics!!

Halloweentown- the first of the 3 movie series is by far the best in my opinion is about Marnie Piper and her grandmother Aggie teaching her everything she needs to know about being a witch! It truly is a very good kiddish movie.

Hocus Pocus- California teen, Max, moves to Salem and isn’t into the towns Halloween spirit untill he lights the black flame candle and brings the Sanderson Sisters back from the dead! This movie is very entertaining and has great Halloween excitement to it.

If you haven’t seen any of these movies I highly recommend them!! I have a daughter and I cant wait till she is old enough to watch and understand them 🙂 For more information and details on the movies go to the link below-

Not-So-Spooky

Scare Tactics

One of my favorite shows to watch, especially during this scary month is Scare Tactics on Syfy, hosted by Tracy Morgan. Every Monday a new episode is on and I always get excited to watch it! Never heard of scare tactics? Well.. its exactly what it sounds like. The “victim” is set up by his or her friend to get extremely scared on hidden camera. It is very, very funny and never fails to make me laugh. As I watched last nights episode I laughed so hard while the “victim” of one of the scary pranks got so freaked out he tried to jump out of a window!! It truly is a great horror show and I would encourage everyone to check it out on Monday nights at 8 pm.

Scare Tactics

 

 

 

 

Statesville Haunted Prison-

I am very much into Halloween and the various activities that come along with it. My favorite.. haunted houses!! Two weekends ago I traveled to Crest Hill, Illinois, which just so happens to be a couple hours away.  Statesville Haunted Prison, even the name will give you a chill down your back. This haunted attraction is my new favorite, knocking St. Louis’s “The Darkness” out of the number one spot! John Flamboy, the founder and director, definitely knows how to scare the pants off of his visitors! Using amazing animatronics, special affects and great make up artists, this “prison” is one of the biggest and best in the midwest with over 200 dangerous monsters. If you enjoy being absolutely terrified like I do, this one definitely is a must!! Starting October 1st, it opens to the public every Thursday 7-10 and Friday, Saturday and Sunday 7-11. For more on this scary attraction go to the link below-

Statesville Haunted Prison

 

Happy Halloween!

As we all know it is October and Halloween is right around the corner! Since this is my favorite time of the year I thought i would have my blog topic for the next couple of weeks be about paranormal/scary news, along with new horror films and reviews. I hope my posts won’t scare you too much 🙂 Enjoy!!