Holiday Hits: Halloween Has Arrived!

From 12542545

Here's to a safe, spooktacular, and happy Halloween for all! 🎃👻🎃

Foodie Fridays: Apple Cider Loaf Cake

Recently we had some neighbors over for dinner, and I had a lot of leftover apple cider, so I began looking for recipes that would help use it up.  Apple Cider Loaf Cake was one that I decided to make because I had just purchased a lovely loaf pan with a great autumnal pattern on the bottom and I really wanted to try it out.  I was a bit nervous that the loaf would not come out of the pan easily as I have had this happen before with Bundt cakes, but thanks to the instructions that came with the pan I figured out why I have had this problem.  It turns out that you should never use aerosol cooking spray to grease cake pans (aerosol baking spray with flour is fine), which is what I always used!  Armed with this new knowledge, I was able to get the cake out of the pan effortlessly, and cannot wait to try other loaf cake/bread recipes using this pan.

Since my new pan required turning the cake upside down after removing it, I did have to change the topping instructions.  Instead of sprinkling the cinnamon sugar on before baking, I simply added it after removing the cake from the pan and inverting it onto a plate (be sure to slice the rounded top off of the loaf to level it before removing it from the pan).  Otherwise I followed the recipe as written except for the flour, since the original recipe called to a special type that I did not have.  I also halved the amount of salt because I always do.  This is a light and mildly flavored cake that is perfect with a cup of afternoon tea, and I know that I will make it again.

Apple Cider Loaf Cake

½ C. unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ C. apple cider
⅓ C. sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 T. vanilla
2 C. flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar (below)

Lightly butter a 9 x 5" loaf pan.  Line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on both long sides.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cider, sour cream, and vanilla.  In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Alternate adding wet and dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.  Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top into an even layer.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top.

Bake at 350° F for 40-45 minutes (mine took 50 minutes), or until golden brown on top and firm to touch in center of loaf.  Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing.  Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Cinnamon Sugar: Combine 3 T. turbinado sugar. ¾ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg in small bowl.
 

This 'n That Thursdays: Could Our President Be an Illegal Alien?

From Fandom

From The Washington Post

 

 

 

Could our president actually be an illegal alien from outer space, possibly similar to the one on the left seen in the movie "Men in Black II" (2002)?  True, the president does not look quite as "robust" as the alien pictured, but they do shrink, you know, especially with age.  This could be a case for the Men in Black to investigate (provided, of course, the agency has not been defunded 😱)!  Time to cue the Twilight Zone theme music? 🎶🎶 Have a great spooky season, everyone - if you dare!

Foodie Fridays: Cucumber Corn Salad

I am harvesting the last of the vegetables from my garden right now, and one of the more abundant crops this year is cucumbers.  This was a big surprise for me, as in previous years my cucumber plants really struggled.  As a result I have been forced to find more cucumber salad recipes than just my usual Greek salad, and one of my new favorites has been Cucumber Corn Salad.

My version is loosely based on this recipe, but I have made numerous changes to suit my taste preferences.  I use thawed frozen corn instead of fresh, and I halved the amount so that I can increase the amount of cucumbers depending on how many I have harvested.  Instead of red onion I use a shallot, and I always have cilantro paste in the fridge which I substitute for fresh.  My dressing for the salad is a bit more complicated as I wanted to use ingredients I had on hand, and since I usually have lemons instead of limes that is what I added.  Instead of jalapenos, I used tajin, and since the flavors of this salad are more Mexican than Mediterranean I used queso fresco rather than feta cheese.  I think this is now my favorite cucumber salad, and considering I am not really that fond of cucumbers that is really saying a lot!

Cucumber Corn Salad

2 C. frozen corn, thawed
6 small cucumbers, diced
1 shallot, finely diced
⅓ C. chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 T. cilantro paste)
4 T. mayonnaise
2 T. coleslaw dressing (optional but tasty)
3 T. tzatziki or plain yogurt
juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. sea salt (optional)
1 tsp. tajin
10 oz. queso fresco, diced

Combine all of the ingredients except the cheese in a large bowl.  Stir until combined.  Gently stir in the cheese.  Adjust any seasoning to taste, or add some extra mayonnaise or yogurt for a creamier texture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serves 8.

Wish List Wednesdays: The Cutest Literary Ghosts for Halloween

From Amazon

Ghost décor for Halloween seems to be everywhere this year.  While I love a good ghost story (probably my favorite horror genre), I had no ghost-themed items for Halloween - until this year.  Reading ghosts in particular really caught my fancy, so I ordered a couple of ghostly items with a literary theme and am quite pleased them.

I always try to have a Halloween jigsaw puzzle to work on in October, and when I saw this 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle ($21.99 from Amazon) of a cute ghost sitting in a cozy library enjoying a hot beverage I could not resist.  There are a number of Halloween-themed puzzles available at this same link, most of which are spooky cute rather than scary, so if ghosts are not your thing you still might find a different puzzle that appeals to you.

I try to limit the amount of seasonal décor I buy since I already have so much, but the GlowSpirit Ghost Light ($26.88 for two 6-inch lights from Amazon) is small enough to use anywhere and stores easily when not in use.  And the smiling faces of these little ghosts as they happily read a book are just the right cheerful note for a not too scary October.

Finally, to continue the cozy reading ghost theme, I just had to have this Halloween Reading Ghost Ceramic Mug ($10.82 from Walmart).  At eleven ounces it is on the small side, but except for my morning breakfast tea I prefer a smaller mug, so it will work perfectly for afternoon or evening hot beverages.

I think I am now set for a sweetly spooky Halloween, working on a fun jigsaw puzzle while sipping a hot beverage, my cute little reading ghost lights looking on while glowing softly.  What more could one ask for really?  👻🎃👻

Wish List Wednesdays: When Were You Born? (1938) Is Finally Available on DVD

From Amazon

For me, October 1st is the start of the Halloween season, so let's ease our way into spooky fare by starting with a film that has only a hint of the supernatural.  "When Were You Born" (1938) is more of a mystery thriller, starring Anna May Wong as astrologer Mei Lee Ling, who finds herself mixed up in a murder when she predicts a dire fate for a fellow ship passenger which indeed comes to pass.  The police naturally suspect that her prediction was more than just coincidence, so to clear her name she offers to help the police find the killer.  It turns out Ling really does have an uncanny ability to predict the future based upon an individual's astrological sign, and with her help the police are eventually able to solve the murder.

The most interesting gimmick in this movie is that the twelve main characters were born under the twelve different astrological signs, and Ling accurately predicts the personalities of each based upon when they were born (hence the film's title).  Also interesting is that this movie's screenplay was written by astrologer and mystic Manly P. Hall, the founder of the Philosophical Research Society, who also appears in the introduction of the film to give a detailed description of the astrological signs which feature so prominently in the movie.  One final interesting observation is that, although Anna May Wong is presumably the main character in the movie, she receives second billing to a white female actress whose role in the film is more marginal (the movie was made in 1938, so this is probably not surprising for the time).

While this is not the best murder mystery film ever made, I did enjoy the admittedly gimmicky trick of using astrology to help solve the crime, and the plot was just convoluted enough to keep it from being too mundane.  I first saw this movie a couple of years ago on Turner Classic Movies, and have been waiting patiently for it to come out on DVD (click on Amazon link above).  If you are not interested in actually owning a copy, you can watch it on YouTube here:

Gore Guide (0=none to 5=extreme): 0

Holiday Hits: Happy National Black Dog Day!

October 1st is National Black Dog Day, which encourages the adoption of darker-colored dogs who are less likely do be adopted simply because of their color.  Above is a picture of our dog Mae.  We adopted her in October 2023 and have no regrets.  She is the sweetest of dogs, gets along well with her sister Madison, and loves going for walks with our neighbor's dogs.  If you are thinking of adopting a dog, please do not overlook the darker ones because of their color - they are wonderful companions just like lighter-colored dogs!