Fudge Candy Corn

Recipe

Fabric Pumpkins

Here's the tutorial.

Inside Out Caramel Apples

Here's the recipe.

Candy Corn Coolers

Wow!!  This is beautiful!!

Here's the recipe.

Weiners and Spaghetti

Not exactly a Halloween idea, but something interesting to cook up for your kids or grandkids.

Frogs on a Log

A not-so-scary treat for Halloween.

Homemade Goldfish Crackers

These are really cute (although I can't really imagine all the trouble it would take to cut them out).

Here's the recipe.

Skeleton Gingerbread Men Cookies

Get the recipe for these cute Halloween cookies here.

Trader Joe's

Since I recently was in North Carolina, I decided to stock up on some item from the infamous Trader Joe's store that I have heard so much about through the years.  Colorado just got it's first IKEA, maybe we will soon get a Trader Joe's...

 I love that the mexican food is Trader Jose's

 And the Italian food is Trader Giotto's

Spooktacular Suckers

Here's the link.

Martini Glass Cake Stand

I just love this idea for repurposing (and yet another chance to use some of my favorite depression glass finds)...

Where We Always Eat in Topeka, KS

Whenever we drive to visit my daughter in Kentucky, (something we now have done at least once a year since she moved there in 2005) we always stop at Spangles.  

It is basically a hamburger joint, but the decor is reallly cute.

Right now they have a special "3 for $3" deal.  You can get a burger, side & drink for $3...

AND they have the most wonderful ice cream dessert called a mudslide.  I always order the Cherry Mudslide which is a marvelous mixture of cherry topping and chocolate hard shell topping...

We stayed all night at a Days Inn (note to self - don't stay in a Days Inn again) and the next morning we stopped at Hardee's and got cinnamon raisin biscuits for breakfast.  Colorado doesn't have Hardee's anymore and we miss these little breakfast treats...

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
(excuse the picture, it was about 6:15 am and still dark & we went through the Hardee's drive through...)

North Carolina Eateries...

After we climbed the Oak Island Lighthouse, we found this quaint little place.  It is called Bob's Dogs and they do serve hotdogs, but they also have other sandwiches.  My husband, daughter and I had their homemade chicken salad sandwich and my son-in-law had a chili dog.  We talked with the owners (who also toured the lighthouse with us) and they use quality ingredients and their prices are incredibly reasonable..  Here is a link to their menu.  

Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Kaiser Roll...

Chicken Salad Sandwich with top bun removed...

Chili Dog/Salad Combo...

They also have delicious homemade cookie sandwiches.  This one was chocolate chip with chocolate frosting inside.  They also have macadamia nut cookies with key lime frosting.




Here are a few more of our favorite places to eat in North Carolina...

The Trolley Stop in Southport...

Cookout  - many locations throughout North Carolina

 Enzo's Pizza... in Durham

My favorite Hobby...

One of the things I love about traveling is getting to eat at restaurants which are indigenous to the area.  I have a rule of thumb that when we travel we can't go to restaurant that we have in our own state.

So, after returning from Kentucky and North Carolina I have had my fill of the regional standards such as White Castle and Krystal's.  One of my favorite places to eat in Kentucky (and surrounding areas) is 

Steak 'n Shake.  It is a step above a fast food restaurant, but is still an excellent value.  We stopped at a Steak 'n Shake in Mt Vernon, IL on the way home.  My husband had one of their famous steakburgers.  His burger, along with fries, cost just over $3.00.  I had a turkey club sandwich, which was around $5.00.  

 Turkey Club

 Steak Burger (with top bun removed)

Another new favorite of mine in the Kentucky area is a restaurant call Zaxby's.  Here again, this restaurant is a step up from fast food but still very casual dining.  They serve chicken, and I'm not a real fan of restaurant chicken, but I fell in love with their House Salad which comes with grilled or crispy chicken over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and cucmbers.  It costs around $6.00.  Unfortunately, eventhough I enjoyed this salad four times over the course of the six weeks I was gone, I never took a picture.

To be continued...

Crawdad or Crayfish?!?

While I was in Kentucky, my husband found this little guy in our driveway...

hmmm...

Rose of Sharon

This spring, I planted a Rose of Sharon Bush.  It bloomed recently while I was in Kentucky.  My husband didn't join me in Kentucky for 3 weeks so I made him promise to take a picture of  my Rose of Sharon when it bloomed.

Hibiscus Syriacus - Rose of Sharon - Minerva
in my backyard August 2011