Parenting & Spirituality: Samhain Necklaces

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:46:08 +0100

Samhain - pronounced sowin or soween (‘sow’ to rhyme with ‘now’) – is the pagan precursor to Halloween. It is a time to honour our ancestors and those who have died in the previous year. Halloween’s popularity has grown over recent years and with it the sales of throwaway plastic ...

The Good Witch Who Likes To Give

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:05:42 +0100

Always ready to swoop at the mere mention of mince pies, I recently stumbled upon Tepsy’s article on Ooffoo, Build Local Community With Mince Pies. It reminded me of Halloween with my daughter when she was three or four (minus the mince pies).

Uneasy with the notion ...

Green Hallowe'en - Creepy Costumes

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:31:55 +0100

When it comes to costumes … just like Mrs Green, we’re big fans of the traditional ghosty sheet.

We also love her idea of making faerie wings out of old tights stretched over coat hanger wire.

If your kids (or you!) are going for an ...

Green Hallowe'en

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:23:12 +0100

To help you have a greener Hallowe’en, we’ve compiled a list of ideas to try. Whatever other scary footprints we may find on the garden path this October 31st, none of them need to be carbon ones!

Click through for tips on:

*creepy costumes
*

Sweet Eyeballs

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:56:27 +0100

For each eye, gently flatten a dried apple ring with the palm of your hand, or alternatively use a slice of fresh apple (it will go brown, however).

Then slice a dried apricot through the middle so that you end up with two circular halves.

Press ...

Green Hallowe'en - Treacherous Trick or Treating

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:40:37 +0100

Even if sweets are the treat of choice in your neighbourhood, we’re counting on making sure we’ve had a good hearty meal and healthy dessert before we head off to cut down on mass consumption levels on the night.

Some great ideas for treats include giving out healthier ...

Savoury Eyeballs

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:07:46 +0100

Use a round cracker or oatcake as the base.

Spread with cream cheese, but not to the edge. This is the white of the eye.

Place a round section of carrot on the cream cheese as the iris.

Finish off with half a pitted black olive as ...

Amputated Fingers

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:13:15 +0100

Fill a serving bowl with vegetable dip (how about pumpkin seed and butterbean?).

Then wash four long carrots for fingers and one medium carrot for a thumb.

With a sharp knife (definitely a parent's job), cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each ...

Ghostie Breads

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:16:07 +0100

For each ghost, toast a slice of bread (brown or wholemeal) and then cut a simple ghost shape from it.

When the cutouts are cool, spread on a generous coating of cream cheese.

Use currants or bits of olive for eyes and an “ooOOooh” mouth.

Mummy Heads

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:18:29 +0100

Heat the oven to 350F / 180C.

For each mummy, spread a tablespoon of home-made pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like).

Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of ...

Goop Soup and Ghostie Buns

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:23:50 +0100

For the soup, you can use our tomato and roast garlic soup recipe.

Just before serving, portion out chunks of mozzarella and some cheese strings into bowls.

Then ladle on the steaming soup.

Eaters can play with the goop, lifting melting cheese to the ...

Devilish Drinks

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:29:04 +0100

For drinks, try berry squashes or a (home made if you have a juicer) juice using beetroot and serve as glasses of bats blood (always one of my faves as a kiddie).

Green Hallowe'en - Paranormal Party Food

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:48:39 +0100

Here's our selection of Paranormal Party Foods:

Skeleton Veggie Platter
Sweet Eyeballs
Savoury Eyeballs
Amputated Fingers
Ghostie Breads
Mummy Heads
Devilish Drinks
Goop Soup with Ghostie Buns
Pumpkin Pie

We'd love to hear your suggestions.

Green Hallowe'en - Horrifying House Decoration

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:25:49 +0100

When it comes to decorating a party room, try leaving out the plastic and rubber danglies and the supermarket novelties in favour of carving some local pumpkins and other gourds (don't forget to save the flesh and seeds to use in seasonal squash recipes for the party night – see ...

Skeleton Veggie Platter

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:53:40 +0100

I think the picture says it all!

I came across this idea last year - thanks so much to Laura at Feeding Frenzy for the photo.

Eco-ween!

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:43:59 +0100

Here at the VegBox Recipes Club we’ve been asking our members for “Eco-ween” ideas, so that, whatever other scary footprints we may find on the garden path this October 31st, none of them are going to be carbon ones.

When it comes to decorating a party room, we’re leaving ...

How to bring meaning and reverence to Samhain

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:45:20 +0100

With Halloween coming up, there is a great article written by Jo about pumpkins for you to read and share your ideas on. I wanted to follow that theme by talking about Samhain.

I've already written about how to have an eco friendly Halloween, but as Cloudburst ...

Pumpkin Delights

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:07:42 +0100

Autumn is Pumpkin time, Halloween, butternut squash, crunchy leaves, bonfires and gorgeous colours.

Each year it’s great fun to find new and innovative pumpkin ideas. We’d love to hear from anyone who has a favourite recipe or an innovative suggestion about how to really make the most of ...

How to have an eco friendly Halloween

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:06:15 +0100

Halloween can be great fun, when little ghosts and ghouls across the land come out to play. This year, why not make it an eco friendly celebration too?

As I wandered through the shops today I noticed costumes made from manmade fibres (probably manufactured in sweatshops thousands of miles ...

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