I think it's going to take me awhile to find my blogging 'groove' again. Everything is in painful need of organization, and time is not my friend of late. One thing I have found time for is the No Sleep Podcast.

A spin-off of the very awesome r/nosleep forum, the No Sleep Podcast is perfect listening for the Halloween season. In each podcast, a few of the better stories from the forum are read aloud for the listener.

Most of the reads could use a little polishing, but since the forum is open to anyone who has a mind for writing short fiction in the horror genre -- who am I to quibble over the editing for fun, free prose?

And occasionally there is a story that really delivers. I would say that Season 1 Episode  8 has one of those. The last story, "Mountain Laurel,"  really delivered the chills:

No Sleep Podcast 8

It could be because I like hiking. It could be because I've spent quite a bit of time in the woods, haunted by the sneaking suspicion that someone could be watching. It could even be because I listened to it this morning while driving into work in the dark... Whatever the case, this one was good.

So if you are looking for something to listen to in the Halloween season that gets the hairs up on the back of your neck, give the podcast a listen.
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  1. I think it's going to take me awhile to find my blogging 'groove' again. Everything is in painful need of organization, and time is not my friend of late. One thing I have found time for is the No Sleep Podcast.

    A spin-off of the very awesome r/nosleep forum, the No Sleep Podcast is perfect listening for the Halloween season. In each podcast, a few of the better stories from the forum are read aloud for the listener.

    Most of the reads could use a little polishing, but since the forum is open to anyone who has a mind for writing short fiction in the horror genre -- who am I to quibble over the editing for fun, free prose?

    And occasionally there is a story that really delivers. I would say that Season 1 Episode  8 has one of those. The last story, "Mountain Laurel,"  really delivered the chills:

    No Sleep Podcast 8

    It could be because I like hiking. It could be because I've spent quite a bit of time in the woods, haunted by the sneaking suspicion that someone could be watching. It could even be because I listened to it this morning while driving into work in the dark... Whatever the case, this one was good.

    So if you are looking for something to listen to in the Halloween season that gets the hairs up on the back of your neck, give the podcast a listen.
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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  2. The title for this post is from the Hobbit, not from LotR like the costume. DON'T JUDGE ME! ;)

    It's been too long, boos and ghouls. It's been too long and I'm overdue planning my costumes to boot!

    Tiny Hobbit
    I have a daughter now (she'll be 13 months when we hit Halloween!). My heart's crooked little desire was to dress her as good-guy doll Chucky this Halloween. The Husband and I would go as Jason and Freddy, respectively.

    The Husband, however, thinks the tiny Banshee looks like a hobbit and that we should take advantage of that fact. Huh, actually it's true. She does.

    This means considerably more work tracking down costume pieces and sewing Wizard costumes (which will NOT be intricate affairs, I can tell you... we are also in the middle of moving and planning a trip with the whole, entire family before the end of October), but I think it's worth it.

    Banshee is going to be FRODO BAGGINS.

    The Husband wants to be SARUMAN.

    I guess that makes me GANDALF.

    This post is dedicated to Frodo. :)

    I'm going to 100% forget the jacket. We live in the south, and Banshee will be warm enough in the tiny green cloak I still need to sew. Other than that, I have her costume pieces largely gathered:



    • SHIRT: Long-sleeved, white, basic onesie
    • VEST: Burgundy Vest ... If my sewing machine weren't buried under boxes, I would have made my own, but this one came with a tiny clip-on tie which I intend to turn into a Griffindor tie at some point, so I justified it
    • PANTS: Brown pants ... I'm going to have to cut these to just below the knees
    • CLOAK: Making something out of green jersey fabric (hasn't delivered yet, so we'll see how it goes!)
    • CLASP: I haven't made this yet, but I think I'm going to either use snaps and hot glue, or I'll crochet one (see links at the bottom for options)
    • FEET: I'm leaving her feet bare. Still exploring options for hobbit-fur
    • THE ONE RING: I'm nervous about hanging something around her neck but I did find this One Ring Wooden Teether which would be awesome; I'm not going to buy that, you guys... it's great, but I just can't justify it, as my Banshee won't chew on anything but her fingers when she's teething... but let me know if you do. It looks awesome!

    For Reference

    Baby DIY vest ideas:

    Leaf Clasp DIY:

    • Crochet Tutorial (free!)
    • Hot Glue Jewelry - I'm going to trace the pattern to the right with hot glue, I think, then paint it with nail polish. I will attach this using clothing snaps!
    Feet DIY:
    Happy Haunting, y'all!
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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  3. Contrary to the volume of updates, I really miss this blog. My mind is on Halloween SO OFTEN, especially now that I have a child (holy mackerel, a ten-month-old!) and am looking forward to my first real suburban trick-or-treating this year.

    Of course, I haven't had any time for my favorite video game series in the last, oh, YEAR, but this is kind of helping ease some of the ache:






    This is as close as I'll be getting to a Silent Hill walkthrough of any kind; I love it and all, but I just can't imagine getting too close to (even a fake) Pyramid Head. ;-)

    Happy Haunting, y'all.



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  4. It's here, it's here! It's finally here!!! I've been waiting since December (when I got this calendar) to change over to this month. Not only is it my favorite MONTH, but it's my favorite ART, of my favorite Cartoon Network CHARACTER (Marceline the Vampire Queen).

    OCTOBER 1st, Y'ALL!


    Oh Marceline, Why Are You So Meeeeean?
    Oh, the plans I have planned for this month. The leaves are starting to fall, the pumpkin spice lattes are out, and the spiderwebs are thickly woven about the front-yard tombstones around town.

    What are your Halloween-month plans? And how jealous are you of my adorable calendar?
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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  5. Finally! My husband's (September) birthday is over... not that I don't love him and want to celebrate the aging process with him, but we have an agreement that the Halloween stays put away until after his candle-day.

    While I'm loathe to brush the cobwebs fully away from the ol' bloggity blog, seeing as how much atmosphere they add, I thought I'd tiptoe into a post with two lovely, pumpkiny finds from Lowe's:

    Pumpkin Lanterns
    Pumpkin Pillars


    Happy Hauntings, ya'll!

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  6. Half my co-workers are at Comic Con, but has even a single one of them reported back to me about this?





    The correct answer is NO.

    My jealousy at any of you who get to participate in this knows only the bounds of 'I don't freaking like to be terrified by zombies.'

    But for real: did anyone do this? And will you tell me in gory detail how awesome it was? Let me live through your memories. :)
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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  7. warm scones, cool soup, happy Carrie Mae

    Here is a great soup for a warm day when you want to be refreshed, but still dream of fall flavor (and something a touch Halloweenie). It's sweet with just enough savory to make for a nice midday meal.

    Though I will warn you: cold soup is not for everyone (my beloved husband, for instance -- he just can't get past the fact that it's cold).


    Carrot-Apple (cold) Soup (raw and vegan)
    serves 2

    • 1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
    • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 1 tbs chopped red onion (or shallot)
    • 1 tsp ginger (or 1/2" chopped fresh)
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • juice from 1 lime
    • 1 tbs sesame oil (can substitute olive oil or tahini)
    • 1 cup cold water
    • black sesame seeds (optional, for decoration/serving presentation)


    1. In a food processor or powerful blender, dice the apple, carrot, and onion until fine. Add ginger, cinnamon, salt, and lime juice and blend again until well combined and very well chopped up.
    2. Use the drizzle function of the food processor and add the oil, followed by the water - let the soup mix until everything is very very fine and well combined. At this point you can serve the soup, or chill it until ready to eat (though it may separate a bit during chilling).
    • TO STRAIN OR NOT TO STRAIN? -- If you want your soup to be broth-consistency, you should strain it through a fairly fine sieve. I like the pulpy bits of carrot and apple, personally; but for a lighter texture, you could definitely strain this. To thicken a strained version (instead of serving it as broth) adding cream or almond milk a little at a time for a creamier soup with more texture could be a nice variation.
    • Top with sesame seeds if you like; it's pretty.



    I served the soup for lunch with warm ginger-lemon scones (this is my new favorite scone recipe, btw -- biscuity, and perfect with a little bit of clotted cream or butter).



    Ginger Lemon Whole Wheat Scones
    makes 16


    Scones!

    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 2 cups whole wheat flour
    • 1/2  cup sugar
    • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 cup buttermilk
    • 1 stick butter, melted
    • Parchment paper




    1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix the grated ginger, lemon zest, and sugar in a small bowl. Pressing the ginger into the sugar will help release some of the flavor.
    2. In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the melted butter and buttermilk.  Stir until all the flour is moistened and it's just coming together, but don't over-mix.
    3. Flour your work surface. Divide the dough into two sections and form each into a rectangle, flatting to about 1" thickness.  Cut each rectangle into quarters, then slice each quarter diagonally to create scones. You should have 16 little triangles.
    4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the triangles on the baking sheet about 1" apart.  Bake on the middle rack for 18 minutes.  Let cool before serving (leftovers can be served cool, or microwaved for 30 seconds or less to re-warm).


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  8. I found this today, and as I am absolutely smitten with Zombies Run! I thought I would share it with you:


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  9. I had a seriously random thought today ... I wondered to myself, 'how different can Fright Fest be from Six Flags theme park to Six Flags theme park across the country?"

    There aren't that many locations, and I just sort of assumed they all put on the same shows during the spooky-season, or else rotate out (Six Flags Over Georgia seems to go back and forth between two different 'Dr. Fright' shows - 'CarnEvil', and some other one I can't remember that also has a lot of singing:


    The quick search that lead me to that video (I was actually trying to see if they used different Dr. Fright costumes, depending on which part you were at) suggests that other parks have totally different shows. I saw something about 'American Deadstand' at the Texas park, for example.

     So my question to all you roller-coaster loving haunt-fans out there is this: if you've been to Six Flags Fright Fest and saw any of the shows, what where they and and which park were you at? And did your Dr. Fright look like this one:


    Inquiring mind (singular) wants to know.
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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  10. Cooking helps counteract my stress, and lately the house has had no end of delightful foodstuffs chilling in the fridge. As long as I'm cooking up a practical storm, I'm trying to make at least one Halloween-friendly thing a week. This week, I had some cute little sweet potatoes hanging out in the pantry and wanted to do something easy - so this is a straightforward, easy, and tasty way to add some orange-and-black to your plate.

     If you can find black sesame seeds, go for it! If not, the combination of the wedges and sauce give you all the Halloween color palette you need (and the sesame seeds be damned).
    yummy, soft sweet potatoes sprinkled with black sesame seeds
    and served with a tangy soy-and-vinegar dipping sauce
    Adapted from Martha Stewart.

    Sweet-Potato Wedges:
    • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and c into 3/4-inch thick wedges 
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
    • 1/4 tsp cumin powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons black sesame seeds 


    Dipping Sauce:
    • 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 
    • 2 Tablespoons rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned; substitution of white vinegar was also tasty) 
    • 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 500 F.
    2.  Cut sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch thick wedges.
    3.  In a large bowl toss with olive oil, sesame oil, cumin powder, and salt until evenly coated. 
    4.  Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. 
    5.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. 
    6.  While sweet potatoes are cooking, fix the dipping sauce by combining 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil in a small serving bowl. Set aside. 
    7. When the sweet potatoes are done, immediately sprinkle with 1-1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with dipping sauce.
    My favorite husband admitted, as we ate them, that he'd had his doubts about the combination of sweet potato, sesame flavor, and soy sauce - but that it was really good. The resulting wedges are very soft, so if you would prefer something crispier it might call for deep-frying rather than baking -- but either way, this snack is very 'win.'
    visit creepycupcakes.blogspot.com for more from carrie mae
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