Sunday, October 31, 2010

Some Food for Halloween Weekend

Halloween is not a big celebration here in Australia but this year it falls over the Melbourne Cup (very) long weekend, which is four days for us this year.  My daughter has a friend in her class from Chicago and she has become infected with the Halloween spirit and is desperate to go trick or treating on Halloween Eve (tonight).  I suspect this will involve us driving hopefully not too aimlessly around looking for houses with balloons.   

Anyway, we have done lots of cooking.   

If I did not have this largely random blog I think I would have a blog called Things on Toast, or possibly, and more depressingly, Demolished Houses of Melbourne.    Whilst they might seem like very specific topics, I don't actually think I would run out of posts for either!  

My current favourite thing on toast is avocado.  Not just any avocado. It must be perfectly ripe (to be honest anything other makes me feel physically ill) and cut into chunks and gently mixed with Greek feta chunks, chopped coriander, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.   And served on thick bread.  Complete and utter Thing on Toast heaven.






How can so much greenery not be good for you?

How great are these tiny skull biscuits?   Quite scary I think,   I found some Halloween cookie cutters in that Vortex of 20$ redcurrant jelly: Essential Ingredient.    The children have hysterics every time they eat them. 


Less successfully the kit contained a black cat and bat shapes.  Which is pretty apt because my Small Spiderman son has morphed into Small Batboy.  I had to buy him another costume so I could peel off and then wash the Spiderman one. 


I even managed to find a not-too-garish balloon or two.  I love this because it looks a bit like the spiders are trapped inside.  Which is on any view the best place for them. 



I have trouble persuading my daughter to eat breakfast.  Not surprising really when you learn she doesn't like eggs, butter, milk on cereal, 99% of the cereals available and porridge, fruit unless its wet and cold and most kinds of bread for toast.    But what she does like, which I found out accidentally when they were giving little cups of it away in the supermarket, is granola.    


Nigella Lawson's Feast has a wonderful granola recipe.  This one is the chocolate (ie cocoa) and peanut one.  I made a huge batch this morning and too my surprise it is exceptionally good.


In keeping with the creepy theme we then made chocolate cupcakes with black icing and little tombstone cats:


And finally, something grown up:  a roasted pumpkin, pine nut, raisin and rocket salad which we ate for lunch today with some roast lamb. 


Now for the dressing up...

18 comments:

Makeminemidcentury said...

I may steal your avocado on toast recipe, if you don't mind.

It looks and sounds delicious!

We're trick-or-treating too, it seems.

Tina said...

Hi Jane. The avocado on toast sounds so delicious...I can tell what is for my lunch tomorrow:) Thanks for sharing that your daughter loves Granola, because our Miss Olivia will not eat breakfast for pretty much the same reasons as your sweet daughter...so Granola will be trialled here when Livvy gets back from camp. Love your Halloween food, especially the tombstone cat cupcakes;) ~ Tina xx

brismod said...

Love the spooky bikkies. Actually, I love all the fabulous food you made. x

JMW said...

My daughter is the same way about breakfast - I can barely get her to touch anything, except granola. How funny! The avocado sounds and looks delicious - I think I may need to make that some time. Hope you can find a few houses for Trick-or-Treating tonight. My kids are so excited!

Raina Cox said...

Now I'm hungry and also wondering what the balloons are all about.

Mise said...

Jane, you're streets ahead of me with all this wonderful homemade Halloween creativity. I shan't post about opening my little net bag of supermarket chocolate ghosts and skeletons and dishing them out. The skull biscuits are fabulous.

And your tomato on toast changed my life. That's not overstating the matter at all.

24 Corners said...

Jane...there's so much wonderfulness in this post...love the avocado on toast, you told me about your white bean with rosemary on toast too, "Things on Toast" most definitely is right up your alley, what a fun blog or even a weekly segment on this blog it would make! The skull cookies, the cupcakes, the granola, the salad...ALL so great, Marhta better watch out!
How brilliant that a house celebrating Halloween puts balloons out front...people here just turn all the lights off if they're not, but then they're sitting in the dark all night!

Have fun...
xo J~

Kathysue said...

Hi I love your wonderfully cheerful and colorful blog. I gave you a shout out on my Monday post Nov.1st!!! Keep up the good work,Kathysue

J said...

Fantastic ideas. I did notice the lovely painting(?)/wall display behind the balloon. Any interesting story about that?

Jane said...

Hi Joni it is a painting called the Dream Academy which we bought on a whim about two years ago by local artist whose name I have just managed to forget. Sometimes I wonder if it is the right way up!! I think we got it right....

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Hi Jane
I love those little skull biscuits.. how fabulous!!! I want them.. hahaha

Love your last post too.. and your choice of rooms.. and if you could please give me that rug under the divan in the 2nd last image!! You know I totally agree with you about the australian light and how things look differently here.. for example almost any photo taken in europe looks dreamy and beautiful.. but here the light is so harsh it is better in the morning and late of day..

Have a fabulous week... and sorry if I scared you!! hahaha.. ciao xxx Julie

Emma said...

mmmmm, The avocado toast recipe sounds delicious! I have also been meaning to let you know that I am now addicted to sliced tomato on toast.

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Dear Jane,
You are a very good mummy to join in with the Hallowe'en festivities. We don't really celebrate Hallowe'en much in the UK, although every year it gets bigger and bigger. As a young girl and when our children were small it was always Guy Fawkes night that we celebrated and do 'till this day and Hallowe'en takes a bit of a back seat. It is such an American thing although, I think that we started it in Pagen times !!!!
Glad you all had fun....I love the biscuits and must try the avocado and feta on toast.....sounds delicious. XXXX

Laura said...

Love avocado on toast! It's especially good with a little bit of hot sauce.

Julie@beingRUBY said...

Hey Jane!!
You are absolutely right!!! A recorder!! that'd annoy anyone!! Even Mr Piano Accordion Man ..hahahaha... xx Julie

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