Candace’s Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Chocolate, pumpkin hats and lemon balm tea
Must be Candace’s Mad Hatters Party Tea!



We will sit and chat
About this and that
Then wait and watch for
The wild cheshire cat



A Baker’s chocolate for us to eat
Sweetened, of course, my, what a treat!



Pompadorish pumpkin hats there’ll be,



So tie one on and drink your tea.
Hardy har har and tea hee hee.

Candace hosted a real Mad Hatter's Tea Party along with the Mad Hatter's Tea Blogparty with some fun, dressed up friends. And has a wonderful authentic tea menu she is serving. Thank you for hosting this Candace!

Hello There Dearies,

Do come in...truly glad to welcome some of you from Vanessa's A Fanciful Twist Halloween Blogparty...

Here we are in a (six degrees of Kevin Bacon way) close relations’ fabulous kitchen.



I have been cooking up a storm working on recipes from the “Mrs. Lovett’s Secret Recipes Collection” and everyone, well, they just ‘love it’! It does take a bit of effort to ‘catch’ her truly secret yet tasty ingredient.

Little known but actual fact – many true crime buffs will tell you there really was a Barber of Feet Street and his creative cooking companion in London’s history coinciding along with lots of tasty pies with many missing people – I mean people missing - in the vicinity of the barber shop. It took ages for the lax and lazy police to figure out this wily couples’ ways and means. Many an officer themselves gorged on the infamous meat pies.

Ahh, here you have caught me slaving over a hot stove making my special stew (the secret really is in the sauce). You need a Basil, some Manwich and well a helping foot ... er hand.



Trust me, don’t be shy, take a bite - it really does taste like chicken!



What’s that? You are a vegetarian -
Not to worry, I have for those of you ‘going green’ (and by the way green humans do look so fresh) my soylent green sandwiches. And these are jam packed with only the freshest raw soylent green. Not any rationing going on here – I have my own private supply – so dig right in, there is plenty more. I know other hostesses will be absolutely green with envy – they shouldn't be because now my dinner plans can truly involve them.



Check out my finger food and tarts – what beauties . They were always so eager to lend a helping hand.



Everyone, wait your turn, don’t rush the tray loaded with The Tasty Toes, that's right toes not toads! And what goes so well with these but a well aged hand-crafted cheese. We are considering going into the gourmet cheese business – but we have only toed around with the idea so far.



Well have so enjoyed having all of you delightful ladies for dinner and careful, do watch your heads on the way out!

Gals I will get to your blogs - what a blogparty blast! All of these (other than the plastic foot and real creme cheese sandwiches) are made of that old fashioned flour dough craft clay. You just shape your flour dough and lightly bake then paint with food coloring. There are some recipes for edible sculpted bread fingers.

And: there is a theory based on some extensive research that there really was a man and lady selling the meat pies made of people in old London. Eeeek.

Hi there, Stuart here with the latest news…

Meet little Chloe.



She has fun playing with my toys.



She sleeps on Daddy,




Here is me, Stuart, trying out my new costume, it is comfortable and fun to lounge around in.



Did you know that several years ago I was freed from a cage by my Mom? Some wonderful ladies at a shelter had hidden me in the rabbit room - I have long ears and blended in but had to be quiet. I was a 'smiler' and they could not give me that scarey shot. No one had wanted to adopt me because I was a biter. I am glad Mommy came and adopted me.

I will be going Trick or Treating with Toto who will go as Toto of Wizard of Oz. We only go to neighbors’ houses that we know. Mommy always sorts through our candy bag and somehow people give us tasty dog treats and crackers.

Dressing up in costumes and eating treats - Halloween is a fun time!

A Fun Halloween Blogparty

The wonderful Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist who always works so hard to throw the best parties in blogdom is hosting Halloween: A Hauntingly Magical Celebration Revealed.

You know it's goin to be great!

Petfinder and finding a Pet

What have I been up to? Trying to get a little dog and make a difference in it's life.

I wrote about the loss of my dogs, little Silkey and Sprout that passed this summer.

I felt it was time to start looking for another little pet.

PETFINDER

Petfinder (a website that lists all dogs and other pets available) has lots of listings from shelters, humane societies/SPCA groups and rescue groups. No longer does a person have to go in person to a city shelter to look at all the dogs and cats. Most city shelters list on petfinder and you type in the size, age range and breed of pet you want.

I started checking Petfinder any time I got a spare minute at the computer.

Tips:

Groups that tend to have less strict criteria are the SPCA groups, some Humane Society Groups and of course, City Shelters. The SPCA will do a home visit for pit bull adoptions (a very good idea).

If you find a pet on Petfinder feel free to call for any details. Make sure a heartworm test is done, spaying will be performed and shots given.

If it is a rescue group that has a dog you like check out their qualifications and ask about their criteria - some now require all animals in the household to be spayed and every animal to have heartworm preventative for 5 years in their own names. Many feel some of them are getting so strict as to be hurdles. Some are not as strict though and work very hard at getting a pet a good home. You have to be persistent and find one that you might qualify.

The wonderful lady I got Silkey from was no longer doing rescues.

Call and check the pet is still at the shelter/SPCA as we got there and the little dog had been adopted - they had not had time to update their Petfinder listing.

Puppymills are happily being done away with (Petland is one of the few stores remaining that sell puppymill puppies) thanks to Petfinder and public awareness.

Another tip: if going to a shelter, as a precaution, when you get home, take off your sneakers outside and run them through the washer then air dry. I do not want to expose my pets to anything such as dog flu or kennel cough and am extra careful this way.

Have you checked out the guys and new reality show "Rescue Ink"? These tough looking hunky guys go out and make a difference in animals' lives. They actually are out working on animal problems, really rescuing them - a great bunch of guys. An upcoming episode has them trying to help some dogs susupected being involved in pit bull dog fighting.

Gone With The Wind Gala Blog Party

Hosted by Nikki of The Scarlett Rose Garden Blog.

Welcome as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this spectacular movie.

Let's have some cake specially made for this occasion...

Deep in plantation country in Louisiana is a traditional recipe that is as rich and beautiful as Scarlett O'Hara.

SCARLETT RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Recipe:

Cake (or cupcakes) Ingredients:

1/2 ounce red food coloring (optional)
2 heaping teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup shortening
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar (cider vinegar would be too strong)

Make a paste of red food coloring and cocoa in a small bowl. Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Add eggs and mix well, then add the cocoa paste (or the cocoa if omitting the red food coloring). Add butermilk alternately with the flour and salt. Beat well after each addition (important to do this step to get a light, fluffy cake texture). Then add the vanilla. Mix soda and vinegar in a small bowl and fold into the cake batter. Pour batter into a greased and floured cake pan or into cupcake pan with paper liners.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Watch carefully and test with an inserted toothpick. Let cool completely before frosting.



Icing:

This is an old fashioned roux icing. Rouxs are the basis of much cookery in Louisiana plantation territory. This is a rich buttercream icing that is cooked.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Cook flour and milk until thick while stirring constantly.



Then thoroughly cool. In separate bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Beat the two mixtures together until the consistency is that of whipped cream. Refrigerate to cool completely before frosting cake or cupcakes.

Note: I did add a small amount of red food coloring - most modernized recipes use a bottle of red food coloring. You get a natural red color with the mixture of the vinegar, buttermilk and cocoa.

A Scarlett Red Velvet Cupcake Tower:



I printed up Scarlet in her famous red velvet gown and glued the picture to a toothpick (making sure to apply glue only to the very top of the toothpick). This cute little toothpick paperdoll is useful to adorn cupcakes or other food items.



This was a lot of fun to make a classic Southern cake for such a wonderful celebration. I truly anticipated having half a cupcake with total excitement.

Thank you Nikki for hosting this and I can't wait to find out what the other blog partygoers put together!

The Wizard of Oz Blogparty

How wonderful that Twyla and Lindsey of Two Crazy Crafters would host a celebration of this great movie.

All the dogs got so excited and well...let's let Stuart type from here on out...

Mommy told us about the Wizard of Oz Blogparty.

I was excited!

We have been working hard and having fun homeschooling this summer. I overheard Mommy tell Daddy that we will continue to do so - she said it is cost e-fish-ent - whatever that means. All I know is that I am having lots of fun to miss the doggie daycare.

The Lesson Plans for this week were about The Wizard of Oz.

We worked on menu planning, thinking up creative dishes of a Wizard of Oz theme.

WIZARD OF OZ MENU

These are all CERTIFIED and
Toto-ally APPROVED:

Tree Thrown Apple Fritters

Poppy Seed Muffins

Relish the Adventure Relish Tray

Witch's Wicked Beef Stew Brew

Aunti M's Biscuits and Gravy

Glenda the Good (for you) Witch's Vegetarian Stew

Lions and Tigers and a Bear Claw Pastry

Ruby Slipper Red Velvet Cake

For snack time we had a Relish the Adventure Relish Tray.



My favorite was the doggie relish tray which consisted of chicken and crackers - mmmmmmm.



After eating it was time to do our Theater Arts segment. We got to get in the fabric box and decide who would be who in the Wizard of Oz dress up.

Confusion ensued! Toto wanted to play the Good Witch. I wanted to play Toto. Ariel did not really mind who she played.

We settled this by having Toto play Toto (a logical fit and no costume needed) and Ariel play the Wicked Witch (not a logical fit) and me play Glinda the Good Witch (a perfect fit).

Here I am (Stuart) as Glinda the Good Witch



Here is Ariel:



Here is Toto:



We had fun but the day's lessons were still not done.

We had computer time and found these facts about The Wizard of Oz movie:

Toto was a rescue (she barked too much and was not wanted).
Toto was a girl.
Toto should have won an academy award.

Next it was craft time.

Mommy is working on a book called "How to Homeschool Your Dogs". She is almost done with the chapter on 'crafts from throw away items'. For this project she took some scrap paper destined for the recycle bin and traced each of our paws on the paper. We colored it in with a little help. We rolled up some paper to form the stick.

And we had a paper Lolli-paw-p (pronounced Lollipop). The Lollipop Guild is our favorite song.



Whew, what a day!

Mommy is going to read to me "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" tonight as my bedtime story. It was a busy day and we are tired - thank you Twyla and Lindsey for hosting this fun blogparty - It was pawsitively the best!