is Halloween (maybe because it is the least "holy" of all). And I have been preparing for this one since last year. I decided then that I would throw a party here in Antwerp regardless of whether people even know what Halloween is. So I went to the after-Halloween sales and bought spiders and webs, napkins and plates, etc. I wasn't sure what I would be able to get here in Antwerp. I wish now I would have bought even more. But then we were in the midst of a move and the last thing we wanted was even more stuff to bring along.
With the house not finished I thought for a moment to postpone the "First Annual Fulton Halloween Party" until next year, but then I thought, what the hell. Just do it. The nice thing about this holiday is that things you don't want people to see are easily covered with sheets and fake bugs and spiderwebs etc. So we sent the invite last week and we are getting ready!
We drove to Holland on a quest for costumes. I will not yet give away who we will be but I will post pictures later of course. I don't think we will be very known here, but no matter. Robert and I are excited. Evelina picked out her own costume and I hope she will still be excited about it come Friday. I have been thinking of recipes and I hope that I will manage. I still have to transfer the Haunted House music I bought last year to the ipod so that our house will sound creepy and grisly. But the spiderwebs are already on the door and there are bats stuck to our windows and some huge spiders dangling from the ceiling in the kitchen.
I have to say, this is the first time that I miss Austin. Although I am excited to throw a party here for both new and old friends, some of whom are thoroughly excited to have a Halloween party to go to, and others who have no idea what to expect (my Korean friends) I miss seeing all the front porches in Austin lit up and pumpkins everywhere. Robert bought two pumpkins at the market this week, because he knows how much I love them and so that he can carve them with Evelina. We could have probably bought a whole patch in the US with what these cost here! Because decorating for Halloween is so new here, the prices for the decorations are ridiculous. This is urging me to be creative and I will be making lots of things myself. And as I was in the grocery store this weekend, for the first time I missed the HEB near my (previous!) Austin house. I knew where everything was and I know that I what I am looking for they would have. Not so here... no tiny marshmallows that I can turn into eyeballs, and no pumpkin to make pie. But I am determined and for some things I will head over to the American store... it is only Halloween once a year!
Thank goodness that finally, finally our oven is connected! Yes, it took since the installation of the kitchen in July to get our ovens connected. I have been without an oven since I left Austin in January!!!! All this because the Dutch installers did not want to hook it up to the Belgian plug and the Belgian electrician did not want to change it. I stopped being nice and patient this past week and I have an oven now! There was not much EU in all of this, lemme tell ya. Anyway, right in time to be baking goodies. It took leaving the US for me to consult MarthaSteward.com. Let's see how I do. (I promise I will be honest in my field report.)
Supposedly the painter is starting up this week. We'll see. If he does, and if the carpenter sticks to his promise of coming in November then we might actually be out of all boxes before Christmas. What a present that would be!
Anyway, I hope all of you are looking forward to Hallow's Eve, and I hope you all have a party to go to or to give. We're looking forward to ours. Wish you all could be here. Boooooooooooooooooo.
Much love from Antwerp.
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3 comments:
From my experience...stay away from Martha Stewart. Her stuff always looks super pretty in the pictures but does not taste so nice. I like Rachel Ray, Epicurious, and Food TV. They all have a variety of good things.
:)
HA! Of course, my friend known for her yummy-making-talents (among other things) gives me cooking and recipe advise. Thanks Lea. I will check it out. Actually I was also joking a tiny bit, as Martha is (was?) such an all-American personality. I ignored her for most part of my residence in the US. And thinking about Halloween decorations and food, she was the first one I could think of. But on to Rachel Ray....
I think it sounds fun that you're going to have a Halloween party in a partly-finished house. You can just pretend that it's the other way around--the house is haunted and hasn't been lived in for years. That's why there are so many spiders and cobwebs about!
On Martha Stewart: I used to get her magazine and I really miss all the decorating ideas. Her recipes for Thanksgiving were usually really good (if you're feeling at all like making an American feast next month), but I agree, many of the regular recipes weren't very strongly spiced. I think it's because she always called for unsalted butter: the salt really makes a difference.
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