Friday, October 30, 2009

BOO!!


Along with the passing out of the Halloween candy, I always bake Ghost and Black Cat Sugar Cookies. I'm not sure how scary they are, but they are a welcome treat.

In my neck of the woods, Halloween is taken seriously. My town sits next to Salem, Massachusetts, that is infamous for the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's.

In contrast, Witches seem to be embraced in our current era, as can be seen all through the city. Is that Samantha from "Bewitched"?

Walking through Salem yesterday though, I can't attest to what happened to the witch that this hat belonged to! It did just rain......

During Halloween, beautiful Salem Common takes on a carnival type atmosphere, complete with fried dough stands and costumed partying. Every town is a little different in their celebrations.

Back in my Marblehead Old Town neighborhood, trick or treating can be like being on a movie set. The star studded movie, The Witches of Eastwick, was partially filmed just a few blocks from my house. This time of the year, neighbors here set their own scenes. On crisp Halloween nights with a full moon it feels otherworldly. Angry Pirates,

creepy spiders,

with their webs,

dancing ghosts,

untimely deaths,

and far reaching mail slots are just a few of the settings.


I'm not sure if I'd want to walk through Marblehead's Historical Old Burial Hill on a dark Halloween night,

but on a sunny October afternoon overlooking the harbor, it is a place for reflection and reverence.

Revolutionary heroes and prominent historical figures are buried here and marked with headstones that speak volumes. And if you look hard enough, you might even see a visitor. Happy Halloween!!

Thanks Zac!


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12 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

Boo!! 2:)

I loved visiting .. it reminds me of a movie town.. cute enough to be the scene of a Serendipitous movie..Like The WOE:)

Your ghost and kittie ..too cute..of course you know I love Brigitte.. but since your ghost and kitty are different:) I love them more..the spiders add a certain ghoulishness to Brigitte I like that!

Oh have a happy time tomorrow and thanks for sharing so many wonderful in the spirit of Boo photos! They are great!

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

I enjoyed this post very, very much! The photos are awesome. Thank you for sharing. I was in Massachusetts (Boston) in 1992. One of the highlights was visiting Harvard Uni :) I really loved that area.

linda said...

first time commenting...starting reading your blog in may when you posted about the cookies you sent to your son during finals (finals week wishes)..."relax"...."breathe"..."love you"...i was so excited by the cookies i took your advise & ordered the brigitte cookie cutter for myself & a friend...your cookies stamped out perfectly "boo"...mine did not...i have a indentation around "boo"...do you think i am pressing down too hard?
i appreciate your expertise! enjoy your blog!!!

2 Stews said...

Thanks Monique...I hope you have fun with the kids tonight! Maybe you'll post pics?!

Little Teochew...Thanks for the kind comments...I'm glad enjoyed your visit this way. Harvard and Cambridge are beautiful. I saw on the news yesterday that Cambridge, MA is it top place in the US for getting the most candy in the smallest amount of space. Another claim to fame ;-))

Linda...thanks for the visits. I have used the Brigitte cutter a lot now....it seems I use it every time I make cookies. I have found a few tricks in using it. The best one I just discovered. I also do not like the indentation (I eat those!) Firstly, the dough must be the proper thickness...then do not push the handle down until you are releasing the cookie from the mold. Then I discovered when my dough wasn't thick enough, that when I cut out the cookie and lifted it up to release, I very gently pressed my finger where the words are to make sure the words get impressed. This last trick allows for a thinner dough, which eliminates the chance for that pesky rectangular indentation. I hope this helps, and if you have any tricks, please pass them on, I'd love to hear back.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

xo Diane

The Cooking Photographer said...

I enjoyed everything. Thank-you for such a wonderful Halloween post! I felt like I was walking along with you.

Laura

Janet Marie said...

Wonderful pictures, I look forward to showing a couple friends your page.

The cookies recipe doesn't come up...is that just on my end?

2 Stews said...

Laura...thanks for the comment...I loved your Halloween post...so enchanting!

Janet Marie...thanks so much for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed my Halloween walk! And now you can enjoy the cookies! When I made the post the recipe came up when I tested it, but I saw it had an error from the site. I just played around with it and now it is fine. Sorry it didn't link at first. Please let me know if you have any other questions or thoughts and thanks again for stopping by.

Happy Halloween.....Diane

linda said...

diane, thank you for the quick reply & the very helpful techniques. hopefully, i can practice soon & if i discover any new "tricks" i certainly will let you know! :)

Kathy Walker said...

A great Halloween post. I enjoyed the history and pictures! I bought one of the brigitte cookie cutter/stamps. I am looking forward to trying it out. Thank you for the tips.

Kate at Serendipity said...

I've always wanted to visit Salem. Thanks for the tour! I love the Brigitte cookie cutter--I have to get one. Since they're made in Germany, maybe I can find one in a shop nearby??

Happy Halloween!

Joy Tilton said...

Hi Diane, I'd love to give you a Kreativ Blogger Award! Please come visit http://grannymountain.blogspot.com

Karen @ Mignardise said...

Salem is so much fun this time of year! And I've been trying to get to the Peabody-Essex Museum for a long time, but something always comes up.

Still haven't tried my cookie cutter, but I'm glad for the tips. Thanks!

The black cats are adorable too.