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I was home, with my OH and our two dachshunds. I ate a big tomato & avocado salad. And pistachio ice-cream, feeding my own inner child.

No kids ringing my doorbell today, as for some reason round here they do it on the 30th (which they did, much to the dismay of the above-mentioned dachshunds. Apropos dachshunds - I can't help it, every Halloween I have to put their hot dog costumes on them, which never fails to crack everybody up because, well, they are adorable. Unhappy with me, but absolutely adorable). Happy Halloween!

I had tomato soup and grilled cheese too! It just seemed like the thing to have. And some mint 3 musketeers.

I had a chicken kebob wrap from the local Lebanese shop, which makes their own hummus and tabouleh ... so good!

I made the Shepherds Pie recipe from this month's Martha Stewart Everyday Food mag. It was really good, except after I had put the mashed potatoes on top I realized--this recipe didn't use green peas! For me, that's sacrilege, so next time I'm adding the peas. For dessert, I had made pumpkin squares for a recipe I have had since the 70s. They are like pumpkin pie only way better : )

Brooke29--I've always found Toms River's decision to declare itself in its own 'Halloween time zone' to be pretty funny--I heard it was so everyone can see the parade on the 31st, although it would seem to make more sense to have the parade on the 30th. I've always thought if I had kids I'd take them trick or treating in Toms River and where I live, but I'm greedy that way!

I love the hot dogs--I didn't dress up my dog. Actually, for Halloween I spontaneously decided to go horseback riding. Then I came home, and only had like 6 kids. Lots of leftover candy. Kids are wimpy and lame today, they need to work more! And my dinner was just random stuff picked out of the refrigerator, since I didn't want to get too involved in case the kids came.

Because it's also my birthday, on occasion people will insist on forgoing handing out treats and will take me out to a nice dinner that's actually on my birthday. Last night was dinner at the J. Alexander's in north Toledo, where I had the Buttermilk Onion Rings, a side of that great Mac 'n Cheese they make, and the Swordfish Filet.

Hey Lunie ~ Happy Birthday!! 29 again?

We don't get kids where I live. I really miss that! I had cheddar cheese popcorn and a couple glasses of Chardonnay and watched #1 and #3 dogs sleep. #2 dog had major surgery yesterday. :-(

We ate at our favorite Thai restaurant:
- Devil in the Sea (tom yum soup with mussels, squid, shrimp, scallops)
- Hot beef basil
- Pad Thai
- Chicken mango curry

All washed down with Thai iced tea.

Happy BD, LPC~

I bailed on the trick or treaters and scooted to Cleveland to Beachwood Mall to purchase over priced lipgloss at Sephora, $13 worth of blueberry tea from a joint called teasomething or other (and I got about 2 ounces!), laid in a supply of oddities from Trader Joes (sweet chili sauce! greek yogurt! 3 layer hummus! mango tea!) and then had a nice relaxing dinner at PF Changs (go away chain haters!).

We got the spicy chicken (my fave), chicken with eggplant, lettuce wraps, garlic noodles and siracha asparagus.

Got lost on the way home because I have a sick aversion to 480/271 interchange and made my way back in 2 hours 10 minutes instead of an hour and change. Such is life.

I had bought 300 or so assorted kit kats, twix, snickers, tootsie pops, milky ways, milk duds for the trick or treaters and ended up having only 60 kids this year leaving roughly 80 of the assorted pieces of candy left. So naturally I had candy for dessert. For Dinner waiting for all the cute kids to show up, I had made Pizza with fresh basil, mushrooms, black olives, and some ground pork.... with a base of my just canned sauce and dough I had made this morning.... I hope this candy gets me through the day.

I had lemon garlic pasta with shallots and chestnuts. Although, I started cooking kinda late, as the kids were arriving, and then we ran out of candy so the bf had to go buy more... it was interesting trying juggle cooking and candy giving without burning dinner! But soon enough BF came back with more candy and dinner was done (but not after I got a good workout running from the kitchen to the door (our kitchen is upstairs)).

My boyfriend's aunt and uncle invited us over to help hand out candy. They made a great minestrone from scratch and an addictive mulled apple cider. I also had a glass of red wine. We got sent home with a ton of candy, woohoo!

I ate candy & had apple cider while passing out candy to the 4 whole kids that showed up at my door...I had alot of candy left over too....@Pumkinbear...I should have sent the leftover candy to your house!
They only trick or treat from 6 - 8pm in our town, so afterwards I picked up a pizza....sausage, peppers & onions.....and took it to my sisters house. We had a late dinner & compared trick or treat notes....she lives in a village and went through 5 bags of candy!
@LPC - Happy Belated B'day!

happy b-day, lpc! you share a b-day w/ adam horovitz of the beastie boys!

thanks to that inspiring s.e. post earlier this week, i made a b.l.t. sandwich for my friend and i and whipped up carrottes rapees, which is an awesome side dish recipe from david lebovitz's site.

red wine was also imbibed.

no candy though, weird right? everyday BUT halloween. go figure.

I made Southwest smoked turkey soup and let it simmer while handing out the treats. It was a nice warm nite (55 or so) at least it wasn't snowing. The soup came out amazing!

At my house we ate Tacos with all the works and Tres Leches Cake.

Sushi with a friend. Then we came home and gave out candy.

Happy birthday, birthday people!

I had chili with my in-laws (hubby was on a plane on his way home) after trick-or-treating with the nephews. The oldest one gave me his Twizzlers because I said I liked them. Seven is a good age.

@Chelley ~ You made me choke on my toasted French bread with grape jelly. Good thing I had some hot coffee at the ready. Uh oh, it's gonna happen again 'cause I'm gonna write GAGGLE OF SLUTS and gag a laugh again. I like your posse already!

@ Perky and Iz....you know how I do it....it is what it is! Where at in PA, girl? Im NE Ohio on the PA border...I smell an SE hook up!

Perky...are you down too????

@Chelley ~ I'm so down I need help up and I ain't lying sista! ;)

Iz and I are both in SE PA, far NW burbs of Philly. I have a sister in Chambersburg, PA - not sure how far that is from you.

It was a crazy day with the b/f and I setting up our annual Halloween display. My annual vat of Halloween chili simmered on the stove all day so people could help themselves as the hunger took hold.

My best friend and I grabbed some great Chinese takeout and then went back to my apt. and scared ourselves by watching Ghost Hunters for the rest of the evening.

We ordered in pizza - pepperoni and sausage for one and onion, olive, and mushroom for the other. We had friends over, dressing in our theme costume - we were a suicide cult. Yeah, we're sick.

I was at a symposium and Halloween dinner was a banquet! We had goat cheese croquets in cream o'pumpkin soup, a breaded fish cutlet(trout? I don't eat fish, so I'm not sure) with corn pancakes and zucchini and corn, a baked chicken breast with apples and a cider sauce with a shredded root veggie cake and green beans, then for dessert pecan pie topped with a nutmeg whipped cream, all accompanied by a lovely ale whose name I never caught. Dinner was followed by a costume parade - and this was a symposium of costumers/clothing historians so they were impressive.

@Kerosena ~ well, I laughed - out loud even! GHOULash next year. ;-D