THE 10 SCARIEST HORROR MOVIES EVER

October 31, 2020October 31, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

SOURCE: https://houseofmysterioussecrets.com/halloween-michael-myers-sticker-1.html

It’s that time Halloween night since there will be no trick or treating, get the snacks out and line up a movie marathon. There is a full moon tonight and daylight saving so an extra hour to get scared. Check out the list below I have seen all of them: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-10-scariest-horror-movies-ever/

1. THE EXORCIST (1973)

(Photo by ©Warner Bros. courtesy Everett Collection)

You may not agree that The Exorcist is the scariest movie ever, but it probably also isn’t much of a surprise to see it at the top of our list — with a whopping 19% of all the votes cast. William Friedkin’s adaptation of the eponymous novel about a demon-possessed child and the attempts to banish said demon became the highest-grossing R-rated horror film ever and the first to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (it earned nine other nominations and took home two trophies). But outside of its critical and commercial bona fides, the film is well-known for the mass hysteria it inspired across the country, from protests over its controversial subject matter to widespread reports of nausea and fainting in the audience. Its dramatic pacing and somewhat dated effects may seem quaint compared to some contemporary horror, but there’s no denying the power the film continues to have over those who see it for the first time.

2. HEREDITARY (2018)

(Photo by ©A24)

Writer-director Ari Aster made a huge splash with his feature directorial debut, a dark family drama about the nature of grief couched within a supernatural horror film. Toni Collette earned a spot in the pantheon of great Oscar snubs with her slowly-ratcheted-up-to-11 performance as bedeviled mother Annie, but the movie’s biggest shock came courtesy of… Well, we won’t spoil that here. Suffice it to say Hereditary struck such a nerve with moviegoers that it instantly turned Aster into a director to watch and shot up to second place on our list.

3. THE CONJURING (2013)

(Photo by Michael Tackett/©Warner Bros. Pictures)

James Wan has staked out a place among the modern masters of horror, directing films like Saw, Dead Silence, Insidious, and this inspired-by-true-events chiller based on the experiences of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens, best known for their work on the strange case that inspired the Amityville Horror movies (which played a part in The Conjuring 2), were portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who grounded the effective jump scares and freak-out moments with a believable world-weariness. Together, Wan and his co-leads found fresh terror in familiar genre tropes, and the end result is a sprawling cinematic universe that only continues to grow.

4. THE SHINING (1980)

(Photo by ©Warner Brothers)

Literally dozens of Stephen King’s novels and stories have been adapted for the big screen, and several of those films are considered classics today, like Carrie, Misery, and Pet Sematary (and that doesn’t even account for non-horror stuff like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me). But the mother of them all is easily Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining. A marvel of set and production design and a genuinely unnerving take on the traditional haunted house story, The Shining features a host of memorable images and an iconic Jack Nicholson performance. The film’s relatively few jumps scares are still absolutely chilling, but its true power lies in the way it crawls under your skin and makes you experience Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness. It’s rightfully considered one of the greatest horror films ever made, and it ranked fourth in our poll.

5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)

(Photo by Everett Collection)

While the top four movies on this list collectively garnered 42% of the total votes counted, they were followed by six films that all earned around 3% of the vote each. In other words, these last six films were separated by no more than 60 votes. The first of them is this low-budget slasher directed and co-written by Tobe Hooper, very loosely inspired by the crimes of Ed Gein. Texas Chainsaw’s grimy aesthetic helped lend it an air of authenticity, which made it all the more frightening (“This could actually happen, you guys!”), and the massive, menacing presence of Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface paved the way for other brutes like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. Multiple attempts have been made to breathe new life into the franchise — and we have another one on the way — but none have equaled the original in sheer, over-the-top, power tool-inspired terror.

6. THE RING (2002)

(Photo by ©DreamWorks courtesy Everett Collection)

It’s always a tricky proposition to take something that works well for one culture and try to translate that formula successfully for another, but Gore Verbinski managed that with The Ring. A remake of Japanese director Hideo Nakata’s acclaimed thriller about a cursed videotape, Verbinski’s take kept the original film’s striking visual imagery — the ghost of a young girl in a white dress with long black hair covering her face — and found that it scared the hell out of audiences no matter where they were from. While the film wasn’t as well-regarded as its predecessor, it features a committed performance from a then up-and-coming Naomi Watts, and for many, it served as an introduction to East Asian horror cinema.

7. HALLOWEEN (1978)

(Photo by ©Compass International Pictures)

Coming in at the seventh spot on our list is the film that introduced the world to all-time scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and put John Carpenter on the map. Halloween is frequently cited as one of the earliest examples of the slasher genre as we know it today, and while it may not feature the same kind of realistic gore we’ve come to expect of films in that category, it packs a lot of tension and some inventive thrills in a relatively small-scale package. The film’s legacy is also fairly untouchable: Michael Myers’ mask has become the stuff of legend, and the giant, unstoppable killer and the “final girl” have become ingrained in the horror lexicon. There’s a reason the franchise is still going after more than 40 years.

8. SINISTER (2012)

(Photo by ©Summit Entertainment)

For those who didn’t read the “scientific study” mentioned at the top, we’ve finally come to the film it crowned the scariest. Before he joined the MCU with 2016’s Doctor Strange, director Scott Derrickson had racked up a few horror films, a couple of which earned cult followings. One of them was this small-scale haunted house/possession story about a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his wife and kids into a house where a family was murdered, only to discover the new place might already have a rather evil tenant. Writer C. Robert Cargill was reportedly inspired to pen the script based on a nightmare he had after watching The Ring, and the story does share a minor similarity with that film, what with the creepy snuff film angle. But for many who saw it, the dramatic reveals and creepy set pieces far outweighed any recycled genre tropes that might have been present. Plus, there’s at least one report out there that says it’s the scariest movie ever made, so that must count for something.

9. INSIDIOUS (2010)

(Photo by ©FilmDistrict courtesy Everett Collection)

James Wan has already shown up higher on the list, but before he and Patrick Wilson made The Conjuring, they worked together on this supernatural thriller about a young boy who falls into a coma and begins to channel a malevolent spirit. The bare bones of the story weren’t the most groundbreaking, but frequent Wan collaborator Leigh Whannell infused it with a compelling enough mythology that it spawned three more installments. Wan also stated that Insidious was meant to be something of a corrective to the outright violence of Saw, which compelled him to craft something on a more spiritual level, and the end result is an effective chiller featuring what is frequently regarded one of the best jump scares ever put on screen.

10. IT (2017)

(Photo by Brooke Palmer/©Warner Bros.)

The fear of clowns is a very real thing, even if it’s become so commonplace to announce it that it feels disingenuous. If you needed any further evidence, we direct you to the box office haul of 2017’s IT, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, which went on to beat The Exorcist’s 44-year record as the highest-grossing horror film ever. Oh, and of course, its 10th-place finish on this list. Andy Muschietti’s big-budget adaptation drew on nostalgia to tell its story of children scarred by trauma, while Bill Skarsgard’s take on Pennywise the evil, shapeshifting clown was bizarre and unsettling in all the right ways. Add a healthy dose of jump scares, a handful of impressive set pieces, and some top-notch CGI, and you’ve got a recipe for a horror film that’s both fun and full of scares.

The Most Haunted Places in All of California

October 29, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ 1 Comment

SOURCE: https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/los-angeles/most-haunted-places-in-california

It’s almost Halloween Day so who doesn’t love a good scary story but a truly scary place!!! Check out a few of the most haunted places in California:

los coches adobe

JORGE LORTE/FLICKR

Los Coches Adobe

Soledad
This old waypoint is the subject of more ghost rumors than you could shake a bundle of sage at. Soledad’s Los Coches Adobe was a frequent stop for stagecoach travelers in the mid-1800s, but now sits abandoned; many consider the vacant building to be haunted, including Soledad Mayor Fred Ledesma, who told KION he’s heard several tales from city workers and his father about ghost sightings and mysterious noises, including the sounds of raucous parties.

One popular rumor is that a group of some 30 miners were trapped underground where they ultimately perished, and the screams of their spirits are still audible to those who venture near after dark. Other supposed ghosts include a spectral couple who wander the grounds holding hands, an inmate who escaped the nearby Soledad Correctional Training Facility, and a woman in black who would murder miners looking for a good time, robbing them and dumping their bodies in a well.

turnbull canyon

STEVE BOLAND/FLICKR

Turnbull Canyon

Whittier
Hikers mostly enjoy Turnbull Canyon, a 4-mile loop trail in the Puente Hills Preserve, for its scenic views. It’s also home to so many ghost stories and urban legends that Ryan Murphy could make an entire season of American Horror Story about it.

Largely uncorroborated legends surround clandestine meetings of occultists, one of them rumored to have kidnapped several local children from an orphanage for ritual sacrifice. Others claim UFO sightings, KKK gatherings, and disappearing specters. Even more surround an old asylum that burned down decades ago. One tale speaks of a teen who came upon an electroshock therapy contraption that fried him to a crisp when he strapped it on his head, despite the fact that the power should have been long cut off.

While many of these more lurid tales have little, if any, evidence to support them, Turnbull Canyon has been the site of at least a few well-documented horrors. In 1952, Flight 416 left New York City only to crash into the hills here. All 26 passengers and the plane’s three crew members were killed. In 2009, a young woman was attacked by a group of men who slit her throat, threw her down the canyon edge, and left her for dead. The woman was able to make her way to a nearby residence, where she received help and, despite serious wounds, survived. In 2011, the body of 41-year-old woman was found in the area; her boyfriend was convicted of her murder six years later.

winchester mystery house

CAITLIN CHILDS/FLICKR

Winchester Mystery House

San Jose
The Winchester Mystery House is so named for Sarah Winchester, the widow of Winchester Repeating Arms Company treasurer William Wirth Winchester. After Mr. Winchester succumbed to tuberculosis in 1881, Sarah Winchester took her massive inheritance from Connecticut to California, where she purchased an unfinished farmhouse and hired several employees to complete it. The mansion grew to seven mismatched stories, with rooms and additions tacked on without rhyme or reason, and yet it was never fully completed; famously, doors and stairs were built that bafflingly led nowhere.

What fed Winchester’s appetite for construction? The pervasive legend is that Winchester was haunted by the ghosts of those who fell victim to Winchester rifles. The only way to evade the vengeful spirits was to keep building, the twists and turns a means to confuse the ghosts’ relentless pursuit. In some variations of the story, Winchester’s instructions came from a medium she visited after her husband’s death who informed her of her curse.

For skeptics, though, the more likely story is that Winchester was just an exceedingly wealthy woman who could afford her endless renovations. Writer Katie Dowd suggests in a 2018 SF Gate article that Winchester kept building because, without a dedicated architect to help her with her designs, she kept screwing up. Others have posited the noted philanthropist kept workers fairly busy because she was rich enough to provide them with continuous employment.

Regardless, construction finally halted with Winchester’s death in 1922 and lore took over for decades to come. The house itself has been partially restored and is open for public tours; docents stoke the spooky tales and, around Halloween, ghost tours by candlelight are offered.

hotel del coronado

ANAND ACHARYA/FLICKR

Hotel del Coronado

Coronado
When the magnificent, seaside Hotel del Coronado opened in 1888, it was the biggest resort in the world, attracting a host of notable guests — and (purportedly) at least one ghost, widely believed to be that of Kate Morgan.

Morgan, née Farmer, was the daughter of an Iowa postmaster. She married Thomas Morgan in 1885, with whom she had one son who died at just two days old; five years later, Morgan left with another man and eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she worked as a housekeeper. On Thanksgiving Day, 1892, Morgan checked into the palatial resort using the name Lottie Bernard. Five days later, she was found dead on a stairway leading to the beach by the hotel’s assistant electrician. She had been shot once in the head.

A coroner determined the wound to be self-inflicted, and a housekeeper told reporters that Morgan had indicated she was suffering from a terminal illness. Other rumors speculate she’d been abandoned at the hotel by a male companion, leaving her distraught; still others believe she was murdered by said male companion.

Though Morgan was laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery, not far from the hotel, rumors have long persisted that her ghost roams the property. The hotel itself has published a book, Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado, in which Morgan’s spirit is described as playful, but harmless. Those who stay in Morgan’s old room (number 3327) have reported mysterious breezes, the TV and faucets turning on and off by themselves, and sightings of a woman in a black Victorian dress. One couple, according to San Diego Magazine, claimed the spirit pulled the covers off the bed at night.

Some claim Room 3519 is also haunted by a housekeeper who hanged herself many years ago. That particular case, however, is far less documented than the death of Kate Morgan.

greystone mansion

ANDREW HITCHCOCK

Greystone Mansion

Beverly Hills
A stroll among Greystone Mansion’s verdant grounds may give you a sense of peace, but the history of this sprawling, Gordon Kaufmann-designed, Tudor estate is particularly grim.

In 1928, oil tycoon Edward Doheny bought the mansion for his son, Ned Doheny Jr., who moved in with his wife, Lucy, and their five children. Just four months later, Doheny’s secretary and close friend, Hugh Plunkett, showed up and let himself in with his own key; the official account states that Plunkett fatally shot Doheny before turning the gun on himself, though it’s not entirely clear why.

Plunkett had gotten mixed up in the infamous Teapot Dome scandal, having accompanied his friend on a 1921 trip to deliver a $100,000 loan to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall. This was at the request of Doheny’s father, who would later be accused of bribing Fall to gain exclusive oil drilling rights on federal land. Plunkett was called to testify in the case, but the Dohenys allegedly wanted the increasingly unhinged Plunkett committed; the murder-suicide occurred before either could happen.

Some have speculated that the official story is not the truth. Theories attempt to connect the pair to a Teapot Dome-related assassination, or assert that Lucy killed them both after finding out they were romantically involved. What really happened in the Greystone Mansion that night will likely never be known. The mystery has only bolstered ghost stories, claiming that the spirits of Plunkett and Doheny still wander the 55-room estate.

Lucy Doheny remarried and lived at the mansion for the next several years, selling it in 1955. It is now a park owned by Beverly Hills, and the grounds are usually free to visit, barring a private event. To actually get inside the house, you’ll have to attend an event or the occasional tour.

alcatraz federal penitentiary

DIGITAL ARCHAEOLOGY/FLICKR

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

San Francisco
This infamous maximum security men’s prison on Alcatraz Island operated between 1934 and 1963. Sometimes known as “The Rock,” it had a reputation for housing the worst of the worst, with notable inmates including Al Capone, Whitey Bulger, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

A number of ghost stories surround the popular tourist attraction, but spooky lore precedes the prison; according to legend, the Miwok Indians never liked the island, considering it a gathering place for evil spirits. Alcatraz’s most famous ghost story revolves around cell 14D, in which it is said a prisoner once spent the night screaming about a hostile creature with glowing eyes, only to be found dead the next day. Another tale says that you can still hear the twang of Capone’s banjo, a respite for the notorious mobster during his sentence there. Still another ghost story suggests strange noises can be heard echoing from Block C, where, in 1946, three inmates and two correctional officers were killed in a violent escape attempt known as The Battle of Alcatraz.

Whether or not the hauntings are legit, Alcatraz Island is now maintained by the National Park Service, while the prison serves as a museum — which means visitors can get there via ferry for a variety of exhibits and activities.

the whaley house

MISS SHARI/FLICKR

The Whaley House

San Diego
The Whaley House is a history museum in Old Town San Diego, open to the public for tours and events. Rumor persists that the museum is haunted by both the spirits of the Whaley family and a boat thief who was executed on the property.

Thomas Whaley was an East Coaster who moved to California for the Gold Rush and ended up operating a store in San Diego in the 1850s. He built himself the two-story brick home in 1857, fixing it to an existing granary that would later serve as a courtroom. He lived there with his wife, Anna, with whom he had six children.

According to legend, the property is haunted by multiple spirits; James “Yankee Jim” Robinson is perhaps the oldest among them. A convicted thief, he was hanged in 1852 on the property before a group of onlookers, one of whom was Whaley himself. Whaley still purchased the property and built his family home there, but would later claim to hear disembodied footsteps, which he attributed to Robinson’s ghost.

Others claim that the museum is haunted by the Whaley’s daughter, Violet, who in 1885 fatally shot herself in the heart at just 22 years old. Violet was despondent after her husband, George Bertolacci, wedded her only for the sizable dowry her father had offered then abandoned her shortly thereafter. According to the Save Our Heritage Organisation, who manages the Whaley House, the humiliated divorcee left behind a note reading:

Mad from life’s history
Swift to death’s mystery;
Glad to be hurled,
Anywhere, anywhere, out of this world

The Cecil Hotel

Los Angeles
The Cecil is not the only old hotel in downtown Los Angeles to harbor a ghost story, but it’s definitely the creepiest among them. It’s had so many tragedies, there’s a whole Wikipedia page for “list of deaths and violence at the Cecil Hotel.”

Like most of its contemporaries, the Cecil was a nice hotel when it opened in the ’20s, but then fell into disrepair in the wake of the Great Depression. Its earliest issue was the oddly high number of suicides that occurred on the property: so many, in fact, that people began to refer to it as The Suicide. The first is believed to have occurred in 1931, when a traveler from Chicago checked in under a fake name and took poison in his room.

In 1962, Pauline Otton, 27, leapt from the ninth story after getting into an argument with her estranged husband. She landed on top of a passing pedestrian, 65-year-old George Gianinni, and killed them both. In 1964, Goldie Osgood was found murdered in her room at the Cecil. She was known as “Pigeon,” as she frequently fed the birds gathered in Pershing Square, just a short walk from the hotel. Though it was determined that Osgood had been beaten to death, her assailant was never caught.

In 2013, 21-year-old Canadian tourist Elisa Lam went missing shortly after checking in to the Cecil. She was found dead several days later in one of the hotel’s rooftop water tanks; guests, who had been bathing with and drinking the tainted water, had begun to complain about low water pressure, leading a maintenance man to the horrifying discovery. The shocking case received considerable media attention, in part due to surveillance footage of Lam behaving bizarrely in an elevator; police had released the footage while Lam was still missing, hoping it would lead them to her safe return.

The hotel’s got some history with serial killers as well: Los Angeles serial killer Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez stayed here in the mid-’80s, and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger spent time here in 1991 while he worked as a journalist covering crime in LA (and subsequently murdered three women during his stay).

With so many horrific and tragic events occurring in a single hotel — and the above are just a handful of them — it’s no wonder that the superstitious believe some sort of dark presence has taken hold.

bodie california

ROBERT SHEA/FLICKR

Bodie

Bodie
California is home to several ghost towns, but Bodie is the one that’s got its very own curse. Located in the Bodie Hills south of Lake Tahoe, it was a former mining and Gold Rush boom town containing a bank, numerous rowdy saloons, a Chinatown area, and a Red Light District. The population steadily declined until, by the 1940s, fewer than 10 residents remained. In 1961, Bodie was named a National Historic Landmark, now known as Bodie State Historic Park. Just over 100 structures remain in a state of “arrested decay,” giving tourists a glimmer of its Wild West past.

As for the so-called Bodie Curse, it’s easily avoided: Just don’t take anything from the park, and you’ll be fine. If you pocket a single item, however, you’ll be plagued with misfortune, and according to a KQED segment, many past thieves have returned their ill-gotten goods — ranging from rocks and nails to an upright piano — complete with letters of contrition. Ultimately, the source of the curse seems to have been a park ranger desperate to stop sticky-fingered tourists from taking old artifacts, but those who have tested it still seem to swear by it.

When it comes to ghosts, Bodie could perhaps point to its rough past replete with bar brawls and gun fights, but its most interesting character may have been Eleanor Dumont, a card dealer better known as “Madame Mustache” (due to a dark swath of hair on her upper lip). She came to Bodie where her luck ran out and, funds depleted, fatally injected herself with morphine. Maybe it’s Dumont’s restless spirit who gives the fictional curse its long legs.

cabin california

DON BARRETT/FLICKR

The Char Man of Ojai

Ojai
The Char Man is a Central Coast urban legend dating back to the 1940s. According to local lore, the Char Man was a guy who lived in a cabin just outside the city of Ojai before he was forever altered by the flames of a raging wildfire. From there, the tale spins off into multiple popular variations. In one, the Char Man lived with his father, who was killed in the blaze; the Char Man survived, but was badly injured and driven mad by the traumatic experience. He was last seen flaying his father’s ruined flesh before fleeing into the woods near Old Creek Road. In other versions of the story, it’s a lover or sister who is killed in the fire; in yet others, he’s a solitary older man so horribly disfigured by the fire that he became a recluse who emerges only to chase away intruders.

In a 1967 article in the Ventura County Star-Free Press, a teenage boy claimed that the Char Man chased him and stole his jacket. Charlie Seemann, who researched the legend extensively, made contact with an anonymous source who claimed he was the one who stole the boy’s jacket. The source said he’d heard the Char Man stories and decided to stage an elaborate hoax to further terrify the local youth. Seemann also spoke with a law enforcement officer who claimed the real Char Man was an older gentleman with a skin deformity who lived alone near Signal Street. Children who saw him were frightened by his appearance, and the legend grew from there.

Regardless of how the whole thing started, the Char Man continues to lend his likeness to nightmares — and a local hot sauce brand.

USING WHEY IN YOUR GARDEN

October 24, 2020October 24, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ 2 Comments

Trying to figure out what to do with left over whey when I make cheese, it’s usually about a gallon or so. If you don’t want to use it in protein shakes the garden is your best place! http://www.blog.cheesemaking.com gives us the full breakdown how to use:

SALT

We use unsalted whey because salt is not useful in the garden. Fortunately, most of the time, when we make cheese, we salt the curds after we drain off the whey, so this is usually not an issue.

ACID WHEY VS SWEET WHEY

We need to bear in mind that there is a difference between acid whey and sweet whey: Sweet whey comes from cheese we make with rennet. Acid whey is a byproduct when we make dairy products that don’t involve the use of rennet – yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, etc. (There is sub-category of acid whey called “cooked whey” which is the whey leftover from making panir, queso fresco and ricotta. It has less protein and less vitamins and minerals than the other wheys but it can still be used in the garden.)

Acid whey is more acidic than sweet whey. This is because some of the lactose in it has been converted to lactic acid. Sweet whey has a pH greater than or equal to 5.6, whereas acid whey has a pH less than or equal to 5.1 (from Wikipedia). Another difference is that acid whey has slightly more vitamins and minerals in it than sweet whey.

Many articles erroneously recommend using only sweet whey in gardening and not acid whey. That is based on the idea that you might go out and throw a gallon of acid whey onto your tomato plant with no regard for the acid content. That would not be good for your plants. In fact, some people pour acid whey on their weeds to kill them! (We’re assuming here that you understand the difference between the two kinds of whey and that you will follow the directions below when using it.)

Both kinds of whey can damage the environment when large quantities of it are dumped into bodies of water because changing the pH of the water effects the fish, etc.

CHANGING THE PH OF THE SOIL

For those of you who don’t generally consider this aspect of gardening, the pH of the soil is the level of acidity. The lower the pH, the more acidic the soil is and the higher the pH, the more alkaline it is.

This is important because plants can’t get the nutrients they need from the soil unless the soil has the right amount of acidity. Different plants prefer different levels, so, soil that is good for one type of plant, is not good for another. There are many good charts online showing optimal pH ranges for plants; here’s one from the Farmer’s Almanac – click here.

How do you know the pH of your soil? Most universities have soil testing labs and you can send samples to them for a small fee. The information you receive is absolutely invaluable. Or, if you already have the type of pH meter we sell (click here) to use when making cheese, you can use the same pH meter to test your garden’s soil.

If you don’t know the pH of your soil, you don’t really know whether whey will be good for it. Odds are it will be for the acid-loving plants, but if your soil is already very acidic (5 – 5.5), whey would not be a good choice.

Generally speaking, it’s a fool’s errand to try to change the acidity of your soil; it’s preferable to simply plant the right plants in the right place. However, that isn’t always possible (because we just have to have that gorgeous hydrangea in our alkaline soil). So, most of us make amendments of one kind or another.

We use various products for this – whey, vinegar, sphagnum peat, sulfur or any acidifying fertilizer. In any case, it is not wise to change the pH too rapidly.

FERTILIZING VALUE

As stated, you would usually use whey on your acid-loving plants to change the pH. However, whey has some value as a fertilizer in itself.

It actually has small quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (as well as calcium and magnesium). The N-P-K ratio is typically 0.15-0.05-0.17. (Acid whey has less protein than sweet whey, but it still contains many of the same vitamins and minerals in sweet whey.)

This is low enough for you to use it regularly without fear of over-fertilizing.

Directions for use:

Strain your whey in cheesecloth or butter muslin so there are not big pieces of curd floating in it.

Dilute it before adding it to your soil. This is an inexact science, but we suggest you dilute it in the same amount of water to start, so you have a 50:50 split.

Pour it around the base of your plants and not on the plants themselves.

Try not to give your plants a total of more than 1″ of diluted whey per week. (You will need a rain gauge for this.) A common recommendation is to use 1 gallon of diluted whey per 10 square feet of garden space every seven to 14 days.*

CONTROLLING POWDERY MILDEW

Some folks spray whey onto their plants to prevent the spread of fungal diseases like powdery mildew.

Directions: Strain your whey, dilute it (50 parts water:50 parts sweet whey or 70 parts water:30 parts acid whey) and spray it on your plants bi-weekly. You can also use it as a deterrent in advance if you feel that your plants are highly susceptible to powdery mildew.

ADDING TO YOUR COMPOST

Whey is a great supplement to your compost because the carbon:nitrogen ratio averages 20:1. (UMN.edu)

Strain it and, after you add it to your compost, turn the pile so the whey doesn’t heat it up too much.

If you are worm composting, add only a few diluted tablespoons per week – the worms don’t like too much acidity.

*This is from Hunker: An all-purpose fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 24-8-16 is diluted at a rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 gallon of water. This supplies 0.1 ounces of nitrogen, 0.03 ounces of phosphorus and 0.06 ounces of potassium per application. To apply the same amount of nitrogen using whey, mix the whey half-and-half with water. This will supply 0.1 ounces of nitrogen, 0.04 ounces of phosphorus and 0.12 ounces of potassium per gallon. Use the mixture in place of regular fertilizer every other time you fertilize. Use 1 gallon of diluted fertilizer or whey per 10 square feet of garden space every seven to 14 days.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

October 16, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

SOURCE: https://www.loveandlemons.com/soft-pretzels-recipe/

A treat for everyone in the family who doesn’t love pretzels! This was one recipe I was a little scared to tried but going to do it! Thank you loveandlemons.com my kids are so excited:

Ingredients

For the pretzel dough

2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 pkg. (¼ ounce) active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
1½ cups warm water
4½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, more for brushing
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

For the poaching water

6 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Instructions

Prepare the pretzel dough: In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, yeast, and water and proof for 5 minutes or until foamy.
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, place the flour, salt, olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low speed for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough is well-formed around the hook. If the dough is very dry after 3 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of water.
Transfer the dough to a clean lightly floured work surface and gently knead to form into a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. Brush a large bowl with ½ teaspoon of olive oil and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until the dough is almost doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a clean (not floured) work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll one piece of dough into an 18-inch rope. Grab the ends of the dough rope to make a U shape. Cross one of the ends of the rope over the other, leaving a wide loop of dough below them. Then, wrap the dough ends around each other again to create the pretzel’s twist. Fold the twist towards you, into the center of the dough loop, to make a pretzel shape. (See step-by-step photos above). Place it onto the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
Prepare the poaching water: In a large pot, combine the 6 cups of water and the baking soda and bring to a boil. Drop pretzels, one at a time, into the pot. Boil for 30 seconds, then lift out using a slotted spoon and place onto the baking sheet. While the dough is still wet, sprinkle with coarse salt. Use a sharp knife to cut a 4-inch slit along the bottom of each pretzel.
Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown.

HEAVY CREAM ALTERNATIVES

October 12, 2020October 11, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

SOURCE: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323822#butter-and-milk

Heavy cream is a common ingredient in a lot of recipes from desserts to casseroles. So if you need a quick sub because the store is out or you are vegan here are other ingredients you can use for your recipe:

1. Butter and milk

Heavy cream contains more fat than milk does, so a combination of butter and milk can act as an excellent replacement in many recipes.

When there is no heavy cream to hand, people can use the following mixture in its place:

three-quarters of a cup of milk
one-quarter of a cup of melted unsalted butter

This substitute will not whip in the same way that heavy cream does. It can, however, replace heavy cream in baked goods and creamy sauces.

2. Oil and dairy-free milk

To make the equivalent of 1 cup of a dairy-free heavy cream substitute, try the following recipe:

measure out two-thirds of a cup of rice or soy milk
mix well with one-third of a cup of extra light olive oil or melted dairy-free margarine

This substitute will not whip like heavy cream. People can try using these substitutions in a variety of dishes to determine which combinations work best for them.https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

3. Full-fat coconut cream

Full-fat coconut cream has a creamy texture. It whips in a similar way to heavy cream, and the two are close in consistency.

To make coconut whipped cream, follow these steps:

chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight or until firm
open the can and pour away the liquid, leaving just the solid coconut cream
scoop the cream into a chilled bowl and whip with a handheld mixer or blender

Coconut whipped cream can substitute dairy whipped cream as an accompaniment to desserts. This non-dairy substitute has a distinct coconut flavor, which means that it will not be suitable for use in all dishes.

Coconut cream is an alternative to full-fat coconut milk that people can use in both sweet and savory dishes.

4. Evaporated milk

Evaporated milk is thicker and creamier than regular milk. People wanting a more healthful substitute for heavy cream can try using evaporated milk instead to reduce the number of calories and the amount of saturated fat in a recipe.

Evaporated milk contains 338 calories per cup, compared to 809 calories per cup of heavy cream.

However, evaporated milk does not whip like heavy cream.

5. Brown rice and low-fat milk

For savory dishes, such as soups, people can use a mixture of brown rice and low-fat milk to create an alternative to heavy cream. Unlike other healthful substitutes, such as low-fat milk and yogurt, this cream substitute will not curdle when people add it to hot food.

Use the following steps to make 3 cups of a healthful, savory substitute for heavy cream in soups:

mix 2 cups of unsalted chicken stock and a half-cup of uncooked instant brown rice
bring to the boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 25 minutes
let it stand for 5 minutes then blend in 1 cup of 1-percent low-fat milk until smooth

Using the brown rice mixture in place of heavy cream will significantly reduce the number of calories and the amount of fat in the dish.

6. Cashew cream

Cashew cream is a versatile substitute that people can use when making sweet or savory recipes.

To make cashew cream, use the following recipe:

soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 2 hours
drain the cashews
mix the cashews with three-quarters of a cup of filtered water and a pinch of salt
blend until smooth
store in the fridge in an airtight container to allow the cream to thicken

To whip cashew cream, chill it first and then lightly whisk it using a handheld mixer or blender. This cream can act as a vegan alternative to whipped cream on desserts.

People can also use cashew cream instead of heavy cream to thicken creamy soups or tomato sauces.ELECTION 2020Voting feels good.

Exercising your right to vote contributes to your total well-being. Make sure you’re election-ready, check your registration status today.GO NOW

7. Pureed tofu

Pureed silken tofu can replace heavy cream in many recipes, although it will not whip. Add 1 cup of pureed tofu in place of 1 cup of heavy cream.

Silken tofu adds an extra protein boost to a meal. A 100 gram (g) portion provides 4.8 g of protein and only 55 calories.

8. White beans

Pureed pulses can replace heavy cream in soups and stews. They will thicken the dish and add nutrients, protein, and fiber.

Add 1 cup of pureed pulses in place of each cup of heavy cream.

Blended white beans are a high-protein addition to savory recipes, providing 19.02 g of protein per cup and 299 calories.

Pumpkin Flan In a Pastry Shell

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Halloween is one of the most exciting holiday for me and my kids, I love to check out Martha’s website she always has great recipes and fun decor! So here is another pumpkin recipe for all pumpkin lovers that can’t get enough during the season:

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee for Plum Crumb Pie
1 cup whipped cream, or creme fraiche (optional)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Have ready eight 4-inch metal pie pans, and prepare an ice-water bath.
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water; set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Cover, and bring to boil; cook until condensation washes down sides. Remove cover; boil until syrup turns deep amber in color. Quickly submerge pan in ice-water bath.
Working quickly, divide caramel among the pie pans; swirl each to coat bottom. Set aside to cool.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pour milk into a saucepan, and set over high heat. Bring just to a boil; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Mix in vanilla and warm milk; pass through fine sieve, discarding solids. Divide mixture among pie pans, filling two-thirds full. Transfer pie pans to a roasting pan.
Loosely drape piece of foil over top of roasting pan, transfer to oven, and add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pie pans (always fill roasting pan with boiling water after transferring to oven, to avoid burning). Bake until centers are nearly set — a thin-bladed knife inserted into centers should come out clean — 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer roasting pan to wire rack to cool. Remove flans from water, and dry bottoms of pie pans. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate flans overnight.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready four 5-inch flan rings or fluted tartlet tins; line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out eight 7-inch circles. Ease a circle into each flan ring, letting excess drape over top. Fit dough into bottom corners of rings, using knuckles to work dough from top down, not from the center out. Using a rolling pin, roll over tops of rings, creating neat tops and removing any excess dough. Prick bottom of each shell several times with a fork. Transfer shells to baking sheets, and chill 30 minutes.
Line shells with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, and remove foil and weights. Bake until shells are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack, and let shells cool, 1 hour. Remove shells from rings.
When ready to serve, place shells on 4 dessert plates. Unmold flan by running a knife carefully around edge of pan, and invert it over a shell; caramel sauce will flow, filling shell. Repeat with remaining shells and flan. Top with whipped cream or creme fraiche, if desired.

Cook’s Notes

If you do not use the exact sizes of the pans called for in this recipe, just be sure that they are close to these sizes and that the pastry shell you make is slightly larger than the custard.

21 Creative and Delicious Ways to Enjoy Your Pumpkin After Halloween

October 7, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ 1 Comment

SOURCE: https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/21-fun-ways-enjoy-pumpkin-halloween/?aff_id=86&aff_sub3=20201006&aff_unique2=ITR-a4a3f557-1324-4c2f-854c-124ed1337249&utm_medium=email&utm_source=daily&utm_campaign=daily20201007&utm_content=savemoney&sms

Every year millions buy pumpkins some carve them, some display them whole, and others just put them all around the house to look at them. So what do you do after Halloween with a 10lb pumpkin? No need to guess because http://www.pennyhoarder.com did the research for you:

1. Make Pumpkin Puree

While it doesn’t sound appetizing on its own, pumpkin puree is one of my favorite things to make with leftover pumpkins.

It’s incredibly versatile: You’ll be able to turn your puree into pumpkin muffins, breads and soups down the road — even a delicious Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Pumpkin puree is the base for most of the delicious dishes on this list.

Creating the puree is simple: Just boil, bake or steam your pumpkin, according to Good Housekeeping. If you used a real candle in your jack o’ lantern, make sure to cut off and discard any burned sections or leftover wax.

The puree freezes well for future use; I like to use zip-closure freezer bags, filled and partially flattened for easy stacking.

2. Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte

Tempted by the versions on offer at seemingly every coffee shop? Instead of dropping $5 on a pumpkin spice latte that doesn’t actually contain any pumpkin, make your own.

Inspired by a fall weekend in a town without a coffee shop, Betsy Officer created her own PSL. “Not only is this recipe delicious and super easy, but it also is 100% natural and can be made with organic ingredients,” she explained. “Plus, I can now drink pumpkin spice lattes as early/or late into the season as I like!”

She shared two variations of the recipe: a latte made with espresso, and a café au lait made with standard drip-brewed coffee.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk, ideally 2%, for the latte (if you’re making cafe au lait, 1/2 cup milk will give you a 2:1 coffee/milk ratio)
1 espresso shot for the latte (or 1 cup drip coffee)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mixture (or mix your own cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg blend)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: cinnamon sticks and/or maple pumpkin butter as garnish

Measure and pour milk into a saucepan on your stove. Add in pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Stir well. Heat the mixture on medium/hot heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, brew coffee or espresso. For cafe au lait, Officer recommends using a pumpkin spice blend such as Dunkin Donuts or Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice coffee.

Remove milk from the stovetop once it’s hot (Officer waits until it’s just about to boil) and use a milk frother to froth it. The mixture should double in size and create a nice foam. If you don’t have a frother, you can find one online for less than $20 (she uses this one) or use your blender.

Once milk is frothed, combine in a mug with espresso or coffee. Garnish with pumpkin pie spice. If you’d like, add a cinnamon stick or drizzle with a bit of maple pumpkin butter.

3. Enjoy a Pumpkin Cocktail or Pumpkin Beer

For those looking for something a little stronger than a latte, these seasonal drinks are just the ticket. You’ll need a few additional ingredients — and brewing equipment if you’re making beer — but these pumpkin drinks will spice up any post-Halloween party.

Enjoy planning ahead? Bottle your pumpkin beer or preserve your pumpkin now, then break out the drinks with your Thanksgiving dinner.

4. Have Pumpkin Lasagna

Need a dinner idea for Nov. 1? Try this yummy vegetarian pumpkin lasagna.

Taste of Home calls it a “comforting fall dish” — who doesn’t love those?

5. Make Pumpkin Butter

This seasonal treat is delicious on toast, in smoothies or on oatmeal. You can make it all year if you freeze extra pumpkin puree.

Check out this simple recipe on Oh She Glows (bonus if this is important to you: It’s vegan).

6. Snack on Roasted Seeds

They’re a classic snack for a reason. A handful of roasted pumpkin seeds is a delicious way to get iron, magnesium, zinc and a healthy dose of fiber.

Roasting them is simple — just dry out the seeds and bake them on a baking sheet with olive oil and salt — but play with toppings to find one that works for you: salt and pepper, chili powder or cinnamon are all good options.

7. Make Vegetable Stock with the Guts

While the flesh and seeds are often popular foods, the stringy insides of pumpkins usually go straight to the trash (or compost). No more!

Try adding them to other veggie bits (carrot tops, onion ends) to make a flavorful stock.

8. Bake Pumpkin Gut Bread

If you’re looking for something a little heartier than soup, try this recipe from Diana Johnson of Eating Richly. She calculates that making two loaves costs about $2.

9. Cook Pumpkin Risotto

Another way to put those guts to use: Try this delicious pumpkin risotto, which Gothamist Editor Nell Casey adapted from The New York Times.

10. Make Pumpkin Pickles

If you’re pickle-obsessed like me, you’ll want to try these babies. For a sweeter pickle to go with desserts or cheese platters, try this pickled sugar pumpkin recipe from Serious Eats.

Looking for something with a little more kick? Try these South Indian pumpkin pickles from Promenade Plantings.

11. Dry Pumpkin Skin into Chips

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget the skin of the pumpkin.

Use a dehydrator or your oven to dry the skin into crispy chips for snacks or garnishes, recommends Gina Harney of Fitnessista.

12. Use Pumpkins as Serving Bowls

File this idea under “brilliant:” Save on decorations (and dishwashing) by using pumpkins as serving bowls for soup or cider.

Here’s an easy way to make a pumpkin bowl, from Sanam Lamborn of My Persian Kitchen.

13. Turn a Pumpkin into a Planter

Keep the fall festivities going by using your pumpkin as a planter for a small potted plant.

The planter will last for several weeks, and then you can plant it directly in your garden to decompose.

14. Create a Pumpkin Bird Feeder

Feeling artsy? Feed your neighborhood birds by making this simple bird feeder from Instructables.

15. Save Them for Your Thanksgiving Table

No need to spend extra money on table decorations — plan to keep a pumpkin or two, and you’ll be all set. Use Pinterest for ideas and inspiration.

Your pumpkins will make it to Thanksgiving, as long as you choose wisely. An uncarved, healthy pumpkin “can last 8 to 12 weeks,” Cornell University horticulturalist Steve Reiners told NPR.

16. Make Pumpkin Snowmen

Why not try this cute, crafty way to reuse some of your Halloween decorations?

You’ll get an early start on your winter decorating — or if you’re feeling entrepreneurial, you could even try selling your creations.

17. Relax With a Pumpkin Face Mask

Out late at a Halloween party? Recharge your skin with pumpkin’s good-for-you vitamins A, C and E.

You’ll only need to add honey and milk, according to this simple recipe from Beautylish. Add this to the list of fun ways to save money with DIY beauty products!

18. Build a Pumpkin Catapult

If you’d rather throw your pumpkin than eat it or decorate with it, try building a pumpkin catapult or trebuchet.

19. Try Pumpkin Painting

This is a great chance for kids to have fun creating art with pumpkins, especially if they’re a little young for carving tools.

The best part? All you need is some butcher or craft paper, a few paper plates and washable paint. Or get a little more creative — The Artful Parent explains the details.

20. Save the Seeds

Not a fan of eating the seeds? Instead, hold onto them to plant in your garden next spring.

Growing your own pumpkins will save you money — and let you enjoy even more homemade treats next year.

21. Compost Your Pumpkin

At the very least, your leftover pumpkin can help you grow an incredible garden next year. Cut it into smaller pieces and toss it in the compost pile, then mix it into your soil next spring.

Disney Ghostly Halloween Recipes

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

Every year I look forward to going to Disneyland for Halloween I love the decor they really go all out. And all the baked goodies and ghostly popcorn tins make me feel like a kid again. Since I won’t be spending Halloween Time at Disneyland this year, I will be making some of the magic at home instead. Thanks to Disneyland for posting a lot of their favorite Halloween Treats:

Oogie Boogie Gummy Worm Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Chocolate cupcakes
White canned frosting
Gummy worm candy
Gel food coloring

Make 24 chocolate cupcakes.
Mix yellow food coloring into the frosting. Stir in small amounts of green food coloring until reaching a bright green.
To make Oogie Boogie’s pointy head, trim a cupcake into a cone shape. Spread a small amount of frosting onto the base of the cone-shaped cupcake and adhere to the top of another cupcake.
Carefully cover the cone shape with green frosting. Make a hole into the cupcake where the worm will come out of his mouth. Poke the gummy worm into the hole, and then begin to draw his mouth with the black decorating gel around the worm. Add spooky eyes to finish.

TIP: Crumble the cupcake pieces to look like dirt to decorate the plate!

SOURCE: https://d23.com/pumpkin-pecan-pie/

Ingredients
1 homemade or store bought Pie Crust
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark corn syrup
1½ cups pecans (chopped)
¼ cup pumpkin puree
whipped cream (for garnish)
cinnamon sugar (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out pie dough to ⅛ inch thickness and line a 9-inch pie plate, allowing excess to drape over edge. Fold over edges and crimp, then trim any remaining excess. Line the pan with parchment and pour in baking beans or weights. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is light golden.
Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar, then add beaten eggs, vinegar, salt, vanilla, and corn syrup. Stir in pecans and pumpkin puree.
Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Place pie on baking sheet. Bake on center rack of oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. *Note: If crust is browning before center is cooked, tent edges of pie with foil and continue baking.

SOURCE: https://d23.com/recipe-pumpkin-beignets/

Ingredients

Pumpkin Beignets
1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup hot water
1 egg
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
vegetable oil, for frying

Maple Glaze
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

Pumpkin Beignets
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, heavy cream, hot water, egg, shortening, and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture. Mix dough just until combined and smooth. Let dough rest in bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, 30 minutes. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Pat to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Heat three inches of vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Fry beignets until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning as soon as they brown on one side. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Maple Glaze
Combine butter and maple syrup in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until butter melts. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle warm beignets with maple glaze and serve immediately.

And of course who can forget their candy apples and rice crispy treats!

Ingredients

Your favorite kind of apple–any kind will do (the rounder the better)
1 bag caramel bits
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips plus a handful more for eyes
colorful gels to decorate

Special Materials

Lollipop stick (we recommend using one at least eight inches long)
Plastic squeeze bottle (optional)

Directions

Rinse and thoroughly dry apple, then insert an eight-inch lollipop stick into the stem end of it.
Prepare caramel bits according to package until melted.
Dip apple into melted caramel until evenly coated. Spoon caramel over apple if necessary, making sure to allow excess caramel to drip off.
Scrape caramel off bottom of apple, then set apple on a wax-paper-covered plate and refrigerate for at least one hour. Once caramel has set, take apple out of refrigerator.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler. Once chocolate is melted, dip caramel-covered-apple into white chocolate until evenly coated. Spoon white chocolate over apple if necessary, making sure to allow excess chocolate to drip off.
Scrape white chocolate off bottom of apple, then set apple on a wax-paper-covered plate and refrigerate for at least one hour. Once white chocolate has set, take apple out of refrigerator.
Use remaining melted milk chocolate as “glue” to stick on two large chocolate chips on the apple for eyes, draw the rest of features—eyebrows, smile, and dots. We suggest placing melted chocolate in a plastic squeeze bottle or a re-sealable sandwich bag for drawing features.
Same steps can be used for rice crispy treats just cut into circle to join two smaller circles as the ears to the bigger circle for the head. You can use a toothpick to hold in place while chocolate sets.

Halloween DIY Decor

October 4, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

SOURCE: https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/spooky-front-porch-decorating-ideas-for-halloween-pictures

Well with the weather still being so hot it doesn’t feel like October, we won’t be trick or treating this year another bummer. Does that mean we should just skip decorating of course not! Maybe you don’t go all out but just what makes you still feel the Halloween vibe:

Spooky Door Decor could be as easy as a wreath just depends how creative you want to be. A wicker handbag full of creepy flowers and a few eyeballs looks like a step in the right direction! All the items can be found at Michael’s, joann’s, dollartree, biglots, or target.

SOURCE: https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/10-creep-tastic-halloween-wreaths-pictures

Maybe something more simple but still gives Halloween feeling, what about taking a plastic skeleton and instead of just hanging on your door make a wreath. You can take skeleton apart and make a wire ring to hot glue all the bones all around it.

Maybe you don’t want to carve a pumpkin but you still want to buy one for easy decor? Well maybe using as a vase and adding some natural flowers that will wilt overtime and go from fall to creepy fast!

SOURCE: https://asubtlerevelry.com/why-dont-we-carve-a-pineapple/

Now if you fear with our warm weather these options won’t last until Halloween go another route. Use succulent in a ceramic pumpkin instead many markets like Trader Joes or Sprouts may actually have them for sale already done. If not ceramic pumpkin vase you can find at any craft supply store.

Mason jars are not just good for storing things you can also use them for decor. Wrap different size jars in gauze or cheesecloth seal with a glue gun, add some plastic spiders or skeleton hands. Make sure nothing is near the opening of jar and use a candle to get a nice glow.

PUMPKIN PIZZA

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020 ~ theprojectfortheday ~ Leave a comment

It’s October and it’s pizza Friday win win!!! So what a surprise to mixing these two pizza and pumpkin. See pumpkin puree is good in all kinds of recipes:

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced
¾ cup pumpkin purée
1 cup water (or vegetable stock)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Pizza

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup sliced Spanish chorizo, or Polish kielbasa
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
1 (16-ounce) pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup shredded fontina cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh sage leaves
¾ cup loosely packed fresh arugula
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

For the sauce, place a medium saucepan over median-high heat with 1 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, cooking until the tomatoes have blistered, another 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin purée and water, and stir until fully combined. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer. Lower the flame and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
To prepare the pizza toppings, set a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add the chorizo and cook until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms, cooking until also browned, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle a pizza stone, pizza pan, or baking sheet with cornmeal, set aside.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into about a ½-inch thick round circle. Transfer the dough to the prepared pizza stone (or baking pan or baking sheet), and fold the very edge over the top of the pizza to create a thick crust. Spread the center evenly with the pumpkin pizza sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella, fontina and parmesan cheese. Top with the sautéed chorizo, mushrooms and sage leaves. Bake until puffed up, the cheese has melted, and the pizza is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top with arugula and pumpkin seeds right before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

	Deborah Mechaly - Va… on WALNUT PESTO
	John Pfeiffer on The Best White Hydrangea Varie…
	Cook Plate Fork on 10 Homemade Condiments You Can…
	Adam on 20 Vegetables You Can Plant in…
	Dorothy's New Vintag… on The Garlickiest Fried Ric…