Thursday, November 3, 2011

Halloween Fun and Upcoming Vacation

I had a fun Halloween. My mom and I made pumpkin stew, which is cooking a stew inside a pumpkin, and it was very good. The pumpkin flesh tasted just like spaghetti squash, with a very nice flavor.

You can see that the second pumpkin was the one we used for the stew. My dad felt like being a little silly and carving a face into it afterwards, haha.

It doesn't get much better than this-- warm, hearty stew on a chilly Halloween evening. We got some of the cutest trick-or-treaters, too-- some preschoolers who barely even knew how to say, "Halloween," but gave it a good effort. We also ordered pizza and watched classic scary movies.

So, now that we're done with the Halloween excitement, it's time for me to work a couple more weeks.... then, I get a week off, during which I will be going to New Orleans again, then Palm Springs for Thanksgiving. It will be so much fun. There is even going to be a festival on November 20th when I am in New Orleans, featuring one of the foods of which I have wanted to try more.

They will have all kinds of Po Boys there, and arts and crafts, and live jazz playing all day. Some other new things I plan on trying/visiting while in New Orleans: oysters, a mint julep, their famous bread pudding, bananas foster, Antoine's, Mahony's, Croissant D'or Patisserie, the antique shops on Royal Street, and more. Hopefully I'll have enough energy to see and do as much as possible!

10 comments:

  1. Good Morning, Jen!

    Two thumbs up on the Pumpkin Stew...sounds appetizing, and what a timely treat considering the delightful festivities centered around Halloween.

    Hat tip to you and your parents for making the annual celebration a worthwhile, and fun-loving experience for the lil' folks making their rounds house to house--fun times.

    Sounds like some interesing travel plans are in your future, so hopefully all of your arrangements go smoothly. Will you be taking some notes/pics on the shops, diners, and menu-dishes you guys choose along your travel route, and share them in future post?

    Have a great week, Jen. Carpe Diem!

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  2. I will definitely share all about my New Orleans trip when I get back, with notes and photos :). It may just be the best one yet.
    Have a great week too :)

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  3. That's great news, Jen. Looking forward to your feedback about your latest New Orleans trip when you get back. Hope it's a sense of adventure/time well spent.

    You've mentioned your interest and admiration for Po-Boys, so perhaps the following link may provide some insights as you guys continue to develop your personal itinerary...

    http://www.avenueinnbb.com/blog/ 

    Bon appetit, Jen, and safe travels.

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  4. Thanks for the interesting link, Al :). I'm actually just going by myself to see some friends, but I'll still have plenty of fun.

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  5. You are welcome, Jen.

    Hopefully the link is useful to a degree, but whatwith your natural wits about you, you may not need anything more than your trusty intuition after all. Am excited for you, and hope a delightful sense of adventure awaits. Safe travels.

    Off to help deliver some turkeys and trimmings in honor of some great people in anticipation of Veteran's Day activities/celebrations tomorrow (11-11-11). Back next week to see what's on tap here at your Epic Treats.

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  6. Have a great veterans day :). Doesn't it feel great to volunteer your time to help others? I, too, will be volunteering-- when I get to New Orleans and go to the Po-Boy Fest. I signed up for 3 hours, not sure what they'll have me do but it should be a fun way to talk to new people and feel like part of the community.

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  7. Yes, Jen, it's a natural high to make a difference in the lives of others. Of course, you know this already considering the tutoring you do to enhance the educational experience of young people--kudos! And, now it seems the Po-Boy Fest is next in line for several hours of your can-do spirit (hope you garner a role/task to your liking, Jen, something akin to a win-win for you and the fest).

    Seems there's a new featured event this year...

    http://www.poboyfest.com/events

    Perhaps you may be asked to be one of the judges to tap the best dishes/sandwiches. Have a great week, Jen, and hopefully there's smooth sailing ahead as you countdown the last minutes before you leave. Safe travels.

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  8. Yes, I will certainly look forward to the joy of volunteering, and checking out the events at the festival.. and I may need to try a Thanksgiving Po-Boy from Parkway Plaza, that sounds delicious :).

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  9. A Thanksgiving Po-Boy from Parkway Plaza sounds like a treat, Jen, bon appetit/enjoy. Looking forward to your follow up post and pics when you return. Should our electronic paths not cross again until early next month, here's wishing you and yours a safe and memorable holiday celebration--Happy Thanksgiving!

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  10. Happy thanksgiving to you too, Al :)

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