Mountain FM

There are a ton of events happening in our area for Halloween and this blog is dedicated to those events.  It seems Halloween falls on a Friday this year making it even bigger and better. 

Locally we have the Hobgloblin Express now until Thursday Oct. 30th - West Coast Railway Heritage Park from 5:30 - 8:30pm.  Last train departs at 8pm and all your scary characters are waiting for you.  Sample the hot chocolate, take a mini-rail ride, make a sparkly pumpkin in their craftroom and listen to  a spoooooky story.  $5 per person, $2.50 for members.  Call 604 898 9336 for more information.

Mamquam Elementary School Halloween Dance Thurs. Oct. 30th, 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Tickets $5.00 per person. The funds from the Halloween Dance (& other activities) will be used for the grade 5 french immersion children to attend a camp in January at NVOS. Grades 4-7 invited. Other elementary school children are invited. There will be a guest band, spot dance prizes and concession stand.

Hollywood Halloween on Oct. 31st.  Brennan Park Recreation Centre, 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Admission free with a donation, children’s game pass $2.00. Come in costume and be a star! This Halloween event is fun for the whole family! Featuring Celebrity Games, Hollywood Boulevard, Autograph Signing, Starry Prizes, and the Walk of Fame.

Vancouver’s favourite family places are all decorated up for the season. You’ve got Fright Nights at the PNE, The Ghost Train in Stanley Park, The Great Big Boo at different places around town, The Haunted Trolley Tours from the Vancouver Museum and Halloween Hoopla at the Burnaby Village Museum.

Whatever you do for the halloween season, I hope you are safe and have a lot of fun.  We’re only 3 days away from the big day so I hope that I’ve helped you a long your path and hallofun.  Saw V will get you points today! 

I had a bunch of things lined up for the halloween blog today, then I came across something that takes the cake.  So, just enjoy this for today because it’s a lot of take in.

Scare off Republican Trick or Treaters With the Obama Pumpkin

Posted by JeanneSager

Want to make a political statement with your family’s Halloween celebration this year? Forget Caribou Barbie or stuffing your shirt with pillows to pull off “I was a teenage Alaskan who studied the abstinence-only approach to birth control.” Thanks to two creative bloggers with a lot of time on their hands, and us at the ‘derby with even more time to search the Web, we bring you . . . the Barack-o-lantern.

Kevin Fairdosi and friend Minh taped themselves pasting an Obama template (which they provide!) to a pumpkin, and they take you step by step through the carving of a candidate. The result looks a little creepy in the daylight, but the nighttime affect is downright eerie - in a good way. So grab your gourd, your knife, your scoop and the kids, and get carving (and by the way, if you’re voting for McCain, hold onto the plans - you’ll have something to take your agression out on come November 5).

Remember, It’s all fun and games until someone carves a presidential candidate into the side of their gourd.

Images: Kevin Fairdosi

I wish I knew how to make a countdown clock.  Only 9 more days until Halloween and I’m really starting to get excited. 

I have to start off this rather shorter halloween blog by telling you about The Strangers which came out on DVD yesterday.  AMAZING scary movie.  We waited until it got a little dark and then we turned out all the light and put it on.  It’s a great movie that dubs itself as a Terror movie rather than a Horror movie.  If you want a good scare this halloween, pick up this movie.  It’s about a couple who are at a summer cottage home who become terrorized by people knocking on doors and windows until the masked people finally gain entry into their house.  If you have surround sound, you’ll love this flick.  The Strangers, go pick it up!!!

Ok thanks to Mavis who submitted a photo of their halloween costume.  It looks like Bob Marley meets John Lennon with a splash of Bill Cosby.  Great costume Mavis!!

When I was younger, I was a HUGE fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks and I actually recycled this costume more than once.  I stole a simple red neck warmer from my poppa bear and from the looks of it, my mom probably cut out a rather large uppercase A from construction paper.  Put on a red hat, little brown nose and voila.  Now mastering the voice isn’t as easy as the costume, but you can always try!

I didn’t much time for the last Halloween post, so this will be a much more full post!First off, I’ve done some research and found the top costumes that people are buying/making for 2008.Boys                                  Girls1. Iron Man                      1. Hannah Montana2. Indiana Jones               2. High School Musical Girl3. Transformer                  3. Elizabeth Swann from Pirates4. Batman                        4. Dora the Explorer5. Pirate                           5. Fairy PrincessMen                                  Women1. The Joker                     1. Sarah Palin2. Batman                        2. Princess Leia3. Indiana Jones               3. Madonna4. Iron Man                      4. Duchess of Devonshire5. Jack Sparrow               5. Amy WinehouseAnd on a side note, moms and dads, no matter how badly your little princess wants to dress up like a certain Hilton or Lohan, it’s not appropriate, and creepy!MOVIESMovies are a big part of Halloween and something that I’ve neglected up until now.  There are some great halloween movies that you should get and watch before the end of the month.  Pick a night for your friends or significant other and light some candles with a few of your favorite halloween DVD’s.  This past weekend I watched Blair Witch and isn’t quite as good as the first time I watched it in the early 90’s, but what a great idea for those filmmakers.  Here’s my top 5 list of Scary Movies(not all for kids) in no particular order:1. IT - Stephen King’s It is great for a scare one of my favs.2. Carrie - Another Stephen King novel turned to the screen3. The Blair Witch Project - Genius4. Shaun of the Dead - Funny and Scary5. The Exorcist - ClassicOf course there are scarier movies out there that are way better, but when I think of Halloween, these are the 5 films I think about.  What, I don’t think of SAW? YES of course I do, I LOVE saw, it’s one of the best scary movie series’ EVER!  Just didn’t want to clutter up my list with all the Saw films.  On a side note, I went to college with a guy named Marty Adams who was in Saw IV.  Check out this behind the scenes shot of him on location filming Saw IV.(thanks to Marty for allowing me to steal this photo from his facebook)Halloween is a time that should be spent with family and loved ones.  Take time this weekend or evening after work to maybe work on some halloween crafts with your kids.Mummy JarTake a glass jar, fill it with green candy and glue on some plastic wiggly eyes and use a button for the nose.  Now get some first aid gauze and wrap it around your jar and voila.  An easy treat to make with your kids that they can keep and use over and over again.Hand Print SpidersPaint your child’s four fingers and palm black NOT the THUMB.  Press the painted hand onto paper pointing fingers out.  Paint other hand and press it in the opposite direction.  Add wiggly eyes and you have a cute, not so creepy spider.Finally another one of my awesome childhood costumes!  This one was from the very last time I went trick or treating.  I was 11 and in grade 7.  Which makes me think of the question, when is too old to go trick or treating?  At what age should kids hang up their costumes?  Let me know in the comment section below and listen tomorrow, we’ll be talking about it all morning.  Call in if you want to voice your opinion.  Check out the poll in the Gold Mine as wellIt’s also double up Monday meaning you get double the points all day today!  Type in Double for 300 points!!!! YAHOOO

I’ve been neglecting my halloween duties and for that I apologize.  I’ve packed this blog full of ideas for your halloween viewing pleasure.  First and foremost, you as a driver on the road need to be safe.  Oct. 31st sees the most pedestrians on the road and if you’re boring and celebrate by speeding down a road full of kids, you’re an idiot.  100% that is a fact.  This year halloween falls on a Friday, the weeknight that typically sees higher instances of impaired driving.  Don’t be a dumb dumb and get behind the wheel after sucking back on grandpa’s old cough medicine. 
Tips for Drivers -
·        Turn on your headlights before dusk.  This will increase your vehicles visibility.
·        Slow down as you drive through residential areas – 10 km slower can make a big difference in an emergency stop.
·        Watch for children darting out from behind parked cars.
·        Come to a full stop at designated intersections and proceed slowly when driving through.
·        Do not drive if you have been drinking – find alternate transportation such as riding with a designated driver, taking a taxi or transit.

For parents and Children -
·        Children wear light or reflective costumes that are easy to move in and don’t cause tripping, and use face paint instead of wearing a mask. 
·        Children carry a flashlight
·        Never run out between two parked cars. Always cross at a designated intersection, looking both ways and make sure drivers see you before you cross.
·        If there is no sidewalk, always walk facing traffic and as far off the road as possible.
·        Parents make sure the “loot route” is planned along well-lit streets
·        Parents accompany children and make sure the group travels together.
·        Parents review the “rules of the road” before starting out.

MORE TO COME SOON…

I’ve had some great submissions for funny costumes.  Check out a few below.  Don’t forget to send me a pic of your funny costume, best pic will win 2 free costume rentals from Peak to Party Novelties in Whistler.


Send your pics to rob.michaels@rci.rogers.com - I’ll announce a winner this Tuesday

Now if you’re stuck for a costume this year, this website is one of the best for finding good costumes that fit any type of budget.   Click here for the coolest costume website EVER!  Try this website too!  While we’re on the topic of costumes, I guess I can get this over with.  This was my costume from last year.  It was put together last minute because I’m an idiot so I wouldn’t really call it a costume, more like a fascination with Pink.

Ok, enough of the porno, let’s get onto the fun.  How about some random halloween ideas
- hallow out little pumpkins and use as candle holders.  They are inexpensive and look really great, you can even carve faces into them
- serve fresh veggies using a hallowed pumpkin as a bowl.  Cut the top out and clean out, leaving the top jagged.  Use mini pumpkins to hold dips
- use clear food handler plastic gloves to freeze ice hands to throw in your punch bowl.  It will keep it cold and look great!
- an alternative to bobbing for apples is to tie a string to the stem and hang them up.  Then let party goes try to bite them!

One thing that we haven’t covered is Halloween Safety!
- never trick or treat alone.  Have at least 2 buddies
- plan your entire route and make sure your family knows what it is
- wait until you get home and your parents check your candy before you eat it
- never go inside a house
- don’t play near lit jack-o-lanterns
- walk, don’t run
- take a cell phone with you if possible
- wear a watch
- carry a flashlight
For more information and to get reflectors and stickers, come to the Mountain FM studios anytime before halloween.  We have free reflectors!!

Have you ever heard of Ghosting?
Ghosting is done a week or more before the big day. All you need is some Halloween candy, 2 brown paper lunch bags, 2 copies of the “You’ve Been Ghosted” letter and 2 copies of the Ghost picture. Put the candy, one letter and one picture in each of the brown paper bags. When it’s dark, sneak over to a neighbor’s house with an adult, leave the bag on their porch, ring the bell and run away. Don’t let them see you. Your Ghosted neighbors will in turn, ghost two more people. Before you know it, it will spread throughout the neighborhood.

Here we are again, already episode 3.  I’m going to start today off by telling you that you can still submit your costume photos for a chance to win 2 free costume rentals from Peak to Party Novelties in Whistler.  Send your photos to rob.michaels@rci.rogers.com  I got some great ones already and the best one wins!  You have until Monday to send them.

Pumpkin Templates
Start off today with a few templates!
        
    Evil Grin                   Cat                          Grinny

Great Lawn Ornaments
You need to decorate your lawn so that when trick or treaters approach you’re house, they get really excited.  Impress them with your lawn ornaments and they won’t get as upset when you give them floss or a pencil instead of candy.  Check out the video below to learn how to create an entire yard of decorations

Halloween Yummies

Why wait until dinner to enjoy a plate of toasty Mummy Dogs? I had the great idea to make a simple breakfast version using Nutella and bread mix. As a big fan of food with other food inside it, this gives me all sorts of related ideas like wrapping up breakfast scramble or veggie sausages in the same way. Seriously, what doesn’t taste better wrapped up in a mummy pocket?

Ingredients -
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugaar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bag (8 ounces) thin, short pretzel sticks
1 large bag (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chocolate sprinkles
Small red candies

Directions -
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.
5. Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.
6. Bake until cookies start to brown around edges, about 7-10 minutes.
7. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminium foil or waxed paper.
8. In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil.
9. Pour the melted chocolate over each cookie. Coat with chocolate sprinkles. Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head. Eeek!

Enjoy my grade 9 stint as a cross dressing maid!  What was I thinking?  Shoulda seen my legs.

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Halloween series of blog postings.  First and foremost, one of my favorite party snacks is
Monster Brains a la Skull
This recipe is easy and always a HUGE hit with kids and adults alike.  Your little monsters are going to love Monster Brains(Guacamole) served in a Skull(squash).
Recipe Ingredients
2 ripe, dark-skinned avocados (must be soft to the touch)
5 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
10 sprigs fresh cilantro (washed and chopped)
4 tablespoons medium-spicy chunky salsa
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
Directions
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Using a spoon or a fork, scoop out the meat from the skin and place it in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mush the avocado meat until only a few lumps remain. Stir in the cheese, cilantro and salsa.  If you want Skulls for salsa and sourcream, try making more skulls using different sizes squashes(spaghetti, butternut, acorn).

Food at Halloween should be just as fun as your costume and there are some ideas below, BUT another fun part of Halloween should be pumpkin carving with the family.  Everyone can help out by creating an original design, drawing it on the pumpkin, carving it and scooping out all the pumpkin brains(that’s what I like to call them)  here are a few templates to use or hopefully they spark some ideas for you.  Click on names below for printing. 
              
Blockhead          Smiley           Scarecrow        Meanface                  

Costumes
I’ve come across some very cool and funny costumes on the information super highway, otherwise known as the internet.  Maybe try to make one of these costumes this year.


To the right is a great costume and all these photos show my favorite kind of cotumes to make.  They are the optical illusion costumes which always get a good response from the general public.  3 years ago I had some time on my hands and created an optical illusion costume that was uncomfortable to wear, but was a great hit.  The illusion below is me as a baby on the back of some old lady/monster.  My legs provide the legs of the lady and my head provides the head of the baby.  Everything else is stuffed tight with newspaper.  The ladies arms are female stockings stuff with newspaper. 

Here’s what you need to do…Get an old t-shirt and stuff it with newspaper.  The t-shirt will help keep the body of the old lady.  Now get skin colored nylons for the arms and stuff them with newspaper, then attach them to the shirt with safety pins.  Now get an old lady dress and cut a hole in the back just above where your bum would be.  Put the stuff t-shirt into the dress and attach it.  Now get into the dress so that you’re lower body(waist, legs) are in it and your upper body comes out the back.  To make your fake baby legs, get some kid size pants and stuff them with newspaper.  To make the head, I got a halloween mask and just stuff it with newspaper and attached it to the stuff t-shirt.  Have some fun and enjoy!!
PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES - I’m giving away 2 free costume rentals to the gold digger who sends me the best pictures of their costumes.  Any costume photos are free game from the most creative, to a spiderman!  Send me your photos to rob.michaels@rci.rogers.com and next week I’ll pick a winner who will get 2 free costume rentals from Peak to Party Novelties.
And there is nothing wrong with Spiderman. 

I’ve decided to share some halloween costumes and ideas.  As you may or may not know, Halloween is something I take very seriously and I thought it would be nice to share my passion with you for this aupicious occasion.  Over the course of the next 4 weeks, I will randomnly post ideas for costumes, treats, pumpkin carving and special tactics to improve your childs candy collecting. 

Episode 1 of this blog will begin with one of my favorite halloween recipes that you can try with your family. 
Brain Cupcakes
Make a batch of regular cupcakes. 
Spread a coat of light orange icing (we stirred drops of yellow and pink food coloring, and just a touch of green, into 2 cups of buttercream frosting until we had a hue we liked) on a dozen cupcakes.
Use a pastry bag fitted with a number 10 round tip to top them with fat zigzags. It works best to first pipe two zigzags down the middle and then fill in the sides.

A great item that will compliment your brain cupcakes, is your…
Brain Melon 

This is an easy idea, all you need is a smaller sized seedless watermelon.  Use a vegetable peeler to remove the entire green rind, exposing the inner white rind. Slice off the bottom of the melon to create a flat base that will keep it from rolling. With a toothpick, outline squiggly furrows that resemble the folded surface of a brain. Finally, carve narrow channels along the tracings with a sharp paring knife to expose the pink fruit beneath the rind.

I also promise to share with you some of the costumes I’ve worn on Halloween throughout the years of yesteryear.  This picture is when I was 5 years old and I dressed up as Snoopy!  I know, kinda lame, must have been my parents idea!  Thanks mom & dad!

Notice the ugly wall paper they sported! Gross.  The character I portray in this photo will get you bonus points all weekend long.  I believe I was 5 in this photo

What would the first edition of the Halloween posts be without a template for a halloween greeting card.  Click here to print it out and follow the instructions…enjoy!

Of course if you have halloween ideas, post them as a comment below, or email me your ideas to be featured in the blog :: rob.michaels@rci.rogers.com