Happy Halloween!

Here are some classic must-see scary movies, in no particular order:

The Exorcist

The Shining

Rosemary's Baby

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Psycho

Poltergeist

Pets and Babes in Costume

Halloween cracks me up. Yep, you read that right, I did not say Halloween scares me, but it makes me laugh. It's the one time of the year that it's okay to see masked faces walking the street without summoning concerns of a bank heist. A nurse and a werewolf holding hands? Totally normal.

On the metro, to your left is a guy dressed in khakis and a button down, while to your right there is someone dressed in all black, blood running down his face from the knife poking out of his head. No worries, it's totally chill. 

 So yes, Halloween makes me smile...

And it will make you smile too when you check out the links below (the following photos are courtesy of BuzzFeed):

The Apple Pie at Blue Duck Tavern

It's hard to beat a homemade apple pie, but Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, DC gives a homemade pie a run for the money. A-mazing.

And don't forget to get it a la mode!

Making the Bob Dip

Well folks, football season is upon us, along with all the accompanying snacks... hot wings, tater skins, pigs in a blanket, and of course all of the different chips and dips, my favorite being the Bob Armstrong dip.

Ingredients for the "Bob" dip:

2 lbs. Velveeta Cheese
1 10 oz. can of Rotel
1/4 lb ground beef
Taco seasoning*
1 cup of Guacamole

Prep Method:

Step 1) Mix together the Ground beef and Taco seasoning (I recommend getting your hands dirty).

Step 2) In a small saucepan, cook the meat over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until fully cooked, breaking apart the meat as it cooks. Drain the fat and set aside.

Step 3) Melt the cheese... here you have two options:
   Option 1: In a medium pot, heat the cheese on the stovetop over low to medium heat. Stir continuously, and be sure to stir the bottom so as not to burn any of the cheese.
   Option 2: Place the cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat the cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, heat for another 30 seconds, stir, and continue this process until the cheese is melted.

Step 4) Open the can of Rotel, drain the liquid, and add to the cheese. Stir to combine. Add the meat to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Step 5) Plop the dollop of guacamole on top of the cheese mixture and serve. You may wish to mix in the guacamole, or allow guests to combine the ingredients as they dip.

Clark's Oyster Bar

With a name like Clark's Oyster Bar, you have to get some Oysters. We went all PEI, never disappoints.

We like to turn over the shells after sucking them down. Not only does it help you to know how many are left to be eaten, but also you get to marvel in the beauty of the shells, each one individually unique in design and color.

And when there are oysters, there has to be champagne...

The sourdough bread with chilled butter is a delight, but it's the flakey side of salt that had my taste buds in a constant state of delight. Salty dog.

For the main course, I always like to keep it nice and simple, so I went with the simply prepared catch of the day - Ocean Trout. It was perfectly cooked and crusted.

Make your own Bagels!

We were watching "Baking with Julia" the other day and she had a guest chef cooking up some homemade bagels, a New Yorker of course.

I wasn't too nervous to give it a try because the dough seemed similar to pizza dough and the process similar to that of making soft pretzels.

So, we gave it a try and - WOW! Talk about soft and fluffy and amazing. There is nothing that beats a fresh bagel. And if you can do it in the comfort of your own home, all the better.

I did make a few modifications to the process for simplification purposes and based upon my own preferences. Just a heads up - the dough can/should be made in advance because this can be a bit of a two-day process, so be sure to read through everything carefully before beginning. See my step by step below.

Brunch at Perla's

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar is just another sensation to add to the list of outstanding original wonders located on South Congress. We headed over to Perla's for brunch and sat outside on their of-so-welcoming porch deck, shaded by an oak tree aged older than the restaurant itself. Keepin' it real, folks, that's how we do in Austin.

Each table gets to start nibbling on the housemade hushpuppies before one can even inquire as to any specials of the day. I'm always thankful when I don't have to order on an empty stomach.

After eyeing it at a neighboring table, I had to give the Big Blue Banana & Bacon pancake a go, this was brunch after all. Griddled to perfection with a crispy crusted edge, but soft and fluffy on the inside, I was quite satisfied with my decision. Although as our friendly Vineyard Vines clad waiter said, only about 1 in 100 actually finish the whole thing, and as Adam Richman would say, "In the battle of man versus food, food won..."

The Breakfast Crab Cake featured an egg sunny side up atop a crab cake atop some arugula with an emulsion sauce. A little chive sprinkle always gives a dish a polished finishing look. 

And of course, there's always room for a shared plate of calamari. It was so fresh and well battered (very lightly) that we cleaned the plate, no problem.

The Paris Wife

Having been to Paris for the first time in my life two years ago, I suddenly became obsessed.  I couldn't help but put my hands on all things Paris.  So, it was only fitting that when a friend recommended that I read The Paris Wife, I was drooling at the mouth to get my hands on a copy - for the record, I have both the hard copy and ebook versions. 

The book tells a lovely, yet very unique story from the perspective of Ernest Hemmingway's first wife.  It begins in their courtship and then follows their journey to Paris, until the ultimate, one cannot say ending, but rather transformation of their relationship. And no, it's not a spoiler that they don't end up together - that's history already known, people.

Now, it can occasionally be a tough story to take in because of their tumultuous lives, but a story from which you learn an appreciation. Hemmingway's first wife has no problem admitting that the life of the famous isn't always easy, a well-told truth.

And hear me now when I say this, the book will make you want a drink. Seriously. You will want to drink not because of their ups and downs or highs and lows, but actually because there is no getting around the presence of booze throughout the book.  Most of their time is spent in cafes drinking - whether morning, noon, or night.  Party all day and party all night.  So readers, have your liquor cabinet well stocked.

J. McLaughlin Fall Dresses

As we step into the Fall season, I like to start the transition of my wardrobe, and one of my favorite Summer to Fall transitions are the J.McLaughlin 3/4 sleeve dresses.

My favorite used to be the Harbor cotton dress, which unfortunately they no longer carry. So happy to have stocked up when they did, but that still doesn't stop me from continuing to question if they will ever bring it back:

Theses days, the Panama Wrap has replaced my beloved Harbor Dress as a new favorite. As with most of their current lines, it is the nylon/spandex mix of comfort, style, and a great fit all in one.

Above photo provided by J.McLaughlin

OPI: Chihuahua Bites

One of my favorite nail polish colors for the seasonal transition of Summer to Fall is OPI's My Chihuahua Bites.  It's the perfect blend with a touch of pink to not completely lose the Summer, but also an orangey tint to help welcome the Fall.

Happy Fall!  

And, cheers to me for another year wiser...

Tennis Hall of Fame

When in Newport, you must visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 

The museum site dates back to 1880 and its historic grass courts are the world's oldest continuously used competition grass courts, which are also the only competition grass courts open to the public for play.

There is a restaurant attached to the museum where you can sit outside, grab a drink and/or a bite to eat, and enjoy the view of the grass courts. Be a true tennis connoisseur and order a Pimm's Cup!

When we were there, we were lucky enough to catch a Court Tennis match being played. Court Tennis, or Real Tennis, is the game from which all racquet sports evolved, dating back to the Renaissance era. The game is housed in a cavern-like 90' x 40' court with a red cement floor and is confined on the sides by towering gray slate walls.

 Enough verbal jargon, just check out the pics below:

Magnolia for Brunch

Magnolia Cafe declares its motto as "Everybody Knows, Everybody Goes" and it isn't at all presumptuous, it's just the truth.

Not only is the food wonderfully delicious and originally creative, but also the location is the perfect pit stop after a walk along Lady Bird Lake.

Be sure to sign in, and don't be shy! Our first visit, we made the mistake of waiting for a host to put our name on the list. After about 5 people had passed us, we realized it's a self-serve type of thing...

The cafe was originally named "Omelettry West" as it was the sister restaurant to Austin's original Omelettry, but within the first 10 years of operations, in the late 1980s, a change of ownership resulted in a change of name. Yet no worries, they still have a plethora of omelet options, all of which are delicious.

But the change in name meant the menu could become more expansive, and for brunch, the options are endless...