Crockpot Spiced Apple Cider

This recipe was perfect to take the chill off our bones this weekend. The temperatures dropped drastically with all of the rain that came in, and I thought what better way to warm up AND celebrate fall than to "brew" up a batch of spiced apple cider.

Because you make this in your crockpot, it couldn't be easier.

Crockpot Spiced Apple Cider

64 oz Apple Cider

1 sliced apple

1 sliced orange

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp whole allspice

3 cinnamon sticks

Small square of cheesecloth*

1. Add apple cider, apple, orange, and brown sugar to crockpot.
2. Place the whole cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks into the square of cheesecloth and tie closed. Add to crockpot.
3. Simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat.
4. Discard cheesecloth and use a ladle to serve.

Notes:

If you do not have a square of cheesecloth on hand (I did not), try substituting a good old-fashioned coffee filter. Of course, these are also getting harder to come by with most people using Keurigs nowadays, but I happened to still have a stash of these and it worked great for this recipe.

Since this recipe makes an entire crockpot (cauldron) of cider, it's perfect to serve up at your next Halloween party. Just switch out your serving glasses to Halloween mugs, call it Witch's Brew, and you're all set!

And wouldn't you know we're always brewing up good things on the blog? Make sure to check out our Witch's Brew: Crockpot Potpourri recipe to cast a delicious smell over your whole house throughout the fall season!

One Man's Trash: Atari 7800 Gaming System

So, I guess this isn't technically One Man's Trash, but I wasn't quite sure where to categorize today's blog.

This story actually began last weekend when we let the boys watch Pixels which is a movie about aliens coming to destroy Earth in the form of 1980's Atari video games. To defend against the alien attack, the United States government hires former video game champions to lead the planet's defense.

While the movie received negative reviews from critics, the boys LOVED it (methinks because they are convinced that if this were to ever happen in real life, our phone would be ringing off the hook to call everyone's favorite video gamer, Ryan Barrett Walkush, into action).

Flash forward to this weekend. It has been raining since last week, and it will continue to rain throughout the weekend thanks to Hurricane Joaquin. The boys have been talking about the old school games featured in that movie for a full week.

Ryan Barrett Walkush to the rescue! You see, this man actually still has his original Atari console AND all of the joysticks PLUS more than 100 video games and their players' guides/manuals - from the 1980s!

Among the video games were such fan favorites as Pac Man, Centipede, Qbert, Frogger, Space Invaders, Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Galaga, and the list goes on. We decided to hook everything up to see if the system still works.

Guess what? Everything still works just like you remember it! Same old school graphics and you still have to blow on the cartridges! And, yes, the boys figured out how to play them right away. (Although Ryan is still clearly the high score in the household - are you paying attention Mr. President? I mean, we might need these skills one day if aliens ever invade.)

So are we prepared for an entire weekend of rain from Hurricane Joaquin? I'd say so!

This should keep them busy for a few hours at least before they jump into a new book series.

Nice to share a bit of nostalgia with the boys!

Decorating for Autumn: Our Halloween Mantel

So, as I mentioned recently, fall is upon us and so begins my decorating of the house for Halloween. And as it turns out, the kitchen table isn't the only thing I'm getting ready for Halloween this year. Just take a look at my mantel.  I'm pretty pleased with how it has shaped up!

I start by removing everything completely from it, to begin with a clean slate.  Then I slowly add my favorite Halloween pieces along with some fall floral and see where it takes me.  The finishing touch is always my Happy Halloween banner.

Here's a closer look at the banner. It came from Pottery Barn about four years ago.  I thought I had lost it last year- couldn't find it anywhere; racked my brain and the whole house and still came up with nothing.  Thankfully, I finally remembered that I had stored it from the year before in my spell book (which was sitting on the mantel itself).  Crisis averted.  In any case, I have seen similar banners at Target and Hobby Lobby so far this fall.  Although, I'm pretty sure Pottery Barn no longer sells this exact one. 

And here are a few close ups for you. The glass pumpkin with the swirly stem is my favorite!  (hence it's place of honor on the mantel) And I love the old replica vintage Halloween greeting card.  

There's that spell book I was just talking about!  It's rather large and does do a nice job storing my banner when not in use!  Notice the large fall leaves I tucked into the display too.  They are at least a foot tall, so a few go a long way.  I found them at the local craft store a few years ago.  

Add a couple of oversized gourds to each end, and there you have it!  

Stay tuned to the blog for more Halloween decorating!  It's that time of year and it's what we do!