Eliana's Spookover Door Sign - October 18, 2008

Friends:

Saturday was a blast! The night of my 8 year old daughter, Eliana’s Spookover, finally arrived! Eliana was ready for some swashbuckling fun. Argh, matey!

Pirate Eliana - October 18, 2008

We worked all day cleaning, decorating, and cooking. I set up my spooky backdrop and decorated the table full of frightening food – bloody pigs in a blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, Jack-O-Jam cookies, popcorn chicken parts, witches brew and more. Check out the table. I love the mummies marrying under the Tree of Terror.

The Spooktacular Table - October 18, 2008

This is what the Witches Brew (lime sherbet ice cream in 7Up) looked like…

Witches Brew - October 18, 2008

All the girls had their own cups with their names on them. The girls came in costume. They are so adorable!

The Spookover Girls - October 18, 2008

No one had the same costume on – we had Hannah Montana, a princess bride, a mermaid, Sharpei from High School Musical, a pirate, a hip hop dancer, an angel, and an aquamarine princess. 8 crazy cuties ready to party! Here’s a parent-to-parent tip: I had all the parents/guardians fill out an emergency card with all their contact numbers on it – just in case…

We began with The Ghoulish Guessing Game. They each had a Halloween monster pinned to their back and they had to ask 10 yes-or-no questions. The first to guess their monster won. Next, we had a costume contest. My mom, Josie; my husband, Antonio; and I were judges. We judged the girls on three categories: creativity, originality, and attitude. Each category was worth 10 points with a total possible score of 90. The judges had score cards that were totaled at the end. The girls strutted down the “runway” and then had to talk about who they were. The pirate won with 79 points with the hip hop dancer and princess bride tied for second place. The girls loved winning prizes.

The Pirate and the Princess Bride - October 18, 2008

After that we moved on to “Pin the Hat on the Witch.” I made a witch with different colored hats with double stick tape on the back. The girls were blindfolded with a sleeping mask and spun around 6 times. They pinned their hats to the witch. I took pictures of each hat after they were placed so we could remove the hat and judge in the end whose hat was closest. It was funny to see where the hats were placed!

Pin the Hat on the Witch - October 18, 2008

After that, we moved on to The Creepy Clothes Race, a relay game. The girls were divided into teams of two, with four girls on each team. They were given a bag of clothes that contained a hat, a cape, a shirt, shorts, gloves, and a scarf. Each player raced to the opposite side, dressing in the creepy clothes and then raced back, undressing, stuffing the clothing in the bag, and handing it off to the next player. I played “Ghostbusters” as they raced. It was laugh-out-loud zany fun!

Creepy Clothes Race - October 18, 2008

Our last game was “Keepin’ It Under Wraps,” a wrapping mummy with tissue paper game. Again, the girls were divided into two teams of four girls. The smallest girls on each team were the mummies. The remaining girls on the team were the “wrappers.” Each wrapper was given a roll of cheap toilet paper. They had to wrap the mummy as quickly and as best as they could without the paper ripping, which it did – plenty! It was hilarious. They wrapped and rolled to the song “Monster Mash.” The team with the best looking mummy at the end of the song won.

Keepin It Under Wraps Game - October 18, 2008

Afterwards, the girls had a massive tissue paper fight. I wish I could be a kid again! Such uninhibited joy!

Tissue Paper Fight - October 18, 2008

And yes, they helped clean up the mess too – very quickly! After all the games, the girls were ready to settle down and eat.

Then we began crafting. We made Batty Sock Bats from socks, foam, googly eyes, and chenille sticks.

Crafting Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

These are the finished bats. Aren’t they the most boo-tiful bats you’ve ever seen?!!

Batty Sock Bats - October 18, 2008

Here is a closeup of the bats…

Batty Socks Bats Closeup - October 18, 2008

Next, we made mummies out of toilet tissue rolls and Boo Bags from white paper lunch bags.

Boo Bags - October 18, 2008

After our creepy crafts, we headed outside to the screened, covered patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. I told several stories including “The Ghost of Mable Gable,” “Bloody Fingers,” “The Ghost with One Black Eye,” and “Blood Red Lips.” The patio was dark except for several lit candles. It was the perfect spookmosphere.

Gathering for Ghost Stories - October 18, 2008

Finally, around 1:30 am, we headed inside and set up the sleeping area on the floor of the living room. Everyone brought their sleeping bags. I put in the movie, Ghostbusters, and all but three girls fell asleep. The last three girls fell asleep around 4:30 am! That meant that I was up with them!

In the morning, Antonio made Eliana’s Devil’s Food Monster Muffins. The girls had a spooktastic time and I was ready for a nap!! LOL Two of the girls had never been to a sleepover and they loved it so much, they want to do it again! (Yes, maybe next year, girls!! hahaha)

Wrapping the Mummy - October 18, 2008

It was a successful Spookover and Eliana was elated. And that’s all a Mummy can ask for, right?! Happy Spooky Season!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Eliana Cooks! A Creative Kid in the Kitchen

Friends:

Today, my 8 year old daughter, Eliana, and I set up a new website/blog for her called “Eliana Cooks! A Creative Kid in the Kitchen.” The blog features recipes, reviews, and fun information about food for young chefs.

Since Eliana was 4 years old, she has expressed interest in becoming a chef. When she was 6 years old, she received a ton of cooking utensils and cookbooks for Christmas (her wish). Each year, she asks for something new for her work in the kitchen. She helps me with dinner every night and is completely hands-on. Eliana even has a secret recipe for her own seasoning called “Eliana’s Magic Seasoning Blend,” which we use as a general season-all on nearly everything.

Eliana Stirring the Pot

Eliana is very excited about her new blog and will be posting new blogs every weekend and during week, if time permits. I hope you will visit her blog at http://www.elianacooks.com. Tell all the young chefs you know about it! Here’s to getting “creative in the kitchen.”

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

I spent a week in San Francisco and Berkeley, California. I presented two storytelling concerts and two professional development sessions at the International Association of School Librarianship Conference in Berkeley. I met librarians from all over the globe – the United States, Japan, Korea, China, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Austria, India, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, and so many other countries. I even received a gift of vegemite to go! It was such a wonderful conference – I was truly inspired by my new international friends. Thank you so much, IASL librarians! A special thank you to Blanche Woolls and Kristin Fontichiaro.

This is a picture of librarians doing a story theater exercise in my Story Fest workshop.

IASL 2008 - Story Fest Workshop

Here is a picture of me with sweet librarians from the U.S., Japan and China.

IASL 2008 - Dianne and International Librarians

This is a picture of one of the librarians performing Kamishibai Story Theater. The story is a Japanese folktale called “The Mouse’s Wedding.”

IASL 2008 - Kamishibai Story Theater Workshop

Prior to the IASL conference, my husband, Antonio, joined me for nearly a week in San Francisco. We stayed at the luxurious Harbor Court Hotel on the Embarcadero. We toured Napa wine country and brought back eight bottles of wine! Woo hoo! We wined and dined our way through San Francisco, eating the most delicious cuisine and sampling the region’s best wines.

San Francisco 2008 - Champagne Tasting at Domaine Chandon, Napa Wine Country

Although I have visited San Francisco before, it has been quite some time since I toured the city and I fell in love with her all over again. The undulating hills make the city scenic and adventurous. Antonio and I saw most of the San Francisco must-sees: the weekend Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero, Chinatown, Lombard Street (we drove down the world’s “crookedest” street), Pier 39 (including the seals that have taken over the boat slips), Fisherman’s Wharf, the Cliff House overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge (we drove over it and took pictures from a vista point), the cable cars (Antonio hung off the side – talk about cold!), Alcatraz (we viewed it from a distance on a very clear day), and the rolling fog!

Here is the Golden Gate Bridge. The actual color of the bridge is called “International Orange.” It was supposed to be a primer but it was so beautiful that the city decided to keep the bridge that color.

San Francisco 2008 - The Golden Gate Bridge

This is one of the famous buildings in Chinatown, on the corner of California and Grant, where you can catch the renowned cable car.

San Francisco 2008 - Chinatown, California & Grant Streets

Check out the cakes at this Chinatown Bakery. Wow!

San Francisco 2008 - Chinatown Cakes

While in Chinatown, we ate lunch at a very nice restaurant called The Oriental Pearl. The food was delicious. It was also on must-eat list because Rachael Ray (Eliana and I are big fans) ate there for $40/day. So I took this picture just for Eliana.

San francisco 2008 - Dianne at the Oriental Pearl

Antonio and I both had must-eats on our list – I wanted a slice of sourdough pizza and he wanted an authentic Mission burrito. We took the BART and ventured into the Mission district to find the BIGGEST burrito on the planet at Farolito’s, a hole-in-the-wall place that everyone recommended. I found my sourdough pizza at Fisherman’s Wharf at The Franciscan Restaurant’s walk-up window. We did find out that even in August, San Francisco can be quite chilly. We both brought home new jackets. LOL

Here I am at Pier 39. Check out the beautiful city line behind me.

San Francisco 2008 - Dianne at Pier 39

This is the gorgeous Pacific Ocean, viewed from the historic Cliff House.

San Francisco 2008 - The Pacific Ocean at the Cliff House

I can’t forget to show you the famous Cable Car. It’s fun to ride but you better bring a jacket because it can be chilly with the wind whipping around you.

San Francisco 2008 - The Famous Cable Car

This is a view of Lombard Street from our rental car – we’re driving doooooown. You have to ride the brakes and go very slooooowly.

San Francisco 2008 - Driving Down Lombard

San Francisco is definitely in my Top 5 U.S. cities. It’s a city for couples, friends, families, and singles. Thank goodness we didn’t experience any earthquakes while we were there (a 5.4 hit the L.A. area just the week before). But I was definitely shaken and taken by the city’s beauty.

Though we didn’t spend a lot of time in Berkeley, we did tour the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory (it’s free). That was AMAZING and the chocolate is superb (satisfying the chocoholic in me…). Scharffen Berger (now a division of Hershey’s Artisan Chocolates) is a gourmet chocolate maker in every sense of the phrase. They pay above fair trade prices for their cacao beans and create the chocolate from beginning to end – from roasting the beans to hand-packaging the bars. If you love chocolate, you must try Scharffen Berger. Here I am being goofy, getting ready to tour the factory. The cover on my chin is for “beards.”

San Francisco 2008 - Dianne Touring Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory and Being Silly

Antonio and I also dined at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in the “Gourmet Ghetto” area of Berkeley. Alice Waters has, for over 25 years, served finely and simply prepared organic in-season food from sustainable agriculture farms no further away than 100 miles from the restaurant. The menu changes daily. Chez Panisse restaurant was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine in 2001.

San Francisco 2008 - Chez Panisse Restaurant, Berkeley

Visit the Bay Area – you’ll love the city but be sure to bring a warm jacket!

San Francisco 2008 - Keeping Warm by the Toy Car

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

I did it! I pulled it off (with lots of help – Thanks, Mom, Clay, Gary, Jennie, Papi, Soleil and kids). Antonio’s 40th Birthday Fajitas-n-Ritas Surprise Fiesta was a success. Ole!

His best friend, George (pictured above) took Antonio out for the day for a belated birthday celebration to have lunch and to see the WWII Baseball exhibit at the National World War II (D Day) Museum. Antonio left after 1:30 pm so I didn’t get started preparing for the party until 2:00 pm and the party was scheduled for 7:00 pm!! I had to hide everything at my mom’s house. I chose a Mexican Fiesta theme because Antonio and I met at a Mexican restaurant 17 years ago…

I had less than five hours to cook, clean, decorate and get ready. My mom, Jennie (my mother-in-law) and I did the cooking. Soleil and my brother, Gary, helped with the decorating. On the menu: beef fajitas marinated in tequila, lime, garlic and Southwest seasoning; cheese enchiladas; Mexican casserole; refried black beans; Spanish rice; chicken tortilla soup; walking taco; Fiesta pork roast; nachos; chips and salsa; pineapple, grapes, and strawberries with cream cheese fruit dip; caramel cake; and birthday cake. In addition, we had a fruit punch fountain, sangria and of course, the MARGARITAS! I set up a fajita bar outside where people could make their own fajitas or burritos. We had all the fixins – grilled onions, grilled bell peppers, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, and tomatoes. There was a ton of food inside and outside.

We waited for Antonio with sombreros on… When he walked through the door, we all yelled, “OLE!” Was he surprised! He had no idea that this was going on. It was a big sigh of relief for me because I had to do some elaborate “storytelling” to pull this surprise party off. We had tons of friends and family who helped make this night special. (Love to my best friend, Lisa and Johnette…)

Petros, Antonio’s friend and co-worker, volunteered to blend the margaritas and boy, did he blend a bunch of margaritas! Here is Petros (no, hats off to YOU, Petros!) with his wife, Katarena, and our friend, Harold (who LOVED wearing his hat – yes, Harold, you may have one to keep). LOL

It was such a wonderful party. We had a great time eating fajitas, sipping on ‘ritas and eating AND dancing Salsa! I wanted to show my husband that yes, 40 is fabulous, especially when you are surrounded by friends and family. We had over 30 people helping us celebrate! Now that is living! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

We certainly managed to spice up Antonio’s birthday. What a celebration!

Here is my mom, Josie – 2 pot holders, 4 margaritas, 6 sombreros, and 8 hours later… Yes, she really is wearing 6 sombreros! (Thanks for all your help, Mom! I could not have accomplished this without you!)

Find the “Fiesta” in your life and celebrate with friends and family. Ole!

Warmly, Dianne

Friends:

Today is the first Friday of Lent. In the Catholic tradition, we don’t eat meat on Fridays. So my family requested one of their favorite recipes, my original Tomato Basil Bisque. It is delicious and hearty. Without the addition of half-n-half, it can also be a very diet-friendly recipe.

Tomato Basil Bisque by Dianne de Las Casas

Ingredients:
20 medium-size vine-ripened tomatoes or 25 ripe roma tomatoes, diced into small cubes
1 c. water
4 boullion cubes
2 tubs of ready-made pesto
1/2 c. grated aged parmesan cheese
1 c. grated Italian blend cheeses
1 c. half-n-half
1 tbsp. dry basil
1 tbsp. garlic powder
3 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
Box of cheese straws
1 tsp. white pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation:
In a large pot, sautee’ minced garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil for about a minute or two. Add diced tomatoes and cook down until there is a visible amount of liquid in the pot. Add 1 cup of water and the four boullion cubes. Add all the dry ingredients. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add the cheeses and pesto. Puree’ the soup with a Thunder Stick or in a blender. Once the mixture is pureed, add the half-n-half, stirring it and mixing it well. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and the bisque to thicken. Salt to taste.

Serve hot, garnished with shredded cheese on top and cheese straws. A side salad makes a nice accompaniment. I like to leave the bisque chunky (with the basil and tomato skins inside). You can opt to strain it although I find it loses some of its character and flavor. It’s a delicious meal perfect for a chilly day. Makes 20 servings so you can feed a large group or save some for lunch! It would be perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich! Mmmmm.

Chocolate Cake:
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I know, I know. It’s sketchy. But it takes the place of eggs and oil.)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; stir until well blended. Pour batter into greased and floured layer cake pans (or a 9- x 13-inch pan). Bake for about 25 minutes.
**Note: Baking time may vary.

Chocolate Frosting:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 squares semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons milk

PREPARATION:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder, chopped chocolate bits, and vanilla. Place confectioner’s sugar in a large bowl. Pour in cocoa mixture. Beat well (mixture will be extremely thick). Beat in milk, a teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
**Note: Double and triple as needed!

Peanut Butter Cream Icing:
INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons milk
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

PREPARATION:
Beat all ingredients together in a big bowl. Beat in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.

ASSEMBLY:
Shave bottom cake. Frost top of it with chocolate frosting. Let sit. Pour on and spread peanut butter cream icing. Shave top cake layer and place carefully on top. Frost top and sides with chocolate frosting. Place leftover peanut butter icing in pastry bag (Ziploc with a small hole in the corner). Pipe straight, horizontal lines even width apart. Run butter knife all the way through across all lines in a downward motion (knife should be perpendicular to all lines). Repeat even widths apart.

Friends:

It was another eventful day. It started out with a meeting at Bissonet Plaza Elementary. The library media specialist, Ellen Miller, has been hiring me for eight years now to perform an annual residency with the students, grades PK-5. When I go to Bissonet, the students, teachers and staff are like family. It’s always such a warm, loving welcome. My residency will be in April. Each year, I do something different. We have not repeated a residency theme yet. This year, we are doing “Stories on Board: Crafting Board Games from Favorite Tales.” Grades PK-2 will hear stories and then play games that I have created from popular folk and fairy tales. Grades 3-5 will be analyzing and mapping out folktales and then creating board games in groups. It will culminate in a gradewide “Game Day” where students will trade games with other classes and play each other’s games. I am so excited about this residency. It’s going to be so much fun! Here is an example of a board game inspired by Cinderella. It was created by my 7 year old, Eliana.

Here is a picture of me, Eliana and Ellen at the school’s library.

Afterwards, Eliana and I met Antonio, my husband, for lunch. We picked him up from work in downtown New Orleans and headed to The Ugly Dog Saloon and BBQ, located in the Warehouse District in New Orleans.

The food is bountiful and inexpensive, not to mention absolutely delicious! They have games that you can play at the table so Eliana and I did a “Falling in Love” domino structure.

It was fun watching them tumble down. The Ugly Dog is a very “New Orleans” establishment. Check out this cool piano. Notice that it is completely covered with Mardi Gras beads and red beans!

Then later, we were surprised by a delivery of a large package. It was a gift box from our dear friend, Kat, of Richmond, Virginia. Kat is a children’s librarian and has been our pen pal for several years now. Kat sent us a Valentine surprise! The box was stuffed with wrapped presents, which we excitedly tore open. Soleil’s favorite gift was a small, rectangular purple purse (she collects purses). Eliana’s favorite present was a princess story box with a customizable story book inside and a heart mirror. My favorite was the cinnamon bun candle (yummy smelling!). Kat, we love you!!!

The day ended with a superb meal fixed entirely by my creative daughters. Since this week is “Mardi Gras week,” they have the whole week off school. They fixed stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon. The chicken was stuffed with basil crackers, an Italian blend of cheeses, and hot sausage, all laid on a bed of baby romaine, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, and aged Parmesan. It was drizzled with a garlic balsamic vinaigrette. Needless to say, my husband and I were flabbergasted. Eliana, who at 7 years old, aspires to be a chef, created the seasoning blend that coated the chicken! Soleil (17 years old) was the executive chef extraordinaire, while Eliana was the super sous chef. Not only did they execute an excellent dinner, they also cleaned up the kitchen too! Wow! Take a look at this delectable dish…

Until I write again, may you enjoy each day to the fullest and rejoice in life’s gifts.

Warmly, Dianne

Friends,

Today, I laid down for an afternoon nap (what a luxury). My husband, Antonio, awoke me with a surprise dinner! He grilled New York strip with a homemade spicy Latin rub topped with a garlic herb butter, sauteed spinach, cheddar-stuffed grilled poblano peppers, and ripe roma tomatoes. All of this was finished with a glass of Riesling. Take a look…

Mmmmm! The steak was cooked just the way I like it – medium with a hot pink center. For Christmas, Antonio and I treated each other to the “Outdoor Gourmet” gas grill. It’s so nice – lot of storage, four burners, a granite countertop, and a side burner. We’ve been using this bad boy every week, grilling the most delicious meals!

We love entertaining so the gas grill is a perfect addition to our newly renovated kitchen. Here’s a pic…

This is a picture of my red wall… Red is my favorite color and I’ve always wanted to have a red wall in my house. It’s so SPICY! Studies show that red stimulates appetite so it’s a perfect color for the kitchen. The kitchen table is configured to seat six but we have a leaf that enlarges it to comfortably seat eight with plenty of space in the middle for food!

The other feature I love about this kitchen is the tile backsplash I designed.

It’s not a huge kitchen but it’s tricked out with some cool features such as Cherry cabinets, the Quartz countertop (better than granite – never needs sealing and contains Microban), a tilt-out to hide the sponges, a pull-out spice rack, and anti-slam drawers that glide to a smooth close. It’s a little dream kitchen but it’s my dream kitchen.

So if you’re ready for cuisine thats “yummy in your tummy,” come and visit us in New Orleans! We’ll treat you to Southern hospitality and fabulous food with our indoor and outdoor kitchens!

Warmly, Dianne