Halloween and the day after

We've had a busy October! In early October, we went to Denver for the weekend to attend the Clive Cussler Collector's Society conference. What fun!!! We met Clive, all of his co-authors, and his family....super great people! Highly recommend for any Cussler fans.....also met Steve Berry!

After being home for a few days, we then flew to Maui. I know, rough life. Cashing in frequent flyer miles and Marriott points proved to be a great strategy for a wonderful week in Maui......it's worth splurging at Mama's Fish House for dinner if you're planning to go over any time soon.

Halloween was great fun on Crossridge Road!!! Kick-off party Tina and Richard's (our neighbors) featured many scary kids, pizza, goodies. We came home to hand out candy to 40+ little ones. This was the first Halloween I've been home in about 15 years (was always on the road), so it was great fun for me. I dressed as Glenda the Good Witch....and handed out these great treats to our special neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Oh, the best quote from a little one re: bookcases......"wow...wow.....you live in paradise". Out of the mouths of babes!

Last night, we hosted two couples who won the bid for "dinner at John and Carolyn's" at a P.E.O. silent auction. I set the table with some spiffy gift bags filled with truffles....hopefully, this picture gives you some detail:

Walt & Anne Hayden and Irv & Patty Stowers won the bid and here they are with John toasting their winning bid:

The menu for the evening featured:

Pureed Wild Mushroom and Potato Soup

Beef Tenderloin with Cracked Black Pepper Coating and Red Wine-Thyme Pan Sauce

Asparagus Spears

Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic and Basil

Roasted Red Potatoes

The dinner menu was straight out of Pam Anderson's "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" cookbook. For dessert, I served the most yummy chocolate cake (Beatty's Chocolate Cake) with some vanilla bean ice cream. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook and here it is:

Story of this cake as told in Barefoot Contessa at Home…..
Michael Grimm from Bridgehampton Florist made this wonderful chocolate cake for me (Ina Garten). His grandfather used to have a milk route in Pennsylvania Dutch country and his grandmother baked this chocolate cake for him to deliver to customers with their milk. It’s so chocolaty and the secret is a cup of hot coffee in the batter.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

We're both anxious and eager for the election on Tuesday. Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing Sunday!