Blacktoberfest: Monster Mash, Versace's Villa, Halloween Horror Night, Birthday's and Anniversaries, Oh my!

Blacktoberfest is a mad race of anniversaries and birthday’s. My children and husband were born exactly one week apart.  October demands, practically every Saturday, cake, candy and candles. I have titled, copyrighted and now brand these festivities as Blacktoberfest. It’s great and horrible all at the same time. Our anniversary, our twentieth, got the party started. After mulling over taking a long overdue break, just the two of us, we concluded that we really can’t leave the kids in consideration of homework and the natural teenage propensities. So we settled for spending the day together                                          .

This presented its own set of complications because of our six-month-old puppy, Remi. He is our new baby, what were we thinking, We had to find him a sitter for a few hours until the Julian could pick him up from puppy daycare. A neighbor suggested a new place close to home so we got on the website, filled out the admission papers, obtained the current shot papers and faxed it all over, we arrive at the doggy day camp and became very nervous. It was exactly like dropping off your child on the first day of preschool. That said, we were reassured and called the children to give them full and proper instructions at pick up time how to observe Remi’s behavior as he interacted with the other canines, together with a list of questions Julian would have to answer afterward on our baby’s behavior and day.  Okay now we could relax and enjoy ourselves.  


We decided to go down to Miami, south beach, and possibly go to a museum or something else we couldn’t define just yet. It was wonderful. We ended up at Versace’s former Villa, Casa Casuarina. We had a lovely lunch in Versace’s private dining room, and the highlight was the appetizer of Peruvian cerviche composed of lobster, scallops and salmon. The salmon had a hit of orange. After lunch the staff, particularly the hostess, gave us a wonderful history of the villa. It apparently was build to replicate Christopher Columbus’s son’s residence and has a brick from that structure encased in the front wall.  She was really wonderful and I couldn’t help myself, but advise her that a cocktail table book filled with all of the information bestow upon us and beautiful photos of the interior with the meanings behind the marble symbols would definitely be a hit. Of course our waiter, who was from Italy and whose father was a chef, was equally informative about the cuisine, the background of the chef, the décor and given we were the only ones in the dining room we bonded. I also suggested they produce a cookbook and might host some cooking classes because my best friend along with several others of my cronies would love to come down and have that experience. What a weekend package that would be!!!!. Next was Julian’s seventeenth, which was also the school’s homecoming barbeque event. Seventeen, oh my gosh…how did that happen? After a masterful pitch for his own personal recording studio, empty of other birthday suggestions, coupled with a crash and burned attempt to drive up to Universal’s Halloween Horror Night unaccompanied by any adults, he and his sister pitched an idea of a weekend up at Halloween Horror Night where they would take a friend each with us.  Sold. We secured a place at the Reunion Resort, where my husband accompanied the girls, and let the boys roam at Universal until they didn’t want to be terrified any longer. It was fun. Nice kids attract nice friends.   Another cake, candy and candles and then home.

We are at our last event in Blacktoberfest, Halloween, also my husband’s birthday. Tonight we will have a party with his favorite food, his family and football. His choice of birthday fare, Steaks, a wedge of iceberg with blue cheese, assorted footballish appetizers, and two pies. Yes, not cake, but pies. Blueberry and coconut crème. Each having the number twenty-five in candle form because he is not ready to commit to the number fifty.   My recipe this month will be simple and reminiscent of Halloween’s past, something easy and quick for the kids to eat prior to the gathering of all things sweet.  Good Stuff!  

Monster Mash: Cheesy Mac & Beef

 

1 lb pasta, cooked, drained, kept warm

 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

3 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

 

1 lb lean ground beef

 

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1 cup beef broth

 

1 lb Vermont sharp cheddar, shredded

  Do your prep first prior to getting started, boil, and chop.  Melt the butter and oil over moderate heat, and add the onions and garlic sauté until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the beef, sauté, breaking it up in smaller bits, until turning brown, approximately 10 minutes. Add the spices to this mixture, incorporating thoroughly, 2-3 minutes.  Add the broth and deglaze the pan, scraping all the bits at the bottom. Let the moisture evaporate until you have a thicker consistency for your sauce. Remove from heat With a very and I mean very big bowl place the macaroni in the bottom the shredded cheese on top of that and then the beef, mix well.  Serve immediately.

 Happy Halloween!!