The Ghost in You Pays Tribute to Halloween with "Ten Thirty One" Song

I discovered The Ghost in You, otherwise known as musician Billy Polard, through Instagram, and his dreamy acoustic songs in the vein of Sunny Day Real Estate, The Promise Ring, Iron and Wine, etc., are just jaw-droppingly beautiful. I couldn't be more excited that he is a fellow Halloweenie and honors the best holiday through his music.

His song "Ten Thirty One" is by far my favorite, as it is his love letter to Halloween season, and captures the wistful nostalgia of autumn. The accompanying video is just as gorgeous as the song, and really evokes the spirit of Halloween through visuals of fall leaves, old photos of Billy and his family dressed in Halloween costumes, Halloween decorations, cemeteries, jack-o-lanterns, and a skeleton trick or treater really pay tribute to the best holiday and best time of year! It even has a nice nod to John Carpenter's Halloween! It's such a haunting, sweet song and I could watch the video over and over again.

Food Review: Terra Sweets and Pumpkin Chips

Frankie enjoying some Terra Sweets and Pumpkin Chips!

These were an impulse buy at some big box grocery store - or maybe it was Whole Foods, I can't remember - I have a tendency to wildly grab anything that has the word "pumpkin" on it or whose packaging is autumn or Halloween colors, and I don't always remember where I bought things! Anyways, I saw Terra's Real Vegetable Chips  in Sweets and Pumpkin SOMEWHERE and had to try them!

Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

Per October tradition, I visited the Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch in early October. It was a relatively warm Saturday morning when I arrived, and all the pumpkins were still covered in dew from the night before. Pumpkin patches are my favorite, and this is the only "real" pumpkin patch in the area where they grow their own pumpkins (well, this year they had a bunch of pumpkins trucked in as well - the drought no doubt affected this year's crop) and other veggies/fruits. Here are some pics I took at the pumpkin patch:

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight Bean Dip

Do you remember R.L. Stine's Goosebumps book The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight? And, later, the episode from the TV show? I was obsessed with that story as a kid, and still think it was one of the best Goosebumps stories! Anyhow, that is how I came up with the name for this fun and easy dip!

Creepy Crawly Bug Bite Appetizers

Bug Bites plus Spiderweb Dipping Sauce

These plump little critters are perfect for your next Halloween get-together! They are so easy to make, require few ingredients, and even the kiddos (and kids-at-heart) find them fun to assemble!

I found the recipe in the Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook, though it obviously wasn't vegan-friendly. Well, a few quick swaps of ingredients and it was easily veganized! You can find the cruelty-free, dairy-free, veganized recipe below:

The Ghoulish Gourmet: A Bewitching Collection of Vegan Halloween Recipes

The Ghoulish Gourmet e-book is now available!

Eeeeeek the cookbook that I have been waiting for my whole spooky life is here!

I always have a blast veganizing Halloween recipes from non-vegan cookbooks, but I've always wished there was a Halloween cookbook that was ALL vegan. Well, it finally looks like my wishes have come true, because The Ghoulish Gourmet, a completely vegan Halloween e-book, was released today! It is by vegan cookbook author Kathy Hester, who has written vegan cookbooks like The Vegan Slow Cooker, The Easy Vegan Cookbook, and many more.

The Ghoulish Gourmet features 25 vegan Halloween recipes for all kinds of creepy cookery, including Swamp Monster Slow Cooker Jackfruit Gumbo, Deviled Purple Potatoes, Creepy Bats and Cats Chocolate Graham Crackers, Cackling Caramel Pecan Bourbon Liqueur, and many more!

You can buy this e-book over at veganhalloweencookbook.com!

The 10 Best Vegan Pumpkin Products to Try Now

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and if you're an autumn lover like me you've no doubt been stocking up on pumpkin flavored everything! I've been busy scouring grocery stores and stocking my home with pumpkin products, just so I can report back to you the very best vegan pumpkin products of 2015. Yes, I've been enjoying delicious pumpkin items all for you, dearest readers! Ok, and maybe a bit for me, but all on behalf of science to bring you the very best vegan pumpkin products! I present you the fruits of my labor with my list for the top 10 best vegan pumpkin products you must try now!

Food Review: Nature's Bakery Pumpkin Spice Fig Bars

These delightful limited-edition pumpkin spice snacks by Nature's Bakery are like a healthier version of Fig Newtons! They come individually wrapped in convenient twin packs that are perfect for grabbing on the go. Each pack contains two bars that are slightly bigger than Fig Newton size. These would also make great treats to hand out on Halloween night!

Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats featuring Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows

I had the absolute delight of receiving the NEW Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows from Chicago Vegan Foods, and I was soooooo excited to get them (FYI, they can be purchased online at the moment and will soon be available in stores!). It's like they made a product specifically for my pumpkin-loving heart!

It has been a crazy month, so I hadn't had a chance to try them until recently. I decided to make some Rice Crispy Treat-inspired dessert with them, but add my own twist and and shape them into little pumpkins. I got a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats from Dandies, which calls for just a few ingredients - a bag of their Pumpkin Marshmallows, vegan butter, cereal, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice blend. Instead of using Rice Krispies, I decided to use Nature's Path Envirokidz's Jungle Munch cereal! It is dusted with cinnamon, which I thought would make a great addition to the flavor of the treats!

Autumn 2015 Bucket List

Wow, I can't believe October is already here! Autumn is just flying by, though it STILL doesn't feel like autumn since Southern California is perpetually stuck in summer temperatures. Nevertheless, I've been trying to enjoy the autumn season as much as I can, and one of those ways is participating in the Countdown to Halloween (along with a bunch of other Halloween fiends). And today kicks off my 31 Days of Halloween, where I try to blog as much as possible during the month of October. I don't think I'll attain my goal of a post a day this year, but I'll still be sharing lots of ghoulish goodies with you!