Light up your holiday!

I found a 28 pack of flameless tea lights at Costco for $14.00 and they last for 60 hours (the set comes with an additional set of batteries). I love this Costco deal and I love even more that I can finally put an idea from Martha into action. For Halloween and Christmas I thought it would be festive to make homemade luminaries out of paper bags with words that reflect the season. I love the holidays!

xoxo, C

image via martha.

This is Halloween.

Halloween is just around the corner, can you believe it? We know you'll be busy finding costumes, gathering goul-ish decor, putting out the candy... making this the "best" Halloween ever. Because we know you wouldn't want to miss any of our local events, we've put together a comprehensive list of "things to do & places to go" this Halloween season. Happy Haunting!

Anaheim:
* Halloween Time at Disneyland, September 26th - November 2nd.
* Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at California Adventure, October 3, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23 24, 28, 29, 30, & 31st.
* Anaheim Spooktacular Halloween Parade & Fall Festival, October 24th-26th
* The Haunted Cellar, October 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 & November 1st, Anaheim Garden Walk.
* The Terry Haunt
* The Haunting, October 31st, 6pm-?
Brea:
* Dark Realms Haunted Maze, October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 26 & November 1, 7pm-10pm
* Saw Live Action Haunted House, October 3-5, 10-12, 16-19, 23-26, 30-31, November 1 & 2
Buena Park:
* Knott's Camp Spooky Treasure Hunt, weekends in October.
* Knott's Halloween Haunt, "28 Terrifying Nights", select dates September 25th - November 1st
* 13th Annual Haunted Maze, October 27, 28, 29, & 31, 6pm-1opm
* Pagliacci's Circus, October 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 & November1, 7-10pm
Costa Mesa:
* Pumpkins & Pancakes at South Coast Plaza
* Halloween Spooktacular Concert Series, October 18th at 10 &11:30am, Orange County Performing Arts Center
Cypress:
* City of Cypress Halloween Carnival, October 31st 6-9pm.
Dana Point:
* Doheny State Beach Haunted Campground, October 25th, 6:30-8:30pm.
Fullerton:
* Fullerton Arboretum's 5th Annual Haunted Garden, October 24th & 25th, tours starting at 6:30pm
Huntington Beach:
* Trick or Treat on Main Street, October 31st, 5-8:30pm
Irvine:
* Boo Bash Family Halloween Carnival, October 28th, 3-6:30pm
* Boot Hill Haunted House, October 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 & November 1
* Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch, open daily 9am-6pm until October 31st.
La Habra:
* 2nd Annual Mini Monsters Bash, October 31st 10:30am-12:30pm, Children's Museum of La Habra.
Laguna Niguel:
* Haunted Trails, October 23, 24, & 25
Orange:
* Treats in the Streets, Old Towne Orange, October 30th
* Pumpkin Carving & Decorating at the Orange County Zoo, October 24th, 9am - 12pm
* Halloween at the Orange County Zoo, October 25th, 10am - 4pm
* Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch, Irvine Regional Park
San Juan Capistrano:
* Zoomars Petting Zoo's Old Fashioned Family Pumpkin Patch, open daily 10am-5pm, beginning October 11
Santa Ana:
* BATS! at the Discovery Science Center
* Boo at the Santa Ana Zoo, October 18, 19, 24, 25, & 26
Seal Beach:
* Trick or Treating on Main Street, October 31, 10am-2pm, Seal Beach
Tustin:
* Tustin Haunt, evenings October 25, 26, 31 & November 1
* Halloween Howl, Columbus Tustin Activity Center, October 31st
Yorba Linda:
* Haunt Hotel & Graveyard, October 31, dusk-9pm

San Diego:
* Sea World's Halloween Spooktacular, weekends October 4th - November 2nd, & Halloween

xoxo, K

The Cure for what Ails you.

I've got a case of the sniffles... and there is no better cure than a big, hot, steamy bowl of chicken noodle soup. Sure, you could pour some chicken noodle soup out of a can & heat it up on the stove. But that doesn't even to compare to Grandma's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. The secret is in the homemade noodles. Yum! But don't worry, the noodles are super easy to make. So give it a try, I double you'll ever buy that "canned" stuff again. (Hopefully this wasn't supposed to be a "secret" family recipe...)

Grandma June's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken
Celery
Carrots
1 cup flour
1 egg
½ eggshell of heavy whipping cream

1. Boil chicken in water. When cooked, shred chicken and save water for stock. (I usually add canned chicken stock to the soup to enhance the flavor). (If you are being lazy or just need to make it super quick, you can also just shred up a rotissere chicken.)

2. Mix flour, egg and cream... with so much flour & very little liquid, it's best to use your hands to mix. After you've mixed it all up, roll the dough out flat and cut into strips to make noodles. (I LOVE the noodles, for me, they are the best part. So, I usually triple the noodles. As Jeff says, "it's best when it's dense with the noodles" and I most definitely agree!)

3. Add noodles, celery and carrots to boiling water (and additional chicken stock), and boil for one hour. *on a side note... because they are homemade noodles, they aren't going to taste, look or feel like your typical noodle. The thinner & flatter they are, & longer you cook them, they will get more "done". But they'll always be a bit doughy. Personally, I love them fat... they're best that way. Don't expect them to turn out like your typical "egg noodle", they'll be way better.

Enjoy!

xoxo, K
image via here.

Surf Against Breast Cancer

I came across THIS article yesterday, & just had to spread the word.
Straight from the Surf 4 Her Life website:

WHEN: Saturday, September 27, 2008 – 7AM to 3PM
WHERE: San Onofre State Park, between Dog Patch and Old Man’s
WHAT: He is going to spend eight NONSTOP hours surfing. He will not leave the water at all during that time. Volunteers will paddle out supplies of food and water, but he cannot leave the ocean. He will spend the ENTIRE time surfing. He will be easily spotted in the water wearing his wetsuit and pink t-shirt.
WHY: To support Dominique, his wife’s stepdaughter, who is dealing with her second bout of breast cancer. He is raising funds to help with extensive medical expenses not covered by insurance. She is a freelance writer/filmmaker and mother of two young children. She will be unable lift her camera equipment to work as she undergoes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, drugs, more surgery etc.
WHO: Batman of course, AKA Kerry Pedlow.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE? His goal is to receive pledges of $25.00 for each hour he spends surfing. If you cannot afford that much, whatever you can find in your heart to donate would be amazingly appreciated. Even if it’s a small amount, it will help Dominique and her kids through this tough time.

Donate HERE.

xoxo, K
image via here.

Breakfast Spots: Chronic Tacos

Making a good breakfast burrito is an art form and I am happy to share that Chronic Tacos has it down to a science. Their Gringo Burrito is the perfect combination of eggs, potatoes, and bacon. You can customize any burrito at Chronic Tacos because they have a made to order approach, so you can be as picky or as daring as you want at 10 in the morning. Their portions are beyond generous, so I can usually share one burrito with my two boys. We are lucky to have quite a few locations in the OC, so be sure to check out the yummy breakfast burritos at Chronic.

We would love to hear where your favorite breakfast spots are in the OC, so be sure to leave a comment.

xoxo, C
image via Chronic Tacos.