Candy and Family: A Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween, bookworms!  Okay, so I'm a little late, but I hope you enjoyed yours as much as I did mine!

A bookish update: I'll be meeting with my reading group this coming Tuesday for our second, and last, discussion of Chris Cleave's Little Bee.  So far, it's been an exceptional title, and I'm really looking forward to finishing it up and discussing my overall views with the ladies in Atlanta.  Sadly, yesterday was the last day of National Reading Group Month, and I'm hoping that my previous post of helpful hints inspired you to organize your own! Furthermore, I'm excited to announce that I've taken the opportunity to create and co-lead a reading group for the Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  The reading group will be tackling, both, fiction and nonfiction titles, with a primary focus on women's issues in literature, and the world around us.  This endeavor will no doubt present a welcome challenge, and provide valuable learning experiences for myself and participants in the community.  Details for those living in the Atlanta area to come!

Now before I move on and present some delicious homemade Halloween treats, let me first offer a little background to put the whole event in perspective...

Every year, around this time, my sweetheart, J, meets his family in their home state of Illinois. They get together with warm embraces, side-splitting stories, delicious food and smiling faces.  Last year, I had the opportunity to join in on such a jaunty occasion (and meet all 40+ members at one time)!  This year  we celebrated J's Granddad's 90th birthday, and I experienced my first inclusion on their annual trip to the university he attended some years ago: Notre Dame.  I may not be a football fan, but the whole experience was almost too sublime to put into words. I enjoyed every minute of it, and can't wait to do it again next year!

Since we wouldn't be celebrating Halloween at home, and I really wanted to excite some Halloween cheer, I decided to take little goodie bags with homemade candy bark to the family.

I must say, I was mighty proud of the outcome, and thought it cruel not to share with all my lovely readers.  I improvised with this Epicurious recipe, and, that's ok; why shouldn't you be able to customize your own homemade candy bark? So, I figured I'd tempt you with some photos that would  encourage you to make your own!



Note: I made one batch on a baking sheet lined with foil so that I got traditional looking bark.  For the second batch, I used foil cupcake/muffin liners to make candy that resembled peanut butter cups.

Final Product:  

I'd like to take just a moment to share marvelous book I received from a Goodreads GIVEAWAY: Russian Winter. Yes, I won my first giveaway!  It also happened to be a title I was really anticipating.  Don't worry, I'll be sharing real soon.  Promise.

Let me know what you think!  How did you spend your Halloween holiday?  Any spooky reads or recipes you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear!

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