Grrrrrr!!!!
We had a Happy Halloween, did you?
Starting with a sprink-tacular breakfast!
All Halloweened out.
Overnight oats with pumpkin topped with Autumn Spice Granola (so completely addicted) and Wild Squirrel
Maze donned his First Halloween outfit for the day
“Stop interrupting my playing mom!”
We went for a walk in the morning and covered about 3 miles of stroller fun (most of it spent sleeping!)
I had a delicious lunch while the sleeping continued (!)
Salad with avocado and leftover squash and a drizzle of smoked maple syrup we sell at the bakery
Plus yogurt and half a pumpkin butter sandwich
That would be pumpkin nutty butter – not the jam kind!
This afternoon we got our spook on and met my mama friends at the University of Virginia Lawn for some baby playing. UVA does a hugeeeee trick-or-treating extravaganza every year. It’s great to have everything safe and together, but it’s also really crowded and it means lots of the downtown neighborhoods get ZERO trick-or-treaters, which is sad because my whole life I looked forward to being the giver instead of the receiver. In all 3 of our houses, we have had less than 20 trick-or-treaters total. Life is just not the same as it was in the 80s!
Scary baby animal.
Who was covered in spiders!
Matt and I were very subtle cowboy + cowgirl. We wore plaid that was covered up with outerwear that had no trace of fringe. Also, our cow-hats blew away. Yeah…
Miss Lobster was a bit tired today after being so excited for her costume that she missed her nap!
Operation Smile was serving s’mores for a donation.
Oh yeah…got in my chocolate fix!
And Naomi brought pumpkin muffins! I was starving and gobbled one down. Delish!
We brought a bottle for Maze so I wouldn’t have to de-robe in the chilly air to feed him in the grass. Good decision because it was needed.
These vikings won for best costume : )
The lawn was packed with exciting costumes. Loved seeing all of the creativity!
How NOT to eat too many candy bars on Halloween? Go to a crowded event with a baby. We didn’t feel right trick-or-treating since we would obviously be the eaters instead of Mazen, and since it was so crowded, there wasn’t even a Snickers bar I could easily find. That’s ok though because we had dinner not far around the corner.
Karen made this Bolognese sauce a few weeks ago after researching authentic recipes inspired by her trip to Italy earlier this year. We froze some to reheat for a quick dinner. Served over Mona Lisa Pasta egg noodles, spinach and a dollop of ricotta on top!
Brown food is never appealing, but this tasted great and was so filling on a chilly Halloween night.
Happy Birthday DAD!
Allie@LiveLaughEat says
Happy Halloween! I love Maze’s little clenched fists. I’ve got fall sprinkles from last year (unopened!) that I should use up this year.
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
Maze is the cutest little scary baby! 😉
Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says
What a perfect first Halloween costume! The town you live in is SO adorable!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
I love the Viking costume idea! My dad always made chili & hot dogs on Halloween – comfort food for a chilly night!
Brittany says
Maze is so darn cute!! Looks like you all had a happy Halloween indeed. 🙂
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Mazen is the best dressed kid ever. Has he made it through all of his outfits yet? 🙂 Looks like you had a fun Halloween and just think of how much different it’ll be this time next year! Happy Birthday Papa KERF!
Kelsey says
It is sad that not as many kids go door-to-door, but I’m glad that there are safe spots for them to go trick or treating!
Love maze’s costume:)
Alicia @ Wanna Be Ina says
Looks like you had a great first Halloween with Mazen! I too looked forward to passing out candy as an adult, but with so many festivals and trunk r treat events we hardly get any kids. Makes me so sad!
kim@hungryhealthygirl says
Maze looks adorable in his costume! Love his little gray hat too!
Hillary says
Your friend’s pumpkin muffin looks like perfection.
Love the festive stroller decorations 🙂
Amanda M says
My parents got 2 trick or treaters this year. And Op Smile is a great organization. A good friend of mine has done several trips with them all over the world since she is a child life specialist.
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
I love that gray little hat you have on Mazen! Where did you find such a cute thing?! Glad you guys had a fun Halloween!
KathEats says
Old navy!
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says
Looks like you had a fun filled Hallowe’en! My nephew’s birthday is also on Hallowe’en.
Cat says
Ouch! I hope Karen doesn’t read your blog and see that her delicious-looking Bolognese sauce (or “brown food”) is not appealing to you!
KathEats says
She would probably laugh out loud. Remember we are good friends!
WKingMom says
Really, Cat? Kath obviously said that tongue in cheek. Karen’s Bologhnese looks delicious–Kath said it was delicious–and every single food picture she posted today included brown food. I for one can’t get enough of the (brown) Pumpkin Nutty Butter and I wouldn’t have ever found it without KERF. I wish I placed a double order this month!
Jen says
I was also wondering if she was being facetious when she said brown food is never appealing. Because brown food includes oats and nut butter and C-vill crunch and granola, right? Was it supposed to be a joke?
KathEats says
Appealing to the camera, not to the mouth!
Rachel says
This is a bit silly. It was clear that she meant not *visually* appealing.
Karen says
How it looked doesn’t matter to me; it was DELICIOUS and made with love!
Rachel says
FWIW, I think it looks delicious! 🙂
Ella P says
Dear Kath & Co, If you ever need a double-check on Italian authentic food, please ask. My mother is Italian and I have spent long hours with her in the kitchen, I have learned a good deal 🙂
Karen, your “ragù alla bolognese” looks “delizioso”, and since it is made with loads of love and cooked with passion I am sure it tastes “divinamente”!
KathEats says
🙂
deva at deva by definition says
I love the mohawk jacket. one thing I miss about college when it’s halloween is how over-the-top some students at my university went with their costumes! it was so fun!
Hayley @ Running on Pumpkin says
I love your Halloween dishes! I hardly have ANY Halloween stuff, but Christmas I go a little crazy with decorations 🙂
Dawn says
OMG I am so jealous you have more different dishes and linens than anyone I have ever know! Where on earth do you store it all ???? I seriously look at the dishes (under the food) in your posts now because I have become obsessed with how cool they are. Some have ‘Best Dishes’ you have ‘Many Dishes’ 🙂
KathEats says
In boxes in my living room : )
Parita @ myinnershakti says
Love babies in costumes! Looks like Maze had a terrific 1st Halloween! 🙂
And random question – what kind of ricotta do you use?
KathEats says
This brand: http://www.natural-by-nature.com/
It’s the only ricotta I have ever liked in my life. It’s so sweet like cream (even part-skim is). It’s pricey, but I don’t get it often.
Tiffany says
Do they sell it at whole foods? I’ve never tried ricotta…Is the texture similar to cottage cheese? What about taste?
Thanks Kath! By the way, Mazen is such a cutie 🙂
KathEats says
Yes they do. It’s richer than cottage cheese…. More like cream with curds.
Jessica says
I bought all sorts of candy this year because it was my first year ever to get to hand out candy at my own house! I was excited and didn’t want to run out of candy. Then I showed my fiance and he said “Oh. You shouldn’t have bought so much candy. We usually only get 8-20 kids here each year.” Needless to say, I was bummed…But it’s a good thing I bought more than he said!! We ended up having 92 kids show up for trick or treating.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
your dinner looks absolutely amazing! And that event sounds cool, I think it would be fun to see all the creative costumes. Although I agree, I can’t wait to have a house and trick or treat-ers!
SS says
Love how festive you were with the oatmeal! Since Halloween is over, I switched out pumpkin oats with the carrot cake oats. Both are pretty tasty!
jenna k says
that looks like such a great event (now i’m craving a s’more!). i definitely think trick-or-treating has gone more towards big group events in the past several years. i’m sure it’s more convenient for parents, but i have great memories of going to the neighborhoods in my hometown.
i’m definitely halloween-ed out! it seems like it was halloween for two weeks this year! so i celebrated quietly at home, with an episode of castle and several page of dracula.
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
What a fun day! The wind died down quite a bit last night which I think helped all the little kids out – would have been freezing otherwise. I saw tons of kids one block over where there’s more of a “neighborhood” but we sadly only had one kid show up. Now we have tons of leftover candy.
GrandPeePaw says
Thanks for Bday wishes Kath. Going to Larbs apt for drink and then on to mystery restaurant. My best Bday present will be seeing my Grandson next week.
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
Dinner looks awesome!! I love that you added the spinach.
Laura says
Smoked maple syrup?!?!?!? That might be the best sounding stuff ever!!!
Laurie says
Trick-or-Treating in the 60’s was magical!!!!!!!!
Eileen says
Do you think you’ll have a lot of kids in your neighborhood as Maze gets bigger? You could always “take back Halloween” and go door-to-door with each other! We have a very 1950s neighborhood, and I love it … lots of trick-or-treaters and a fair number of buddies for my kids.
KathEats says
We have a handful – that would be fun though. It’s hard to compete with the lawn – so much fun in one place.
Stephanie @ Food and Fitness 4 Real says
It is funny how the first year holidays are really just for the parents, not the kids. However I like the idea of starting family traditions early and you will look back on these pictures next year and be amazed at how much he has grown. Love the idea of lawn trick-or-treating and before you know it, Mazen will be out there asking for candy.
My 6 yr old daughter was Rapunzel and my 3 yr old son was Captain America!
Cait says
He’s so adorable! Glad you guys had such a good Halloween!!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I know what you mean about neighborhoods not getting many Trick or Treaters and it not being the 80s anymore. I grew up in the midwest in what I’d call small-town, family friendly, slice of life America. Fast forward to now, urban San Diego, and we have to go to the local mall in order to have a place for our daughter because no one seems to pass out candy here. I don’t know if they are young and dont have kids, don’t care, are out themselves and not home, but few pass out candy. We learned the hard way a few years ago that it’s ‘lights out’ here and no one is home so we go to the mall.
I love your sweater! Where did you get it? I need something like that!
KathEats says
Old navy a few years back
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Darn. I need some chunky, new cute sweaters. Now! 🙂
Erin @ WholsomeRD.com says
LOVE his little gray hat! So cute! Where did you get it!
Lauren says
That first picture of Maze is ADORABLE!! Glad you had a great first Halloween. 🙂
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
What fun Halloween festivities! Maze looks super cute in his costume. We don’t get many trick-or-treaters either, and I think it’s because I still live in a borderline-student area and I don’t think parents think that university kids give out much candy!
Rachel says
aww he is too cute!! Love the hat 🙂
I’m catching up now on your posts.. been without power for the LONGEST time because of the storm. Glad to see you guys had a happy Halloween 🙂
Lorin says
What area of Italy did she travel to? I am studying abroad in Torino right now! So much colder than Southern California 🙂
Karen says
Southern Tuscany.
Annette @FitnessPerks says
Cute costumes! Sad your hats blew away?!?! 🙁
Mom says
Love that picture of Dad with the fish. Where did you take that.
And love the lobster baby!
Well and the Maze baby!
KathEats says
The day bakery opened at zinc ! It’s a sardine !
Jennifer says
How cool that your dad’s birthday is on Halloween. I bet he had a lot of fun growing up. 🙂
Our Halloween trick or treating is postponed until next Wed due to all of the power outages in our area. I am so thankful that ours came back within a day but feel so badly for everyone still out. It was hard for the kids last night knowing it was Halloween and not being able to trick or treat but now they can look forward to it next week. 🙂
Maze looks so happy in all of his pictures. It seems like he’s always smiling. So cute!
I love how you decorated your stroller, too. Very creative.
KathEats says
His b-day is actually today November 1!
And that’s so cool that they postponed Halloween. Glad the kids will get it eventually.
Sarah (The Simple Dietitian) says
Maze is adorable in his costume. 😀
And I went empty handed in the sweets department too!
Andrea says
I think trick-or-treating is going extinct! And it’s so sad because I remember when I was little I LOVED it! We would get so much candy and then dump it all out on the floor at home and my mom would sort it, let us keep a small handful, and put the rest in hiding:) Love how you dressed up Mazen’s stroller, and that viking costume is absolutely awesome. Have a great day!
Emily @ www.main-eats.com says
So sweet! What a fairy-tale Halloween! Your poor hats! : )
Elisabeth says
I sooo need the recipe for that Bolognese – looks delicious!
Sameera says
Hi kath,
Very beautiful pictures n celebrations.
Love ur sweater n yello shirt peaking out.
Had a random question out of context to the post. How do u pump n when? I have been pumping after feeds but get just an oz total from both sides.. My baby is aug 29 th born, abt a week b4 yours. Would appreciate a lot if u replied back n helped me out. Tha is, sameera
KathEats says
After a feeding I never got much either. I’m actually not pumping regularly. I have 5×5 ounces in the freezer and we’ve stopped giving a bottle at night because he’s sleeping longer so I just nurse him. I’ve been using these which are amazing for collecting milk if you have a good letdown: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SMBRWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001SMBRWO&linkCode=as2&tag=kaearefo-20
Taylor says
All of your photos are absolutely precious. Just wondering: is that Wild Squirrel very sweet at all?
KathEats says
No, not really sweet at all.
Michelle (Peachy Palate) says
Very cute little outfit! You guys do Halloween so much better and bigger than we do! Love how everyone came together! I need to bring smores to Ireland!
Liz @ IHeartVegetables says
Kath, Maze looks adorable in his costume!! I hope you guys had a great halloween!
Leighanne says
Kath, the Bolognese sauce looks wonderful. Any chance you or Karen could share a source, link or cookbook to find such an authentic recipe? I’ve been on the hunt for a good one for ages. Thank you!
KathEats says
Here’s the one she used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/ragu-bolognese-recipe2/index.html
Leighanne says
Thank you! Looks fairly easy with simple ingredients.
Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite says
The decorated stroller is adorable! I liked how you tossed a handful of spinach in the with the pasta- good thinking- the pop of green does wonders 😉
jen says
i love that little gray hat with the brim! so cute and little boy-like!
Laura says
That ‘my first halloween’ suit is absolutely adorable. And don’t even get me started on the lobster…..
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
Love the decor and LOVE LOVE LOVE Maze’s little mohawk hoodie!
Amy says
Happy Birthday, Papa Kerf!
Katherine says
This looks like so much fun!
http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com/
Cait says
What are things that you consider to be essential to your refrigerator and pantry. I recently had a little boy as well (about 2 weeks before you had yours) and am EBF. I would like to lose this baby weight and be sure to eat as healthily as possible for him! DO you cook in bulk? LIke your oatmeal and granola, so that you have them on hand? With a newborn I find it difficult sometimes to have time to prep! 🙂 Your food always looks so delicious!!! Thank you in advance!
KathEats says
Lots of whole fruit, yogurt and milk and cheese, pre washed salad greens, eggs, whole grain bread, hummus, canned beans and tins of fish and dinner leftovers have been staples for me
Anjelica says
I know this may seem a little out of left field, but how many ounces of milk do you bottle feed Mazen? I am trying to pump at least one bottle so my husband can do a night feeding and filled the bottle with 3oz. Of milk, but my son still seems hungry….
KathEats says
He drinks 3-4, depending. If your son seems hungry, I’d provide more until he leaves a little in the bottle to show he is full?
chris says
Had only 6 trick or treaters while the kiddos went to a party. Still I missed the lawn, you will love this UVA tradition!
Carrie @ The Cook's Palette says
Love all the festivity in this post! Super fun breakfast. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again…you have the cutest things for Mazen! Love his hoodie and the little hat he’s wearing in the stroller. So much cuteness.
Ella P says
Another lovely food website is:
http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com
There you may find both traditional and less traditional foods recipes
“La Cucina Italiana” is THE food magazine no. 1 in Italy and this is the online version in English
Becky says
Trick or treat is still quite popular in our Charlottesville neighborhood. In years past we did a pre-trick or treat party at the park, but that didn’t happen this year. There was still a good trick or treat turnout though.
Fran@BCDC says
Looks like you had a Great Halloween!!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
Awww! Mazen is too cute! At least you had a nice Halloween celebration with your family. It looks like such a fun time 🙂
Cher @ Weddicted says
I love seeing creative costumes during Halloween!
Carrie @ Season It Already! says
Your food is always so pretty and festive!
Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut says
Maze looks TOO CUTE! (And oh-so-scary.) That pasta looks really good, too. Simply and hearty…a great fall combo!
the 3volution of j3nn says
You like ricotta now! What next, onions? 🙂
KathEats says
Unlikely!
Lindsey says
LOVE the Mohawk hoodie, so cute! Do you happen to know where your friends may have found it? I think our baby to be needs one 🙂
KathEats says
It’s from Target