Visions of Hell

Today I am showcasing three cartoons and one live action movie clip featuring Hell. What a wacky place it is. Enjoy your trip to Hell.

First up is a Silly Symphony 'Hell's Bells' from 1929.

Next Betty Boop has demon trouble in 'Red Hot Mamma' from 1934

Willie Whopper gets a taste of 'Hell's Fire' from 1934.

And from 1930 a great song and dance clip from 'The Cuckoos'. Hell has the most awesome showgirls!!

Lately I've been enjoying looking at photos of old Halloween decorations & cards that feature vegetable people. So for fun I made this guy. Butternut Squash man. And I thought that I would include my favorite Butternut Squash soup recipe. This came from the magazine Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (Southwest Style)

1 med. butternut squash (about 3lbs) peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 in chunks

3 med. shallots, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt & pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I'm a vegetarian, so I use vegetable broth)

1 tbs. honey

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 ground cumin

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbs. minced canned chipotle chile

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss squash, shallots, oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in large bowl, then arrange in single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and softened, about 45 min. Add 1/2 cup broth to pan and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return to oven and cook until liquid has reduced and vegetables are glazed, about 5 min.

Working in 2 batches, puree squash mixture and remaining broth in blender until smooth. (I have a hand mixer, so I usually blend it all in the cooking pot I'm using. They are inexpensive and are really handy for making soups). Transfer pureed squash mixture to large saucepan and stir in honey, lime juice, cumin, and cream. Bring soup to simmer over med-low head, adding 1/4 cup water at a time as necessary to adjust consistency (I usually like mine to be a little thick, so I don't add too much water). Last add the cilantro & chipotle before serving. Can add dollop of sour cream, if desired.

It's a wonderful warm, smokey soup that's perfect for fall. Yummers!

Also, I drained off of the pumpkin & spices from my Vodka. Here are some photos

Right before draining:



And right after:



I had a little nip & I can definitely taste the pumpkin & spices. I'll have to wait until next Thursday, as I will be away working for the next 3 days. When I get home a Pumpkin Pie Martini would certainly hit the spot!

Monster Cereal: Count Chocula!

Over at MonsterCereal.blogspot.com, it's fan art month!! And I couldn't resist submitting my very own Count Chocula. Stop by and visit this terrific blog and take check out the fantastic fun art featuring old friends Count Chocula, Frankenberry and Boo Berry. Even Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy are making special appearances. I had so much fun doing sketches of these characters, there may be another monster cereal post or two, before the month is done.

Artists I Love: Gary Pullin

'Ghoulish' Gary Pullin's Art Show poster

Some of you may already be familiar with 'Ghoulish' Gary Pullin's handy work if you are a reader of 'Rue Morgue' magazine. He is the publications incredible artist/art director. Talk about a dream job!! If you've never read or looked at an issue of 'Rue Morgue', I recommend picking on up just for the beautiful layout & design the magazine has. The Halloween issue (on stands now) is usually the best issue of the year. I admit that I have not yet picked one up yet (for shame), but will very soon. Gary is a great artist & his design style is a real inspiration. Below are two author portrait by Pullin, Edgar Allen Poe & HP Lovecraft. I decided to showcase these two pieces, because I have a Poe & Lovecraft that will make an appearance sometime later in the month.




Rue Morgue has a Halloween party/event every year and here are two posters Pullin designed for that event. One from 2008 & the other for this year. I wish I could go one year, I bet it's amazing.


To see more work from Gary, go to his website here.

Spirits of the Bottle

Hide your booze!!

Is it Pumpkin Vodka yet?

So back in July, the blog Creepy Cupcakes posted about this Pumpkin Pie Martini, complete with a link to the recipe. Well, copied off the recipe & decided to make some this month. Part of the fun is making your own pumpkin infused vodka. You know how if you go to the liquor store, there are so very many different 'flavored' vodkas now. Well according to a program about cocktails I saw on the TV, these are products of infusions. So what you are seeing above here is my first attempt to infuse a pumpkin with vodka. Will it be a success? I'll find out this weekend, when after two weeks, I'll be ready to strain off the vodka from the pumpkin & the spices.

And how about that jar!! I have no idea how old it is. I remember it sitting in my grandparents old canning cellar for years, until I final relieved them of it. It must have been made sometime in the mid to late 80's. If anyone knows anything more about this jar, please let me know.

Halloween Movie: Halloween III: Season of the Witch

I have a secret to confess. I LOVE Halloween III. Maybe that's not such a big deal to admit anymore since I've seen more & more people coming out of the woodwork to profess their love of the film. It's cheesy & ridiculous in some parts, but there are some scenes in the film that still really disturb me. Following the successful Halloween & Halloween II films, Halloween III (1982) was meant to take the franchise in a new direction. The idea was, they wanted to continue to make films about Halloween with the name 'Halloween' but have new & different stories with each film. Well, it didn't work. People were expecting Michael Myers, and that's not what they got. Instead they got a wonderfully creepy movie about popular children's Halloween masks tied to pagan ritual sacrifice. Hmm, maybe I've said too much. I even love the soundtrack to this movie. It's strange, simple electronic sounds takes me right back to the early 80's.
So my art piece of the day is the 3 Silver Shamrock masks that are featured in the film. And here is a trailer for your viewing pleasure!