SoCal Girl Goes to the Halloween Harvest Festival

Two of my friends and I decided to go checkout the Halloween Harvest Festival at a nearby community college since none of us had ever been in a corn maze before and really wanted to experience the terror of being lost in the darkness, surrounded by nothing but corn rows (okay, that's kind of a lie - I wanted to experience the terror but didn't want to do it alone so I made them come with me).



Anyways, as I was looking for scary corn row mazes in Southern California (we don't exactly have a ton of farms lying around in LA so I was surprised we even had one), I came across this one at Pierce College, which was close enough and had great reviews. We went around 7:00 pm and ended up staying till 11:30, mostly because we were having so much fun but also because we may or may not have gotten lost in the corn maze for a while.







                             

The Halloween Harvest Festival at Pierce College has three different "scary" attractions and a regular old gigantic corn maze. We got the 3-Haunt Attraction Pass, which gave us access to Creatures of the Corn, The Factory of Nightmares, and Insane Reaction, and then bought a separate ticket just for the giant corn maze.

"Creatures of the Corn" was a mini corn-maze-themed attraction, where you walk through a path pre-carved through the corn rows while scary things jump out at you and follow you, cackling endlessly in your ear. For the last leg of the maze, we were chased out by a maniac with an electric chain saw, so that was fun.

Then we did the Factory of Nightmares, which was by far the scariest. At one point, you're surrounded by a thick fog and can't see anything, let alone the exit or anyone about to jump out at you. Last was Insane Reaction, which was essentially a maze inside of a mental asylum with mental patients out to get you.

We decided to take a short break before entering the giant corn maze and checked out the rest of the festival. There were a ton of kid-friendly activities and lots of pumpkins and hay stacks everywhere. Live music was playing in a corner and kids were running rampant, clutching frozen lemonades and hot dogs. We decided to get some funnel cake, and it was beyond delicious!

Around 10:00 pm, we headed into the corn maze, and were given a map, showing the 10 different points we were meant to reach and tick off. Within a few minutes of entering, we were completely surrounded by corn stalks on all sides and couldn't tell one direction from another. It was insanely cool and so much fun!

(The Map)

The Halloween Harvest Festival at Pierce College was so much fun and such a cool experience. I definitely want to go back again next year, and kidnap a little niece or nephew off mine to take along!

Recipe: Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Oh sweet baby Jesus. This might be my new favoritest thing in the world. I think I can safely say I would trade in an arm and a leg AND my first born for an endless, calorie-less supply of this (my first born is really going to hate me - this may or may not be the third time I've offered to trade him or her in for some food item)! Anyways, I digress. Last weekend, A and I decided to have a Lord of the Rings + Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese + Curry Fries indulgence-fest. A thoroughly reprimanded me after having discovered that I never properly watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy (it doesn't count if you watch it from underneath a blanket apparently), and so we decided to have a marathon night with proper culinary accompaniments. We wanted to recreate our experience at The Homeroom in Berkeley, and found this recipe that seemed to match the creaminess and richness we so desired. 

Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb whole wheat penne paste (or any pasta of your choice)

-4 tbsp unsalted butter

-3-4 jalapenos, chopped

-1 1/4 cup half-and-half

-8 oz cream cheese, softened

-2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

-4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

-1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1.) Bring a large part of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until it's al dente, approximately 6 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

2.) Melt the butter. Set aside half of it, and gently stir in the chopped jalapenos into the remaining butter, cooking until softened, and set this aside as well (I chopped my jalapenos after cooking them).

3.) Heat the half-and-half over medium heat and simmer it until it reduces to about half its original volume (approximately 12-15 min).

4.) Carefully add the cream cheese, stirring until its completely melted and well incorporated.

5.) Whisk in the cheddar and Gruyere, stirring until melted and well incorporated. 

6.) Add the chopped jalapenos, cayenne pepper, reserved pasta water, and a pinch of salt into the cheese mixture, and whisk thoroughly.

7.) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the pasta into 8 x 10 baking dish, and carefully pour the cheese mixture over the pasta.

8.) Toss the set aside butter and bread crumbs together, and spread the mixture evenly over the macaroni+cheese mixture.

9.) Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble and the bread crumbs start to brown a bit.

10.) Allow the mac n cheese to cool for a few minutes, and then serve. Enjoy immediately (although the leftovers taste unbelievable as well!)

Book Review: The Marriage Trap

So when I go book shopping, I usually get a few thought-provoking, insightful, and meaningful novels, and a few light, romantic, fluff novels that I can quickly read while biking away at the gym. "The Marriage Trap" definitely fell under the "light, romantic" reads category, and I was not at all impressed by the story-line, the writing, or the characters. The book was given 4.5/5 stars on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and so I went in with high hopes, but was unfortunately disappointed.

"The Marriage Trap" features two main characters; Maggie Ryan, the strong-willed, independent, male-underwear model photographer and Michael Conte, the sexy and single Italian billionaire. The story line follows that of a typical Harlequinn romance novel: hot billionaire is being pressured to marry for some non-negotiable reason (dying father's last wish, in this case) and blackmails the gorgeous, but seemingly uninterested girl to be his fake and/or temporary bride. In this particular story, Maggie is convinced that Michael is seducing her sister-in-law (whom he has no illicit intentions towards, but views in a brotherly way), and thus "sacrifices" herself by agreeing to be his temporary bride in order to appease his mother and abide by his father's last wish that he be the first to marry in his family. Maggie and Michael fly to Italy, and as Maggie gets to know his family, she starts to see him in a different light. Eventually, their clashing personalities and inevitable chemistry lead them to fall to physical temptation. However, whether or not they can each overcome their differences and the other's challenging personality in order to develop a true relationship is the real question.

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't particularly impressed with "The Marriage Trap". Everything was so ridiculously predictable that it left me unchallenged and dissatisfied. There was no sudden turn of events, no unique personality, and no vibrant touch to the story-line. I guess it would do for a one-time read, whilst sweating away at the gym, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything besides that.

Book Review: The Traitor's Wife

I'm back! I apologize for the brief hiatus, but I swear I've still been reading, cooking, and playing like crazy. I have a bunch of new book reviews, recipes, Halloween fun stuff, and LA adventures to blog about, I just haven't gotten a chance to do so yet. But not to worry, there should be a flurry of blog activity in the next few days, as I frantically try and catch up.

Now, back to business. I recently finished reading "The Traitor's Wife" by Allison Pataki as part of my fall reading list, and boy did I enjoy it. Full disclosure: I'm a complete history nut. History has always been one of my favoritest subjects, and if I could have majored in anything I wanted (and still gotten a good job, a decent pay check, blah blah blah) I would have probably been a classics/history double major. I think the reason I've always loved history so much, particularly U.S. history, is that I've always had great history teachers, who really brought the subject to life and introduced it in a way that you really connected with it. So reading about the American Revolution through the eyes of Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold was a lovely blast from the past.

"The Traitor's Wife" is a historical tale of manipulation, seduction, conspiracy and betrayal. Young Peggy Shippen is a notoriously beautiful socialite, living a life of luxury, parties, and whimsical dalliances. Her maid, young and country-grown Clara Bell narrates as Peggy gambles, parties, and dallies with British Major John André, ignoring the political turmoil quickly ensconcing the country. Her loyalties and sympathies, which initially lie amongst the British, shift drastically and suspiciously when Benedict Arnold and the Americans arrive, driving John André and the redcoats out of Philadelphia. After briefly mourning the loss of her love, John André, Peggy seamlessly transitions to seducing General Benedict Arnold, a man nearly twice her age, and within days, has him eating out of the palm of her hand. He, blinded by her youth, beauty, and wit, and unaware of her past transgressions with a British major and her true loyalty to the British, proposes marriage, and they are married within a short time. The rest of the tale follows Peggy and Benedict as Benedict slowly but surely becomes disenchanted with George Washington and the American cause that has drained his wealth, and Peggy becomes disenchanted with her recently dis-reputed and steadily growing poorer husband. Arnold's growing disillusionment with the American revolution gives Peggy the perfect segue-way to reveal her true loyalties and connections with the British army and manipulate Benedict into working with John André, eventually leading to the betrayal that shook the country.

“I suppose the true test of character comes when facing life’s harshest blows and disappointments. When things don’t turn out how you had hoped they would, do you grow bitter? Spiteful? Blame others and spread your misery? Or do you keep your head high and walk with grace, meeting the struggles which God has placed in your path?” 

Despite it being her debut novel, Allison Pataki did a truly remarkable job portraying the biggest betrayal in American history through the eyes of Peggy Shippen's maid. Her tale is quick-witted, riveting, and full of history, conspiracy, and seduction. I find it interesting that in Pataki's version, Peggy Shippen is portrayed in a much more guilty, villainous manner than Benedict Arnold, the actual conspirator. In Pataki's account of the American Revolution, Peggy Shippen is the mastermind and puppet master behind the scheme, with Arnold and André merely being her puppets. I didn't mention much of the fictional Clara Bell's story-line or involvement in my review, but I think she's a character that everyone should get to know throughout the tale, and I wouldn't do justice to her with a few brief sentences.  I thoroughly enjoyed "The Traitor's Wife" and would definitely recommend it to all readers. It's a great way to brush up on a little history whilst simultaneously being swept away in a complicated story.