Halloween is the favorite holiday around here, so stay tuned for lots of fabulous halloween food, costumes, ideas and so much more. I’m trying to decide if we’re doing a contest this year–it was great last year. You guys up for it!?

Here at Dabbled we’ll have lots of new (and old) stuff, but here are a few other sources you should check out!

To start you off, check out some of these great compilation posts at Superpunch:

• Jack-o-lantern Roundup
• Halloween Food Roundup

And here’s a roundup of tips from the always clever Parenthacks

• Parenthacks halloween tips

If you’re feeling competitive–or just want some good ideas– try the Make mag Halloween Contest, or check out their recent Halloween Posts

And Dollar Store Crafts has an excellent Halloween decor Roundup.

You can always check out what we did at Dabbled last year (and this year), too:

(or see some of the related posts, below!)

Have a Halloween related tutorial you’d like to submit? Email Dot [at] dabbled [dot] org!

EDIT: Here are a couple of them, Colored!

Hope you’re having a fabulous weekend… Here’s some fun links to get you inspired for the next week.

Recently Twittered Links:

• ooh! Check out these adorable sandwich ideas… http://bit.ly/T5V1Y
• Thrift Store Halloween ideas http://bit.ly/iQYB9
• Wow. Long but interesting New Yorker article on the impossibility of getting rid of incompetent teachers in NYC – http://tinyurl.com/kjq99o
• Funny article about the dangers of the food police/nanny state. http://www.slate.com/id/2229194/
• New @ Dabbled: Nancy’s art featured in the Museum of Science: I mentioned this was coming s.. http://bit.ly/bztHS
• This looks like a really neat technique for printing on fabric: http://bit.ly/QHMOk
• Found in the Dabbled flickr group: A crochet tennis shoe with severed leg! http://tinyurl.com/knwsrt
• I was having issues with Trackback spam lately, so …Plugins for controlling wordpress spam: http://tinyurl.com/mfj5oa
• Great roundup of weird foodstuffs (includes some of mine!)
• this marinated zucchini sounds fabulous! http://bit.ly/nZIIO
• Clever giftwrap idea: http://bit.ly/QL3s8 Make bows out of old catalogs.
• This paper winebag is really cute. chk out the tutorial here (via @whipup)
• How to make California Rolls at norecipes
• I’m never a big fan of video, but @sisterdiane’s Kanzashi demo is really nice!
• I love this idea for Sticky Note Clipboards at Dollar Store Crafts (@croqzine)

These are the watercolors featured:  RobotWorld 1.0

According to Dan Noren, the Director of Cahners Computer Place:

The gallery is at the main entrance to Cahners ComputerPlace, and is visible from the three Theater of Electricity viewing areas.

The stepped design of the framing works to focus visitors coming up the stairs to the artwork. The first section is at adult eye level from the stairs, and at younger visitor’s eye level once off the stairs.

We especially like the subject, presentation and esthetics of the art. It is the first thing visitors see going into CCP. Your ‘whimsical’ world, and juxtaposition of robot technology and humans is particularly good for us as it is the visitor’s first impression coming into CCP, and tends to humanize Computer STEM ( science, technology, engineering, math ) before they enter into the exhibit space and its rather sterile computers, robots and communication exhibits.

Your art was also a subject of a museum-wide presentation of “Art and Computer STEM” given recently.

Thank you for the opportunity to display this wonderful series of art here in Cahners ComputerPlace

So for any of you in Boston, go check it out for me! I heard it’s free museum day on Saturday…

And hey, if you want any of my art for your very own walls, you can get free shipping on prints right now at my Imagekind gallery. Promocode is PopularArt09, and expires 10/4/09.

Recently:

• How to Make Homemade Slime

Coming Soon to Dabbled:

• Coming up:  I’ll be reviewing some cookware for Cookware.com.  I tried to get them to send me an Aeron Chair to test out for them–they are so spiffy–, but I guess that was a little much ;)… So we’ll be talking frying pans!
• If you’re in the Boston area, you can see some of my artwork up at the Museum of Science.  Stay tuned for more details tomorrow!
• Halloween ideas — It’s never to early to start planning!  And get in on the fun – submit your ideas to Dabbled and maybe do a halloween themed guest post of your own!  Until then, check out this round-up of creepy food (including some of Dabbled’s) at Superpunch.

Make Slime! The Photo Tutorial.

Click through to see all the flickr pics.

1. Slime ingredients, 2. Stir the Borax and water to dissolve, 3. Pouring glue, 4. Water + glue + paint for color, 5. Pour the Borax solution into the glue mixture, 6. Stir, watch it clump up, 7. Pour off the excess water and check out your slime!, 8. Initial slime, 9. Ball it, 10. Squeeze it, 11. Ewwww…, 12. Punch it

See the full tutorial and directions here..

Enjoy the gooey fun!

Enter slime. “Do you want to make SLIME?” was greeted with a rousing “YES!”

I had made slime at some point pre-kids, for our Halloween party, so I dug out the recipe*. The only ingredients you need are Borax (available in the laundry aisle of your local grocery store), white glue, and water. And something to color it unless you want it white (I used a squirt of tempera paint, but I’ve also seen food coloring used.)

All directions, and a slideshow of the steps, can be found below.

This makes a really small batch, feel free to double or triple it. I like this version because it doesn’t seem to be as messy/gooey/sticky as some slimes.

In a larger bowl, mix 1/4 c white glue (like Elmers) and 1/4 c water. Add a squirt of tempera paint for color. You can even add glow in the dark paint for a weird twist.
Mix 1/2 teas Borax in 1/2 c water. Stir well until dissolved.

Slowly pour the Borax mixture into the glue mixture. You’ll see it clump up immediately. Stir. Pour off the excess liquid, and you’re left with the slime!

Smush it. Squeeze it. It gets even better the more you play with it. It stretches and breaks. It slowly flattens. You can punch holes in it. You can cut it out with cookie cutters. And I found it less messy than play-dough. It’s not for eating, so do exercise supervision.**

The boy enjoyed it immensely, both helping make it, and playing with it afterwards!

And when you’re done, you can store it in an airtight container or bag. I’m not sure how long it will keep, but it should last for several more play dates!

(If you’re having trouble seeing the slideshow below, check out the photo tutorial here.)

Enjoy!

*sorry, no idea of the original source, but a quick googling showed multiple variations all over the internet.
**The question of safety came up in the comments, please see comment #4 for response.

The idea behind these efforts was to take up the challenge of building on a free platform something that was as easy to maintain as a blog, but didn’t look like a ‘blog’.

Well, the power of WordPress compels me to build a fabulous portfolio site using that platform.  Now, this is really not in the same spirit as the prior challenges, as a self hosted WordPress site is not a free option (note, the free option, WordPress.com, would not work for this).  And WordPress as a platform is considerably more suited to an effort like this–it’s hardly hacking when you’re just using the platform as designed!  So it’s not really fair to say that WordPress kicks the pants off the other options — they didn’t start in the same place.

So, I redid my friend Grieg’s photography website.  Check it out here!

If you guys are interested, I’ll do a tutorial/tips/lessons learned, and post it over at Dabbled|Studios.  I’m trying to move all my website related blogging over there.

In short, WordPress gives you a ton of tools and plugins which can really produce a professional look.  I will eventually get around to redo-ing my own portfolio site, which is still in Tumblr from the previous experiments.  WordPress is miles above the free options (like Tumblr or Blogger), but the free options do have one huge advantage… Free!  WordPress is technically free as well, but you do have to have your own hosting, which will run you around 5-10$ per month.  Not a huge expense, but not free either.

And if you want to see what we started with, you can see what the free Blogger version looked like here.

And of course, if you need a wedding or childrens photographer and you live in Georgia, do consider Grieg!

Well, emergency condiment recipes to the rescue!  Why buy that 1000 Island Dressing, when you could have easily made it from stuff you already had in your refrigerator?  Take cocktail sauce off your shopping list.  Tartar Sauce too…

Ingredients needed to make all the below: ketchup, mustard, mayo, sweet pickle relish, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce & honey.  As usual, all measurements are VERY approximate!

Cocktail Sauce:

Having a party and need some cocktail sauce for the shrimp?  Your trusty ketchup provides the base.  Try 4 parts ketchup to 1 part horseradish (jarred prepared horseradish).  Add 1/2 part worchestershire sauce (or several shakes).  Stir and taste.  Add more horseradish or worchestershire to taste.  Optional: a dash of lemon juice.

Essential ingredients: Ketchup, prepared horseradish, worchestershire sauce

Thousand Island Dressing:

I learned this trick waiting tables in grad school.  We didn’t have 1000 Island dressing, and once in a blue moon, someone would want some for their salad. Emergency restaurant trick:  Mix tartar  sauce with ketchup!

I rarely need 1000 Island, but it IS a must for a good Reuben.  For the home version, since I may not really keep tartar sauce on hand either, it’s 3 ingredients.  Mix mayo and ketchup (try 4 to 1), and spoon in pickle relish until you have your desired consistency.

Essential ingredients:  Mayo, ketchup, sweet pickle relish

Tartar Sauce

I use this quick and dirty tartar sauce recipe whenever I make fish tacos. Combine Mayo with sweet pickle relish (optional: dash worchestershire sauce).

Essential ingredients: Mayo, sweet relish

Horseradish sauce

A good horseradish mayo is obligatory for a roast beef and swiss sandwich, in my book.  Just add prepared horseradish to mayonnaise to taste — i like it pretty strong.   For a dip (like for fried mushrooms or veggies or chips) mix mayo with equal parts sour cream, and add horseradish to taste.

Essential ingredients:  Mayo, horseradish

Honey Mustard dressing

Either for a dip for a chicken fingers, or a salad dressing for those with a sweet tooth — like kids– honey mustard is an easy quick fix.  Personally, I prefer a less creamy and more mustardy version, so I )go easy on the mayo, but prepare this to your taste.  Start with equal parts mayo and mustard (I prefer spicy brown), and honey.  Stir and taste.  If too sweet add more mayo/mustard.  Add more mayo if you’d like it creamier.

Essential ingredients:  Mayo, mustard, honey

Note: These are REALLY basic versions, you can punch up the flavoring in these, of course… just google for a real recipe and you can see what you may want to add.  Also, I never measure when making these, just start with a mixture that looks about right, taste, and add more of what ever is needed.  Like most cooking, it’s an art!

Next Steps…

So you’re all set for your condiment crises now, but these aren’t just for emergencies.  Once you have the basics down, go to town with your creations.  For example, I like to add fresh cucumber and onion, dill, and a dash of rice wine vinegar to my tartar sauce recipe, for a perfect sauce for grilled salmon tacos…

Enjoy!