Garrett accepted his spider costume without much fuss. He really wanted to be a goose. Gavin was psyched about his very traditional ghost costume. Bodie didn't have a choice, his costume was the third revolution of our hand me down skeleton. It's a classic - and it matches my glow-in-the-dark Misfits skeleton shirt!

We trick-or-treated up and down our little street, then ventured beyond into the neighborhood. There seemed to be less houses observing Halloween this year. I can see that if there aren't many kids in your life, October 31st is just the last day of the month. We only patronized the homes with spooky decor, to be sure that they were aware trick-or-treaters would be coming. Last year we hit a couple houses that had their lights on, but they had forgotten it was Halloween. I remember the shocked looks on the faces of our neighbors, then their rummaging through their kitchens for emergency treats! We ended up with a few granola bars and ziplocked oreo cookies. 

This has been a very Halloweeny week for our family. Tuesday night we went downtown to the Battleship Bash on the USS North Carolina. It's a huge (and apparantly haunted, as shown by the Ghost Hunter show) WWII battleship permanently docked on the Cape Fear river. What a setting for a Halloween bash! It was another perfect excuse to wear their costumes. Gavin was so excited to scare people, he started right away in the parking lot. Everyone we passed by would get a loud "BOO!" from him when they got close. It was so funny! "C'mon Garrett! Try to scare some people!" he said. What a hoot.

On the ship they had several spots to get candy. Our kids were really taking the scaring business seriously. The place was crawling with costumed youngsters. The highlight of the evening was the big bouncy house at the bow of the ship. We waited in line for 20 minutes. The boys had to take off their costumes and shoes to bounce in it, and Gavin was so funny about it. He was really hesitant to reveal his identity, and when he finally did he shouted out "Look everyone, I'm not a ghost! Its okay everybody, its just me! See? I was just wearing my halloween costume" He was really serious. That was the funniest thing I think he's ever done! People in line got a good chuckle out of that.

 The aquarium was a bunch of the same. Scaring, laughing, and candy looting. It was more fun for us parents because it was not as mobbed, and we could actually keep track of them while enjoying the incredible exhibits.

Well, this week includes Halloween! My parents will be coming in town for the weekend and will get to spend it with our kids for the first time. We'll be keeping it simple that night making some fancy grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup - a classic. Something to fill their tummies before all of that candy. Gavin said that he wants to trick-or-treat at one hundred houses! We'll see how he feels after we get through the 20 on our street. Hopefully, that will be enough. :) We are so busy this week - traveling to the local aquarium and battleship for their Halloween bashes after school. The kids are super excited and it is so much fun to watch them!

Oh my, we loved everything from the October 19th - 25th 2009 menu plan. If you missed it, do check it out. Everything was awesome - we will be making it all again. That doesn't happen every week!

I reference everything on the menu with a link to the recipe, unless it's something that doesn't require one. If the link directs you to another website, it means that I have not tried the recipe, and therefore have no idea whether it is good or not. :) If the link leads to a posted recipe here on my blog, it means that it is a tried & true family recipe that we love. I will also revisit some of the recipes I link to and leave comments about how they turned out for us the following week.

Dinner Menu :: October 26th - November 1st 2009

Monday
Chicken Cacciatore
Texas Toast (store bought)

Tuesday
Leftovers from Monday.

Wednesday
Aunt Jan's Marinated Flank Steak
Calico Squash Casserole
Jasmine Rice

Thursday
Leftovers from Wednesday.

Friday
Homemade Pizza
Fresh Apple & Orange Slices, Red Grapes

Saturday
Halloween!
The Ultimate Grilled Cheese
Tomato Soup (the canned kind)

Sunday
Out to dinner.

If you try anything listed here, I'd love to know how it turns out for you! For more menu ideas, or to submit your own plan, visit orgjunkie.com.

My aunt Jan passed along this recipe to me many years ago, and it is fabulous. I have tried other versions made with orange juice which are also good - but I always come back to this one and have made it time and time again. So full of flavor, you'll love it.

Aunt Jan's Marinated Flank Steak

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 (3 lb.) flank steak
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Place the flank steak in a large re-sealable bag, pour the liquid mixture in. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning occasionally. Sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Drain and discard marinade.

Grill steak, covered, over medium heat for 12-15 minutes on each side or until desired doneness (meat thermometer should read 160º for medium).

You can also broil in the oven on high for 5-8 minutes on each side.

Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut at a clockwise slant and serve.