Halloween is almost upon us and this week on the show we're carving jack-o-lanterns. Mary Ellen and I had such fun together carving that charming face. What do you do with the pumpkin seeds though? I toasted them and here's how:

 You'll need:

 Pumpkin seeds

Olive oil or melted butter

Salt

Start by rinsing those seeds and removing any pulp, and then spread them out on paper towels to dry over night. The next day line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with raised sides with foil and preheat the oven to 250. Toss the dry seeds with the olive oil or butter, then salt and toss again. Spread the seeds out on the foil covered cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, rearranging the seeds every 15 minutes.

This week on my NPR podcast I'm talking about hosting a Halloween blackout party. The blackout party originated with electric light - with electricity you have occasional blackouts and the camaraderie and spooky atmosphere that occurs when the lights unexpectedly go out can be recreated without the mishap of a true blackout. On the show I discuss several different ways to create a mood. One of them is a desilvered mirror with a ghostly image in it. You can create this spooky accent piece very simply with a frame with a clear piece of glass, an image of a face, silver leaf and plain gelatin.

Start by finding an image to use - a reproduction of an etching or some other piece of art with a light background will work best - and trim it to fit into the frame. Then combine two tablespoons of gelatin and one cup of water in a small sauce pan and heat until completely dissolved. Using a small paint brush (with bristles, not foam) brush the edges of the glass with the gelatin, then dry brush out to the edges without applying any gelatin to the center. The effect we're trying to create is one of a gradient application of the leaf, transitioning from a clear center to a fully slivered edge. Apply the silver leaf to the glass and with a soft, dry brush and brush away the extra leaf. When the glass has been completely covered and all the unstuck leaf has been brushed away allow the piece to dry. Then place the picture behind it and put it in the frame. The overall effect will be a mirror that stares back at you. Perfect for a spooky, candle lit Halloween party!

Organizing is the subject of this week's vidcast, and cleaning and organizing are kissin' cousins. Straightening up a room doesn't have to be a daunting task. Organize the chore with these tips:

Start by picking a place in the room to deposit all the things that need to be put away. It's best to pick a spot that will inconvenience you if you stop before finishing - like the sofa. Take everything that doesn't belong out and put it in that spot. Getting your belongings out of their comfort zones on the tables and counters will force you to actually look at them so they can be more easily put away.

Once everything has been returned to its little home, you can simplify the task of cleaning by thinking of your room as a big clock. Focus on one "hour" at a time - work your way around from 12 back to 12 again and the task will fly by.

Here are some related tips from the archive section of my site:

Episode 102

Episode 103

Episode 104

This week on my NPR podcast I'm talking about keeping your car fresh and clean. It's important, not only for cosmetic purposes, but for safety sake. Have a listen!

Hi people, this week I have a lovely family recipe for you: date nut cake. It was my grandmother's recipe and I made it for Mary Ellen's birthday. It's just delicious.

 You'll need:

1 stick of butter

½ lb dates

1 tsp soda

1 cup boiling water

1 ¼ cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup pecans

Begin by putting the butter, dates and soda in a bowl and covering them with the boiling water then let them cool. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 12" baking pan. Then add the egg, flour, sugar and pecans to the cooled ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Pour into your greased pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

On my NPR podcast this week I'm discussing an innovative and ecologically sound wall treatment for your home that involves magazines. Many people have used the distinctive covers of New Yorker magazine as wall covering - it was quite a trend in the 1970's. I say why limit yourself to one particular magazine cover; why not use some of the beautiful editorial pages and even ads from a variety of publications? The possibilities are endless, from beautiful fashion layouts, to ironic statements using ads from Guns and Ammo or Popular Mechanics.

Chocolate fondue is delicious - a real glamour dessert. What's especially nice about it is that it's frightfully easy to make as well! The fondue we made on the episode is simply:

12 oz of bar chocolate, broken up                                                                              

1 cup of heavy cream

 Melt the chocolate with the cream over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.

 For dippers we chose pineapple, pound cake and strawberries, but you can add marshmallows, kiwi, bananas, cookies, lady fingers, and pretzels.

 On the show on the Style network we made fondue with milk caramels. The process is similar:

 Combine:

12 oz milk caramels                                                                                                    

1 cup milk

 Over low heat until melted. Serve with apple wedges.

 Speaking of apples, this week's NPR podcast is all about that delightful fall fruit. I discuss several recipes for delicious apple dishes, including apple pie, apple dressing and apple pancakes.

 Here's my recipe for apple strudel:

You'll need:

1 sheet of pastry dough                                                                                                

3 apples (on the tart side)                                                                                             

1/2 cup sugar                                                                                                          

1/4 tsp. cinnamon                                                                                                       

1 beaten egg

 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Defrost the dough.  Slice the apples to about 1/4" and put them in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well. Roll out the dough until it's a little larger then when unwrapped.  Lay out the apples on the dough, then roll it up around the apples and seal with egg. Slit the top in several places and brush with the egg wash.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 Now this is the basic strudel, there are lots of other options: browned bread crumbs, lemon or orange rind, rasins, currants and nuts are all wonderful in strudel. For an extra rich version, try drizzling melted butter over your filling.

Hello people!

 Margaret Cho will be with us this week, so I thought I'd upload a promo for the coming episode. It's going to be lots of fun. Be sure and watch!

 See you Friday