this could quite possibly be the single most disgusting concoction i have ever come across, barring anything meat-infused of course. thanks stevie B for bringing it to my attention. i think. the BLOOD SHOOTER is based on the famous CEMENT MIXER shot, which is literally known for its blood CURDLING qualities (lime juice + baileys = ew). aries rules the brain and head area–this would be their libation–frankly i can’t think of a better astro match. happy halloween!

BLOODY BRAIN SHOOTER
Channel your inner mad scientist with this Bloody Brain Shooter. Mixing acidic lime juice and Irish cream causes the cream to curdle, creating brain-like strands in the shot.

1 1/4 oz. strawberry vodka such as Stoli
1/8 oz. Rose’s lime juice
3/4 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
Splash of grenadine

Chill vodka for better smoothness. Add vodka and lime juice to a shaker, shake and strain into a shot glass. Using a straw, dip some Bailey’s Irish Cream into the shot. Once you submerge the straw into the Bailey’s put your finger on top of the straw to hold the Bailey’s in the straw. Dip the straw tip into the vodka and slowly release your top finger. The Bailey’s will curdle a little bit due to the lime juice and you should be able to make strands of Bailey’s.

Repeat the straw/Bailey’s process to build a “brain” in the shot glass. Add a splash of grenadine to the concoction to add the ‘blood’ to the mix. Down the hatch as a shot.

VIA FOLKINZ VIA FINE LIVING

wow, how awesome do my halloween bottle labels look? jessica of jessica of MOONKISSD, used my clip art during a retreat she attended: “sex, death & magic,” out in CA (where else, right)? so thanks jessica, now we can see how these labels really do dress up the party. get martha’s and my clip art here:

this month, i wrote about the birthday sign au courant for my zodiac cocktail column published in MOD magazine… as you might have guessed, it’s all about LIBRA… but isn’t it always though?

last year i blogged martha stewart’s halloween bottle labels. they were such a popular search item, that i’ve created some of my own this year. a big halloween treat from me to you!

see last year’s labels here.

for cool halloween parties only… uber leo, martha stewart, has graciously posted free clip art to paste on your bottles. the downloadable art is HERE. OR, VIEW GWEN’S NEW CREEPY LABELS HERE.

wow, intoxicated zodiac’s scary video got one star! and 2 thumbs down. click here to watch gwen’s directorial debut and the cheesiest video you ever saw…

WATCH IZ’S OUIJA BOARD ON YOUTUBE

all kidding aside though, these “game” boards don’t joke around. i won’t even use one anymore, the death threats became a little too repetitive for my comfort level. They’re a portel for spirits–negative or positive–so if you are going to play with one, keep the garlic close by and a stake at the ready.

how appropriate that the sun is in SCORPIO on october 31st. yes, ALL HALLOW’S EVE belongs to the SCORPION, a small insect capable of delivering instant death. not unlike its ruler, PLUTO, who’s so tiny she’s been discounted as a planet, but is actually more powerful than any of the planets! yes, hers is a body of celestial immortality and COUNTESS DRACULA was certainly of the SCORPION persuasion. which leads us neatly into our topic at hand, or throat – VAMPYRE VODKA. and like that elusive transylvanian, this blood red liquor is extremely hard to locate!
try canyon city, colorado – they have it! a must for this weekend’s halloween party. serve with these uber cool skull swizzlers for the perfect halloween treat. mind you, they’re more of a trick for your wallet, at $100 per set. the photo doesn’t do them justice though – these things are FAB and if you’re gonna drop a c note on stir sticks, let it be these! get em at NEIMAN MARCUS.

today i attended the now famous GARLIC FESTIVAL in new york’s hudson valley. what started out with a few farmers getting together after the harvest for a garlic pot luck dinner has turned into a major tourist attraction. the two day event draws 50,000 visitors who can watch cooking lessons, learn gardening tips, listen to live music, buy arts and crafts and of course, sample many types of GARLIC flavored food!

garlic is a scorpio. not because it’s odorous breath strikes you when you least expect it – the next day, through your pores… but because of it’s spicy personality, it is ruled by the feisty planet of mars. not only that, but due to garlic’s regenerative powers, it is also ruled by pluto. to grow garlic, you simply bury it in the garden – the bulb will regenerate itself into a plant over the winter! the outermost planet is one of life and death, whose nature is exhibited in the rising of the phoenix, or the growing cycle of a garlic plant, or if you will, the undead vampire. scorpio will not be extinguished easily, and this little clove is soooo scorpion in nature!

and who can forget it’s vampire-fighting capabilities? just in time for halloween cocktails!

BITE ME NOT
3 oz freshly extracted apple juice (substitute unpasteurized cider if you don’t have)
2 oz garlic-infused gin*
1 1/2 raw simple syrup*
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice

GARLIC-INFUSED GIN
chop up 3 cloves garlic and put in 750 ml bottle of gin. allow to sit in dark place for 3 days to 3 weeks. agitate to expedite infusion time. strain and store.

RAW SIMPLE SYRUP
shake in container a mixture of half water and half raw organic sugar until dissolved. store in fridge.

(created by gwen sutherland kaiser)

FUNNEL CAKES WITH CARAMELIZED GARLIC

GARLIC ICE CREAM

GARLIC COOKIES

GARLIC INCENSE

thanks to KUCHENLATEIN for hosting WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #102.