As of May 15th, Spokane Valley has a petting farm just east of Sullivan Road and South from Saltese Road at Mountain Valley View Farm in Greenacres, Washington.

Petting zoos are an affordable, family-friendly way to spend an afternoon together in the fresh air and beauty of the Inland Northwest. It is not only fun, but can be educational too, as children can learn about the different animals and see how they are cared for and utilized on our farm.

Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc. is home to over 100 species of wonderful animals, including a large variety of birds that include more than 60 kinds of chicken and many fancy and exotic breeds, 15 types of goose, 23 breeds of duck, and 14 types of turkey as well as guineas, peacocks, pheasants, quail, and emus; adorable fainting and miniature silky goats, Nigerian pygmy goats, Nubian dairy goats; alpacas and llamas; beautiful Icelandic horses; 5 types of sheep; and much more. Our farm is also home to some rescue animals as well as a number of endangered breeds, and there is much to see and learn. This is a great experience for children ages 2 to 102!

We do ask that you respect the animals by treating them with care–please, no chasing or shouting. If you want to feed the animals, be cautious and pay attention: some of them will mistake your fingers for carrots or other food and may bite or peck. Please remember that we consider all of our animals to be part of the family. They are treated with love and are used to being around people, and will only bite if they feel threatened or think you are feeding them.

Come and see all of Mountain Valley View Farm’s baby animals! It’s Spring, the time of year for sweet, adorable babies that will warm your heart and entertain you with playful antics. See baby chicks from many of our exotic birds, sheep with baby lambs, goats with kids, Icelandic horses and miniature fainting goats with their cuddly babies. Visit our poultry farm and pick up some farm fresh eggs for sale right off the farm! Call Mountain Valley View Farm today for an appointment! 509-928-1800

Admission prices:
Under 2- Free
Kids 2-10 – $6.00
Kids 11-18 – $8.00
Adults – $10.00
Seniors – $8.00

Veterans and Active Military – Free – Thank you for your service!

Bags of feed are available for $1.00 so you can feed the animals!

We also have cold drinks and ice cream treats for sale to enjoy during your visit. You can even order lunch boxes and enjoy them at the picnic tables while you watch the farm animals play. Please notify us 24 hours in advance if you would like a boxed lunch.

To get to the Spokane petting farm from I-90 and Sullivan Road, go south to where 28th Avenue and Sullivan road would be. Turn left (east) on Saltese Road (there is no 28th there) and go two miles to South Chapman Road in Greenacres, Washington. Turn right (south) on Chapman Road and continue ¾ mile to 4301 South Chapman Road on your left. A large white mail box out front and a Mountain Valley View Farm sign marks the entry. Pass under the pole arch and enter the farm. Please call for an appointment before you come, so we know when to expect you.. 509-928-1800. Open 7 days per week 8am to 5pm with advance appointment. Bring the children to enjoy some old fashioned fun right here in Spokane! It is always relaxing to get back to nature and enjoy some memories on a family farm!

Karen Jean Matsko Hood

* ~ * ~ * ~ *
Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
Your Source for Northwest Farm Fresh Foods Shipped Worldwide
4301 South Chapman Road
Greenacres, Washington 99016-8732 USA
Phone (509) 928-1800 | Fax (509) 922-9949
Email: sales@mountainvalleyviewfarm.com

Website: www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
Online Store: www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com
Blog with us at www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com

Mountain Valley View Farm Hours:

Monday – Saturday
8:00 a.m. – Noon; 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

Closed Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Other farm hours by advance appointment only.
Please call (509) 928-1800 to schedule an appointment.

Getaway Studio Dining Room
& Bed and Breakfast
Phone (509) 928-1800

Directions to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.

From I-90 East or West

Take the Sullivan Exit (291B) in Spokane Valley – South for about 3 miles
Turn left on Saltese (east), and continue straight for .5 mile
Turn right on South Chapman Road (south), and proceed .9 mile
The farm will be on the left-hand side of the road – 4301 South Chapman Road, Greenacres, WA 99016

Welcome to Mountain Valley View Farm and its unique collection of mini-shops within our farm.  Our assortment within our farm includes:

TABLE OF MINI-SHOPS CONTENTS

 FOOD & BEVERAGE ITEMS

1. Local Family Farm of Veggies,  Fruit, and Berries
2. Organic Egg Farm
3. Future WSDA Grade A Goat,  Sheep, and Yak Dairy
4. Artisan Cheese Shop
5. Ice Cream, Gelato, and Frozen Treat Shoppe
6. Artisan Bakery & Pastry Shop
7. Comfort Food Kitchen
8. Homemade Soup Shop
9. Deli & Panini Shop
10. Pizza & Flatbread Shop
11. Jams & Jelly Shop
12. Huckleberry Shop
13. Honey Shop
14. Take & Bake Shop
15. International Food Shop
16. Nut & Spice Shop
17. Vegetarian & Vegan Shop
18. Juice & Beverage Shop
19. Tea & Tasting Room
20. Coffee & Coffee Bean Shop
21. Wine & Micro Brew Shop
22. Catering Service
23. Farm Food Delivery Service

 NON-FOOD & BEVERAGE ITEMS

1. Gift Basket and Floral Shop – Custom Made & Shipped Worldwide
2. Plant Nursery and Greenhouse
3. Arts & Crafts Studio.
4.  Soap & Cosmetic Shop – Handcrafted
5. Candle Shop – Handcrafted
6. Jewelry Shop – Handcrafted
7. Potpourri & Fragrance Shop
8. Personalized Poem & Greeting Card Shop
9. Books & Cookbooks by Karen Jean Matsko Hood – Local Author & Poet & Children’s Author
10. CookingwithKaren.com Cooking Lessons
11. Visiting Artist Gallery and Custom Frame Shop
12. Getaway Studio Classroom
13. Getaway Studio Bed & Breakfast
14. Pet & Farm Animal Food Shop
15. Petting Farm and Nature Learning School
16. Gift & floral Shipping and Delivery Service

Mountain Valley View Farm is a small eco-friendly, self-sustaining, organic, family farm located in Greenacres of the Spokane Valley near the Idaho border of Washington State.  We invite you to shop from our collection of farm mini-shops listed below:

OUR LOCAL FAMILY FARM of VEGGIES, FRUITS, and BERRIES
Our farm raises  vegetables, fruit, berries, grapes, herbs, cut flowers, and wildflowers using organic and eco-friendly farming methods.  We are also working to and organic hydroponics to our farm growing system.

OUR ORGANIC EGG FARM
Our licensed WSDA egg farm provides organic farm-fresh cage-free organic chicken, duck, goose, guinea, quail, pheasant, peafowl, and turkey eggs raised on our farm.  We can also special order emu, ostrich, and rhea eggs with advance notice.

OUR FUTURE WSDA LICENSED GRADE A GOAT, SHEEP, & YAK DAIRY
Our farm dairy will soon provide fresh and pasteurized goat, sheep, yak, and cow milk, cream, butter, along with small hand crafted batch artisan cheese, yogurt, ice cream, gelato, and other delicious dairy products.  We will not sell any of our own dairy products until our WSDA Grade A Dairy License is complete.

OUR ARTISAN CHEESE SHOP
Our cheese shop provides artisan and gourmet cheeses from our own farm, and local area farms, plus, we provide artisan cheese from worldwide sources.  We also offer wonderful products made with cheeses, yogurts, tofu, and vegan cheese found in our local cheese shop.

OUR  ICE CREAM, GELATO, & FROZEN TREAT SHOPPE
Our ice cream shop provides delicious homemade Ice Cream, Gelato, Soft-Serve, Ice Milk, Sherbet, Sorbet, Frozen Yogurt, Vegan Frozen Treats, Shaved Ice, Fruit Pops, Fudgesicles, Milk Shakes, Malts, Granitas, Ice Cream Floats, Sodas, Slushies, and Smoothies and other frozen treats and desserts.

OUR ARTISAN BAKERY & PASTRY SHOP
Our small bakery produces artisan breads, rolls, sourdough breads, pretzels, muffins, bagels, pies, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, pastries, cream puffs, puff pastries, sour cream twists, donuts, cupcakes, cobblers, huckleberry desserts, cookies, desserts, sticky buns, caramel rolls, poteca, poppy seed rolls, international breads such as teff and naan, and other delicious international baked goods, as well as gluten free baked goods.

OUR COMFORT FOOD KITCHEN
Our WSDA licensed kitchen makes homemade casseroles, soups, sauces, dips, pesto, hummus, dehydrated foods, beverages, syrups, honey, and candies.  We also make delicious homemade jarred foods such as pickles, vinegars, sauerkraut, and salad dressings, and sauces.

OUR HOMEMADE SOUP SHOP
Our soup shop sells delicious homemade artisan and nutritional soups, chowders, bisques, and chili of all kinds that are quickly frozen to take home and enjoy when you want to have some healthy comfort meal.

OUR DELI & PANINI SHOP
Our deli provides fresh salads, pastas, crepes, wraps, cheeses, mustards, pesto, humus, tapenade, dips, spreads, tapas, fresh sandwiches, panini, gyros, sausages, salami.  You can order your requested special deli order in advance to pick up for your office, picnic, or special event and arrange in advance for pick up.  We also have limited delivery service available, for 55 cents per mile, with a minimum 24 hour advance notice, on a limited basis.

OUR PIZZA & FLATBREAD SHOP
We sell artisan pizza and flatbread on a rotational basis.  We are constantly trying new ingredient combinations for our artisan pizza and flatbread, for your enjoyment.

OUR JAMS & JELLY SHOP
Our jams and jelly shop makes delicious homemade jarred foods such as jams, jellies, preserves,  butters, marmalades, compotes, and curds.  We make all our jams and jellies the old fashioned way, in small batches and never add any artificial chemicals, color, or preservatives.

OUR HUCKLEBERRY SHOP
Our huckleberry shop provides handmade huckleberry products like jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, syrups, ice cream toppings, sauces, salad dressing, pie filling, candies, fudge, and everything huckleberry.  We also provide huckleberry breads, muffins, cakes, pies, cheesecakes, and desserts, on a rotation basis.

OUR HONEY SHOP
Our honey shop sells local honey from local farms, as well as our own honey from Mountain Valley view Farm honeybees.  We love to cook and bake with honey and its delicious health benefits.

OUR TAKE AND BAKE SHOP
Our take and bake shop provides tasty frozen homemade comfort food meals, vegetarian, vegan, and international that are homemade and quickly frozen.  All you need to do is take home and keep in your freezer until you are ready to use for a great home-style comfort dinner for your family and friends.

OUR INTERNATIONAL FOOD SHOP
Our kitchen makes all the traditional ethnic foods of our family heritage that have been made from our family and grandparents.  Try our foods from the old and new countries and regions  of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Britain, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Korea, India, Ethiopia, Africa, Native American, and African American recipes.

OUR NUT & SPICE SHOP
Our nut and spice ship provides our customers with all the fresh and unique spices and nut combinations for their health and enjoyment to take home.  Enjoy our homemade treats or take them home to make your own.

OUR VEGETARIAN & VEGAN SHOP
Our vegetation and vegan shop makes fresh vegetarian and vegan soups, sandwiches, Panini, pizzas, casseroles, and main dishes.  We have 4 vegetarians in our family and have been cooking and testing vegetarian recipes for many years.

OUR JUICE & BEVERAGE SHOP
Our juice bar serves new fresh ingredients fruits, vegetable, and herbal drinks to add to our menu.  We are creating new health and energy drinks, along with traditional blended drinks.

OUR TEA & TASTING ROOM
Our tea shop provides all kinds of delicious and healthful teas and herbal infusions for your drinking pleasure.  Try our hot or iced tea or hot green, black, white, yellow tea, and herbal teas to drink.  Take your favorites to make at home.  Teas are healthful, delicious, and no calorie drinks, served hot or cold and full of intioxidants.

OUR COFFEE & COFFEE BEAN SHOP
Our coffee shop provides delicious fresh roasted coffees for your tasting and enjoyment.  We sell fresh roasted coffee, plus you can buy your own favorite Mountain Valley View Farm blend of fresh roasted beans to take home or give as a gift.

OUR FUTURE WINE & MICRO-BREW SHOP
We are in the process of obtaining our Washington State liquor license to sell wine and micro-brews to accompany our menu.  In the future, we have dreams of making our own small batches of wine and micro-beers, but we will never sell anything until fully licensed.

OUR CATERING SERVICE
Our Mountain Valley View Farm catering service will arrange to cater our menu foods items for your special occasion, holiday, birthday, wedding, or office event, with advance notice and planning.  Please call us if you need us to provide your special event.

OUR FARM FOOD LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE
We try to please our customers, so we have a limited local delivery service to deliver our farm foods for 55 cents per mile, from one of our locations below, with a minimum of 24 hours advance notice.  Call to check on delivery availability.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY VIEW FARM NON FOOD ITEMS:

OUR GIFT BASKET & FLORAL SHOP – CUSTOM MADE & SHIPPED WORLDWIDE:
We will design your custom gift basket to fit your request.  We can take any of our items and custom-make a gift basket for you year ’round gift giving.  We also offer seasonal live plants, herbs, container gardens, terrariums, cut flowers, and wildflowers on a seasonal basis.

PLANT NURSERY & GREENHOUSE
Our farm plant nursery, greenhouse, and hydroponic gardens sell live house plants, trees, shrubs, vines, air plants, bromeliads, annuals, perennials, seeds, orchids, bulbs, herbs, wildflowers, cut flowers, and gift baskets.

OUR ARTS AND CRAFTS STUDIO
Our small farm arts  and crafts studio makes arts, crafts, fiber yarn products spun from our farm animals, ornaments, jewelry, cookbooks, farm books, greeting cards, soaps, candles, clothing, t-shirts, scarves, aprons, and potpourri. All are hand-crafted in small batches, right here, on our local family farm.

OUR SOAP & COSMETIC SHOP (Handcrafted)
Our soap and cosmetic ship makes handcrafted artisan soap from our goat and sheep milk in a variety of soap shapes and forms.  We also make other products using only the freshest ingredients available.  As always, we never add any artificial chemicals, preservative, or colors.

OUR CANDLE SHOP (Handcrafted)
Our candle shop makes handcrafted artisan candles from wax, beeswax, and soy in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and natural fragrances.  We can custom-make your special order candles.

OUR JEWELRY SHOP (Handcrafted)
Our jewelry shop makes handcrafted artisan jewelry from local area products, plus unique glass beads and stones collected from all over the world.

OUR POTPOURRI & FRAGRANCE SHOP
Our farm makes and blends our own potpourri, wreaths, sachets, and fragrance gifts, using fragrances made from natural ingredients.

OUR PERSONALIZED POEM & GREETING CARD SHOP
Our farm owner and author writes and designs greeting cards and personalized poems for that special or sentimental gift you want to send.

OUR BOOKS & COOKBOOKS by Karen Jean Matsko Hood – Local Author & Poet
Our farm owner and author, Karen Jean Matsko Hood, has published books, cookbooks, poetry, and children’s books.  We offer these for sale, autographed and personalized for your gift giving.  NOTE:  She needs a minimum of 24 hours notice to complete your unique notes.

OUR Cookingwithkaren.com COOKING LESSONS
Our farm owner and cookbook author, Karen Jean Matsko Hood, who happens to be the owner and operator of Mountain Valley View Farm and provides cooling lessons and demonstrations on an occasional basis.
Have fun and schedule some classes with Cookingwithkaren.com.

OUR VISITING ARTIST GALLERY & CUSTOM FRAME SHOP
Our small local art gallery and frame shop welcomes local artists and are happy to display and feature artists on a rotational basis.  You can purchase the artist’s work of your choice through our shop and we even provide custom framing for your choice, if desired!  We also ship custom art framed or unframed for your convenience.

OUR GETAWAY STUDIO CLASSROOM
Our Getaway Studio classroom provides cooking classes, food, wine and cheese tasting classes, farm workshops, seminars, writing workshops for authors, and nature classes, by advance appointment only.

OUR GETAWAY STUDIO BED AND BREAKFAST
Our Getaway Studio Bed and Breakfast provides one single room king sized bed and breakfast unit, by advance appointment only.

OUR PET AND FARM ANIMALS FOOD SHOP
Our pet food shop makes small batch custom treats for your dogs, pets, and farm animals.  We sell only pet foods that we are licensed to make.

OUR PETTING FARM AND NATURE LEARNING SCHOOL:
We have over 300 farm animals to come and visit and learn about at our Learning School, by advance appointment only.  Our farm is also a wildlife sanctuary so you will be able to see many birds and local, protected wildlife on our farm.  All classes must be pre-arranged by advance appointment only.

ABOUT OUR GIFT & FLORAL SHIPPING AND DELIVERY SERVICE:
We ship our products, gifts, and personalized gift baskets worldwide.  We can also arrange local delivery for a standard 55 cent mileage fee, with a minimum 24 hour notice, from our farm address to yours, as a convenience to our customers! You can shop or re-order products at our farm store online at :

www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com or call us at (509)928-1800.

Come and visit us at the farm by advance  appointment only (509) 928-1800. However, you can also visit us year ‘round at the downtown booth at the Spokane Public Market every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00pm anytime during those hours!

We look forward to seeing you there soon!

You can also find us at the local seasonal farmer’s markets and the local fairs.

Mountain Valley View Farm is selling out fast on all of our delicious, farm fresh organic eggs! Come see us this week at the Spokane Public Market, where you can purchase chicken eggs for just $5.00/dozen. We have over 60 different types of chicken that lay an amazing variety of brown, white, speckled, and colored eggs, including rare Aracauna eggs that have blue and turquoise shells. We also have 12 breeds of duck and 13 breeds of goose that lay eggs for us, and we are planning to add emus, guineas, and turkeys to our flock soon. All of our birds are free range, hormone and antibiotic free, and fed a fresh grain feed that contains no soy or animal bi-products so that you can always be sure you are getting the best quality organic eggs. Come see us at the market!

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thurs – Sat

Benefits of Organic Eggs

Organic eggs are extremely nutritious and contain significantly higher ratios of Vitamins A and E, Omega 3, and beta carotene than commercially produced eggs. They are also lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, making them an excellent choice for anyone concerned about their health. Furthermore, trace chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers have been detected in commercial eggs, and many of these chickens are given growth hormones and antibiotics to make them produce more. Chickens at Mountain Valley View Farm are fed an all-natural grain and allowed to roam and forage for food to supplement their diet. We do not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers on our farm, nor do we give our animals growth hormones or antibiotics, so you can be assured that our eggs will not have the toxins so common to commercially produced eggs. You will also love the taste of our eggs, as studies have shown that organic eggs from hens that eat a varied diet have a noticeably stronger and more pleasing flavor than commercial eggs.

Benefits of Duck & Goose Eggs

Duck eggs are significantly larger than chicken eggs, and goose eggs are larger still. One goose egg, when cooked, will be roughly equivalent to four chicken eggs, and both duck and goose eggs also have more yolk than the average chicken egg. Thicker shells lend themselves toward a longer shelf life (at least 6 weeks in the refrigerator), and goose eggshells are so thick that they are perfect for the delicate art of carving and embossing beautiful designs directly onto the shell. Both duck eggs and goose eggs are slightly higher in protein content, as well as containing greater concentrations of other nutrients like iron, potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D.

Duck and goose eggs have their own unique flavors as well. Duck eggs have a noticeably stronger flavor than chicken eggs, and although not everyone may care for this taste when eaten plain, nearly everyone agrees that duck eggs are unparalleled when used for baking. Their richness produces moister, fluffier baked goods–absolutely incredible cakes and cookies. Goose eggs taste similar to chicken eggs, but seem a bit drier. They are also thicker than chicken eggs and have a custard-like yolk. They are also wonderful in cooking and are best in sweet confections and omelets.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
Your Source for Northwest Farm Fresh Foods Shipped Worldwide
4301 South Chapman Road
Greenacres, Washington 99016-8732 USA
Phone (509) 928-1800 | Fax (509) 922-9949
Email: sales@mountainvalleyviewfarm.com

Website: www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
Online Store: www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com
Blog with us at www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com

Mountain Valley View Farm Hours:

Monday – Saturday
8:00 a.m. – Noon; 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Closed Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Other farm hours by advance appointment only.
Please call (509) 928-1800 to schedule an appointment.

Getaway Studio Dining Room
& Bed and Breakfast
Phone (509) 928-8900

Directions to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.

From I-90 East or West

Take the Sullivan Exit (291B) – South for about 3 miles
Turn left on Saltese (east), and continue for .5 mile
Turn right on South Chapman Road (south), and proceed .9 mile
The farm will be on the left-hand side of the road – 4301 South Chapman Road

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
Your Source for Northwest Farm Fresh Foods Shipped Worldwide
4301 South Chapman Road
Greenacres, Washington 99016-8732 USA
Phone (509) 928-1800 | Fax (509) 922-9949
Email: sales@mountainvalleyviewfarm.com

Website: www.mountainvalleyviewfarm.com
Online Store: www.mountainvalleyviewfarmstore.com
Blog with us at www.mountainvalleyviewfarmblog.com

Mountain Valley View Farm Hours:

Monday – Saturday
8:00 a.m. – Noon; 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Closed Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Other farm hours by advance appointment only.
Please call (509) 928-1800 to schedule an appointment.

Getaway Studio Dining Room
& Bed and Breakfast
Phone (509) 928-8900

Directions to Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
From I-90 East or West
Take the Sullivan Exit (291B) – South for about 3 miles
Turn left on Saltese (east), and continue straight for .5 mile
Turn right on South Chapman Road (south), and proceed .9 mile
The farm will be on the left-hand side of the road – 4301 South Chapman Road

Exciting news! Mountain Valley View Farm is now featured on BestofHorses.com, the best online search engine for horse enthusiasts. It is a real honor to be listed among the other great websites in the Best of Horses directory. You can view our page here.

Mountain Valley View Farm is proud to be a small, family owned and operated farm dedicated to raising beautiful Icelandic horses and growing fresh, organic produce that we sell at local farmers’ markets. We also have a small herd of Nubian dairy goats and Babydoll Southdown sheep that provide us with rich, creamy milk from which we craft a line of delicious artisan cheeses and handmade soaps that nourish and rejuvenate the skin.

Our Getaway Studio features a beautiful Bed & Breakfast where you can relax in a peaceful country setting, as well as the Dining Room that is open year-round for catering, hosting small dinner parties, and cooking classes taught by Karen Jean Matsko Hood, author of the popular Cookbook Delights series.

In our fully-licensed commercial kitchen, we use time-honored family recipes to make small batches of scrumptious artisan baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, fruit butters, and syrups from high quality local and organic ingredients that have a fresh, unbeatable taste. We also craft lovely gift items, including cookie and soup mixes packaged attractively in jars, sachets of lavender and potpourri, and our signature potpourri strings that add a decorative touch to any room.

As you can tell, there is always something new and exciting happening at Mountain Valley View Farm! Of course, we also have a great selection of organic produce and fresh eggs from the free-range chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys that live right here on our farm. We love serving the Spokane area with fresh, local food and handmade products that hearken back to a simpler and more friendly era. You can purchase any of our items directly at the farm, located at

4301 South Chapman Road
Greenacres, WA 99016

Or visit us year-round at the Spokane Public Market, and seasonally at other area farmers’ markets.

Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed – Fri

We look forward to seeing you soon!

All Hallow’s Eve is less than a week away, and if you haven’t started planning for the holiday, you may be in a panic right now wondering what costume you will wear, how you will decorate your house, and what to do for the party you promised all your friends. Not to fear! First, take a deep breath and take a look at some of the excellent articles preceding this one. From costumes to harvest festivals, they’ll give you some great ideas to get started on your Halloween celebration no matter how much you’ve procrastinated.

Another quick and easy tip to jumpstart your Halloween planning is to peruse a copy of Karen Jean Matsko Hood’s Halloween Delights. Far more than just a cookbook, Halloween Delights is a treasure trove of ideas that will help you create the most memorable Halloween possible. Packed with innovative recipes that will both delight the tastebuds and send shivers up and down your spine, this book gives you everything you need to quickly develop a theme around which to plan your entire holiday. You will find yourself inspired by just a brief glance at the recipes–there are over 200 to choose from, and they can help create an atmosphere that is spectacularly ghoulish, fun and playful, or anything in between.

For example, you may be inspired to use a monster theme by such treats as Goblin Dip with Bone Crackers and Eerie Eyeballs , or perhaps the Graveyard Cake and Disappearing Ghost Cookies will prompt you to decorate your house as a cemetery and dress up as a haunting spirit. Doubling as both a decorative centerpiece and a tasty treat is the Bleeding Human Heart, a delicious red gelatin that bleeds when you slice it. You could design an entire party around that one item: imagine the lair of a mad scientist, perhaps even Dr. Frankenstein himself, and all the grisly things you might encounter there. Witches, vampire bats, even less frightful symbols of Halloween like the black cat and jack-o-lantern, and so much more can be found in Halloween Delights. You will be thrilled with the abundance of creative ideas, and your party guests will be impressed and delightfully spooked.

Halloween Delights Cookbook – Paperback ©2008

Please click on the above image to view and print in a larger, easy-to-read format.

Have you ever wondered what gift to give that special someone in your life? They already have everything they need, and you’ve been racking your brain each holiday and birthday for the last several years to come up with something unique, something that is truly as special as they are–and now you have completely run out of ideas.

A personalized poem by Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the perfect answer. Affordable on any budget, personalized poems can be anything you want: fun and lighthearted, romantic, friendly, or sympathetic; they can be tailored to fit almost any occasion including birthdays, engagements or anniversaries, holidays, bereavement, as well as any other important event or milestone. A Personalized Poem by Karen gives you the opportunity to select extra options that many other personalized poems don’t bother with, such as whether or not you want the poem to rhyme, and whether or not you wish to add artwork or have your poem printed on special paper. Furthermore, most personalized items simply add the name of your gift recipient to an already-existing poem, but a Personalized Poem by Karen is always a unique creation, written specifically for you.

Karen Jean Matsko Hood has been writing poetry for many years, and her poems have appeared in numerous magazines and literary journals both national and international. You can read a review of her first volume of poetry, Frost of Spring Green, here. Karen’s experience and expertise in writing well-crafted, poignant poems makes her a natural for personalized poetry. Her deft touch and finely-woven words are guaranteed to touch the heartstrings no matter the subject or event you are looking to commemorate. Give a gift that will be treasured forever–give a Personalized Poem by Karen.

]]> http://artisticsignsanddesignsblog.com/2011/10/personalized-poems-make-a-fabulous-gift/feed/ 0 http://artisticsignsanddesignsblog.com/2011/10/halloween-parties/ http://artisticsignsanddesignsblog.com/2011/10/halloween-parties/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:12:06 +0000 Sibella http://artisticsignsanddesignsblog.com/?p=1298

Perhaps the easiest way to plan any party is to pick a theme and design your food, activities, favors, and decor around that central idea. If you have already chosen a theme for your Halloween decorations, as discussed in our earlier article, why not use this as the theme of your party as well?

For example, if you chose to decorate your house as a spooky graveyard, build on this by serving creepy skeletal treats like Brittle Meringue Bones or create an entire edible cemetery with the Haunted Halloween Forest Platter, both fabulous recipes from Karen Hood’s idea-filled cookbook Halloween Delights. Play Pin the Skull on the Skeleton, bob for apples in a coffin–whatever you do, be sure to include plenty of ghosts, vampires, and other creatures of the night!

A great party idea for younger kids who may frighten easily is to base it on the classic holiday cartoon It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Decorate your house as a pumpkin patch with hay bales and pumpkins; serve pumpkin bars, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin-shaped cookies as treats; hold a Jack-o-lantern carving contest–and be sure to designate one very special gourd to be the Great Pumpkin himself!

Party ideas for Halloween are almost endless. Invite your friends to a Monster Mash, and you decide whether the theme is traditional Hollywood monsters like The Mummy and The Wolfman, or a more open theme that welcomes all beasts of fur, scale, claw, and fang. A creative costume contest for this party would be a blast. Go with today’s popular trends and throw a vampire party complete with Blood Punch, flitting bat and coffin decor, and party games like Mafia are easily adapted to suit the undead. Another trendy choice is, of course, the zombie apocalypse. A ghoulish game of tag would be the perfect end to the evening.

Photo by Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Harvest festivals are a wonderful way to enjoy the autumn season for those who do not celebrate Halloween for religious reasons, or who simply don’t like to be scared.

Decorations concentrate on rich fall colors of gold, yellow, orange, red, and earthy brown. Pumpkins, corn stalks, apples, and colorful fall leaves can be incorporated into the décor to invoke a welcoming, harvest atmosphere. You can even go farther and make your home look like a farm—try bales of hay, friendly-looking scarecrows, horse or chicken themed pictures and items, rustic gingham prints, straw hats, and other items that can be found on a farm.

Food should concentrate on traditional autumn fare like apple cider, roasted pumpkin seeds, oatmeal cookies, zucchini bread, caramel apples, and popcorn. Hot, hearty dishes like soup and chili will warm up your guests. Try butternut squash soup as squash is plentiful at this time of year. Don’t forget that Halloween Delights, the fabulous cookbook by experienced chef Karen Jean Matsko Hood, contains a host of delicious and creative recipes that are perfect for autumn, not just Halloween.

Some traditional Halloween activities can be easily adapted to a harvest festival. Bobbing for apples and carving pumpkins are always fun, and you can invite your guests to come in costume as long as they don’t choose anything scary. Wheelbarrow races and other relay games provide excitement and competition for all ages. Carnival games, like beanbag throwing and ring toss, are also popular at harvest festivals, and of course there is the traditional fall hay ride.

Don’t let the frights and commercialism of Halloween stop you from celebrating this gorgeous time of year! A harvest festival is good, clean family fun that will create treasured memories for years to come. Be safe, be creative, and above all have fun!

• On Halloween, a girl can divine the name of her future husband by paring an apple and tossing the peel over her shoulder. The peel will fall into the shape of the man’s initials.
• If a girl stands in front of a mirror in a darkened room holding a candle, the face she sees in the reflection over her shoulder will be the face of her future husband.
• Black cats were originally thought to protect witches’ power from negative forces.
• To keep spirits away from your house, place a bowl of food outside to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
• Light a candle to guide your loved one home from the spirit world
• Ringing a bell scares away evil spirits.
• If you see a spider on Halloween night, it could be the spirit of a loved one watching you.
• To meet a witch on Halloween night, put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards.
• Do not look at your shadow in the moonlight. Doing so on All Hallows Eve will guarantee a death in the near future.
• If you see a ghost, walk around it nine times, and it will disappear.
• If you hear 3 knocks and no one is there, it usually means someone close to you has died. This is called the 3 knocks of death.
• If you kill a black cat on Halloween, you will have 7 years of bad luck.
• If you hold your breath while you drive by a cemetery, evil spirits can’t enter your body.
• If a black cat meows on your porch or near a window, a death will soon occur in the family.
• When bobbing for apples, it is believed that the first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry.
• If you go to a crossroads at Halloween and listen to the wind, you will learn all the most important things that will befall you during the next twelve months.
• If a person lights a new orange colored candle at midnight on Halloween and lets it burn until sunrise, he or she will be the recipient of good luck.
• A burning candle inside a jack-o-lantern on Halloween keeps evil spirits and demons at bay.
• If a candle flame suddenly turns blue, there’s a ghost nearby.
• Walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits.
• Girls placed hazel nuts along the front of the firegrate, each one to symbolize one of her suitors. She could then find out who her future husband would be by chanting, ‘If you love me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.’ The nut that popped out of the fire instead of burning up when she named her suitor would indicate her future husband.
• Gazing into a flame of a candle on Halloween night will enable you to peer into the future.