Halloween fun

Chocolate, lollipops, and many more deliciously tempting treats can dangerously lead you to the line between enjoying and gorging this Halloween. Yahoo's Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillian blogs this month a list of candy you won't feel guilty about eating in addition to 5 tips to survive the night and the aftermath.

Looking for a more sophisticated Halloween? Head to Candlelight Restaurant and Bar in Simi Valley for their Halloween event where the grand prize for best costume is $5,000 cash.

Try to get a seat outside in the main garden, which is furnished with clusters of comfortable sofa's and lounge chairs. Don't worry about getting too cold; the restaurant strategically places fire burning clay pots around to keep guests warm.

Dinner will be served all night and their drinks are amazing; try "Seduce" or "Arouse," both are delicious and served icy cold. Alongside their jumbo calamari with extra skinny fries served in a large martini glass, your night can't go wrong.

Tainted Candy

Every Halloween we hear about tainted candy and children getting ill from it. I encourage everyone especially parents to check out all candy given and bought before eating it.

If you have candy left over after Halloween and don't know what to do with it or get sick of eating it alone, then try these delicious Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes.

Pumpkin Seed Popcorn Balls

A new inventive way to use pumpkin seeds with a spicy kick. (Courtesy Food Network)

Ingredients

* 3 (3.5-ounce) bags natural microwave popcorn
* 2 cups pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for forming
* 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Pop the popcorn according to package instructions. While hot, carefully open package and dump into a large bowl.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until browned and popping, tossing and stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Add to the popcorn.

Make caramel: Warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you cook the sugar. Put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage, or 305 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.

Whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture. Gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture will bubble up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees F on the thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and cayenne. Cool for about a minute. Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir to evenly coat.

When the popcorn is cool enough to handle, coat your hands with some butter and shape into 4-inch balls. Wrap in waxed paper and tie with a string, if desired. Serve or store covered at room temperature for up to a week.

Korean BBQ

The new Korean B.B.Q. restaurant, Maroo, that opened next to Pinkberry is one of many chains in Southern California. It is more of an upscale place with prices to match. Their lunch specials are costlier because the meats they use and Korean food is probably the most expensive of all Asian cuisine. Entrees are accompanied with small side dishes of pickled vegetables.



They offer box special lunches that include a few pieces of tempura, four pieces of California rolls, salad and your choice of meat. I had to try the marinated beef ribs since ever Korean restaurant prepares the marinade differently and also use different choices of cuts.



Athough the cut of the beef was the kind I prefer, sliced with small pieces of bone attached, the marinade was not as sweet and there was more fat than I would have liked. The salad was drowning in sauce and was too tangy; the rolls looked like they had been sitting out – the avocado was already turning slightly brown in color.

For the price, $15, it was not worth it. At California Bowl a couple blocks over, you can essentially get the same meal and get a little bit more, but for $6 less than at Maroo’s. It has more of a Japanese flair to it with the teriyaki sauce, but if you really want good Korean B.B.Q. go to Pine Tree at Reseda and Roscoe. Pine Tree’s beef rib lunch special offers more beef for a lesser price at around $10.

Pumpkin Perks

Trying to find the perfect pumpkin can be so much fun but the best part is carving it out and don't forget to save the seeds!

Sushi at a low price!

Sushi has become very popular and this could be for several reasons. For instance going out for sushi incorporates culture, fun and a lot of rolls. The sake isn't too bad either:)
Want to find the closest sushi hot spot in the CSUN area?

Cadbury chocolate recall

One of my favorite sweet treats are chocolates, and with Halloween right around the corner, everyone should be aware of safe treats. The recent milk scares that started in China have now spread globally and has spilled over into chocolate.



Melamine, a chemical found in plastics, have been found in baby milk formulas. It is blamed for poisoning more than 52,000 Chinese children and killing four. It was added to fool quality inspection checks after being put in to watered down raw milk used to make powdered baby formula.

The scare extended into the world of chocolate shortly after, prompting Cadbury to recall their products that are made in China. This Halloween season, be up to date on recalls and check those candy bags before the kids get at them. Websites such as GlutenFreeda.com offer a compilation of candy that are safe to eat.

If you're looking for amazing chocolate try Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills.

A hot steaming bowl of Pho

The traditional Vietnamese dish, Pho, is the most well known of all Vietnamese foods. This dish is a perfect compliment to a dark rainy day.


The delicious broth of beef soup infused with star anise and paired with herbs is a flavorful hearty combination. Thin rice noodles and beef slices create a great contextual contrast. The soft noodles and slight crunch of bean sprouts with tender pieces of beef infuse a wonderful combination of textures.

Pho has been made for centuries, a great dish for the rainy jungles of Vietnam. The Vietnamese made this dish as one of many variations of ways to prepare noodles. It is believed that when the French colonized the country, servants were pressed to make something that suited the French palette. The birth of Pho is said to be from the French beef stew dish, pot-au-feu.

Others believe it lays with Chinese influence, since China ruled Vietnam and greatly influenced not only cooking, but other aspects of life as well. Vietnam's traditional dress is strikingly similar to that of the Chinese traditional silk dress. It is also said that China is the influence of the use of rice noodles.

There are regional differences in Pho and the way people eat it. The three specific regions are Northern (Hanoi), Central (Hue), and Southern (Ho Chi Min City/Saigon). The differences are mostly seasonings and the addition of vegetables or sauces. One region may be bolder in spices and flavor while others may prefer a sweeter side.

It is not a simple dish to make, so it's much easier to go out for Pho. My mom occasionally makes it herself, but you will find that most American-Vietnamese families just go out for it now. A great place in the Valley is Pho #1. It's on Reseda Boulevard and Sherman Way, a few miles from CSUN. Another great thing about it is that it is cheap, about $5 for a big bowl of noodles, soup, and beef, and is really filling.

Soaring Food Prices

With our economy in a crisis it's no wonder that the price of food is putting a strain on people these days. People are going to the grocery store and trying to eat at home more now than ever in efforts to save money and conserve.

Nonetheless, the price of groceries are soaring too and people are trying to cope with it the best they can. Leona Campbell, Albertsons employee in Van Nuys, California for nine years says she has seen more people use more coupons this year than ever before. I find myself cutting out coupons and looking through the "junk" mail carefully for deals when I used to just throw it away before.

According to the Associated Press, The U.S. Federal Reserve says the American Economy remains "weak" as rising costs for energy and food hit consumers hard and force some companies to push their own prices higher.