Halloween 2012, our village comes alive with the undead

So I have been a bit quiet on the postings.... life has taken over; sick babies, sleepless nights and of course there was my husband who nominated me to take over as President of the Association de Parent d'eleves or PTA... Just last week we made the changeover in the association and I took on our first event a week later... the Savannah College of Art and Design who have their European base in our village offered to give us a table at their annual Halloween event. With the opportunity to reach over 300 people I couldn't resist.... so the event planning frenzy began.

I took over my mums kitchen (the call of her great big oven and marble topped kitchen island beat my pokey kitchen hands down) and I managed to bake ten cakes and sixty sugar cookies over three days prior to the event... of course Charlotte sensed that I had lots to do so she decided she was only going to take 15 minute naps....hence 2 of my cakes were catastrophically burnt beyond repair, my first red velvet turned grey and my second attempt, purple....(im)perfect for Halloween. My chocolate buttercream was yummy if a little bit of a disaster (the butter didnt actually melt properly as it was too cold in the kitchen) and my cream cheese icing was too runny.....Anyway, Martha Stewart I am not but at least my intentions were good.

In the days running up to the event we had torrential rain coupled with heavy northern winds .... but on Saturday morning the clouds cleared and the wind died down just enough for us to set our table up underneath an old platane tree on Rue Saint Trophime.

“Les doigts de Sorcières” or Sorcerers Fingers made by one of our parents, Karen. They proved to be a little too realistic for many of our customers.

Les Monstres Rigolos, or Apple Monsters made by Isabel Sobin (maman de Chiara)

Our table of wicked Halloween treats.

Delicious Ghost meringues made by maman Celine and hand decorated by her six year old son Julien

Halloween Sugar Cookies

One of the first cakes to be devoured in its entirety (and baked by yours truly), this was meant to be a ‘Red velvet’ cake but turned a deep purple… a happy accident for Halloween.

My Louis, le ‘strong man’

The mulled wine, made by my husband with Cave de Bonnieux wine and cognac was a huge success!

Two of the magnificent cakes that SCAD painting student Kayla Cloonan decorated for us, MERCI KAYLA!!!

Chocolate truffle Mice made by the talented Karen

Here is our team (with our assorted kids), in our ‘official’ photograph with Madame La Maire & the  formidable Cédric Maros de SCAD.

Les enfants ont adoré nos friandises saugrenues et amusantes!

Delicious courgette muffins made by mother Florence… trop bon!

Parents of Lacoste bonding over a glass of mulled wine

Dan et Luc Adel ….  Veronique Adel cooked a wonderful plate of Savoury sorcerers fingers which were devoured by the masses.

A very special shout out to all that helped make this event a success:  Cedric Maros & Eleanor Twiford of SCAD Lacoste; Karen et Norbert Contat, Veronique et Dan Adel, Isabel et Gaby Sobin, Celine et Julien Andre-Laugier, Lara et José Monteiro-Gartig, Rene et Gisele Devaut, Jean Marie et Danielle Gross et La Cave de Bonnieux. Jane McDonald, Ann Bradley (aka my mum and grandmother extraordinaire), Kayla Cloonan et Brandon Nygard.

Photos by Ruth Ribeaucourt, and Andrew Forino for SCAD