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In a Jane Austen mood, but would rather relax on the couch with some popcorn? I know exactly how you feel. Here are some recommendations from a fellow Janeite on movies that’ll scratch that Austen itch.

Covers from Jane Austen to Cover

Last week on Northanger Abbey, friends became less trustworthy, crushes were deepened, and oafish behaviour was endured. What fresh hijinks will our heroine encounter in the bustling metropolis of Bath? We shall soon see!

When I was a kid, I read A Wizard of Earthsea, and I read The Hobbit, and I read The Great Brain, and The Saturdays, and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and I read Judy Blume, and I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on, from Choose Your Own Adventure to the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novelization, but there is only one book that I look back and am truly thankful for. It’s the book that saved me, the book that made me who I am today, the book that turned me into a writer. It is, of course, Famous Monsters of Filmland’s Star Wars Spectacular.

Halloween is over, but the Old Ones won’t sleep for long. You never know when they’re going to burst out from the shadows, from a closet…or from inside your pie!

Ever since California-based artist Sandy Yoo created a dangerously delicious pie last year, I have yearned to attack this food decoration project. Finally, the time has come! Dear Reader, I must reveal the horrific details of this most dreadfully supercool endeavor, so that you can make your own Piethulhu (did you see what I did there?).

What You’ll Need:

–    Enough pie dough for two 9-inch pie crusts 
–    Pecan pie filling (I used my favorite recipe from Joy of Cooking)
–    Rolling pin
–    Knife
–    Extra pecans

I’m a recipe-follower, so your first step is to find your favorite pecan pie recipe. NOTE: Since it’s all about the crust decoration, you can Cthulhu-ize any type of pie, from Chess to Cherry. I was in the mood for pecan pie, so that’s the way I went. Just hold on to a couple of the berries or nuts you’re using for the filling; you’ll need these for the eyes.

Prep the bottom crust in a greased 9-inch pie pan, and add the pie filling. Set aside. Roll out the second pie crust, nice and thin. 

Begin by making the tentacles. Using a knife (it doesn’t have to be sharp), cut 8-12 tentacles out of the rolled-out pie dough. A good way to do this is to cut one side straight, one side curvy.