Be Better Blog

It’s the day after Halloween. If you went out, you’re probably exhausted, hung-over, and wondering what the hell you are going to do with that “Naughty Paula Deen” costume (complete with buttery Slip n’ Slide). If you stayed home, you probably had one trick-or-treater like I did (who was handsomely rewarded with an Atkins Chocolate Chip granola bar)… then ate all the entire bucket of candy yourself and watched Jamie Lee Curtis not die in the original Halloween movie.

And here we are…stuck with a headache/stomach ache, owning a shitty costume and living with a stoop full of more decorative gourds than you can shake a stick at. What the hell do we do now?

HANGOVER CURE: HERE ARE MY 3 TOP PICKS OF WHERE TO GET YOUR POST-BINGE NOSH ON IN THE HOOD.

• MOIM (206 Garfield pl. at 7^th ave): Nothing kicks a hangover like a hot, steaming bowl of spicy, soupy goodness. Go to Moim and order the Kimchi-Jjigae and a side of Kimchi Man-du and you’ll see that hangover melt away.
• BONNIE’S GRILL (278 5^th ave between 1^st and Garfield): Get the wings, pulled pork, or a burger and fries, add copious amounts of water….and you’re going to be just fine.
• DRAM SHOP (339 9^th St. between 5^th and 6^th ave.): One word…BURGER. Add a decent IPA as your “hair of the dog” and wait it out.

***Halloween Hangover Pro-Tip: Next year, plan to wear a homemade coconut bra as part of your costume, and save the coconut water for the next day’s hangover! 

After consuming that 32^nd Fun-Size Kit Kat (Fun-Size means you can eat until you stop having fun, right?), and hiding all the wrappers at the bottom of the trash can so your significant other/room mate doesn’t judge you…you feel like butthole. Now what?

STOMACH ACHE CURE: TRY MY HOMEMADE GINGER BREW

Cut up pieces of fresh ginger into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick, until you have about ¾ of a cup of sliced ginger root. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil and add the ginger to the pot along with 5 cinnamon sticks. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes and then let it cool.  Strain out the ginger pieces and cinnamon sticks before drinking. This is great served hot in the winter and then put into popsicle form in the summer to keep on hand for instant stomach ache relief.

NOW THAT YOUR BODY IS STARTING TO FEEL HUMAN AGAIN, YOU’LL NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE LEFT OVER PUMPKINS…

• USE YOUR PUMPKIN FOR GOOD: Do your part in supporting local farmers and take your janky-ass jack-o-lantern to a composting drop-off site: Park Slope’s location is at the Grand Army Plaza Green Market at the Grow NYC booth on Saturdays from 8am-4pm at the NW corner of Prospect Park. More informationHERE. 

• USE YOUR PUMPKIN FOR YUMS: The obvious answer for post-Halloween pumpkin usage is for fall-centric treats. The pumpkin “meat” can be used for all kinds of baked goods and sh*t (don’t use the carved ones)…and the seeds are the easiest thing to take to work and brag about: “Of course I roast my own pumpkin seeds in my spare time”.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

2 cups of washed pumpkin seeds (dried for one day)

2 Tablespoons of butter, melted

1 ½ Teaspoons of Salt

Mix butter, seeds, and salt together. Bake on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes in a 250-degree oven.

• USE YOUR PUMPKIN TO GET HOTTER:

Pumpkin Face Mask:

2 Teaspoons cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed

½ Teaspoon Honey

¼ Teaspoon Milk/Soymilk

½ Teaspoon of Brown Sugar

Combine all the ingredients together and apply to your face for 10-15 minutes. Relax. After the time is up, wash your face as normal and moisturize. This works bitches.

(Me in my mermaid costume with Andy Warhol)

AND LASTLY — WHAT TO DO WITH THAT LEFTOVER COSTUME:

• DONATE THAT SHIT: Drop off your costume at the same Grand Army Green Market location as the composting site. More information HERE.

• SELL THAT SHIT:  Take it on over to BEACON’S CLOSET and see if they’ll throw you a couple bucks for your costume. Though you’ll probably have better luck at the Beacon’s in Williamsburg (see: my new favorite time-waster website, HALLOWEEN OR WILLIAMSBURG. 
• REUSE THAT SHIT: Sounds like you need to get on with planning a mid-winter costume party!

xoxo Chinae

p.s. this post is also over on the Brooklyn blog I write for: www.fuckedinparkslope.com