H-A-double L-O-W-double E-N, spells Halloween!

Happy October! I know that it's been this month for a few days now, but seeing as I just put up some appropriate decor, the month is now official. (Because really, it's all about me.)

Yesterday I ventured to the booming metropolis that is Mountain Home in search of some cheap decorations to advertise that yes, we do indeed celebrate this particular holiday. The "cheap" part is of course due to our new budgeting system, which leaves very little room for silly Halloween decorations. So I went to my new favorite place, The Dollar Store. (Motto: "Everything's a Dollar!" or "Bringing You Kitsch From Your Friendly Overseas Sweatshop!")

They didn't have much of a selection -- in fact, they had more Christmas items than Halloween. (Which is fine by me. I'm not working retail anymore, so I don't care that stores start oversaturating the market with jingles and holiday paraphernalia.) But I still managed to find my "Kitsch Witch" and some fake spider webs. The Kitsch Witch is a little too trailer park for my tastes, but hell, I technically live in a trailer park. I figure it can be an ironic symbol -- like an athiest who buys a velvet painting of "The Last Supper."


So this is our front door. Marcus helped me make the Happy Halloween sign (read: he didn't eat it) and that's about that. Nothing special... I'm saving my energy for Christmas Decorations. (!!! No really -- I'm already really excited for December. I blame my mother. That's right, YOU, Mama!)



The other reason for this post is a new recipe! Joe and I were on the same wavelength last night. We were both craving cookies. I would have made chocolate chip, but unfortunately the "extra large" sized bag of tollhouse chocolate chips I had recently purchased had mysteriously disappeared. (Read: I ate them. And washed it down with heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter. Calories don't count if they're consumed late at night watching The X-Files! I swear!!!)



I didn't want to make just oatmeal either. Since I was already in a very October-y mood, I wanted something pumpkiny. I also couldn't use the mixer, because Marcus was having some issues falling asleep. So I improvised, and though I saw fear in Joe's eyes as I started haphazardly throwing ingredients into a bowl, we were both pleasantly surprised by the results.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup room temp margarine (or shortening)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups rolled oats
Cinnamon Sugar (combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 Tbsp cinnamon)

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and vanilla with a wooden spoon. (You can use a hand mixer if you want, but you really don't need to!)

Once combined, stir in pumpkin.

Add dry ingredients all together. Mix well. Fold in Oatmeal.

Drop by Tbsp onto cookie sheet. Generously sprinkle Cinnamon Sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then press down on the top of each cookie with a spatula to flatten. Bake 2 minutes more.

So there you have it. An October post for a blustery Autumn day.

-C

P.S. Dishtowelgate is now in its 16th day. Will she ever see that beautiful, linen, candy apple red dish towel again? All signs point to "No."