pumpkin chocolate chip cookies: hello fall.

I've really been craving a bit of fall in my life ever since I got back from visiting my family in Utah. The weather was just getting gorgeous and I'll openly admit, I miss having a real fall living in Texas. It's kind of summer until the middle to the end of October and then the winter is, admitedly beautifully mild.

But there is no sweatshirt crispness in the air or beautiful splash of fall leaves during the fall months even though I live in a forest.
So I try and substitute other fall staples like gourds and sunflowers and pinecones all over my house and every dish I can think of with squash or pumpkin in it... and I pretend I could wear a sweatshirt.


When I needed to make a treat for a activity with the 14-15 year old girls I get to work with in my church congregation earlier this week, it gave me a perfect excuse to make my first pumpkin treat of the "season".

One of the easiest cookie recipes I know and completely delicious, this was the pumpkin cookie recipe I grew up with in my house.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 c pumpkin filling
1 c nuts (optional: I never add the nuts, still a kid at heart when it comes to nuts in cookies)
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 (my oven is a bit cold so I did 380)
2. Combine sugar, eggs, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla, mix.
3. Add add all the dry ingredients but the flour and chips, mix.
4. Add flour gradually, mix.
5. Mix in chocolate chips.

I use parchment paper on my cookies sheets to cut out clean up.
Use a spoon to place dollops of the cookie dough on the cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Let cool on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

happiest of halloweens.

For me, Halloween has always been a nice shout out to fall right on the edge of my favorite holiday season.

So, here's to crunchy leaves, pumpkins, cocoa and cider and... miniature skeletons and jack-o-lanterns.

 Far too many pictures of my boys (because this Momma can't resist)

obviously we don't all have to be happy about it all the time.

I do not know where he got his flare for the dramatic...

those lips.

Fall=snuggles

I have always loved a baby in snugly clothes and thus, I am loving the baby Lee in this snugly today.
(My obsession with fall (and b.l.) is apparent, I know. )

I *love* fall.

I had my first cup of Bengal Spice tea today. My favorite. *sigh* I love fall.