I wanted to make some pumpkin cookies with white chips, so I went to allrecipes.com and found this -http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chocolate-pumpkin-dreams/detail.aspx
But....it wasn't what I was really looking for. Because I wanted to taste the pumpkin as well as the white chocolate chips. So...I modified it a bit.
First off, I cooked down a small pumpkin pie pumpkin. If you don't know how to do this, you preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half from the middle, not through the stem. Take out the guts & seeds. Then get a cookie sheet & put some aluminum foil on it. Rub some oil onto both the foil and the inside of the pumpkin (don't forget to get the parts that will be touching the foil.) Then stick the pumpkin onto the cookie sheet & put it into your oven for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will be able to smell the pumpkin when it is fully cooked & it's ready to come out...also the flesh will be soft. You can scoop out your freshly cooked pumpkin with an ice cream scoop & freeze whatever you don't use.
Here's what I put into my cookies versus the original recipe -
1 cup light butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces white chocolate or vanilla chips
1/2 cup pulverized pecans
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
I didn't use the frosting because some of these cookies I'm sending as gifts to other people. They turned out really yummy and I think at least a bit healthier than the original recipe.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Blur
This is a very short story that I wrote tonight while fighting the effects of a migraine. I think it turned out well given the length & state of my head at the time :)
Returning home from work early with a burgeoning migraine was not the way Marci had planned on spending her evening. Still, with the migraine busily pounding away at her skull and no other options available, she decided heading to bed was her best bet. As she slowly made her way from the front door of her apartment to the bathroom, that blur moved past her again. Marci sighed. Really? Do you have to do your blur thing right now when my head is trying to detach itself from my body?
The blur had been making appearances in her apartment for about two weeks now. Talking to some of her pagan friends had given Marci the information that right now was the time when the veils between the worlds were the thinnest. Apparently in October the spirits of the dead found it easier to come back and say hello. While Marci found the pagan community interesting, and had many close friends in it, she didn't really want to experience any paranormal activity herself.
Since concentrating on anything right now made her head throb even more than it already was, Marci did her best to ignore the blur and continued on to her bedroom. She finished her nighttime routine and climbed into bed. Alright you blur, she thought at it, if you leave me alone to sleep off this migraine, I'll ask my friends about you tomorrow. Deal?
A strange shimmer seemed to happen next to her bed, and then the room because strangely comfortable in a way she hadn't felt before. Taking that as a yes, Marci drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Marci called Jenna, who happened to be researching quite a bit of paranormal material. Jenna asked a slew of questions, to which all the answers were no. "Well it doesn't sound like this ooga booga wants to hurt you," Jenna announced. "You said you thought it heard you last night....what did you do?"
"I just kind of thought at it," Marci replied.
"Well, if you want to know what it's doing in your house, maybe you should just ask it," was Jenna's reply. "Maybe it needs your help or something."
"Okay, I guess it can't hurt to give it a shot. Thanks, Jenna" Marci said, then hung up the phone. She had the morning off from both work and school, which made it an ideal time to try to contact the blur, or whatever it was. Marci took a deep breath, let it out and then tried to focus on thinking at the blur again.
My friend says you probably don't want to hurt me, and I'd like to keep it that way. Can you tell me why you happen to be here, in my apartment? And maybe even what you want so you will leave my apartment?
For a few seconds nothing happened. Then, that same shimmer from the night before happened in the hallway leading to her bedroom. The shimmer stayed where it was, perhaps so it wouldn't frighten her. In her mind, Marci saw the image of a young boy form. She figured it must be what the blur/shimmer/spook was. Then she heard in her head, but not out loud You look like my sister. And I can't find my mommy. And I don't want to be alone because it's scary.
Marci sat in her bed and blinked. I just talked to a ghost. And he talked back. Holy crap. Marci tilted her head at the ghost and thought back at him Well, I'll make you a deal. You can hang out with me until you find your mom or sister. But, you have to behave yourself and not scare any friends I have over. Deal?
The shimmer waved a bit in the hallway and the image of the little boy clasped his hands together excitedly. Yes! I don't like being lonely and then the little boy smiled at her. The image in Marci's head faded as did the shimmer in the hallway.
Marci had her unique roomate for almost two years, and then one day she noticed that he was gone. The apartment felt strangely empty without the little ghost, but Marci hoped he had found his family.
Returning home from work early with a burgeoning migraine was not the way Marci had planned on spending her evening. Still, with the migraine busily pounding away at her skull and no other options available, she decided heading to bed was her best bet. As she slowly made her way from the front door of her apartment to the bathroom, that blur moved past her again. Marci sighed. Really? Do you have to do your blur thing right now when my head is trying to detach itself from my body?
The blur had been making appearances in her apartment for about two weeks now. Talking to some of her pagan friends had given Marci the information that right now was the time when the veils between the worlds were the thinnest. Apparently in October the spirits of the dead found it easier to come back and say hello. While Marci found the pagan community interesting, and had many close friends in it, she didn't really want to experience any paranormal activity herself.
Since concentrating on anything right now made her head throb even more than it already was, Marci did her best to ignore the blur and continued on to her bedroom. She finished her nighttime routine and climbed into bed. Alright you blur, she thought at it, if you leave me alone to sleep off this migraine, I'll ask my friends about you tomorrow. Deal?
A strange shimmer seemed to happen next to her bed, and then the room because strangely comfortable in a way she hadn't felt before. Taking that as a yes, Marci drifted off to sleep.
The next morning Marci called Jenna, who happened to be researching quite a bit of paranormal material. Jenna asked a slew of questions, to which all the answers were no. "Well it doesn't sound like this ooga booga wants to hurt you," Jenna announced. "You said you thought it heard you last night....what did you do?"
"I just kind of thought at it," Marci replied.
"Well, if you want to know what it's doing in your house, maybe you should just ask it," was Jenna's reply. "Maybe it needs your help or something."
"Okay, I guess it can't hurt to give it a shot. Thanks, Jenna" Marci said, then hung up the phone. She had the morning off from both work and school, which made it an ideal time to try to contact the blur, or whatever it was. Marci took a deep breath, let it out and then tried to focus on thinking at the blur again.
My friend says you probably don't want to hurt me, and I'd like to keep it that way. Can you tell me why you happen to be here, in my apartment? And maybe even what you want so you will leave my apartment?
For a few seconds nothing happened. Then, that same shimmer from the night before happened in the hallway leading to her bedroom. The shimmer stayed where it was, perhaps so it wouldn't frighten her. In her mind, Marci saw the image of a young boy form. She figured it must be what the blur/shimmer/spook was. Then she heard in her head, but not out loud You look like my sister. And I can't find my mommy. And I don't want to be alone because it's scary.
Marci sat in her bed and blinked. I just talked to a ghost. And he talked back. Holy crap. Marci tilted her head at the ghost and thought back at him Well, I'll make you a deal. You can hang out with me until you find your mom or sister. But, you have to behave yourself and not scare any friends I have over. Deal?
The shimmer waved a bit in the hallway and the image of the little boy clasped his hands together excitedly. Yes! I don't like being lonely and then the little boy smiled at her. The image in Marci's head faded as did the shimmer in the hallway.
Marci had her unique roomate for almost two years, and then one day she noticed that he was gone. The apartment felt strangely empty without the little ghost, but Marci hoped he had found his family.
Friday, October 21, 2011
The ego of the narcissist
It's been awhile since I hit up my blog, and I really have no excuse if you don't count the fact that I occasionally like to eat and sleep. I just discovered this very awesome blog called Surviving Narcissism (which can be found at http://survivingnarcissism.com/ for anyone who's interested) which reminded me yet again that I've been subconsciously caving to the damn Narcissists in my life. By not writing on my blog about the issues we've had with Alan's mother and brother lately. Cuz they might somehow read it and get offended :-/ No, seriously, I didn't want to write it because of that. Because the last time I expressed outrage on Facebook that my Narcissist MIL was coming for an unexpected visit (because my husband got all stressed out about work & forgot to tell me) his brother went all enabler and told me I lacked manners. I can't make this shit up.
So.....my MIL announced that it was one of my favorite author's fault that someone else's marriage broke up. Not going to mention the author because I want to respect her privacy, but the MIL is convinced that because said author may not have the societally correct monogamous relationship with her husband, she is responsible for the breakup of someone else's marriage. Because this makes sense in the world my MIL lives in. Although my MIL is a licensed counselor of social work, it would never occur to her that said marriage may have had problems before author was ever introduced to the situation. Because it doesn't fit with her worldview. This is the same woman who tonight announced she wanted to start a grass roots movement for school reform in Kentucky all by herself because she's such an expert on autism and the schools aren't. She gave much more detail on her idea for change, but the key aspect seemed to be her profound belief that people would follow her. Because her ego is bigger than she is (and that's saying something cuz she's about 300 pounds.)
After the realization hit me that I was enabling the family's behavior of "the MIL is always right" by not blogging about issues that have happened recently (because the Gods know I'm the root of all their problems, just ask them) I decided to go ahead and write this slightly inebriated blog entry and post it on Twitter. Because I do have the right to my feelings and I do have a right to express myself and dammit I do matter.
The hubby and I are at a really good place right now and while he doesn't always agree with me about his mother, he has come to understand that she's not right. And that's really all I need from him. She is his mom, after all, and no matter how manipulative and controlling she can be, he loves her.
So.....my MIL announced that it was one of my favorite author's fault that someone else's marriage broke up. Not going to mention the author because I want to respect her privacy, but the MIL is convinced that because said author may not have the societally correct monogamous relationship with her husband, she is responsible for the breakup of someone else's marriage. Because this makes sense in the world my MIL lives in. Although my MIL is a licensed counselor of social work, it would never occur to her that said marriage may have had problems before author was ever introduced to the situation. Because it doesn't fit with her worldview. This is the same woman who tonight announced she wanted to start a grass roots movement for school reform in Kentucky all by herself because she's such an expert on autism and the schools aren't. She gave much more detail on her idea for change, but the key aspect seemed to be her profound belief that people would follow her. Because her ego is bigger than she is (and that's saying something cuz she's about 300 pounds.)
After the realization hit me that I was enabling the family's behavior of "the MIL is always right" by not blogging about issues that have happened recently (because the Gods know I'm the root of all their problems, just ask them) I decided to go ahead and write this slightly inebriated blog entry and post it on Twitter. Because I do have the right to my feelings and I do have a right to express myself and dammit I do matter.
The hubby and I are at a really good place right now and while he doesn't always agree with me about his mother, he has come to understand that she's not right. And that's really all I need from him. She is his mom, after all, and no matter how manipulative and controlling she can be, he loves her.
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