Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yum!!  I made these with mini chocolate chips, but then a few days ago I made them again with regular chips.  Both versions came out just fine.  These are super good!

Recipe is from Tasty Kitchen by mommahen- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2       cups Flour

1       cup Quick Or Old-fashioned Oats, Uncooked

1       teaspoon Baking Soda

½       teaspoons Salt

1        cup Butter Or Margarine, Softened

1       cup Packed Brown Sugar

1       cup Granulated Sugar

1       whole Egg, Slightly Beaten

1       teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¾       cups Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin

1       cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop a heaping tablespoonful of dough onto lightly greased or parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake 13 – 15 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned.

Peanut Butter Temptations

I got this recipe off of the Reese's bag.  They are simple to make.

About 40 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures

1/2  cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2  cup creamy peanut butter

1  egg

1/2  teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4  teaspoon baking soda

1/2  teaspoon salt

1.  Heat oven to 375ºF.  Remove wrappers from candies.  Line small muffin cups (1-3/4 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups, if desired.

2.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut buter, egg and vanilla until fluffy in large bowl.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place one in each paper-lined or ungreased muffin cup.  Do not flatten.

3.  Bake 10- 12 minutes until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven.  Immediately press peanut butter cup in center of each cookie.  Cool completely in muffin pan.

The Post Office

I often find myself at the Post Office.  I love to send letters and notes to friends and family and I also ship a ton of cookies to military personnel through an organization called 'Baking GALS' and another called 'Tell Them Thanks'.

So, it is no surprise that I often buy stamps.

The other day I went to my new post office and asked to see their stamps.  I enjoy picking out a new stamp every time I go, you know, to mix things up.  The Post lady only brought out holiday stamps...  Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

I asked her if those were the only stamps they had at the moment and she said yes.  I didn't feel like purchasing a holiday stamp just yet.

Before I could tell her this she pointed to the Kwanzaa sheet... which was missing two stamps, and she said to me, "If you want these, I can get you a new sheet."

I guess because I am Black (half Black), that means I celebrate Kwanzaa.  Ha ha.  Sometimes, people are really dumb.

Since I am only half black, I guess I only half celebrate Kwanzaa...  I use 3-1/2 candles.  (The only reason I know they use 7 candles for this holiday is because of a book I read for my children's literature class in college.)

This is when I would like to shout...  My mom is White!!  My most of my family is White!  And you are really dumb!  Come out from underneath that rock... right now, open your eyes, the sky is blue and some Black people don't celebrate Kwanzaa!


P.S.-  I always thought Kwanza was spelled just like that Kwanza...  I was very wrong.  It is KWANZAA.  Never forget that second 'a' after the 'z'.

Marshalls

I had never set foot inside a Marshalls before, in my life.  That is until the other day when I was wasting time before heading to the USO for my 8pm- Midnight shift.

I have been missing out!  What great things Marshalls has!

I loaded up on items for my art student raffle prizes and I also got a Nike sports jacket for $30 when it is normally $75!  Wow, what a deal!

How come no one told me about this before?  There sports section in amazing... Puma, Marc Jacobs, Adidas, Nike, Champion.  I think I will be getting all of my running stuff there from now on.

If you have not checked out your local Marshalls, do yourself a favor and go there now... right now...  I mean it!  Ha ha.

Ben Harper Concert Photos

Here are the photos from the Ben Harper concert I went to in September!

So good!