Halloween Among Other Things

The other day I actually felt like I lived here! When driving to the grocery store.. 1. I didn't have to constantly THINK about where I was going, I actually knew and was comfortable and 2. I didn't feel like every California driver on the road hated me. It's like I've been here long enough that I'm not an out of town newbie and I felt 'accepted'. Hahaha obviously I'm sure that's exactly how they were feeling... yeah..

I VOTED! Yeah,! Amurrica! (Any Bernoski fans reading?) So proud that I remembered to request my absentee ballot.

I went grocery shopping this week and the total was less than I expected it to be. Love that feeling! I love having the fridge stocked with fresh fruits, veggies and hard boiled eggs. And I even managed to squeeze in a treat for Dan- a jar of liquid cheese. He has this philosophy that liquid cheese (even from a can) is wayyy better than solid cheese. We're quite opposites on that but he was happy with his surprise.

I'm going to try some awesome recipes out this month and I'm super excited (and so is Dan!). They will consist of avocado pasta, gnocchi and a Chipotle copycat recipe (that's why). Oh and I also just made an apparent copy cat of Kneader's Pumpkin Bread with added chocolate chips. SO GOOD. But then again, when is pumpkin chocolate chip bread bad? Honestly. But this was great anyways. I'd recommend it.

Here's the original recipe

Picture from website

BUT the original recipe makes three loaves. I didn't want to make three loaves. The recipe is super hard to divide into thirds but what I did is I divided the recipe in half then made two little loaves. Here is the conversion if you don't want to do it yourself!

Kneaders Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2 Loaves          3 Loaves

1 2/3 cup         3 1/3 cup       unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp           1 tsp           pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp         1 tbsp          cinnamon

1 tsp             2 tsp           baking soda

1/2 tsp           1 tsp           baking powder

3/4 tsp           1 1/2 tsp       salt

1 1/3 cup         2 2/3 cup       sugar

1/3 cup           2/3 cup         softened butter

2                 4               eggs

1                 2               15 oz can mashed pumpkin

1/3 cup           2/3 cup         water

1/2 cup           1 cup           semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream sugar and butter until well incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and then add the mashed pumpkin. Alternate adding dry ingredients with water. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into three large greased bread pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes [mine was exactly 55 min] or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Makes 3 [or two] loaves. That won’t make it very long at your house before being devoured.

While I was baking this bread and I sat there and was kind bummed that Halloween really snuck up on us this year. I don't love getting dressed up all crazy but I'd like to do something festive. I got to thinking and I was like hey- I can make a pumpkin shirt! I have an orange shirt and left over black scraps from the t-shirts I cut up. So I cut out a jack-o-lantern face. Then I realized Dan didn't bring his orange shirt to California sooo I decided to do the opposite for him! Black shirt and orange face (one of my dance shirts was orange one year for Spring Show yay!) They look great.

Aren't they so cute! I really didn't want to have the pumpkin eyes on my uhm... chest because it's a form fitting shirt but then when I tried it on when the face when lower like in the picture and it totally made me look prego! So I decided eyes on the chest wasn't so bad. After I put them there it didn't look bad at all! haha I guess I was just paranoid. As I put the shirts together Dan carved our pumpkin.

He's a master pumpkin carver! He did it so quick and it turned out so good!

 Awwhh aren't we CUTE!?

After we put our pumpkin out and lit it we got two tricker treaters! They weren't very cute or very nice though. Most people in this apartment complex drive to a subdivision so we weren't expecting a lot.

We went over to a friend's house that we met in the ward, they just got married too. They had some awesome decorations! Tombstones all over the yard, fog machine, creepy music, green lights, black lights, ghosts, skeletons and at least four or five fake scary statues. It was awesome! I decided to try on a mask and wig and be a creep. Did I succeed?

 This picture is legit creepy right?!

 Dan with one of the 'friends' in the yard

 Dan wanted to try the costume on :)

Dan told me if I scared a kid and made them cry he'd get me a corgi. I'd feel too bad though and take my guiltyness out on the corgi by letting him get fat and eat what ever he wants. Not good. So I didn't do it. It was fun though to hang out, talk and hand out candy. Two houses down there was apparently this guy jumping out and scaring people. We tried to catch a glimpse of him.

As we were leaving, we walked to the car and as I turn to get in there's the guy just standing in front of his house looking at me. I almost peed! He had on a mask like I was playing around with. I'm sure he was laughing though because I made this awkward noise that was a mix between being scared gasp and a nervous laughter. It came out more like a screech. I sounded like a pre-pubescent boy. No joke. I'm sure he was proud of himself though. Over all though, it was a fun evening :) Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!